Mechanical keyboard or membrane keyboard - is the upgrade genuinely worth it for typing all day?

[Sequence]

I work from home and type for around six to eight hours a day doing writing and coding. My current membrane keyboard is fine but colleagues keep telling me a mechanical keyboard would reduce fatigue and improve accuracy. I am sceptical of the hype but I am willing to spend up to £150 if it is genuinely better. Is it worth it and if so what should I look for?

[Gareth19]

Yes worth it for your use case specifically. Eight hours a day of typing is exactly the scenario where the tactile feedback and actuation consistency of a mechanical keyboard reduces fatigue over a membrane. The effect is not dramatic in the first week but over months the difference in how your hands feel at the end of a day is real

[Blake_73]

Gasket mount keyboards are quieter and have a better typing feel than tray mount keyboards at the same price point. If noise in your home office matters the gasket mount with lubed switches is the combination that significantly reduces the clatter that puts people off mechanical keyboards

[KeyboardWarrior]

For typing and coding the switch type matters more than the keyboard brand. Linear switches like red or yellow are fast and quiet but give no tactile feedback. Tactile switches like browns or clears give a bump when the key registers without a loud click. Clicky switches like blues are satisfying but loud and will annoy anyone in earshot. For long typing sessions tactile switches are usually recommended

[Jess30]

At £150 look at the Keychron K series or the Logitech MX Mechanical at the lower end of that budget. Keychron is excellent value, uses hot-swappable switches so you can change the feel without buying a new keyboard, and has both Mac and Windows layouts

[Scholar]

The noise concern is the real practical consideration for home working. If you are on video calls frequently a clicky or loud tactile mechanical keyboard will be audible to people you are talking to. The quieter mechanical options exist and are a genuine compromise but loud typing is why some people revert to membrane

[Cobra]

Try before you buy if you can. Many people find the typing feel they imagined they wanted is not the one that feels good after three hours. Mechanical keyboard enthusiast shops often have switch testers and demo boards. Spending twenty minutes on different switch types before committing £150 is worth the time