7 Best keyboards for day trading in 2023 | An active traders perspective

In this post I will offer my opinion on the best keyboard/s for day trading applications. I’ve broken down the most important features and what to consider when selecting your keyboard peripheral. I’ll discuss in detail Bluetooth versus wired keyboards, membrane versus mechanical, key layout options and programmable features. Based on this discussion I’ll offer my top pick for the best keyboard for day trading.

If you prefer to quickly know my selection, then below is my top pick. If you want to learn about how I’ve come to this choice or want to consider more options. Then the following post provides loads of detail from an active traders perspective.

If your looking for a high quality keyboard for your trading. In my opinion the Logitech G815 mechanical keyboard is a fantastic option. This keyboard is packed with practical features. It has a beautifully designed slim chassis and offers a reliable, fast and responsive keyboard experience.

7 Best keyboard for day trading comparison table

Best keyboard for day trading

Logitech G815 mechanical keyboard

I’ve used Logitech peripherals for years. They have been reliable and look great at my workstation. My favorite Logitech peripheral and best keyboard for day trading has to be the Logitech G815 mechanical keyboard.

The Logitech G815 keyboard is available in wired and wireless versions. For day trading I’d suggest going with the wired version.

The keyboard comes with a choice of mechanical switch options. One of the really nice things about this board the low profile keys. They have a really high quality feel with great user feedback. The switches are available with three keystroke options. Either the Logitech GL Clicky, GL Linear or GL Tactile. I’d suggest going with either the clicky or tactile keyboard switches. They provide just a little more user feedback. Ideal for hotkeys. To listen to the Logitech GL switch sounds for each of these options click the link.

The keyboard is available with the QWERTY key layout as standard.

The design has a super thin balanced feel with enough weight to prevent the keyboard moving around your desktop.

The keys are super fast and responsive. Noticeably faster than standard keyboard options. Its comes with a beautiful looking metal body with low profile keys that makes the keyboard look and feel amazing.

The keyboard also offers programmable lighting for each key. So you can group keys based on functions perfect for hotkey identification.

The biggest downside of this keyboard is the price. Its certainly not a cheap option. But for the money Logitech deliver one of the best keyboards on the market packed full of features!

Corsair K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical or Mechanical Keyboard

If your in the market for a super fast high performance keyboard. Then consider Corsair’s premium option The Corsiar K100 RGB keyboard.

The standout feature of this keyboard is the keypress input delivery speed. The Corsiar K100 claims to deliver keypress inputs 8 x faster than other performance keyboards! Wow!

The keyboard is available with either the Corsair OPX optical-mechanical key switches or Cherry MX speed Mechanical switches.

The OPX optical-mechanical key switches use a beam of infrared light to register a each key stroke actuation. This option delivers the fastest performance with only 1mm of actuation distance and zero debounce delay.

The keyboard is also available with any of the Cherry MX mechanical key switches: Cherry MX Brown, Blue or Speed. These are beautifully engineered switches. You can learn more about the Cherry MX switches here. This option is slightly cheaper than the OPX key switch option. Listen to the sounds of the Cherry MX switches here.

The other keyboard features include:

Per key RGB backlighting with 44 customizable RGB edge lighting zones. Plus 6 fully programmable keys and 8MB of onboard storage. The keyboard can store up to 200 profiles for customized RGB and Programmed keys settings.

The keyboard frame is constructed from a durable brushed aluminum.

The keyboard is available with QWERTY key layout as standard.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional Wired Mechanical Keyboard:

This is a beautifully designed professional keyboard. It your looking for a well crafted, super high quality, slim design keyboard with an understated look. Then this Das keyboard is a fantastic option.

This super thin keyboard (0.80 inches or 2.032 cm thick) is built solid to last for years. The keyboards top panel is built and finished with Matt black anodized aluminum. This gives the slim keyboard body a lovely weight on the desk and a durable solid feel. The keycaps are constructed from ABS plastic and are laser etched for maximum durability.

The key switches are Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches. These switches are beautifully engineered and are some of the most durable on the market. The key strokes have a lovely tactile feel with 2mm of pre travel and 4mm of total travel. Cherry MX have a great website including data sheets if you’d like to learn more about the mechanics, construction and listen to the sounds of these switches.

