Best Tenkeyless (TKL) Keyboards for Gaming

Full keyboards are fairly wide, and not everyone has enough space for them on their desk. There’s always a solution, though!

That’s where Tenkeyless (TKL) keyboards come in. Their name isn’t literal, but it’s not far off from the truth! TKL keyboards primarily get rid of the numpad, making for a much more compact shape.

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If you want a good gaming keyboard and don’t need a numpad, read on. We’ll tell you our best picks for TKL gaming keyboards.

Top 5 Best TKL Keyboards for Gaming

One thing to note about TKL keyboards is that they are also known as 80% keyboards. The terms are interchangeable!

It’s also worth noting that most modern TKL keyboards are mechanical. This is due to them being more accurate than older keyboards, which are known as membrane keyboards.

However, some membrane keyboards still exist for those who prefer them!

Now, look at this chart for a quick breakdown of the keyboards we will be covering in this article.

Best TKL Keyboards	Keyboard Type	Layout	Connection Type	Buy Now
Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard	Mechanical	QWERTY	USB-C	Check Price
Keychron K8 Tenkeyless	Mechanical	QWERTY	Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-A	Check Price
New SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL	Mechanical	QWERTY	Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, and USB-C	Check Price
Camiysn 80% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard	Mechanical	QWERTY	USB	Check Price
SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL	Membrane	QWERTY	USB	Check Price

Best TKL Keyboards	Keyboard Type	Layout	Connection Type	Buy Now
Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard	Mechanical	QWERTY	USB-C	Check Price
Keychron K8 Tenkeyless	Mechanical	QWERTY	Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-A	Check Price
New SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL	Mechanical	QWERTY	Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, and USB-C	Check Price
Camiysn 80% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard	Mechanical	QWERTY	USB	Check Price
SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL	Membrane	QWERTY	USB	Check Price

Best Overall: Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard

We’re starting with the Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard. That’s a mouthful of a name, geez!

This is a highly customizable mechanical keyboard for gaming. It has hot-switch sockets which makes it extremely easy to customize yourself. It beats having to mess with soldering and whatnot.

The default switches are Gateron Brown but can be swapped for any Cherry, Gateron, or Kailh switches as you see fit.

As a gaming keyboard, it boasts a polling rate of 1000 Hz. It’s the standard polling rate for gaming keyboards, but it’s more than enough to ensure there’s no delay or missed inputs.

This keyboard can only be used with a USB-C cable. It comes with a 6ft braided USB cable for you to use, but it’s detachable and replaceable. It’s rare to damage a keyboard cable, sure, but you won’t need to throw the whole thing out if it does happen!

Stylistically, it’s a somewhat basic-looking keyboard, but it’s available in black and “White Ice” colors. Each key has RGB lighting, as well. It’s nothing too fancy, but it’s not ugly either.

Best Alternative: Keychron K8 Tenkeyless Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

If our first pick wasn’t to your liking, maybe the Keychron K8 is more your speed?

The main difference for this keyboard is that it’s not quite as customizable, sadly. However, it supports Bluetooth connectivity for wireless use, not just USB.

You trade away keyboard customization for the ability to use it either wired or wireless, basically! The battery lasts quite a while when using it wireless, too. It’s rated for around 200 hours of use.

On the more technical aspects, the Keychron K8 is available in three different variants. The only difference between them is what type of mechanical switches they have.

You get to choose one of these three: the Gateron Red, Gateron Blue, or Gateron Brown. Make sure you choose wisely, though. They’re not hot-swappable, so changing them later can be a very annoying process.

The polling rate is the standard for gaming keyboards: 1000 Hz. However, it’s only 90 Hz when using wireless mode. It should be fine, but we highly recommend using it wired when playing competitive games!

With all that said and done, it’s a fantastic keyboard and the price is very fair. It looks a tad plain despite the RGB lighting, but that’s a minor flaw.

