Best 65 Keyboard For Mac [With 3 Alternatives]

This article reviews two of the best 65% keyboards for Mac. It is a side to side comparison of features, build quality, and price.

As there aren’t too many Mac compatible 65% keyboards available on the market, we will recommend a few of the 60% and 75% Mac compatible mechanical keyboards as well.

So, which is the best 65 keyboard for Mac?

The best 65% keyboard for Mac is Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro. It comes with Cherry MX switches and the PBT keycaps. It supports both Mac and Windows layouts. It is missing out on such features as hot-swappable keys, RGB lighting, and wireless connectivity. This Mac compatible 65% keyboard costs $109.

65% mechanical keyboards that are Mac compatible aren’t much more expensive than regular 65% mechanical keyboards, as you might expect.

Our recent review of the 13 best 65% keyboards found out that the average price of a 65% keyboard is $94.00. All Mac compatible keyboards which are mentioned in this article cost about the same.

Theoretically, all 65% keyboards are Mac compatible, but many of them need programming. Only a few keyboard manufacturers offer 65% keyboards that are Mac compatible straight out of the box.

Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro is undoubtedly the best 65 keyboard for Mac. However, it has one serious rival – Keychron K6.

So in this article, we’ll mainly review and compare both of the previously mentioned keyboards.

 

Best 60%, 65%, 75%, and TKL keyboards for Mac

These are the best small Mac compatible mechanical keyboards ready to use straight out of the box.

Each of these keyboards either has Mac keys already installed or come together with alternative Mac keys.

There aren’t too many 65% Mac compatible mechanical keyboards available on the market. Thus if you’re a Mac user consider getting either one of these keyboards.

Model	Type	Price
Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro for Mac	65% mechanical keyboard	$109.00
Keychron K6	65% mechanical keyboard	$69.00
Vortex Race 3	75% mechanical keyboard	$139.00
Matias Mini Tactile Pro	TKL mechanical keyboard	$119.95
Vortex Ultra Slim POK3R V2 Mac	60% mechanical keyboard	$109.00

 

See what other Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro for Mac has to say about it.

This is a mac focused keyboard, but unfortunately, the backlit modes do not work in Mac mode – they work only in Windows mode. Otherwise, this is a solid, sturdy keyboard.

dhiman halder (mechanicalkeyboards.com)

 

I’ve owned many keyboards, including Coolermaster, Vortex, Plum, and a couple of other brands. The Ducky MIYA Mac is by far the best OEM board I have ever owned.

MN (mechanicalkeyboards.com)

 

Keyboard feels great, but the manual is the worst manual I’ve seen.

Mike (mechanicalkeyboards.com)

 

Best 65 keyboard for Mac side to side comparison

Here is how the two of the best 65 keyboards for Mac compare to each other.

Features	Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro	Keychron K6
Hot-swappable keys	No	Yes
PBT keycaps	Yes	No
RGB lighting	No	Yes
Conectivity	USB-C	Wireless/USB-C
Software	No	No

 

Visually both keyboards look aesthetically pleasing. There are no weird logos or RGB light placements on them.

 

Price comparison

Both keyboards cost about the same.

Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro costs $109.00, and the Keychron K6 costs $99.00.

Note that Keychron K6 comes in two versions:

• with the plastic keyboard case
• with the aluminum keyboard case

Obviously, the plastic case version is cheaper. It costs only $69.00.

Considering how many features the Keychron K6 has, its plastic version has to be the best price-performance 65% keyboard that’s currently available.

 

Best hot-swappable 65 keyboards for Mac

So each of the keyboards has at least one feature that isn’t available on the other.

For example, Keychron K6 has hot-swappable keys. Thus the fact that it has ABS keycaps isn’t worrying at all. You will be able to change the keycaps and the switches to your liking without learning how to solder.

Basically, Keychron K6 is more customizable than Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro.

On Keychron K6, you will be able to replace single switches and modify stabilizers. With Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro, it won’t be possible.

 

ABS vs. PBT keycaps

Why consider a keyboard that has PBT keycaps?

Because over time, the ABS keycaps will wear down. They will become glossy and slippery. You will see it and feel it.

By upgrading your keyboard to PBT keycaps, you will immediately notice the difference. Here are a couple of upgrade kits for you to consider:

• HyperX Pudding Keycaps
• Razer PBT Keycap Ugrade Set

These upgrade kits are compatible with most mechanical keyboards.

So to upgrade your Mac compatible Keychron K6 with PBT keycaps, get either one of the previously mentioned PBT key sets.

Alternatively, there are rubber key sets available. They’re not entirely made from rubber, but they do have a rubberized coating on the outside.

Usually, these sets contain only 18 rubberized keys:

• number keys from 1 to 5
• letters Q, W, E, R, A, S, D, F
• four arrow keys.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you to customize your 65% keyboard for Mac.

 

Does a Mac keyboard need RGB lighting?

The Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro looks more similar to the original Mac keyboard than the Keychron K6.

If you want a minimalistic and Mac white-looking keyboard, Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro will be the best choice.

But if you’re like many gamers who like the RGB gaming setups, get Keychron K6. It has 18 types of RGB.

 

65% keyboard for Mac alternatives?

As we already compared the Keychron K6 to the Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro, we will not include the K6 in the list of the 3 best alternatives to Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro. Getting either one from these 65% keyboards will be a good choice.

Here are 3 alternatives to the Ducky x Varmilo MIYA Pro:

• Vortex Race 3 Mac compatible mechanical keyboard
• Vortex Ultra Slim POK3R V2 Mac
• Matias Mini Tactile Pro

Now, let’s mention the most important things you should know about each of the keyboards.

 

Vortex Race 3 Mac compatible mechanical keyboard

Vortex Race 3 is Mac compatible 75% mechanical keyboard.

At $139.00, it’s quite pricey. Most 60%, 65%, and 75% mechanical keyboards cost about $100.00.

 

Vortex Ultra Slim POK3R V2 Mac

Vortex Ultra Slim POK3R V2 Mac is a Mac compatible 60% keyboard, meaning it doesn’t have dedicated arrows.

It has an aluminum keyboard case, and its height is only 0.27″.

Its floating switch design looks amazing. Other 65% keyboards (not Mac compatible) with floating switches are Drop ALT and Qisan Magicforce 68.

Other features you would want to have in your keyboard and Vortex Ultra Slim POK3R V2 Mac has are:

• PBT keycaps
• Cherry MX Low Profile Red switches (only)
• RGB lighting

Its price on mechanicalkeyboards.com is $109.00.

 

Matias Mini Tactile Pro

It might not be the best looking small keyboard for Mac, but it does the job right out of the box.

Note that it is not exactly a 65% keyboard. Matias Mini Tactile Pro is a Mac compatible TKL (tenkeyless) keyboard.

Although this article is about 65% keyboards for Mac, we included this keyboard in the list because we know that many users like having the function key row on their keyboards. And when it comes down to 60 or 65 percent keyboards for Mac, there aren’t too many options to choose from.

Alternatively, you could check out the Matias Ergo Pro Keyboard for Mac.

 

So these are the best 65% keyboards for Mac. And if you’re planning to own your first 65% keyboard, welcome to your new hobby.