Your keyboard is one of the few pieces of technology you'll use for hours at a time, so why not make it something that brings you joy? Sure, the people who gush over mechanical keyboards can be a bit much, but the enhanced comfort, durability and customizability that comes with the best of them is real. If you're interested in making the switch (ahem), we've tested dozens of mechanical keyboards over the past year and rounded up our favorites below. We've also broken down what to look for as you shop. The first thing to decide with any keyboard is what size and layout you want. Full-size layouts have all the keys you'd ever need -- a number pad, a full function row, arrow keys, etc. -- but they also have the largest physical footprint. A 96-percent or "1800" keyboard is similar, but crunches the navigation cluster (Page Up, Home, etc.), numpad and arrow keys closer together to save space. Tenkeyless (TKL) or 80-percent keyboards omit the number pad entirely; they're often considered the best blend of size and functionality. It gets more and more minimal from there. The smallest popular layout is the 60 percent keyboard, which removes the arrow keys, function row, numpad and navigation cluster. This kind of design can be particularly useful for gaming, as it opens up a ton of desk space to swing your mouse around. It typically relies on shortcuts to make up for its missing keys, but it comes with a learning curve as a result. Even more compact options exist beyond that. These can be adorable, but they usually involve removing the number row, which is a step too far for most people.

A keyboard is one of the few pieces of technology you may use for hours every day. Why not make it something that brings you joy? Sure, the people who gush over these things can be intense, but the upgraded comfort, durability and customizability that comes with a good mechanical keyboard is a real thing. If you're looking to make the switch (ahem), we tested a couple dozen mechanical keyboards over the past few months and rounded up our favorites below. We've also broken down what to look for when shopping for one. The first thing to decide with any keyboard is what size and layout you want. Full-size layouts have all the keys you'd ever need -- a number pad, a full function row, arrow keys, etc. -- but they also have the largest physical footprint. A 96-percent or "1800" keyboard is similar, but crunches the navigation cluster (Page Up, Home, etc.), numpad and arrow keys closer together to save space. Tenkeyless (TKL) or 80-percent keyboards omit the number pad entirely; they're often considered the best blend of size and functionality. It gets more and more minimal from there. The smallest popular layout is the 60 percent keyboard, which removes the arrow keys, function row, numpad and navigation cluster. This kind of design can be particularly useful for gaming, as it opens up a ton of desk space to swing your mouse around. It typically relies on shortcuts to make up for its missing keys, but it comes with a learning curve as a result. Even more compact options exist beyond that.

In the world of custom mechanical keyboards, there exists a mythical, platonic ideal: the "endgame." The endgame keyboard is the one that is the final culmination of your knowledge, skills, and possibly your credit limit. The Angry Miao AFA 2 might just be that keyboard, if you're into the popular "Alice" split layout (as seen on the Keychron Q8) and ridiculously excessive design. But it's the aesthetic choices, based on popular franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Neon Genesis Evangelion, that push this super-pricey board over the top. The AFA 2 (spotted by The Verge) starts with a "floating" frame design, CNC machined from a huge chunk of aluminum and allegedly inspired by the VF-19 fighter/mech from Macross (AKA Robotech).