First things first: you will want a mechanical keyboard. Every analyzed professional uses a mechanical keyboard, so if we're looking at what the pros are doing it's quite obvious that you'll want to opt for a mechanical board as well.

A mechanical keyboard offers a lot of advantages over a regular membrane keyboard. Take a look at durability, for example. A standard Cherry MX switch (which is the most commonly used mechanical switch) has a lifespan of about 50 million keystrokes. Compare that to the ~5 million (on average) life expectancy of a run-of-the-mill membrane switch and you've got a keyboard that will probably outlive most of your other peripherals.

Aside from the durability and reliability, the main advantage of mechanical keyboards obviously lies in the fact that a mechanical switch is much more reliable and accurate to use. If you're gaming at the highest levels you'll want to make sure that every key stroke is registered, as misplacing a wall during a hectic firefight can definitely lead to your untimely demise.

Another aspect that makes these mechanical boards so attractive is the fact that there are so many options to choose from. You can choose between a wide variety of sizes, and having the ability to go for a switch (click here for a brief rundown of the most popular mechanical switches) that perfectly matches your play style and preferences is something that you just cannot do with a membrane board.

So, in short: you'll want a mechanical keyboard. There's no real consensus among the pros when it comes to size and features (we've got full-size boards with a bunch of extra features on this list, as well as more compact tournament style boards) so what you choose to go for will depend on your personal preferences.

It's always a good idea to think about what you really need out of a keyboard though. For example: if you're someone who goes to LAN events (of a friend's place or anything like that) quite often you might not want to go for a massive and heavy keyboard with a bunch of extra USB connectors. Or if you find yourself never using the number pad on a keyboard then you might as well go for a board that doesn't have one so that you've got more space to move your mouse around. These kinds of things can all be factors in deciding what board you want to go for, and luckily there are plenty of options available for everyone.

Note: to prevent multiple iterations of the same board taking up places in this list we count some boards together. Different versions of the same keyboard with no real functional or performance differences (aside from things like the size and what not) are treated as the same board.

We added all versions of the Apex Pro together. The Apex Pro TKL is by far the most popular Apex Pro board with the Fortnite pros: 98% of Apex Pro users have the TKL version.

The people over at SteelSeries call this keyboard 'the biggest leap in mechanical keyboards since the invention of the mechanical switch over 35 years ago.' That's a bold claim, but they do have some features to back that up.

Their new OmniPoint switch has a much lower response time and actuation point than what traditional switches offer and you can adjust the sensitivity of these switches. This means that you can have different feeling buttons for when you're playing CS:GO versus when you're typing up a report for school, for example. That's a damn nice feature, and it's cool to see that SteelSeries are trying to revolutionize the world of keyboards in this way.

Aside from that the keyboard is made from aluminum, comes with dedicated multimedia controls and a magnetic wrist rest and it has a dedicated OLED Smart Display where you can not only show the current volume and things like that, but also your KDA or money in certain games. Or you can have your signature there, since it's completely adjustable.

All in all this is a very impressive keyboard that's absolutely packed with features. You'll have to pay up if you want to experience 'the biggest leap in mechanical keyboards' but it's undeniable that SteelSeries are trying to be on the forefront of peripheral manufacturing once again.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro comes with adjustable OmniPoint switches.

Keyboards have really been growing in popularity of the past couple of years, and with that we also see less gamers go for a full sized keyboard since most custom and premium keyboards come in a smaller form factor.

Razer of course already made TKL boards, but with the release of this Huntsman Mini they're really embracing the fact that super compact boards have been gaining popularity at a steady pace. What you get here is a very compact board that's powered by Razer's famous Chroma (for that max RGB goodness) and made out of aluminum for maximum durability. To add to the portability there's also a detachable USB-C cable, making this a perfect board if you're someone who often goes to LAN tournaments or you just want a compact form factor and you like what Razer has to offer.

This is about as basic as keyboards get in the sense that you get no extra functionalities or knobs and dials, but sometimes less is more, and if you're someone who is inclined to think that way then you might be right at home with the Razer Huntsman Mini.

The Huntsman Mini comes with Razer Purple or Razer Red switches.

Logitech's G Pro line of products is built from the ground up to cater to professional gamers. That's the same with the G Pro Mechanical Keyboard. It only comes in a TKL (tenkeyless, which means there's no numpad) version and doesn't offer a whole lot of flashy features, aside from the customizable RGB lighting that's on almost every gaming keyboard. You'll see a button to turn said RGB lighting on or off, as well as a gaming mode button (which deactivates certain buttons so you don't find yourself staring at your start menu because you accidentally pressed the Windows key) and that's about it. That's fine though, since professional gamers don't need anything more.

The keyboard is made out of a sturdy plastic and comes with a detachable cable which completes the portable aspect of this particular board. It's an ideal keyboard if you just want a sturdy and reliable mechanical keyboard that'll hold up well even after multiple rough LAN trips, or if you want to save some space on your desk to really unleash your low sensitivity swiping.

It's worth noting that the G Pro X Mechanical is the newest version of this keyboard; the major difference between the two is that the newest version has a hotswap PCB, meaning that you can switch out your keyswitches on the fly.

The G Pro Mechanical Keyboard can only be bought with Logitech's own Romer-G Tactile switches. That's a bit of a drawback in the sense that these switches won't be for everyone, and having them on Logitech boards only makes it a bit difficult to just go out and try a board with one of these switches.

The G Pro X Mechanical Keyboard is the newest release in this line of keyboards. That one has hotswappable GX switches but is the same otherwise.

The Razer Huntsman TE is made by Razer to serve professional and competitive gamers with a desire for speed. Its design is very much 'performance over everything,' seeing as there are no dials, extra knobs, or anything of the sort to be found on the board. Complete with a detachable USB-C cable, doubleshot PBT keycaps (still a rarity in the mainstream keyboard market, unfortunately), and a rock solid design, this one is made for the spec-oriented gamer.

Underneath it all you'll find the Razer Optical switches. These have a 1mm actuation point, making the board feel extremely fast. If you want an assuring tactile switch this won't be it of course, but if you want to absolutely prioritize your reaction speed this can be an interesting board to look at.

The Razer Huntsman TE only comes with Razer's Linear Optical switches.

We added all available One 2 versions together. The One 2 Mini is by far the most used One 2 board in the Fortnite pro scene however, with 92% of Ducky One 2 users going for the One 2 Mini.

The Ducky One 2 Mini used to be the most popular keyboard in the professional Fortnite scene, and it's without a doubt the board that has popularized the now often used 60% form factor in the (Fortnite) gaming scene. Even though the One 3 is out (and has been out for many months now) a lot of people are sticking by their One 2 Mini, and that's for good reason: it just nails the basics.

It's nicely built, has a detachable cable and it offers an absolutely amazing typing and gaming experience. The RGB lighting looks absolutely fantastic as well. That's not something that you're really gonna need for gaming, but it is a nice bonus. Mechanical keyboards last a long time, so once you find a board that suits your needs there's no real reason to swap, and perhaps that's why we still see the One 2 Mini being used by so many professionals to this day. It might not be the best mass-produced keyboard on the market any longer, but it's still a super respectable product that delivers a quality gaming and typing experience.

If you want to get something bigger you can always go for the One 2 TKL, One SF, or the full size One 2.

When buying the One 2 Mini you can choose between a bunch of Cherry MX switches: Brown, Blue, Red, Black, Silver, and Silent Red.