The best wireless gaming keyboards offer a degree of flexibility and freedom that you just don't get with a regular wired keyboard. Freeing your wireless keyboard from the chains of its cable means that you'll have the option to use it wherever you like, from your lap to the sofa and beyond. Within range, anyways.
The best wireless keyboard is the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless. While that's a long name to remember, the board itself is simply the best we've used in a very long time, with an excellent typing feel, useful programmable features and a sturdy yet compact frame. The best budget wireless keyboard is the Keychron K2 (version 2), as its 240-hour battery life and typing feel are genuinely impressive for a keyboard this cheap.
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We've seen all sorts in our many years reviewing keyboards, and here we've listed the absolute best of the best, to make sure you get the wireless typing and gaming experience you're looking for. Given you're thinking about going cable-free, now might be an idea to take a look at our guides to the best wireless gaming headsets and the best wireless mice, as once you start breaking free of the dreaded cables, there's really no going back.
As someone that's tested more keyboards than most, Jacob's well qualified to give you the low-down on where to put your money if you're in the market for a fantastic cable-free typing experience, and which will give you the best bang for your wireless keyboard buck.
The quick list
Best overall
The Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless takes our top spot for the best overall wireless keeb, thanks to its superb switch feel, excellent build quality and solid sound dampening. It's also got PBT keycaps, an adjustable media wheel, hot-swappable switches and it's pretty compact to boot. What's not to love?
Best budget
Proving that great wireless keyboards don't need to cost the earth, the Keychron K2 is an entry level mechanical keyboard that hits all the highlights while keeping you cable free, and that 240 hours of battery life without the backlight is mightily impressive.
Best low-profile
Compact yet mighty. The ROG Falchion RX uses excellent lubed switches to offer a sublime typing experience across a small number of low-rise keys.
Best tenkeyless
Wireless connectivity is an added bonus for the Keychron Q3 Max. It's absurdly good in almost every other way, too.
Recent updates
Updated 22 November 2024 to add a note in the intro about Black Friday sales and where you can find the latest deals on wireless gaming keyboards.
Best wireless gaming keyboard
✅ You want the smoothest typing experience: As far as non-custom, mainstream gaming keyboards go, none that can match the typing feel of the Strix Scope II 96.
❌ You want a faster polling rate: The Strix Scope II is as fast as most other wireless keyboards, but if you're an esports pro you might want something with a higher polling rate. Maybe.
Wireless keyboards pass through our hands often, but every now and then a keyboard appears that blows us away—and the Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless stands out as simply the best wireless gaming keyboard we've seen in, well, forever. The fact that it's wireless is more than just a bonus point, but given all the great design and feel on offer here it's almost difficult to know where to start.
The typing feel is outstanding, thanks to lubed switches straight from the factory that provide a sublime typing and gaming experience right out of the box. Lubing keys is normally something reserved for people who are really, really into their keyboard feel, but Asus has deemed the process worth doing for the ROG NX switches used, and the results are extremely impressive.
More than that, the Scope II 96 is quiet by mechanical keyboard standards, thanks to some sound dampening foam, a choice of PBT or ABS plastic keycaps and some sturdy stabilisers for the larger keys. Mechanical keyboards can be something of a headache when it comes to noise, but the Scope II 96 really is noticeably quieter than the competition.
The switches themselves are also hot-swappable, for those of you who like to experiment with a different feel, although we found the feel of the ROG NX Snow switches in our review model to be so good it's unlikely you'll want to.
Beyond the typing experience, the compact frame is both well-built and well-thought out, with a full numpad and a programmable multimedia wheel. Software wise the ROG Strix II uses Asus' Armoury Crate, and while we're not huge fans it does at least allow you to setup things like macros and RGB lighting customisations fairly easily.
The battery life is also excellent, with a quoted maximum of 1,500 hours of continuous use, and we found we only had to plug it in once during our testing. There's also a Bluetooth mode activated by a toggle on the rear of the board, which is a decent extra party trick that may well come in use for some.
Ultimately it's the mechanics of the Scope II 96 that really make it stand out apart from the pack, and even though you'd struggle to call it cheap, at an MSRP of $180/£170 it's still a fair bit less than it's most immediate competition like the Corsair K70 Max.
What you're getting here is a wireless keyboard with virtually no compromises, and a user experience that's second to none, and that means it has to top the list of our best wireless keyboards—and may well do for some time.
Read our full Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless review.
Best budget wireless gaming keyboard
✅ You need wireless connectivity on a budget: A cheap wireless gaming keyboard is hard to come by, or at least one that's any good. The Keychron offers a lot of value for money.