This keyboard is available in wired version only and has a dedicated Mac version so if your a Mac user be sure to get the right model.

The keyboard supports full N-Key rollover or NKRO. Which basically allows the keyboard to better register multiple keystrokes simultaneously. This is perfect for fast typists or for trading applications when you may need to press multiple keys simultaneously.

The keyboard comes standard with QWERTY layout but there is a blank key option for those that prefer an alternate key layout.

Razor BlackWidow Lite TKL Tenkeyless Mechanical Keyboard

The Razor BlackWidow TKL is a really nicely designed compact programmable mechanical keyboard option. Smaller and priced at about a third that of other keyboards on this list. This keyboard offers many of the benefits of a professional mechanical keyboard.

In my opinion this is the best keyboard for day trading if you’re mobile and often trade on the road.

This is compact keyboard measures 5.24 inches (13.3 cm) x 14.22 inches (36.12 cm) x 1.42 inches (3.61 cm). It’s smaller size makes it ideal as part of a desktop setup to give you more room on your desk or as part of a mobile workstation.

The Razor orange switches are quiet and come with O-rings to dampen the key stroke noise further. The key strokes have a lovely tactile feel with 1.9mm of pre travel and 4mm of total travel requiring 45 grams of actuation force.

Listen to the Razor orange switches here.

There is no RGB lighting with this keyboard instead the keys are backlit with white lighting. Which gives the keyboard a really slick professional look.

The keyboard comes in a wired version only with a micro-USB detachable cable.

Another feature that I love about this keyboard are the programmable features. The TKL is a fully programmable. All keys can be remapped and customized. This is an amazing feature for a keyboard in this price bracket.

The keyboard comes standard with QWERTY layout. But all keycaps are replaceable and keys programmable. Meaning keyboard layout is fully customizable,

Logitech G910 Orion Spark RGB Mechanical Keyboard

The Logitech G910 Orion Spectrum is a feature packed keyboard at a great price.

The Logitech G910 is a lower specification cheaper alternative to the Logitech G815. Designed for gamers this keyboard is perfect for someone wanting a full size full feature budget friendly option for both day trading and gaming applications.

What I like about this keyboard is the amount of features on offer. These include fast performance mechanical switches, 9 programmable keys, customizable Lightsync RGB lighting, dedicated media keys and toggle plus integrated palm rest.

All these features for such a good price however comes with some trade offs. In my opinion this keyboards biggest trade is the keyboard switches.

The keyboard comes standard with Romer-G tactile switches. Logitech claims these switches are 25% faster and 40% more durable than standard mechanical switches. These Romer-G switches offer a classic mechanical keystroke feel and sound. These are a lower spec switch than the other keyboards on this list and I find them quite noisy.

All the customizable RGB lighting features and programmable keys are controlled via the dedicated keyboard software. These features are perfect for setting hotkeys, zoning specific areas of your keyboard or just to create a great looking workstation! 

Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 TKL Keyboard

The Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 Keyboard is a great value TKL RGB keyboard option. In my opinion, if you’re looking for an affordable option. Then this is the best keyboard for day trading on a budget.

The keyboard offers all the advantages of a mechanical keyboard. Accuracy, speed and performance. It simply lacks the low profile key switches and super high quality finish of the other higher specification keyboards on this list. This is of course is a reasonable compromise considering the price variation.

Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 Keyboard is available in three key switch options. Tactile & clicky (Razor Green Switches); tactile and silent (Razor Orange switches); and linear and silent (Razor yellow Switches). Listen to each of the Razor switches key stroke sounds here

The keyboard is available with the QWERTY key layout as standard.

The Razer Black Widow Chroma V2 Keyboard also offers programmable lighting similar to the Logitech G815.

The keyboard comes standard with a magnetic wrist rest. Made from leatherette it provides a really comfortable experience. The wrist rest fits neatly to the front of the keyboard which is a nice additional feature.

X-Keys Programmable Keypad

If you’re looking for a fully customizable keyboard for hotkeys and key stroke short cuts then consider getting an X-Keys programmable keypad!

