#Mac-native
Azio MK MAC BT is another great mechanical keyboard for your Mac. Design-wise, it’s a bit different from Keychron’s products – being predominantly white, vs Keychron’s dark color scheme.
The build quality is great, there’s aluminum finish (the top layer), and the keycaps themselves are made of quality plastic material. The color is also spot-on white, which matches the Apple aesthetic.
Unfortunately, the keyboard comes only with one type of switches, the Kailh Browns.
Customization-wise, you can only set how you want to use the function keys. There is also a volume adjustment wheel, which does work well. However, you can’t customize what the wheel does other than controlling the volume.
The keycaps are on the taller side, but the shape of them should help you avoid accidental key presses. Overall, can’t complain here.
Azio MK MAC BT comes with a detachable palm rest, which is a nice bonus.
? Price
Azio MK MAC BT: $100
? Battery life
Azio rates their keyboard at one month of usage time. I’d say that’s about right, but compared to the other keyboards on this list, the battery capacity is not stunning at just 250 mAh.
? Pros
- Native for Mac.
- The design is good.
- Sturdy and good build quality.
? Cons
- No backlight
- Only one type of key switches available.
- Very limited customization.
⭐ Verdict
My second best pick for a mechanical keyboard for Mac. It’s a bit more expensive than the Keychrons, doesn’t let you customize your key switches, and there’s no backlight. That said, if you’re up for the white color scheme of the product and think it’ll match better with your setup, go for it.
Summary, which of these best Mac keyboards to choose?
The first decision you have to make is whether you want a low-profile keyboard or a mechanical one. Unfortunately, there’s no clear winner among these two categories. Some people love their mechanical keyboards, while others prefer the low-profile look and feel.
? Check out the FAQ section below to help you figure out whether to go with low-profile vs mechanical.
Once you have a good idea of what your preference is re “mechanical or not,” here are my picks:
? Editor’s pick:
Logitech is the brand if you want a high-quality keyboard. No matter the device you have, you’ll find a top-of-the-line keyboard for it in Logitech’s catalog. No surprise that Logitech makes some awesome keyboards for Mac as well.
The MX Keys is a great all-around keyboard that gives you all the features you’d need and works with your Mac flawlessly. Moreover, you can pair it with up to three devices (supports Mac, PC, iOS, Android).
It’s low-profile yet offers decent key travel, which makes typing on it very enjoyable. You can also use the Logitech Options software to configure how the function keys behave – and you can even customize those keys on a per-app basis (meaning, they can do something else in Chrome vs Photoshop, etc.).
All that for the price of $100. Probably the best $100 you can spend on an alternative keyboard for Mac, and likely the last keyboard you’ll ever need overall.
? Budget pick:
Keychron have been known for their great-quality keyboards while also being very affordable. Moreover, it being a mechanical keyboard makes it perhaps an even better deal! At just $74, you really won’t find a better keyboard out there.
Also, Keychron allows you to customize your keyboard by picking the type of mechanical switch that you want and the color of the backlight.
It works both by Bluetooth and cable, which means that you don’t have to worry about running out of juice. Not that you’d have to anyway since the battery life on this one is in the one-month range.
Lastly, it can be paired with up to three devices and works both on Mac and PC.
⭐ Honorable mention:
Satechi Aluminum Bluetooth Keyboard
At $80, it’s another very interesting keyboard that tries to bring out the best features from Logitech keyboards and from Apple’s very own Magic Keyboard.
The typing experience is very similar to that of the Magic Keyboard, but there’s slightly more key travel, making it a bit more comfortable. The spacing between the keys is similar to Logitech’s products, which further helps avoid accidental key presses.
Manufacturing-wise, it’s made of aluminum and looks very sturdy. It certainly does have a feel of a premium product. The only downside; you can’t configure the function keys.
For $80, this surely is a keyboard for Mac you should consider.
Lastly, here are the frequently asked questions and answers on the topic of best Mac keyboards and how to pick one:
? FAQ
Will a PC keyboard work on a Mac?
This is basically the same question as the one above. But there’s some nuance here.
Again, the short answer is yes; it will work.
But! The caveat is that you don’t have the native Mac keycap prints on some of the keys. Most notably, there’s no CMD key (you have the Windows key instead). The function keys also don’t have the Mac labels for the Mission Control, Launchpad, screen brightness, and other things.
Also, the standard layout is usually not exactly compatible with the Mac layout. Chiefly:
- the Mac layout is, from the left edge of the keyboard: the control key → the alt/option key → the CMD key
- for PC, it’s: the control key → the Windows key → the alt key
By default, your Windows key will become the CMD key.
So to convert the keyboard to the native Mac layout, you’ll have to switch the keycaps between the left alt and the Windows key, and then remap those keys in macOS settings.
You can also stumble upon issues working with the function keys. But that’s on a keyboard-per-keyboard basis.
Overall, hooking up a PC keyboard to a Mac is at your own risk. It will work, but you might not be able to take advantage of all of the features.