Premium Choice: New SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL

Ready to splurge to get the best you can? This is the TKL keyboard for you!

The SteelSeries Apex Pro is considered one of the best gaming keyboards in the TKL form factor. This is partly thanks to its OmniPoint switches, which boast a much faster response time than conventional switches.

As a nice bonus, you can even adjust the actuation point for the switches. This lets you change how the keys act at different levels of pressure. Quite nice to get that level of customization without any hardware modification, honestly.

You can connect this keyboard using a USB-C cable. It comes in with a detachable one, and wired use has a polling rate of 1000 Hz.

Alternatively, you can use it wirelessly either through Bluetooth 5.0 or a 2.4GHz connection. The 2.4GHz connection should ensure the polling rate stays at 1000 Hz, but Bluetooth will limit it to 125 Hz.

If it sounds like a dream come true, well, it’s because it almost is! The one flaw we can see is that the price tag is quite steep, but it’s well worth it for what you’re getting.

Budget Mechanical Keyboard: Camiysn 80% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

If the previous option made your wallet sweat, this one might be more to your liking!

This extremely affordable mechanical keyboard comes in three flavors. Black with tactile brown switches, Black with linear yellow switches, and White with tactile blue switches.

It’s not very clear how different the switches are across each variant, sadly. They seem to adhere to the standards set by other brands like Gateron, however.

Surprisingly, the keyboard looks pretty nice! The black variants are particularly nice, due to the keys having multiple colors. It also has a nice adjustable RGB backlit.

Considering the price, the build feels pretty decent. It doesn’t feel as sturdy as more expensive keyboards, but it’s not flimsy either.

This keyboard can only be used wired via USB and the cord isn’t detachable, which is normal for the price range.

However, we could find no word on the polling rate. It should be 1000 Hz, as it’s the standard for the gaming keyboard classification, but we have no way of knowing.

Best Membrane Keyboard: SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL

Are you old-school and prefer the older membrane keyboards? We’ve got a TKL gaming keyboard just for you!

The SteelSeries Apex 3 is the membrane-based sibling of the Apex Pro we mentioned previously. It’s also the much cheaper sibling, so don’t expect an exorbitant price tag for this one!

That doesn’t mean it’s not good, though. This is one of the best membrane keyboards you can pick up for gaming.

It also has the unique trait of being water-resistant. We still wouldn’t recommend using it underwater, though!

The design is fairly decent, it’s a full-black keyboard with RGB lights. Nothing too unique or fancy, but not ugly either.

As for connectivity, it comes with a non-detachable USB cord. There are no wireless options available, but the wired connection should guarantee a polling rate of 1000 Hz according to the listed specs.

To Sum Up

So, we have a lot of good contenders here, though most of them are mechanical keyboards. After all, those are what most people prefer nowadays!

The Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard is perfect if you want an affordable but highly customizable keyboard. No wireless mode, though!

On the other hand, the Keychron K8 is not particularly customizable but does allow for wireless use. It remains affordable, too! Just keep in mind that wireless mode has a lower polling rate, which means it might have some input delay.

The New SteelSeries Apex Pro is what you want if you don’t mind splurging. It’s a fantastic and versatile mechanical keyboard, with some state-of-the-art switches. The price tag is steep, though!

Thankfully, the Camiysn 80% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is here for the other end of the price spectrum. It’s an extremely affordable mechanical keyboard which feels surprisingly nice for its price.

Last but not least, the SteelSeries Apex 3 is for you if you’re looking for a membrane-based keyboard instead. Not everyone likes mechanical keyboards, we get it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Tenkeyless keyboards better for gaming?

The only difference between the Tenkeyless keyboard and the regular keyboard is the additional Num numbers. If you like a compact design that will leave more space for your mouse, then Tenkeyless keyboards are better.

2. Is the Tenkeyless keyboard the same as the 80% keyboard?

Yes. Tenkeyless keyboards are also known to be 80% of a regular keyboard.

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