❌ You can take or leave wireless: You could get a better all-round keyboard with nicer switches or RGB lighting, whichever you prefer, if you ditched the wireless connectivity. But you're reading this, so let's assume you want cable-free operation above all.
The Keychron K2 redefines affordability, which makes it the best budget wireless gaming keyboard. It starts out at just $69/£69 and you get a decent-sized gaming keyboard with great wireless functionality and Gateron mechanical switches.
You may think that for this sort of price you're going to have to make major sacrifices. Maybe even ditch mechanical switches. But you don't. The Keychron K2 offers swathes of features that are more likely found on pricier boards, including both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and simple swapping between Windows and MacOS.
There are a few Gateron switches to choose from. Your usual fare of linear, clicky or tactile. We have tactile Gateron switches in our review unit, which are unspectacular and quite pingy on the enter and backspace keys, but otherwise pleasant enough to use for both typing and gaming.
The battery life is rated to a lengthy 240 hours with the backlighting off, and you might not mind keeping it disabled during the day. With the cheapest board offering only white LED backlighting, it's purely a useful feature for low-light situations. Like writing your horror novel in the dark.
All that being said, what you get here is a wireless keyboard with a better typing feel than most, some useable backlighting and from a trusted brand for less than the competition. You simply get a lot for your money with the Keychron K2, and when it comes to wireless gaming keyboards that often cost a lot of cash, that sort of saving goes a long way.
Read our full Keychron K2 review.
Best low-profile wireless gaming keyboard
✅ You prefer a low typing position: You can get away with not bending your wrists as much as you type if you opt for a low-profile keyboard like this.
❌ You want a numpad or a function row: You won't find either on the Falchion Low Profile, although you can train yourself to use snazzy shortcuts to do it all instead.
The ROG Falchion RX Low Profile is the best low-profile wireless gaming keyboard for its blend of superb lubed switches and compact size.
Yes, you read correctly. Lubed switches. Much like its popular bigger sibling, the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, the Falchion offers lubed switches for a sleek typing experience. It really works wonders too. I've never enjoyed using a low-profile board more than this.
The low-profile design of this board is easy to type on and reduces some of the pressure on your wrists throughout a gaming session or work day. However, a truly ergonomic board like the the ZSA Moonlander might be more your speed if you really want comfort over all else. That takes some getting used to, whereas the Falchion is more the keyboard you already know just shrunk down in size.
Despite its tiny size, the Falchion RX does come with sound dampening and media controls—two things we hadn't expected to see on this sort of board. The media controls are pretty special, too. It's a capacitive bar along the top of the board, which can control volume and other functions of the board once set up via Armoury Crate.
The 60% size does forgo some of the usual keys we'd expect to find on a keyboard, such as a numpad and function row. That means you have to rely on shortcuts to achieve some things, or the Windows character pop-up for others (Win + .). For that reason, you might want to grab the tenkeyless Keychron Q3 Max instead for a little more flexibility.
With an absurdly long battery life rated to 430 hours with the lighting off, and both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connectivity, the Falchion RX Low Profile is a superb pick for a wireless gaming keyboard.
Though I do have to say, it's pretty darn expensive considering how few keys you're actually getting. Also the non-standard stems on the keycaps may be a pain to swap out should you break one. Still, no keyboard is truly perfect, although if one came close, it might be another Asus model...depends how much you really want low-profile, I guess.
Still going for low? Then this is the one you want. As low profile keebs go, this is a bit of a cracker.
Read our full Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile review.
Best tenkeyless wireless gaming keyboard
✅ You want the smoothest typing experience without wires: The Q3 Max offers one of the best typing experiences on any keyboard, let alone one without wires.
❌ You want an affordable keyboard: There's no getting around it, it's a pricey beast.
The best tenkeyless wireless keyboard is the Keychron Q3 Max. It's simply one of the best gaming keyboards around right now, let alone for the fact it's also wire-free over 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth.
The secret to the Q3 Max's success? Lubed Jupiter switches from Gateron and a rock-solid aluminum chassis stuffed with sound dampening layers. It's the best sounding keyboard I've heard in years and I've tested a whole lot of them.
The battery life of around 100 hours with RGB enabled, or 180 without, is one of the reasons we like this board. Sure, it won't beat the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile, but with more keys it's definitely one of this keyboard's stronger features. We only charged it once in two weeks of testing. Not bad at all.
