Mechanical vs. Membrane Keyboards: Which Is Better?

The never-ending debate among technology enthusiasts – mechanical or membrane keyboards, which is truly superior? As someone who has used both keyboard types extensively for work and play, I aim to provide a comprehensive comparison of these two technologies to help you decide which is a better fit for your needs.

A Brief History of Keyboard Technologies

To understand the evolution of modern keyboards, we must go back to the early electric typewriter patented in 1926 by James Smathers. This device used mechanical switches and springs under individual keys to strike typebars against the page.

Over the next few decades, keyboards followed a similar mechanical design but adapted it for early computers and terminals. However, these keyboards were loud, prone to jamming, and expensive to produce en masse.

In the 1970s, membrane keyboard technology was invented, replacing mechanical switches with a flat layer of plastic containing electrical contacts under keys. When a key was pressed, it would deform the membrane to connect the contacts and complete a circuit to register the keypress.

Membrane keyboards had several advantages – they were slim, portable, inexpensive, and quiet. This made them ideal for compact electronics like calculators and low-cost computer terminals. They quickly displaced mechanical keyboards as the default technology through the home computing boom of the 1980s.

Meanwhile, high-end mechanical keyboards persisted in niche workplace applications where durability and performance were critical. By the 1990s a small community of enthusiasts had formed around customized mechanical keyboards for gaming and typing.

This enthusiast market steadily grew thanks to Cherry’s introduction of mass-produced mechanical key switches in 1984 and the rise of PC gaming in the 2000s. Today mechanical keyboards are a thriving market segment despite costing significantly more than membrane types.

How Mechanical and Membrane Keyboards Work

While both keyboard technologies register key presses and communicate with computers, they accomplish this through very different underlying mechanisms.

Membrane Keyboard Construction

Membrane keyboards consist of three primary layers:

Top layer – plastic keycaps attached to rubber domes or springs which return keys to their unpressed position

Membrane layer – thin molded sheet of plastic or polyester with conductive ink traces in a switch matrix pattern

Circuit layer – a printed circuit board (PCB) containing electronic connections for each key

When a key is pressed, the rubber dome or spring collapses, allowing the top layer to make contact through the membrane, thus completing a circuit on the PCB below. This circuit completion signals to the computer which key was pressed.

Once pressure is released, the rubber dome or spring regains its shape and separates the layers, breaking the connection. Capacitive membrane keyboards work similarly but use human body capacitance instead of pressure to complete circuits.

Membrane keyboards require minimal force (~100-250g) for actuation because the membrane itself provides little resistance. They produce little noise due to rubber contact absorbing sound. The drawback is that membranes degrade over 5-10 million presses as contacts wear through.

Mechanical Keyboard Construction

A mechanical keyboard uses individual spring-loaded switches mounted into a metal backplate. Switches contain 2 plastic parts called stems which connect to form a circuit when pressed together.

The specific way stems reconnect varies by switch type:

• Linear – Smooth press without feedback
• Tactile – Noticeable bump but no sound
• Clicky – Audible click and bump feeling

When the circuit reconnects, a signal passes through the switch terminals into the keyboard PCB, registering the keypress. Higher spring tension provides actuation force (~45-70g) and auditory feedback. Mechanical keyboards last over 20-50 million clicks before switch degradation.

Mechanical Keyboard Switch Types

Many competing brands of mechanical switches exist, but Cherry MX switches remain the most popular due to proven quality and vast customizability. Other common options include optical, Topre capacitive, buckling spring, and scissor switches.

Cherry MX Switches

Cherry MX switches come in several forms with different properties. The most popular varieties are:

• Red – Light, linear press for rapid tapping
• Brown – Soft tactile bump, popular for typing
• Blue – Loud click with a tactile bump, favored by typists
• Black – Stiff linear press requiring more force
• Silver/Speed – Very light activation good for quick double taps in gaming
• Clear – Stiffer brown with more noticeable tactile bump

These switches cater to different users – Blue or Brown for typists desiring feedback when keys actuate. Red for gamers wanting quick, sensitive activation. And Black providing heavy resistance for those who type forcefully.

Innovative Modern Switch Designs

While Cherry MX dominates, niche modern switches provide advantages like longer lifespans, RGB integration, and reduced key wobble:

• Logitech GL Tactile – Contoured cross stem for stability
• Steelseries QS1 – Optical switch rated for 100M clicks
• Razer Opto-Mechanical – Hybrid optical + mechanical switch
• Wooting Flaretech Optical – Rapid analog input response

Testing alternative modern switches can reveal preference differences from Cherry MX. Just ensure switch housings are compatible with your desired keycaps.

Membrane vs. Mechanical Keyboard Comparison

Now that we’ve explored keyboard internals, let’s directly compare membranes and mechanical switches across important criteria:

In most performance metrics, mechanical keyboards are objectively superior due to use of higher-end components. However, membranes retain benefits in cost and noise reduction for basic typing or office work.

Let‘s analyze the meaningful differences in greater depth:

Lower Actuation Force

Mechanical keyboards require much less force (~40% on average) to press keys and actuate input. This light touch makes mechanicals very responsive for gaming, reduces fatigue for heavy typists, and enables easier typing for those with motor impairments.

