10 Best Illuminated Keyboards 2025 in the United States

The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL Esports Gaming Keyboard stands out in the illuminated-keyboards category with its RGB backlighting color support, offering a wide range of colors for a personalized experience. It includes adjustable brightness levels, allowing users to set the illumination to their preference, enhancing the visual appeal and usability in various lighting conditions.

The Analog Optical Switches GEN-2 are a notable feature, providing remarkable precision and responsiveness, with an adjustable actuation range of 0.1–4.0 mm. This makes the keyboard particularly suitable for gaming, especially FPS games, as it supports ultra-fast inputs and movements. The Rapid Trigger and Razer Snap Tap technologies further enhance this, ensuring swift and accurate input recognition, critical for competitive gaming scenarios.

The keyboard also boasts high build quality with Doubleshot PBT Keycaps and a wrist rest for added comfort during prolonged use. However, it primarily targets gamers, particularly those in the esports realm, which might limit its appeal for general use or other professional applications. Additionally, some features like the latest firmware update requirement for Razer Snap Tap might necessitate occasional maintenance. Nevertheless, its exceptional performance and gaming-centric features make it a top choice for dedicated gamers looking for an edge in their gameplay.

The SteelSeries Apex 3 RGB Gaming Keyboard stands out with its 10-zone RGB illumination, allowing for vibrant color effects that add a cool look to your setup without overwhelming complexity. You can expect adjustable brightness levels to tailor the lighting to your environment. Its whisper-quiet gaming switches are designed to be silent while still providing a tactile feel, which is great if you want quiet operation during long gaming or work sessions. The build quality is solid, featuring an IP32 water resistance rating that helps protect against accidental spills, making it more durable than many typical keyboards. A premium magnetic wrist rest is included, offering comfortable palm support, which is a nice bonus for extended use. Additional features like dedicated multimedia controls make adjusting volume and settings quick and easy without leaving your game or workflow. Compatibility is broad, covering Windows, Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.

On the downside, the keyboard uses a wired connection, which might not suit those looking for wireless convenience. Also, while the 10-zone RGB lighting is attractive, it doesn’t offer the per-key customization some advanced gamers might prefer. This keyboard is well-suited for gamers and everyday users who want a quiet, durable keyboard with good lighting and comfort features but do not require ultra-high-end customization.

The SteelSeries Apex Pro HyperMagnetic Gaming Keyboard is a strong contender for gamers seeking customization and speed. With OmniPoint 2.0 Adjustable HyperMagnetic switches, it offers an impressive 40 levels of per-key actuation, allowing users to tailor key sensitivity to their preferences. This feature is particularly beneficial for gaming, where rapid response times can be crucial. The rapid trigger mechanism further enhances performance by reducing latency, allowing for faster actuation than many traditional mechanical keyboards.

A standout feature is the OLED smart display, which provides quick access to information from games and apps, and pairs well with the media key and clickable metal roller for easy control. The RGB backlighting offers a broad range of color options, enhancing the visual appeal and allowing for personalized lighting setups. The keyboard's build quality appears robust, and the included wrist rest adds comfort for extended gaming sessions.

Additional features like USB passthrough are convenient for connecting other devices, adding functional versatility to the setup. However, the keyboard is corded, which might limit mobility for some users who prefer wireless options. The SteelSeries Apex Pro is highly rated, with 4.5 out of 5 stars from over 6,000 reviews, but it can be a bit overwhelming for users who are not deeply into gaming or those who prefer a simpler setup without numerous customization options. Therefore, it might be best suited for dedicated gamers or tech enthusiasts who can truly utilize its advanced features.