The Best Mechanical Keyboards Under $150
Five boards we typed on for a week, from the AULA F87S to the Keychron V1. Switches, stabs, and the one we kept on the desk. No RGB opinions.
We bought five mechanical keyboards under $150 and typed on them for a week each. This is what survived.
What we tested
The five: AULA F87S, Keychron V1, Epomaker TH80 Pro, RK Royal Kludge R75, and the Montech MKey. All in stock layouts with hot-swap sockets, all bought retail, none provided by a manufacturer.
The test was typing, not specs: a week of real work per board, same desk, same hands. We logged what annoyed us and what we stopped noticing.
The one we kept
The Keychron V1 stayed on the desk. Gasket mount, south-facing RGB, and the stabilizers were the best out of the box — no rattle on the spacebar, which none of the others could claim. It costs $94 barebones and takes about twenty minutes to build.
The value pick
The AULA F87S at $58 is the board that embarrasses keyboards twice its price. Tri-mode, hot-swap, and a solid case. The stock switches are fine; the stabilizers are not. Buy it, replace the stabs, stop there.
What to skip
The R75 is fine but forgettable. The TH80 Pro sounds hollow. The Montech MKey has the best case of the group and the worst typing feel — a reminder that weight and sound are not typing quality.
The rule
Under $150, the stabilizers decide. Every board in this test had adequate switches; three of five had bad spacebars. If the spec sheet does not say gasket-mounted stabilizers, assume rattle and budget $15 for replacements.