Does the clickety-clack sound of your mechanical keyboard annoy you? Do you want a keyboard customized for gaming? If yes, then, you should switch to a membrane gaming keyboard now.
These keyboards come with a flat surface and pressure pads instead of key buttons to register presses.
The keys are tactile, soft, and create less noise as well. They also require less tactile pressure in comparison to normal mechanical keyboards while offering a better responses.
So, if you are assembling the best gaming desktop or want a new keyboard to work with your gaming laptop, then a membrane gaming keyboard is a must.
Are Membrane Keyboards Good for Gaming?
Professional gamers popularly use membrane keyboards that provide excellent tactile feedback. Membrane keyboards have 3 separate flexible layers.
The first surface is the top membrane layer, equipped with conductive tracers. When a membrane key is pressed, the key moves to the second layer that contains a specific hole for each key.
These allow the pressure pads/keys to pass through the second layer and touch the third layer of conductive tracers.
Membrane keyboards are arguably the best non-mechanical gaming keyboards you can buy although mechanical membrane keyboards are also available.
If you have not used a membrane keyboard yet, you will find that it is more precise, comfortable, and accurate for gaming or any other task requiring multiple key presses.
If you are looking for the best membrane gaming keyboard, for both personal and office uses, check out the options given below –
Best Membrane Gaming Keyboard List
1. HyperX Alloy Core RGB
HyperX Alloy Core RGB comes with dynamic, smooth, and radiant lighting. The comfortable membrane keyboard has customizable LED effects that emit stunning radiance and is ideal for gamers.
You can choose from 6 different lighting effects to enhance your gaming experience. The stylish and smooth keyboard balances both budget and brilliance. The keyboard also features HyperX’s logo that also comes with a radiant light bar.
The ergonomic design of the keyboard is spill-resistant and can withstand up to 120 ml of liquid spillage.
This will not affect the performance of the keyboard. The anti-ghosting, soft keys are quiet, comfortable, and responsive, designed for reliability and tactile agility.
If you want to upgrade from your lackluster mechanical keyboard to a more comfortable experience, you should go for this comfortable membrane keyboard.
It requires only soft presses to register key inputs and provides sufficient feedback. The keyboard is much lighter than mechanical keyboards as well.
A reinforced and durable plastic makes the keyboard lightweight and portable. It comes with a price tag of around $40.
There is a Keyboard Lock feature that lets you lock the keyboard without putting the system on standby.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 1130 grams | Dimensions: 17.4 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches | Operating System: Windows 7/ 8/ 8.1/ 10 | Color – RGB | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2018
Pros
- 6 LED light options
- Quiet, responsive keys
- Spill-resistant
- Budget-friendly
- Braided cable
Cons
- ABS keycap material, not PBT
- Difficult to identify Num Lock, Caps Lock, Game Lock keys
- No wrist-rest
2. Razer Ornata Expert
Razer Ornata’s Mecha-Membrane technology contains a combination of both mechanical switches and membrane rubber domes to offer a premiumtyping experience.
Traditional dome keyboards are favored for their comfortable cushioned touch keys, but it does not deliver the right tactility because of its poor actuation control and mushy feel.
The mid-height keys of the Razer Ornata keyboard are shorter and reduce the time taken to move your fingers across the keyboard.
Thus, you do not end up missing keystrokes and improve your operational accuracy.
The keys are soft and cushioned, fully programmable with macro recording with an efficient tactile click.
The magnetic wrist rest is specially designed for comfort and it also comes with a leatherette finish. Execute up to 10 commands simultaneously with the built-in 10-key rollover, anti-ghosting technology.
You can also benefit from Razer’s native device management software, the Razer Synapse. It automatically syncs with your personalized lighting settings to customize the keyboard textures between reactive, breathing, starlight, wave, or ripple patterns.
Now available at under $80, this is one of the best membrane gaming keyboards you can buy on a budget without missing out on a premium gaming experience.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 950 grams | Dimensions: 6.7 x 18.24 x 1.3 inches | Operating System: Linux | Color – Backlit | Battery Required – 2 AAAA batteries required | Model Year – 2017
Pros
- Ergonomic, magnetic wrist rest
- Customizable feedback lighting
- Shorter, mid-height keys
Cons
- Wide wrist rest
- Noisy keys and wrist pad
- Inconsistent tactile feel
- High base height
3. Redragon K512 Shiva RGB
An ergonomically designed keyboard, the Redragon K512 Shiva, has found its way to the top of gaming hardware.
