The most important part of a keyboard is its keycaps (custom USB cables second). Most of the time, they describe your whole desk and board. Also, they are the first thing that people see when they use your keyboard. Before you even touch the switches on a keyboard, the feel and look of the keycaps have already made an impression.
There are many different kinds of keycaps, such as Cherry, DSA profile, ABS, PBT, ceramic, and metal. There are also single-color blanks and sets with more than a few colors. It can be overwhelming to think about all of them, especially when dozens of websites claim to sell the same products at wildly different prices.
Table of Contents
Tripleshot ABS
If you love the ABS, Cherry-profile design of GMK and ePBT but want a little more color, Domikey can give you what you want. The fonts, legends, and overall quality of these keycaps are similar to those of GMK and ePBT, but they have something that neither of those brands does: triple-shot keycaps. This means that these keycaps don’t need UV printing to have different colors for English and Japanese characters (like GMK does with sets like Cyrillic). Even though Domikey’s selection is small, sets like Semiconductor and Vintage, as well as their own versions of Miami Nights and GMK Laser (called Pumper Cyber Punk), offer a range similar to that of ePBT and GMK’s sets.
EnjoyPBT Miami Nights
EnjoyPBT has a similar selection of doubleshot ABS keycaps if GMK keycap sets are too expensive or don’t come in the colors you want. Even though these keycaps are a little bit thinner, this only changes the sound of typing, which can be good if you like a higher-pitched keyboard. ePBT has colors like Miami Nights, Dolch, and their own Orange Creamsicle for about half the price of similar GMK sets, and at least one of their retailers always has them in stock.
Retro DSA Keycaps YMDK
The YMDK DSA Retro keycaps update the traditional design of a keyboard. The keycaps are similar to the ones on the IBM model M keyboard, but they have a slightly different design. For example, the space bar can be green, the enter key can be red, and the escape key can also be red. The YMDK keycaps are for you if you want a throwback feel in a keycap set but are on a tight budget. These keycaps can make typing more fun and satisfying, and they come with enough keycaps for a full-sized keyboard or even a 60 Keyboard.
GMK Keycap
Many keyboard enthusiasts say that the best keycap sets on the market are all made by the German company GMK. These double-shot keycaps have clear legends, strong ABS plastic, and some of the best colors available today. The only problem with ABS keycaps is that after less than a year of use, they may start to shine. Most GMK sets require expensive group buys and long wait times (often up to two years to ship), but the GMK Keycaps Website has many sets that are in stock and ready to ship, such as Sparta, Laser, Hennessey, and WoB. Also, sites like Novelkeys will often sell extra keys from GMK group buys after the main sets have been sent out.
HyperX PBT Doubleshot Pudding Keycaps
If you want to upgrade your keyboard’s RGB lighting and take it to the next level without spending a lot of money, the Hyperx pudding keycaps are a good option. The pudding keycap lets light shine through the sides, which shows off the keyboard’s lighting effects. Not only do these keycaps look like pudding, but they are also made of PBT, which makes them more durable than the ABS keycaps on your keyboard. You can get the HyperX pudding keycaps in either Black or White, which gives you a lot of options. We recommend these if you want to save money on your first set of keycaps.
Hammerworks CRP Keycaps Round 3
A set of keycaps made by HammerWorks that are beige with a hint of red. Since the keycaps are 1.4 mm thick, you don’t have to worry about them breaking or wearing out over time. Depending on your taste, the keycaps have either Russian or Japanese characters on an English background, giving them a vintage, classic look. The Cherry profile is very popular among people who use mechanical keyboards because it makes typing as easy as possible.
