Product Price Switch Type Number of Keys Keycap Material Plate Material Weight (g) Backlighting
MonsGeek M1 V5 VIA ISO Custom Mechanical Keyboard
US
£114.38 Akko Rosewood linear 83 PBT Polycarbonate 1750g

The MonsGeek M1 V5 VIA ISO is an 83-key, 75% custom keyboard with an aluminum case, gasket mount, hot-swappable switches, VIA support, and tri-mode connectivity. Its rapid-disassembly design and RGB backlighting make it well suited to keyboard enthusiasts, gamers, and productivity-focused users who want easy customization.

★ Ideal for

It suits the best custom mechanical keyboards under $200 because it combines an aluminum gasket-mounted build, PBT keycaps, polycarbonate plate, VIA programmability, hot-swappable switches, tri-mode connectivity, and south-facing RGB lighting at under $200.

Keychron Q6 Max 2.4G BT QMK RGB Aluminium Mac/PC Carbon Black Tactile Custom Keyboard Q6M-M3-UK
US
£151.58 Hot-swap Gateron Jupiter Brown 109 Double-shot PBT Polycarbonate 2.2 kg

The Keychron Q6 Max is a full-size 109-key custom mechanical keyboard with tactile Gateron Jupiter Brown switches, a CNC-machined aluminium body, double-shot PBT keycaps and RGB lighting. It supports 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-C, making it suitable for Mac and PC users who want a premium, highly customisable typing experience.

★ Ideal for

It suits shoppers seeking one of the best custom mechanical keyboards under $200 because it offers QMK/VIA programmability, hot-swappable switches, a flexible polycarbonate plate, RGB lighting and multi-mode wireless connectivity.

Keychron Q1 V2 QMK RGB Barebone Knob Aluminium Mac/PC Navy Blue Custom Keyboard Q1-F3
US
£124.96 Without switches 83 Aluminum 1.6 kg

This 83-key ISO barebone keyboard has a CNC-machined aluminum body, an aluminum plate, hot-swappable sockets, QMK programmability, and a customizable rotary knob. It suits Mac and PC users who want to build and tune their own mechanical keyboard, but switches and keycaps must be purchased separately.

★ Ideal for

It suits the under-200 category because its aluminum construction, south-facing RGB lighting, hot-swappable design, QMK support, and programmable knob provide premium custom-keyboard features at a price below 200.

Keychron Q10 Ergo QMK RGB Barebone Aluminium Mac/PC Carbon Black Custom Keyboard with Knob Q10-F1
US
£139.75 Without Switches 89 Steel 2.5 kg

An ergonomic Alice-layout barebone keyboard with a CNC-machined aluminium body, QMK/VIA support, hot-swappable sockets, programmable knob and RGB backlighting. It suits enthusiasts who want to choose their own switches and keycaps for a custom Mac or PC setup.

★ Ideal for

It is a strong option under $200 for custom-keyboard enthusiasts because it combines an ergonomic Alice layout, 89 keys, hot-swappable switches, QMK/VIA programmability, RGB lighting and a solid 2.5 kg aluminium build.