There are 6 programmable macros (G1-G6) available and the keys can be recorded without additional or installed software.
With the colorful and dynamic RGB blacklight, there are 6 customizable modes and 7 pre-set lighting patterns that you can control along with a zero-lighting option as well, a feature that few keyboards have.
With the Redragon gaming keyboard, you can work 26 anti-ghost keys simultaneously with accurate and fast responses.
You can play, pause, skip the music directly from the keyboard without stopping your game. Media controls let you enjoy your game smoothly and uninterrupted.
The ergonomic magnetic wrist rest area is detachable and provides comfort and support to your wrist.
With 100 million keystroke approved quality testing, you are guaranteed for durability and longevity. The Double-shot molded keycaps do not fade over time and the gamers can set macro functions as well as their choice of the backlight.
There is a feeling of a professional mechanical gaming keyboard, suitable for both office and gaming uses. The keyboard is extremely budget-friendly as it costs around $37 only.
Despite the professional and feature-rich experience on offer, this keyboard is available for under $40, easily making it one of the best membrane gaming keyboards for gaming in the market.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 1100 grams | Dimensions: 19.84 x 7.56 x 2.52 inches | Operating System: Windows, Linux, Mac | Color – RBG | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2019
Pros
- 26 anti-ghosting keys
- 6 Programmable Macro keys
Cons
- Rubber coating keys makes it oily
- Wrist rest is not comfortable
4. Razer RZ03-OCKB-B Ornata Chroma
With Razer Ornata Chroma gaming keyboard you can enjoy the best of both worlds, mechanical surety as well as membrane comfort.
The keyboard provides a crisp tactile feel and the keys are extremely soft to touch. The mecha-membrane offers you a typing experience that is both swift, soft, comfortable, and precision-driven.
The amazing membrane rubber dome on the keys has a soft cushioned touch and enables swift actuation for every keystroke.
The short height of keys reduces the time taken to complete your actions, thereby, allowing free movement of your fingers without missing any keystrokes.
The keyboard is powered by incredible lighting with 16.8 million customizable effects. The interactive in-game feature allows you to experience an incredibly immersive game when your keyboard reacts to the gameplay.
The ergonomically designed wrist rest ensures hassle-free marathon gaming sessions. At around $80, this is a top-of-the-line gaming keyboard offering above-par performance for users.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 1350 grams | Dimensions: 19.5 x 10.2 x 2 inches| Operating System: Windows 10| Color – RBG | Battery Required – Yes | Model Year – 2017
Pros
- Intuitive in-game effects and performance
- Radiant RGB lighting
- Works fine with Razer Synapse 2 and 3
Cons
- Hybrid keys are not useful
- Questionable key spacing
5. LANGTU Membrane Gaming Keyboard
The metal panel LANGTU keyboard is specially designed with cool brushed aluminum alloy. This keyboard offers class-leading durability other than better aesthetics and spill-resistance as well.
The precise and responsive keystrokes are perfect for both work and gaming. The injection keycaps are double-colored, providing uniform and crystal-clear backlighting. Keycap letters are guaranteed not to fade away.
The backlight has 7 different colors that form the rainbow LED. Each key has bright radiant colors that allow you to work or play games in the dark without any visual difficulty.
The soft light is soothing to your eyes and you can adjust the breathing speed and brightness of the backlight.
The stair-step keycap pattern maximizes comfort and it is easy for your fingers to cover all keys.
The anti-ghosting technology provides 12 combinations of feedback, facilitating improved efficiency and operational flexibility.
This LANGTU keyboard comes with quality assurance and strong compatibility to fulfill the needs for gamers, writers, and programmers for a well-rounded premium keyboard experience.