X-Keys offer a huge range of fully programmable and full customizable keypads. These are available in a range of sizes including the 24, 60, 80 and 128 key keypads.

Each key is fully customizable and can be programmed to send any key combination or a string of key strokes. Any thing that a user can do can be programmed and replicated on a single key.

Each keycap can be labeled for full customization for simple identification.

The smaller 24 key keypad is ideal for hand held uses. All key caps are interchangeable. Each key can be individually backlite either blue or red. Key switches are full travel rubber dome membrane keyboard switch.

How to choose a day trading keyboard | Understanding what’s important

Your keyboard and mouse are your interface to charting software and broker. For such an essential function. It makes sense to invest in reliable and good quality equipment. That’s why I’d like to discuss in detail the various keyboard features worth considering.

If you are just starting out trading. Then the computer equipment including keyboard you currently own. Is more than likely just fine. If you are trading live and at size then that when you really do want to consider better quality gear.

There are several categories of keyboards worth discussing. Keyboards have 3 main features important to consider when choosing what keyboard is best for your needs.

These features are: Bluetooth versus wired keyboards, Mechanical versus membrane and key layout. In this post I’d like to discuss these in more detail and how they relate to day trading.

Bluetooth versus Wired keyboards

The two connectivity solutions for your keyboard to interface with your computer are via a wired connection or bluetooth wireless connection. Wired connections use a hardwired connection plugged to your computer either via a USB port or MIDI port. Bluetooth connectivity relies on a radio receiver USB plug.

Both solutions have pros and cons. I will discuss these and how they relate to day trading in more detail below.

What is the difference between wired and wireless keyboard?

The difference between wired and wireless keyboard is how your keyboard communicates to your computer. The connection type determines keyboard user experience but also data transfer rates.

Therefore it becomes important to consider what type of connection suits your needs.

Wireless keyboards use Bluetooth connectivity via a radio receiver USB plug.

The user experience of a wireless keyboard is clear. The ability for any peripheral to connect wireless reduces wire clutter to create a clean and clear desktop. Users can operate from a distance of up to 9m in most cases. This function is perfect for operating computers in meeting rooms or classrooms.

Wired keyboards use a hardwired connection from your keyboard that plugs into you computer via a USB or MIDI port.

Wired keyboards lack the user experience advantages of a wireless keyboard. The wired connection limits operating distances to a desktop adjacent the computer.

Wired keyboards offer significant latency or data transfer rate benefits. They also rely of a hardwired power supply from your computer. These are significant advantages for using a hardwired keyboard.

Are wireless keyboards reliable?

Wireless keyboards are significantly more reliable than they used to be. But still suffer some reliability issues such as data transfer lag and operating distance. This makes them less than optimal for some purposes.

Do wireless keyboards have lag?

Wireless keyboards do operate will latency and data transfer lag. Depending on the keyboard quality and the use of your keyboard this lag is typically insignificant.

If optimal performance is important then a wired solution is a better option.

Is wired or wireless keyboard better?

Reliability and performance are key themes that relate to day trading equipment.

Wired keyboards offer higher latency rates plus their power supply connects directly to a reliable source.

It’s my opinion that a wired keyboard performs better and very importantly is more reliable than wireless options. The ability to work at distance from your workstation is of little real benefit in most cases.

Mechanical versus Membrane keyboards

Membrane keyboards are the most common type of keyboard. They use a thin membrane layer that presses on a circuit layer that registers key strokes.

Membrane keyboards are lighter, cheaper, more portable and quieter than mechanical keyboards.

Mechanical keyboards are distinct from membrane keyboards for their key stroke feel.

Mechanical keyboards use a spring loaded stroke to register a key stroke. Key strokes often register with a distinct clicking sound.

Strokes on mechanical keyboards can have various different feels. Strokes can move ‘linear’ in one smooth silent stroke. Or have a more ‘Tactile’ feel with resistance in the middle of the key stroke. Or make a ‘Click’ sound providing distinct feedback for the user.

Both membrane and mechanical keyboards have pros and cons. I will discuss these in more detail below.

