The best mini keyboards free up desk space and slip into backpacks with ease. Whether you plan to take one with you everywhere you go, or have it stay put on your desk for daily gaming or productivity sessions, a mini keyboard is a fantastic option for keeping a compact setup.
Whether they’ve completely abandoned everything to the right of the Enter key (60% keyboard) or kept the arrow and special keys as a compromise while also preserving that compact form (75% keyboard), mini keyboards do rely a lot more on shortcuts for lesser-used functions. However, once you get used to them, they're just as effective for work and gaming.
We've tested hundreds of keyboards at TechRadar. We know which you should buy on sale, which you should never type on, and the top-of-the-line best keyboards on the market. We went hands-on with these peripherals to bring you the best mini keyboards for gaming.
The best mini keyboards 2024
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If Razer’s Huntsman Elite keyboard has impressed you, then be prepared to be blown away by its little brother. The Razer Huntsman Mini might be the cutest little keyboard you’ve ever seen, but it’s also among the best gaming keyboards out there, regardless of size.
With a 1,000Hz polling rate, n-key rollover with anti-ghosting, and optical switches rated at 100 million keystrokes, there’s definite power in its performance as well as longevity – two things you wouldn’t expect just by looking at it. Those optical switches don’t just perform beautifully; they also feel amazing, adding to your comfort whether you’re gaming away for hours or squeezing in some work between sessions. We only wish it was a little cheaper, but then again most mini keyboards will set you back more than $100/£100 these days.
Read our full Razer Huntsman Mini review
Let’s face it; not every gamer makes use of key remaps or macros. In fact, many casual gamers rarely bother with it (unless you’re playing Cuphead and the default controls are whacked). That’s where Whirlwind FX Atom comes in. Whirlwind FX Element’s little brother has come out to play, but unlike its rivals, it comes with zero fuss and more fun. This 60% mechanical gaming keyboard doesn’t bother with macro recording and key remapping; its FN shortcuts, after all, is enough for a lot of users.
What it does focus on are its incredible and immersive lighting presets. Via the app, you have access to a long menu of lighting presets, some of which are game-specific. It lights up fiery orange, for example, when you’re getting warm and toasty (and next to a campfire) in Valheim. Despite all the fun, this keyboard performs well, thanks to its Gateron mechanical switches, 3,000Hz polling rate, and N-key rollover.
There are so many things we love about the SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless, we hardly know where to start. Its performance, of course, as something you'd come to expect from the brand, is excellent. During testing, it proved to be very responsive and kept up with our favorite fast-paced titles. And, its special features were snappy.
But, it's also brimming with features, giving you a lot of value for your money. It's programmable keys also have dual actuation and adjustable actuation capabilities, and that's on top of other features. Its customizable RGB lighting is also very bright, which is fab for RGB fans. Sadly, it also costs much more than other wireless mini gaming keyboards out there. But, is it really worth the price? If you can maximize those features, which you likely will if you're a big gamer, then absolutely.
Read our full SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Wireless review
Perhaps because most people can’t get used to the lack of arrow keys on a 60% keyboard, Razer has taken a slightly different approach on its mini keyboard offering. Fresh from the oven, the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed goes for the 65% layout, incorporating those arrow keys to ensure that its mini gaming keyboard is just as great for gaming as it is for doing work.
That’s not its biggest strength, however. Unlike most mini keyboards out there, this one offers both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, and it does both so well. It uses Razer’s Hyperspeed wireless technology to push out highly-responsive, low-latency performance on par with a wired keyboard, especially when it comes to gaming. In fact, you won’t be able to see any difference in performance between its wireless and wired connections – even with fast-paced games. You’ll also appreciate that you can easily connect up to and switch between three devices via Bluetooth.
Read our full Razer BlackWidow V3 Mini Hyperspeed review
The Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless is simply a joy to look at, with a sleek light bar that wraps around the keyboard’s bottom adding wonderfully to its look. It's also mod-friendly and hot-swappable, and swapping out keys and switches is an easy process thanks to the included tools as well. So, it's a fantastic option, especially for gamers who want a ridiculous amount of personalized customizability options and have deep pockets.
