What changes with the price of a keyboard? | Recommendations by price (Self-funded review)
In my recent Q3 Ultra review, I wrote, "If you're asking if a 10,000 yen keyboard performs four times better, it absolutely does not."
So, what actually changes? That is what today's story is about.
Here is that topic
I am currently in a situation where I have paid for and am using keyboards from every price range, from 0 yen (included with a PC) to 40,000 yen. Instead of comparing spec sheets, I will write honestly about "what changes with the price" based on the memory of my fingers typing every day.
0 yen: MacBook included keyboard
First, the baseline. This is the keyboard on the MacBook Pro (M5).
Actually, this is quite good. The travel is shallow, but the response is uniform, and you can type rhythmically with a crisp sound. As a keyboard included with a laptop, the level of perfection is high, and it is understandable that many people say, "This is enough."
In other words, starting from the baseline,"typing text comfortably" is almost achieved. This is the major premise of this article. So, the question becomes, what changes when you spend money?
Several thousand yen: HP's flimsy keyboard
What I use at work is a thin HP membrane keyboard. That light, flimsy one that comes as a freebie with a PC. When I looked up the model number for this article, it was the "HP USB Slim Business Keyboard" (KU-1469). The name itself is purely utilitarian...
You can type text. You can do your work. It doesn't break. ...But every time I type, my fingers go, "Hmm..." The feeling of the keys flexing, the clacking sound of bottoming out, the indescribable fatigue after typing a long document.
So, what did I do? Ibought an HHKB with my own money and brought it to work. A keyboard costing over 30,000 yen, that is. It was a real-life experience that the stress of tools you use every day exceeds the cost when it piles up.
10,000 yen range: Logicool MX Keys Mini
A staple of thin scissor-switch keyboards. I still use it actively as a sub-keyboard for the ThinkPad I use for verification at home. This is the first turning point.
The typing feel becomes "uniform, quiet, and high-quality"
Functionality like multi-device switching and backlighting is significantly enhanced
Because it is thin, your posture is also more comfortable
To be honest,I think most people can stop here. The frustrations of the several-thousand-yen range are almost entirely resolved; it is quiet, can be used anywhere, and looks clean. As a "tool for typing text comfortably," it is complete here.
So why did I go further than this? From here on, it is not about "comfort," but a world where you buy"pleasure".
▼ Logicool MX Keys Mini (Amazon) On sale 7/29
20,000 yen range: Cornix LP
Things take a bit of a turn here. This is a split keyboard, and it's a finished product that requires no assembly, priced at 26,900 yen.
Split keyboards used to be the domain of DIY kits, but this one arrives as a finished product with a CNC-machined aluminum chassis. I pre-ordered it in December 2025 and it arrived in April 2026. I waited four months... well, that's how pre-orders go.
Now, for the all-important typing feel. It was outstanding. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of low-profile keys (the ones with short keycaps). When they're thin, the bottom-out often feels clacky and cheap. But the Cornix was different. The chassis is solid and heavy, so it doesn't wobble at all when you type.The first keyboard that made me think, 'Low-profile isn't bad either'.
So why is it gathering dust in my storage now? ...Because I started wanting a trackball. It's not about quality or price; my other desires simply won out.
▼ Cornix LP (JezailFunder Japan Official)
https://jezailfunder.jp/products/cornix-lp-keyboard
30,000 yen range: HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S
Electro-capacitive non-contact switches. This isn't so much a step on the price ladder as it is a different mountain.
That signature 'thocky' typing feel is fundamentally different from mechanical switches, and no other keyboard can replicate it. It's also very quiet, making it the only choice for me to bring into the office. I still remember the thrill of switching from a flimsy keyboard that cost a few thousand yen.
I own two: the Sumi (black) JIS layout and the 30th Anniversary 'Snow' English layout. ...Consider the fact that I bought two as the final destination for someone who has been defeated by this typing feel.
▼ HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S (Amazon) On sale 7/29
40,000 yen range: Keychron Q3 Ultra 8K and Q3 Max
This is the most expensive price range I own. First, regarding the Q3 Ultra 8K, I wrote everything in my recent review so I won't repeat it, but in a word: 'The typing feel is supreme. I can't tell the difference with 8K.'
What you're buying for 40,000 yen isn't so much performance as it is 'the peace of mind that you can type without worrying about anything' and 'the pleasure of wanting to touch it every day'. The world of specs ended long ago; this is purely a luxury item.
And another one, the Keychron Q3 Max. Actually, I started writing this article with the heading '20,000 yen range: Q3 Max.' But when I checked my order history, it was 43,890 yen. ...It's more expensive than the Q3 Ultra (39,930 yen). The keyboard I thought was 'the 20,000 yen one' was actually the most expensive one I own. Human memory is unreliable, isn't it...
As for the internals, it has a full aluminum chassis and hot-swappable switches, putting the typing feel firmly in the realm of 'hobbyist gear.' The biggest difference compared to the 10,000 yen range is whether it's fun to type on. The feel of the switches clicking and the stability of the heavy chassis make the act of typing itself a little reward.
By the way, I plan to let go of this Q3 Max, but not because I'm dissatisfied—it's because I'm switching to an English layout. If you're going to use the JIS layout, I can still recommend it without reservation.
▼ Keychron Q3 Max (JIS) and Ultra (US) (Amazon)
So, what actually changes?
After lining them up from 0 yen to 40,000 yen, here is my conclusion.
Up to a few thousand yen: "You can type characters." However, using it every day will slowly build up stress.
10,000 yen range: "Comfort" is achieved. If your goal is practical use, this is where you can stop.
20,000 yen range and up: From here on, you are paying for "pleasure." Performance doesn't increase, but satisfaction does.
30,000 to 40,000 yen: All-in on the single aspect of typing feel. It's a hobbyist's world, but it becomes a daily reward.
The important thing is that price and comfort are not proportional. The comfort graph plateaus around the 10,000 yen range, and what grows beyond that is a different axis: "is it fun to type on?" Therefore, the answer to "Is a 40,000 yen keyboard four times better?" is, "The comfort doesn't change. But there are days when it's four times more fun to type on."
Side note: There is also a rabbit hole that cannot be measured by price
I've been talking about off-the-shelf products so far, but my main machine is actually a custom split keyboard (SeaSide39). This one can no longer be measured on the axis of price. The cost of the kit, the cost of the parts, and the vast amount of time melted into the settings...
https://note.com/karakuriya_0204/n/n195290b4fa8e
https://note.com/karakuriya_0204/n/nb166e8180f1c
This rabbit hole awaits you after you've climbed the stairs of off-the-shelf products, but that's a story for another time. What I can tell you before you step into it is, "It is also a form of happiness to get off while you can still get off at the 10,000 yen range."
Summary: Start with the 10,000 yen range, and go higher if you get hooked
If you are currently working every day with a keyboard that costs a few thousand yen, just upgrading to the 10,000 yen range will change your world. This is an investment.
Anything above that is not an investment, but a hobby. However, having a tool that you touch for many hours every day feel "pleasant to touch" increases your daily satisfaction more than you might think. I can't go back now. And I have no intention of going back!
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