What kind of keyboard is a mechanical keyboard with floating design?

Design with keyswitches protruding above the baseplate

Mechanical keyboards are usually designed with keycaps that cover the keyswitches. Or some models are designed so that the keyboard base plate hides the key switches.

On the other hand, mechanical keyboards with floating design have a design in which the key switches are on the base plate and the keycaps feel like they are floating. This is why they are called floating keyboards.

Advantages of floating keyboards

The baseplate is assertive and simple in design.

In most cases, the keyboard case has more presence than the baseplate because of the large switches on a mechanical keyboard, but with a floating design, the keyboard case does not cover the baseplate (because it does not become floating), so the The base plate becomes an assertive design.

The keycaps are floating on a single metal plate, so the design is simple and sophisticated.

Easy to see the lighting of the keyswitches

One of the advantages of a mechanical keyboard with a floating design is that the keyswitch lighting is more prominent. Since the lights are not in the baseplate, but rather out the top, they are more easily seen.

If you just want the keycaps to glow, there is no need to make them stand out, but if you want them to glow with flair or to match your gameplay, like Razer's CHROMA, the floating design allows you to enjoy the lighting.

Perhaps this is why most Razer mechanical keyboards are floating designs.

Easy to clean keyboards

The disadvantage of mechanical keyboards is that they are difficult to clean because the keycaps are tightly packed.

However, a mechanical keyboard with a floating design is easier to clean because there is nothing surrounding the keyswitches.

Even if you don't bother to remove the keycaps, you can easily clean them by simply blowing through the gap with an air duster.

Disadvantages of floating keyboards

Easy for dust to get into the keyswitches

The biggest disadvantage of a floating keyboard is that the keyswitches are exposed, making it easier for dust to get into the keyswitches.

You may be thinking, "How can dust get into a keyboard just by using it? In fact, dust, small particles, and even your own hair can get into the keyswitches.

Although mechanical key switches are highly durable, the switches themselves are quite delicate, so dust can cause the switches to chatter or otherwise malfunction.

However, keyboards with floating designs, where the switches are exposed, are easy to clean under the keycaps, so there is no problem if you clean them frequently.