While compact keyboards tend to dominate the communities of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, it seems that the majority quietly prefers full-sized (or near full-sized) options. If you prefer this type and can’t part with your familiar layout with a convenient number pad, then this article is for you.
So, we’ve compiled eight of the best full-sized keyboards, including examples from lesser-known brands like Lofree, Royal Kludge, and Melgeek, as well as readily available units from major sellers like Corsair and Asus.
Best full-sized mechanical keyboards for 96% and full-size layout for 2024:
NZXT Function 2
Lofree Block
Asus ROG Strix Scope 2 RX
Ducky Zero 6108
Melgeek Modern97
Corsair K70 Core
Royal Kludge S98
Lofree Flow Lite
1. NZXT Function 2
The NZXT Function 2 keyboard is a beautiful board that combines strong fundamentals with convenient added features. One of the standout design aspects for me is the presence of a volume control wheel and three buttons for muting, game mode, and RGB lighting control, placed in a way that they are easily accessible with the left hand, allowing you to not remove your hand from the mouse to activate mute, for example.
The board features a great texture during use, with keycaps made of dual-layer PBT material, multiple layers of sound-dampening foam, and pre-lubricated switches along with dampeners that provide smooth and seamless presses on the keys with a deep and pleasant sound.
In terms of core specifications, the Function 2 supports full n-key rollover, response rates up to 8000Hz, adjustable actuation points thanks to the use of 45g weighted NZXT Swift optical switches. The board connects via detachable USB-C cable and comes with a magnetic wrist rest, a keycap puller tool, and four lighter 35g switches in the box.
The Function 2 board is available in white and black, making it a great option to add to a white-themed PC setup. The RGB lighting reflects effectively on the clean aluminum frame in both colors. The board is also available in a MiniTKL size at 75% if you prefer a smaller size.
Overall, this board is excellent as it combines typical design and specs with high-quality features and appearance that suit enthusiastic users. It is a highly recommended keyboard.
2. Lofree Block
The Lofree Block keyboard stands out for its attractive retro design that reflects color schemes of beige, gray, and boxy shapes from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s eras. It comes in a 96% format that brings the numbers, number pad, and arrow keys close together. This design adds a wonderful aesthetic touch, with unique details like the orange dials at the top to switch between connectivity options (USB, 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth) and volume adjustment. It also features a small panel for battery status, indicators for caps lock, scroll lock, num lock, and connectivity mode above the arrow keys, in addition to keycaps bearing inscriptions like “Back to Classics” and Braun-inspired graphics that influenced this keyboard’s design.
As expected from Lofree, the keyboard provides a premium feel. The sound is dampened by multiple layers of foam inside, while the linear TTC POM block switches are pre-lubricated for a smoother movement, and the PBT keycaps add more texture and durability. The backlighting is simple in white, with 14 possible different effects, and the switches are hot-swappable if you prefer to try a different typing experience. While many reasonably priced mechanical keyboards may deliver a great typing experience from the start, the added touches like foam, pre-lubed switches, and high-quality keycaps have become more important for standing out in 2024.
However, there are some common omissions like the lack of user-reprogrammable firmware (as seen in many custom keyboards) and the absence of clear keycaps for backlighting (often omitted with colored keycaps).
The Block keyboard manages to look unique and blend beautifully with the matching beige Lofree Touch wireless mouse, making it worth considering if you prefer the classic style without sacrificing anything in terms of performance, typing experience, and build quality.
3. Asus ROG Strix Scope 2 RX
The Asus ROG Strix Scope 2 RX keyboard does some interesting things with its full-size design, including a beautifully designed multi-function wheel in the upper right corner, dense LED indicators above the arrow keys and F1 to F5 keys that are linked to Game Bar functions like recording the last 30 seconds of gameplay. Additionally, it is a full-size keyboard as we know and love it, with an optional wrist rest in the box, waterproof and dust-resistant optical switches bearing the Asus logo under each key.
The multi-function wheel is the major innovation here, so let’s take a closer look at it. The wheel defaults to control volume and mutes when pressed, but you can click on the Asus logo on the left of the wheel to change its function to several additional options, displayed through small lit LED icons above the arrow keys. The other options include media control (rotate to skip, press to play/pause), backlight brightness control (rotate to dim or brighten, press to turn off), and scrolling (rotate to scroll, press to click scroll). All of this works great, and the fact that no software is needed to achieve these basic functions is a nice touch.
Elsewhere, the Strix Scope 2 RX is a prime example of a high-quality mechanical keyboard for 2024, with pre-lubed switches, foam inserts for sound dampening, and high-quality PBT keycaps (in some areas; while using ABS in other areas, which is disappointing). It’s great to see major brands following the enthusiast side of the market and adapting to its innovations, even though Asus decided to stick with their classic black design and RGB lighting rather than something more unconventional.
Overall, the Strix Scope 2 RX is a great full-size keyboard, focusing on the essentials and innovating without resorting to gimmicks. Asus’ keyboard team seems to be doing a great job in recent years, and this is another great effort from them.