Beyond that, the $30 price tag makes this a bargain buy hard to overlook for anyone about to buy a membrane gaming keyboard.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 700 grams | Dimensions: 17.7 x 5 x 1.2 inches | Operating System: Windows 2000 / 10/8/7 / ME / XP / VISTA, MAC, Linux | Color – 7 Rainbow colors | Battery Required – Yes | Model Year – 2019
Pros
- Sleek design
- Soft, comfortable and quiet keys
- Flexible anti-ghosting features
Cons
- Sharp aluminum edges
- Mouse lighting may not turn off
6. Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard
This Logitech Prodigy series gaming keyboard is slated to deliver 4x performance than any standard mechanical keyboard.
Every keypress instantaneously provides an accurate response and the keyboard is smartly engineered to help you increase your operational efficiency.
Keys are quiet and provide an ultra-quick response and tactile feedback. They are specially tuned and easily customizable with lighting effects.
Use the Logitech keyboard software add-on to customize the RGB color effects of each key. The radiant color spectrum comes with 5 lighting zones ranging from 16.8 million color palettes to match your gaming gear and your style.
Dedicated media controls allow you to play, skip, pause, and adjust your music volume directly from the keyboard.
You can further customize your operations with 12 function keys as well. You can also activate the LIGHTSYNC lighting which will respond to in-game actions as you play.
The durable spill-resistant membrane comes with a guarantee of zero damage. Rest your palm and wrists to relieve fatigue or discomfort with the 2-level wrist-rest which also comes with angle adjustment features.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 1100 grams | Dimensions: 1.3 x 17.8 x 8.58 inches | Operating System: Windows 10/ 8.1/ 8/ 7, Mac OS X | Color – RGB, Black | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2016
Pros
- Anti-spill
- Budget-friendly
- Gaming concentrated features
- Syncs with other Logitech products
Cons
- Not mechanical
- Flimsy frame
7. Thermaltake Tt eSPORTS Challenger Prime 3
The light-weighted Thermaltake Challenger Prime comes with brilliant features at an affordable price tag.
This budget-friendly keyboard has an aggressive stylish design, typical for a gaming-centric keyboard. Enjoy the 3-color backlighting featuring red, purple, and blue for pulse and static lighting modes.
You can adjust display brightness with a dial placed un-mistakenly on the front fascia of the keyboard.
The Challenger Prime also comes with onboard memory to set dedicated macro keys. Moreover, it also has shortcut-keys, multimedia keys, poll-rate adjustment keys, and repeat-rate keys. The keyset offers extreme comfort and convenience to your fingers.
Up to 6 dedicated macro keys with 18 programmable macros can be paired up with 3 profiles. You can switch between these 3 profiles with dedicated macros M1, M2, M3 keys.
The arrow keys and the WASD keys are toggled and hence, you can interchangeably switch their functions.
Draining holes in the keyboard makes it anti-spill and avoids damage to the keyboard in case of such spillage.
It also comes with an anti-ghosting feature to make sure that you experience a smooth gaming session.
At under $40, this is undoubtedly one of the best non-mechanical gaming keyboards you can buy considering the sheer number of customizations and the overall utility on offer.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 800 grams | Dimensions: 19.8 x 10 x 1.5 inches | Operating System: Microsoft Windows | Color – RGB, Black | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2017
Pros
- Remappable keyboard
- Extremely affordable
- Anti-spill drain holes
- Brilliant adjustable backlight
Cons
- Wrist rest is non-removable
- Weird knob for brightness adjustment
8. NPET G20 Compact Gaming Keyboard
This NPET Compact gaming keyboard is custom-engineered to be space-saving while offering a smooth gaming experience as well.
As a backlit keyboard with limited keys available, this is designed as a niche membrane gaming keyboard with portability as its primary USP.
The G20 keyboard contains non-slip rear feet that are adjustable and offer the most ideal typing angle. The USB port is gold-plated and anti-corrosive to guarantee longevity and reliability.
This membrane keyboard has 87 keys compactly arranged without sacrificing comfort and performance.
It also includes 12 multimedia keys that can be simultaneously operated, interchangeable WASD keys, and adjustable WIN keys which can also be disabled.
The short keycaps offer better keystrokes and quick responses.
With a keycap puller, provided on the keyboard, you can keep your keycaps clean and oil-free.
The keys provide maintain minimum noise and comfort without hampering tactile feedback despite the compact design.
The US layout, 87 keys, has drain holes under the keyboard to prevent damage from liquid spills.