Naturally, its performance is excellent as well. Keystrokes have a tactile feel with the right springy resistance. During testing, it also fared beautifully playing games like Doom Eternal, Control, and Fortnite – though bear in mind that Slipstream and direct USB-C connection are the way to go for maximum performance. If you want that extremely high 8,000Hz polling rate, then connecting through USB-C cable works best. For better battery life at the expense of higher latency, Bluetooth is the way to go.
Read our full Corsair K70 Pro Mini Wireless review
Fellow keyboard modders will adore the Roccat Vulcan II Mini, which brings the legendary Vulcan line, one of our favorite gaming keyboards, into the modding world. It’s already oozing with charisma, but those floating keycaps are removable so you can replace them with fun third-party keycap if you want – like we did on using our Christmas-themed keycaps from Drop.
Of course, performance-wise, it absolutely slays, boasting the brand’s Titan II Optical switches, which feel great, deliver speedy gaming performance, and comes with an actuation point of 1.4 mm. Those optical switches are fast and responsive, making games like Control and Kena: Bridge of Spirits more effortless to win in during our testing. The Roccat Vulcan II Mini is a strong contender that must be considered, if you're on the market for a top-performing mini keyboard for gaming.
Read our full Roccat Vulcan II Mini review
As impressive as the Razer Huntsman Mini is, it has nothing on the Corsair K65 RGB Mini’s hyper-responsiveness. This little-keyboard-that-could boasts a polling rate of up to 8,000Hz – the current average is 1,000Hz – making it extremely fast and therefore ideal for fast-paced games. Rounding that out are its 1.2mm actuation distance, full N-Key Rollover, and 100% Anti-Ghosting technology. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a mini keyboard this responsive.
The Cherry MX switches feel extremely satisfying to pound away on, which you can do at your heart’s content considering their 100 million keystrokes rating. Perhaps the only thing that’s keeping this keyboard from being the ultimate mini keyboard champion is its form. Not only is it a little too thick to be comfortable on the wrist, but it also has no extra feet for a bit of tilt. Still, it’s definitely giving the Huntsman Mini a good run for its money.
Read our full Corsair K65 RGB Mini review
RGB fans will want to check out the HyperX Alloy Origins 60. While it has all the makings of one of the best mini keyboards, the one thing that perhaps makes it stand out is its extra vibrant RGB lighting. Beyond that, the aircraft-grade aluminum body and double shot PBT keycaps are a testament to its build, its three adjustable keyboard angles and multi-platform compatibility speak to its versatility. Plus HyperX’s intuitive Ingenuity software does what it can to make it pop out even more.
100% anti-ghosting and N-key rollover functionalities contribute to its winning performance, and while its longevity is rated lower than others, 80 million presses is hardly a joke. Recording macros is naturally on hand, as is usual with mini keyboards, though a tad simplistic. If you don’t care about that, however, this one’s a worthy contender, especially at that price.
Read our full HyperX Alloy Origins review
There’s a lot going for the Cooler Master SK622. Its design is among the best we’ve seen on mini keyboards – it’s got a slimmer profile for comfort and portability, as well as a lightbar wrapped around it for more immersion. While Cooler Master describes it as a 60% keyboard, it’s got dedicated arrow keys as well as some of the special keys while touting an even slimmer profile than its rivals. And, it has multi-platform compatibility, customizable RGB lighting, and key remapping and macro recording capabilities.
But, what really makes this one the most versatile of all the best mini keyboards is its ability to switch from wired to wireless. Wired, its performance is top-notch. Wireless, it’s got an impressive range and multi-device connectivity, which means you can use one portable keyboard for up to three devices. Switching from one device to another is painless as well, thanks to its FN shortcuts, of which there’s a long list.
Read our full Cooler Master SK622 Mini review
