Maybe you’re not in the market for a new laptop or desktop PC, or maybe you’re just put off by the insane prices of GPU upgrades. But you can give your fingers an early holiday gift by upgrading your keyboard (or, fine, I guess buying one for a friend or family member). Keyboards both budget and premium are scattered throughout Black Friday for those on the hunt.
We’ve found a cornucopia of keyboards that’ll fit into any desktop setup — some of them will even fit in a backpack for those on-the-go writing sessions. We’ll update this list throughout the week and weekend when we find even more deals.
Black Friday keyboard buying tips
These days, most keyboard deals are firmly focused on the popular mechanical category, especially for gamers and work-from-home types. A few premium models of non-mechanical keyboards are still available, but in general those are low-quality, high-volume designs that aren’t really worth your consideration.
That said, the popularity of mechanical keyboards means there are plenty of cheap, low-quality boards crowding digital shelves, too. These often get steeply discounted just as a means of clearing them out, so if you’re wary of a lemon, it’s best to stick to more established brands. Also, note that even reputable stores have a bad habit of over-inflating the initial retail price of items on sale, especially around Black Friday. So don’t take the level of discount as a necessary indication of an item’s worthiness.
For wireless keyboards, you have a couple of options: USB-based dongles, which typically use 2.4GHz or 5GHz wireless signals ideal for gaming, or Bluetooth, which requires no extra hardware but has a little bit of noticeable lag. Dongles are preferable for gamers and desktop setups, while Bluetooth is a choice for anyone on-the-go or who wants to connect to multiple machines quickly.
Where can you find Black Friday laptop deals?
- Amazon Amazon will be running lightning deals on various keyboards starting on Thanksgiving and going all weekend. You’ll need to be fast to grab any of them, but if you miss one, keep an eye out; deals often come back later on.
- Best Buy Best Buy’s Black Friday pricing is already in effect, and should remain so for online and retail store purchases.
- Newegg Newegg’s wide selection of electronics makes it an ideal place to hunt for keyboards, though its Black Friday discounts often leave something to be desired.
- Walmart Walmart doesn’t have the best selection of keyboards, but its Amazon-style merchant program means you can sometimes find online-only deals.
- Target This retail mainstay has been making a definite effort to improve its electronics selection over the last few years, especially for gaming gear. Black Friday prices are already in effect for some items.
Best Black Friday keyboard deals
Aukey Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Aukey
From: Newegg
Was: $70
Now: $29 (58% off)
This basic board is a great place to start if you’re new to mechanical keyboards and you want to see what the fuss is all about. It comes with a solid body, flashy lights, and a choice of blue (loud and clicky) or red (smooth and fast) key switches.
Buy from Newegg
Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard
Microsoft
From: Newegg
Was: $70
Now: $50 (30% off)
One of the few non-mechanical keyboards that’s really worth your time, this stand-alone version of the Surface keyboard layout is excellent if you’re low on desk space or you’re looking for a companion for your tablet. It comes in black and white color options.
Buy from Newegg
Anne Pro 2 Mechanical Keyboard
Annepro
From: Newegg
Was: $110
Now: $67 ($53 off)
A favorite among small keyboard enthusiasts, the Anne Pro 2 crams in a lot of features for a small price, like Bluetooth, a programmable layout, a wide selection of switch choices, and high-quality PBT keycaps. Now you can get all of that with a much lower price.
Buy from Newegg
Cooler Master SK622 Compact Wireless Keyboard
Cooler Master
From: Newegg
Was: $120
Now: $70 (after rebate)
Another choice for a small, portable, wireless keyboard, this one is a bit more sleek thanks to a compact body and low-profile clicky switches. You’ll have to do a little legwork to get the deal because of the mail-in rebate.
Buy from Newegg
Razer Power Up Bundle (Keyboard, Mouse, Headset, Mousepad)
Razer
From: Walmart
Was: $170
Now: $79 ($81 off)
At $170, this Razer bundle with a non-mechanical (but very “clicky”) keyboard, wired mouse, wired communication headset, and massive mousepad was already a pretty decent deal. At just $79, it’s an absolute steal for anyone setting up a new gaming PC.
Buy from Walmart
Razer Huntsman Mini Optical Keyboard
Razer
From: Best Buy
Was: $120
Now: $80 (33% off)
This miniature keyboard is hiding a secret: Razer’s most advanced switches, which break beams of light to register keystrokes. It’s wired and somewhat limited in terms of layout, but if you love that 60% look and flashy RGB lighting, it might be for you.
Razer BlackWidow Tournament V2 Keyboard
Razer
From: Target
Was: $140
Now: $84 (40% off)
This compact TKL (that’s tenkeyless, as in no numbers on the right) board is great for gamers who are looking to cover the essentials. And by “essentials,” I mean sparkly lights and a detachable cushy wrist rest.
Buy from Target
Corsair K60 Keyboard with M55 RGB Mouse and Mousepad
Corsair
From: Best Buy
Was: $150
Now: $100 ($50 off)
A slightly more expensive alternative to the Razer bundle above, this one doesn’t include the headset. But the K60 is a solid keyboard with premium Cherry-branded switches, as opposed to the pseudo-mechanical board in the Walmart bundle.
Corsair K70 RGB Keyboard
Corsair
From: Best Buy
Was: $170
Now: $100 ($70 off)
This Corsair board is similar to the one above, with all the trimmings: extra media controls including a volume wheel, a detachable wrist rest, super-speedy Cherry MX Silver switches, and even an extra USB port that lets you plug in extra gadgets easily.
Roccat Vulcan 122 Keyboard
Roccat
From: Target
Was: $160
Now: $110 ($50 off)
This oversized Roccat board is for those who want their keyboard to be the centerpiece of their desk. With an eye-catching brushed metal body, a retro volume knob, and low-profile keycaps that show off every possible photon of RGB lighting, it’s a keyboard that would look at home in the middle of a DJ setup.
Buy from Target
Razer BlackWidow V3 Pro
Razer
From: Best Buy
Was: $230
Now: $140 ($90 off)
One of Razer’s most feature-packed boards, this design includes a ton of bells and whistles: USB and Bluetooth wireless, media controls and a volume dial, an included wrist rest, and super-blazing disco lighting (which can sync with other smart lights).
Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.
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