For a compact board, the Q3 Max does come with media controls in the form of a multi-function dial, or knob as Keychron calls it, which sits in the top row. It's pretty understated, and it's handy for controlling the RGB effects on the board as much as anything else it offers.
You can hook up to three devices over Bluetooth, which can be changed via the board itself through the labelled shortcuts, and a dongle is provided for 2.4 GHz. It's a good pick if you plan to move between home and office a lot for that added flexibility. And it's not too big for a backpack.
There are a few options for keycaps, one fairly straightforward set and another we reviewed with legends on the side, rather than the front. These also offer shine-through for the RGB effects and are altogether a pretty wicked addition.
Alas, the Keychron Q3 Max is an expensive beast. That's true of so many gaming keyboards today, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow. Still, it's worth it if you can make your budget stretch. Compact wireless keyboards don't come any better than this.
Read our full Keychron Q3 Max review.
Also tested
FAQ
How do you test a wireless keyboard?
The determining factor of wireless keyboards starts at the stability of the connection. Regardless of the wireless tech used, the board must sustain a stable, responsive connection at all times. That's the paramount characteristic we pay attention to throughout testing.
Ultimately, the way we test is by using the keyboards day-to-day; for gaming and for typing on during work hours. We take keen notes on the performance of its switches. Are they responsive? Were there any essential skips or ghosting?
Due to the inherent limitations of wireless connectivity, some features aren't possible for wireless keyboards. USB pass-throughs are out of the question. On the other hand, Audio passthrough is doable, but they're often omitted due to the subpar sound reproduction since audio signals are much more susceptible to noise. Backlights are a double-edged sword: they enhance the aesthetics but are also taxing on the battery.
This brings us to the battery life. If the keyboard continually needs to be charged or eats a deck of AA batteries a week, its wireless nature becomes a liability rather than a selling point. The type of battery also matters: integrated batteries saves you money but can wear out over time. Removable batteries can be swapped out and instantly charged, but they tack onto the cost of the keyboard.
What size of keyboard do I need?
Keyboard size is absolutely a defining factor. Full-sized keyboards tend to offer the most features and a Numpad, but if you don't have space, then all of those extras you paid for will be useless. Tenkeyless boards (the ones with no number pad) and compact keyboards can be a great option, too, if you don't care about all the extra bells and whistles or you don't have any use for alt codes (how barbaric!).
What is the most important thing to look for in a mechanical gaming keyboard?
The switch type is arguably the most important choice to make when picking your new gaming keyboard. Cherry mechanical switches are the most common and most recognizable, but there are a host of alternatives on offer, as well a bunch of upmarket, specialist switches to choose from.
What is the big deal with mechanical switches?
We can talk for hours about the feel of mechanical switches versus membrane switches, but ultimately that's a personal choice. What makes mechanical switches objectively superior, however, is their far extended life span. They can take far more punishment and keep responding long after a membrane switch has collapsed in on itself.
Are dedicated media controls a deal-breaker?
Only you can make that call, but we would suggest that at least having the option to toggle the top row between function and media controls would be our choice. Having a discrete volume wheel can be super useful, however.
Glossary
Actuation Point
The height to which a key needs to be pressed before it actuates and sends an input signal to a device.
Clicky
A switch that delivers an audible click every time it's pressed, generally right around the point of actuation.
Debounce
A technique to ensure that only one input registers every time a key is pressed.
Housing
The shell that surrounds the internal components of a switch.
Hysteresis
The result of the actuation point and reset point in a switch being misaligned. This generally means a key needs to be lifted off further than normal before it can be actuated again.
Linear
A switch that moves directly up and down, generally delivering smooth keystrokes without noise or tactile feedback.
Mechanical Keyboard
A keyboard built around individual switches for each key rather than a membrane sheath mounted on a PCB.
Membrane Keyboard
A keyboard on which all the keycaps are mounted on a membrane sheath; when a key is pressed, a rubber dome depresses and pushes against the sheath and PCB beneath, actuating the key.
Stem
The component of a switch on which the keycaps are mounted on a mechanical keyboard.
Switch
The physical component of a mechanical keyboard beneath the keycaps on a mechanical keyboard. The switch determines how a key is actuated, whether or not it provides audible or tactile feedback with each press, and more.
Optical switch
This is a type of mechanical switch which instead of a physical metal contact switch uses light to measure when actuation takes place. These can be more configurable too, allowing for not just off and on states, but more analog designs, and even dual actions for a single key depending on how far the switch is pressed down.
Tactile
A switch that provides a 'bump' of feedback every time it's pushed.
Tenkeyless (TKL)
A keyboard that lacks the right-hand number pad.
