Whirlwind FX’s Atom 60% mechanical gaming keyboard isn’t too different from other similarly sized options. The compact build is a space saver, great if you need extra mousing room while you game. It’ll also slide easily into a backpack for travel. (It also has a removable braided USB-C cable to help with that.) The company offers a choice of three mechanical switches, and they’re all brilliantly lit with RGB LEDs. 

The Atom’s backlighting, or more specifically the software that controls them, is where this little keyboard stands out. The thing is, you don’t even need the keyboard to use the software. 

The SignalRGB app lets you set the keyboard’s lighting to have different effects during regular use and when media is playing including various games. The app has a library of game integrations to choose from. I tested the Battlefield V integration, for example, and it does things like turn the keyboard lights red when HP is low or green when you’re healed. The Fortnite integration will change the keyboard to pink and red when you take damage or purple when you add experience. There are a lot of games available and, if you really like to tinker, you can create your own integrations using the company’s open-platform lighting software.

However, the SignalRGB software lets you take things a step further by expanding the effects to your other RGB gaming peripherals. It supports more than 150 devices from Razer, Corsair, HyperX, Logitech, SteelSeries and others. You can also request others that aren’t supported yet. 

Also, if you prefer a full-size keyboard, check out the company’s second-gen Element keyboard that has the same switch options but it has directional keys and a number pad.

Even on Logitech’s lower-end models such as the G413 backlit gaming keyboard, the company doesn’t cheap out on build quality and components. It uses the same Romer-G Tactile switches found on its more feature-filled models and has the same slim, simple and durable keyboard design with brushed aluminum-magnesium alloy top case. It has a braided USB cable with a USB passthrough port on the back right and channels underneath for mouse and headset cable management.

The tactile key switch is relatively quiet with no click when actuated, just a subtle bump and a short actuation. If you love to hear and feel your keypresses, this probably isn’t the best switch for you. There’s just one color for the backlight — red — but the backlighting is bright and the key font on this full-size keyboard is easy to read. Logitech includes 12 faceted keycaps, which is nice but we didn’t feel much difference.

The G413 is programmable with Logitech’s G Hub software, letting you set up macros and custom functions on the F1-F12 buttons and there’s a game mode that shuts off the Windows key. Overall it’s a more polished mechanical gaming keyboard than the others here, but it’s also pricier.

Finding a good wireless gaming keyboard can be difficult. These babies are a rarity because the last thing you want to do is potentially introduce lag into your performance. The G613’s Lightspeed wireless performs as well as wired and its battery life is stellar at up to 18 months on two AA-size batteries. That said, the keyboard has no backlight whatsoever, which while understandable for the power savings, no keyboard backlighting really kills the gaming experience in the dark. You do get six programmable buttons down the left side, so that’s something.

The G613 uses the same Romer-G Tactile mechanical switches as the G413, so everything I said about that one applies here. I happen to like the feel of this switch for gaming and typing, though I was in the minority for our testing. This wireless keyboard is definitely one you should try before you buy if you can.

The $50 G14 is one of the most affordable mechanical gaming keyboards available and Aukey has stepped up its game with the build quality and software without increasing prices. This TKL keyboard is chunky but still saves desk space since it doesn’t have a number pad; check out Aukey’s G12 if you want that feature.

Although the case is all plastic, it has the heft of a metal frame. Combined with the nonslip pads on the bottom, this keyboard won’t slide around while you’re gaming. Plus, there are two sets of flip-out feet at the back giving you three typing angles to choose from — something you don’t always find on pricier keyboards. And while its USB cable is attached to the body, Aukey did add routing on the bottom so you can send the cable out to the left, right or center. 

The company’s blue clicky switches are good for both typing and gaming with a tactile bump you can feel and hear. These switches have a loud click to them, something to keep in mind if you share a workspace). Also, there is no pinging from the switch springs, unlike the slimmer full-size G12 keyboard, so all you really hear is their click. There is some key wobble but it’s relatively minor and overall it’s a solid typing experience.

The keycap legends are difficult to read with the backlight off. However, with 18 preprogrammed lighting options to choose from and four brightness settings, there’s little reason to have the lights off entirely while you’re working. You can always replace the keycaps, too, and Aukey includes a puller. Software for the keyboard can be used to create your own per-key RGB lighting, set up key macros or change key assignments and save multiple profiles. The G14 is a great place to start if you’re just getting into mechanical keyboards for work or play.