What is better mechanical or membrane keyboards?

The choice between a Bluetooth and hardwired keyboard is in my opinion your most important consideration when choosing what keyboard to use for your trading. In this section I will detail the pros and cons of each.

Membrane keyboards are the most common of the two types of keyboards. They are typically smaller, quieter and cheaper. This is perfect for laptop applications.

Membrane keyboards however suffer from a less tactical and responsive keyboard feel.

Mechanical keyboards have a distinct keyboard feel. Typically called ‘Clicky’, ‘Tactile’ or ‘Linear’. Ckicky registers with a ‘click’. Tactile a responsive resistance half way through the key travel and linear switches are silent with a straight key travel.

Mechanical keyboards are customizable. Key caps can be easily removed and replaced with custom keys perfect using hotkeys or simply changing the look and fell of your keyboard.

For trading applications, going with a mechanical keyboard is definitely a better option if you have the budget and space at your workstation.

Keyboard layout

There are several key layout types. The most common include QWERTY, Dvorak and Coleman.

The most common by far the QWERTY keyboard layout. Named QWERTY because it spells the six letters left to right across the top of the keyboard.

The QWERTY layout was originally designed for original typewriters. Ironically its design is derived for the purpose of slowing typists down. To avoid old style type writer bars colliding. Its common use today is based more on familiarity than practical efficiency.

The Dvorak layout is designed to minimize the distance traveled by fingers. The most common keys are placed in the home row (center row of keys). The left hand has all the vowels and the right hand only consonants. The Dvorak layout is designed for two handed typing.

The Colmak layout is similar to the QWERTY layout. It changes the position of the 17 keys whilst retaining the basic layout of most non-alphabetic keys. It places the most commonly used keys in the home row.

The Colmak is designed to be easier to learn for QWERTY users than the Dvorak layout.

Best keyboard layout for traders

The type of keyboard layout you choose is ultimately a personal preference.

I suspect most people are familiar with using the QWERTY style layout. Making the change to a Dvorak or Colmak layout is probably not going to change the usability. If you are a heavy user of the keyboard for typing applications then going with these other layout is likely going to improve your typing speed considerable.

For the purposes of day trading the generic QWERTY layout is just fine.

What are hotkeys in trading?

Hotkeys are simply shortcut keys for trading.

They allow users to program certain keys via a trading platform to execute or cancel orders.

They are an essential tool for traders wanting to get the optimal fill or exit from a trade at the best time.

If your interested in using hotkeys then I suggest definitely going with a mechanical keyboard for the superior responsive feedback.

Why use hot keys for trading?

Your trading style and strategy will determine whether hotkeys are a good option. Hotkeys allow traders to execute trades super fast!

If your strategy involves entering and exiting trades via a ‘Market’ order and you want super fast execution of those orders. Then definitely look into using hotkeys.

For limit and stop orders hotkeys offer little real advantage in my opinion.

How do you use hot keys?

The trading platform you use will determine if you can use hotkeys. Not all platforms offer the use of hotkeys.

Hotkeys can typically be custom setup via your trading platform. Each platform software will have its own method for programming what function you want an individual key to preform.

Once you have programmed individual keys. Hotkeys allow traders to execute an order or other function via the selected key on the keyboard.

Summary

Peripherals such as keyboards are such an under appreciated computer component. Until you have experienced the tactile feel and responsiveness of a high quality keyboard. It’s difficult to appreciate the full benefit. Your keyboard is your direct tactile interface with your computer and application. It wants to be fast responsive and agile.

If you are trading live and at size then it makes sense to invest in a high quality peripherals.

If your budget allows. The Logitech G815 keyboard is a fantastic keyboard option for your trading workstation. In my opinion it is the best keyboard for day trading applications. If your looking for something to take on the road then the BlackWidow Lite TKL Mechanical Keyboard is a great mobile option. If you’re looking for a fully programmable keyboard perfect for hotkeys and making fast trade executions from your keyboard consider an X-Keys programmable keypad. For something with many of the benefits of a high quality mechanical keyboard perfect for day trading at a more affordable price. Then I like the Razer Black Widow Chroma V2.