I have some cheaper mechanical keyboards but i like them. One is the cooler master and the other is an HP. They aren’t the high end ones but gave me a chance to try them without the high price. These are Mem-chanical clicky switches. I’m sure the Keychron or others are much better. I would definitely go with the higher end ones if it suits your budget. I really like them compared to a plain cheap keyboard.
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It is programmable. I believe it is used for volume by default. That being said, I bought the version with the knob. It was on sale for $50 usd.
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I will Nth the Keychron recommendation, I have a number of mechanical keyboards just for hobby stuff but my daily driver is a K10 with gateron browns. For work a numpad is an absolute must for me, but the K series has models going all the way down to 60% layouts.
I’m personally not a fan of low-profile keyboards (not enough travel in the keys for my liking) and I use a gel wrist rest alongside all of my boards to alleviate the wrist issues that come with being an old man, but particularly in the mechanical hobby you should be mindful of the fact that the overwhelming majority of custom keycaps aren’t low profile, so if you want to go crazy and full-hobbyist with it you’ll be limiting your customisation options 
One other tip though: for Keychron, it would be a good idea to hold your nose and buy it from Amazon rather than going direct if the model you want is available on your local Amazon site. Their direct shipping is from China which can take an extraordinary amount of time, and if you have any customer service issues it’s significantly harder to deal with them than it is to just deal with Amazon’s overly frictionless “we don’t care just send it back and get a new one” processes 
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mechanical keyboards, another rabbit hole, I also used too many over the past years the Keychron K8 Pro with Gateron Red Switches was the last I used before switching to a 58 keys Split Keyboard called Sofle.
Keychron have really quality keyboards with affordable prices I don’t really recommend low profile unless you are used to laptop keyboards, I would also second @dalto about going to a shop and trying switches/keyboards there are 3 main types, Clicky, Tactile and Linear.
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The switch is the most important part of the keyboard in my eyes, since you interact with it constantly. There are a gazillion of different switches, but the standard ones are based on colors. Try to find your preferred switch or the switch you think you will enjoy based on descriptions from others. You might find a local computer shop that has mechanical keyboards on display too.
Layout is pretty important too. Most common is tenkeyless (without the numpad) and full size ones. There are more exotic layouts too and smaller ones, but usually are more niche and specialized.
I would say to not think too hard. Find a relatively cheap keyboard with the switch you want and go for it. Anything will likely be better than a rubber domes keyboard.
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I did! Along with the Alice layout. But the ones sold where I live are outrageously priced and I was not willing to pay so much haha. Though if I do end up buying another, I want it to be Alice for functionality. The challenge is to find Alice that 1) has F keys and 2) is priced reasonably. For novelty, I would want something old school/retro, or straight up get the Shinobi.
Honestly, I still prefer one of these, but they’re very rare (at least where I live). Perhaps I should learn the art of computer engineering and electronic crafting so I can use a X220 part keyboard and turn it into a standalone wireless keyboard.
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Beside what was already said
Logitech is not something i would recommend, i know at least 3 cases where logitech broken just after warranty ran out. Not to mention one of friends having serious issue with cat hair getting stuck in it. I would also avoid logitech because their new CEO had brilliant idea to propose “lifetime mouse” where users would have to pay subscription fee to get software updates and new features.
Mechanical keyboards are made by a number of smaller companies, and can get very specialised. Like Wooting making probably best gaming keyboards. For typing and everyday use I would go with Keychron. Beside big companies all other brands tend to use one of few manufacturers making switches so replacements are easily available, that is also important if you may want to personalise your keycaps.
Hotswap switches are nice feature. You are not going to use it too often or ever, but for cleaning purposes it is great. Not to mention customisation you can get with different types of switches, and ease of repairs if a switch or backlight stops working.
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I used the Majestouch 2 for many years. At some point, the keycaps became extremely shiny and I had no way of getting replacements. The noises also got on my nerves more and more (brown switches). I came across a Cherry Stream by chance and was immediately impressed (rubber dome + scissors). When it wears out, you just buy a new one for €20. But the typing feel on the Cherry Stream is unbeatable for me.
The Cherry Stream XT has been one of my favourites, - I have a couple still hanging around somewhere. The only thing that switched me away from them was the build quality going down for the space bar.
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I need a German ISO layout. I can’t get around that. It’s a bit more expensive than the US/UK ISO, so what can I do?
So I ordered a
- Keychron K3 Pro with German ISO layout.
- 75% Layout
- PBT keycaps
- RGB backlighting
- Low Profile Gateron Mechanical Brown
- QMK/VIA support
- Hot Swappable
- Three-stage adjustable typing angle
I think I’ll be happy with that
Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions 
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You missed the secret option that makes mechanicals truly special - buy any ISO keyboard you want and then hunt down a nice set of custom keycaps in German ISO to replace them with 
But that’s the next step down the rabbit hole once you get your feet under the table…
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Looks good here. I see it’s wired or wireless which for me i would want to use usb.
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Looking good to me.
As long as you are happy with it then all good, Mechanicals are definitely an upgrade over the usual rubber dome keyboards you come across.
75% is a good size, and is a size I looked at in the past for a new keyboard, mostly for the f keys as some applications can be a pain, especially if they use both numbers and f keys. And this has a lot of useful features like the hot swappable and QMK/VIA.
The only thing I do with every new keyboard is test every key on the keyboard just to make sure everything works early on.
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I’m already aware of that, I just want to be able to use it first . In the end it’s 10€ more and I don’t want to spend days assembling the keyboard
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I also prefer USB use. I have no experience with mechanical keyboards. Besides, I don’t have bluetooth on my main computer anyway
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I think it’s also quite reasonable for the first mechanical
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It only takes a few minutes to swap out the keycaps, thy literally pop on and press on.
However, reprogramming the keyboard to support your new layout, that may take some time 
Of course, it also more expensive to buy the keycaps separately.
Good luck with your new keyboard!
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Thank you very much!
Of course I have to get used to this keyboard first. Also how to program individual keys. Since I have no experience with mechanical keyboards, this will be an exciting affair.
I think I’ve made a good choice. My experiment with mechanical keyboards can begin (possibly in two weeks when its arrived)
Thanks again for your support and your thoughts on this
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