The brilliant rainbow color lighting effects and modes are adjustable and the keyboard includes four brightness levels other than flexible breathing speed.
The system automatically enters sleeping mode within 10 minutes of no operation and pressing any key awakens the backlights.
It is rated user-friendly, requiring no additional driver during initial installation. You can buy this feature-rich, compact, and portable gaming keyboard for under $20, a steal considering the features on offer and the numerous positive reviews.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 600 grams | Dimensions: 17.32 x 5.51 x 0.98 inches | Operating System: Windows 7 or upwards, Max OS X | Color – 7 Rainbow Colors, Black | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2018
Pros
- Anti-ghosting, multimedia keys
- Water-resistant
- Budget pricing
- Ergonomic design
- 7 radiant backlighting effects with four brightness levels
Cons
- Fewer keys
- Sticky keys
9. ROSEWILL Gaming Keyboard
The ROSEWILL is a hybrid mechanical keyboard offering both tactile responsiveness and accurate performance.
There is an LED at the side of the keyboard to help hardcore gamers. 8 backlight color effects allow you to customize and switch the lighting that illuminates from the exterior outline and behind the keys.
You can adjust the brightness level with a dedicated function key available on the board. You get to enjoy the best of both worlds with the ROSEWILL gaming keyboard.
The mechanical keys let you sense the click-clack feel on the membrane keyboard. You can remove the keycaps and customize them to another level of your choice.
It even offers users the flexibility to customize keycaps for personalized aesthetics.
The enhanced and efficient easy-access multimedia keys let you adjust the volume, even during a game marathon.
You can easily play, pause, and skip music tracks from your keyboard but only when the game is off.
The wrist rest is detachable. The ergonomic design of the keyboard makes long-time typing much easier and double-shot molded keycaps are excellent for clear backlighting.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 900 grams | Dimensions: 19.5 x 7.6 x 2 inches | Operating System: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10 | Color – NEON K51 BLACK | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2017
Pros
- Removable keycaps
- Windows Key-lock
- Excellent and quick response
- Built-in Media shortcut keys
Cons
- No macro keys
- Overly bright LED indicators
10. PICTEK Metal Gaming Keyboard
This PICTEK Metal Panel gaming keyboard is specially designed with a foldable kickstand, integrated and comfortable wrist rest.
The budget-friendly keyboard comes with an ergonomic wrist support at accurate typing angles. The frame itself is a rubber oil-coated, metal body.
The amazing rainbow backlight illuminates the keys which appear brilliant in the dark. It has adjustable brightness and two lighting modes so that you can type even in a dark room.
You can also control the backlight with the light button to switch between breathing and static modes.
The keyboard features durable and tactile feedback. The classic crater structure can resist 10 million key presses.
Keys are soft to touch and offer improved water-proofing performance. The letters on the keycaps are laser engraved and hence guaranteed against fading.
The advanced and improved anti-ghosting technology allows you to work 19 keys simultaneously.
This provides a quicker game response. The anti-spill quality of the metal keyboard stops water from entering the keyboard.
Tech Specifications
Weight: 1100 grams | Dimensions: 17.6 x 7.95 x 1.97 inches; 2.4 pounds | Operating System: Windows 95/98/XP/2000/Me/Vista/7/8/9/10, Mac Note | Color – Rainbow Backlit | Battery Required – No | Model Year – 2020
Pros
- Comfortable and soft keys
- Anti-slip quality
- Solid build body
- Brilliant RGB color effects
Cons
- Only one level stand
- No macro keys
Which Is The Best Membrane Gaming Keyboard?
That’s it for the list. Now if you are still wondering about which is the best membrane gaming keyboard to go for, we would say, it depends. It depends primarily on what type of games you play and whether you will use the keyboard for other tasks as well.
If you are into racing and first-person shooter games, you need a keyboard that is built to last and comes with customizable keys. However, if you need a multi-tasker considering you will use the keyboard to type in a work report as well, go for conventional designs that can double up as gaming keyboards.
Also, check out additional features before you make a purchase. If you want to play on Xbox, make sure the keyboard is compatible and comes with battery power. Further, choose between pure membrane or hybrid keyboards with some mechanical keys as well. Know that pricing primarily depends on build quality, manufacturer other than the features on offer.