Specialized mechanical gaming keyboards focus intensely on minimizing input lag above all else. Top esports professionals overwhelmingly use mechanical keyboards for their speed advantage in reaction-based gameplay.

Tactile Feedback and Sound

Clicky mechanical switches like Cherry MX Blue provide both aural and tactile feedback when keys actuate mid-press. This gives the typist confirmation that their press registered properly without needing to bottom out the keycap. Clackety sound is therapeutic for some, annoying for others.

Tactile but quieter Brown switches allow a nice compromise. Meanwhile, membrane keyboards offer little physical feedback until they bottom out – keypresses feel mushy as rubber deforms. Their quietness does suit office environments better.

Extreme Durability Over Billions of Clicks

The mechanical keyboard market emphasizes extreme over-engineering and testing components to last decades of daily use. Top mechanical switches from Cherry or other premium brands can easily exceed 50 million clicks over 10+ years at no performance degradation.

Compare this to the more limited 5-10 million click lifetime of membrane keyboards prone to dead spots as internal rubber contacts deteriorate. Frequent heavy typists need true long-term mechanical reliability.

User Customization of Layout and Feel

Mechanical keyboards are designed to be fully customized down to the keycap level. Replacing your WASD gaming keys with textured versions for enhanced grip is common. Sophisticated users mix and match their preferences across brands for aesthetic or ergonomic personalization.

Standard bottom row sizes plus MX cross-stem cap mounts provide forward compatibility and cross-brand uniformity. Heavier enthusiasts even modify switch springs or lubricants to alter feedback stiffness and sound. Such extreme custom tweaking would be unthinkable on a sealed membrane keyboard.

Price and Availability Differences

The cheapest membrane keyboards can readily be found for $10-20 and often come bundled with desktops for free. This affordability and mass-market ubiquity suits limited budgets or basic word processing needs. They dominate office and home desktop use primarily due to low cost.

Meanwhile, base model mechanical keyboards retail between $50-100 targeting PC gamers and typing enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for hardware quality, customization, and input responsiveness. High-end mechanical boards with aluminum bodies, optical switches, or esoteric layouts can run over $200!

Clearly mechanicals target a demanding niche audience versus commoditized membranes – mass consumer electronics will likely never transition wholly to mechanical key switches given the vast price mismatch.

Which Keyboard is Better for Gaming?

For esports professionals, mechanical rules supreme. Tournament players obsess over getting reliable, rapid response to inputs during action. They’ll gladly pay $150+ for high-quality mechanical keyboards promising imperceptible input lag.

Reduced actuation force allows quicker multiple presses during shooters or combos in fighting games. Cherry MX Silver/Speed fills an ultra-sensitive niche. Tournament sponsors provide the keyboards pros are most comfortable competing on.

For casual players on a budget, membrane keyboards are “good enough,” especially on slower-paced single-player games. FPS gamers do report responsiveness gains from ditching membranes. Overall, mechanicals provide clear performance advantages, albeit at increased cost.

Which Keyboard is Better for Typing?

Most professional writers, coders and journalists strongly favor high-end tactile mechanical switches for long typing sessions given ergonomic benefits. The sharp feedback of actuation reduces errors that encourage bad habits of bottoming out keys.

This saves cumulative stress on finger joints over years of daily writing. Though it may cost more up front, a good mechanical keyboard prevents injuries down the road.

Those unwilling to spend much should still consider scissor-switch membranes for a mechanical feel without the investment. Scissor switches reduce bottoming out somewhat through shortened travel distance. Ordinary membranes will suffice for simpler data entry jobs without flow typing demands.

Which is More Portable?

If you need to stuff a keyboard in your backpack, membrane keyboards undoubtedly win on portability due to fewer internal components. Many feature lightweight chassis construction or the ability to fold nearly in half. Road warriors make this tradeoff of features for packability.

Standard mechanical keyboards contain metal backplates and switches too bulky to effectively shrink down compared to flexible membrane sheets. Compact 60%, tenkeyless and laptop-specific mechanical layouts somewhat close the gap while retaining desired response and durability.

My Personal Recommendations

Given this comprehensive feature comparison, which type ultimately triumphs? My take: mechanical keyboards justify a moderate price premium across many usage scenarios from gaming to coding. My recommendations:

For gaming – Razer Huntsman Mini 60% Optical @ $119 provides best balance of performance, features and transportability. Linear optical switches register keypresses quickly while still feeling responsive.

For typing – Leopold FC900R PD TKL Brown Switch @ $109 has incredible build quality with minimally branded aesthetics perfect for writing focus. Its renowned Leopold switches offer a wonderfully tactile bump to each keypress.

For work/office use – Logitech Ergo K860 Split Keyboard @ $129 might make your fingers happier through day if you suffer wrist strain. Scissor switch compromise provides ergonomics without full investment.

Of course personal preference reigns supreme here. I encourage trying out different mechanical switch types firsthand if possible. One person‘s perfect clicky Blue is another‘s obnoxious distraction. But crisp key feedback undoubtedly makes work and play more satisfying once you acclimate.

Hopefully demystifying keyboard technologies here steers you closer to keypress nirvana. Let the games and great novels flow forth! Clackety-clack and all that.