Image by Paul Esch-Laurent
After all those hours of researching, buying, customizing, and lubricating a new high-end mechanical keyboard, it's easy to feel that something is missing. A finishing touch that would help your new keyboard really pop, something to make it stand out from the crowd. Enter the craft keycaps. For a few years now, custom keycaps meant to replace just one or two keycaps on your keyboard have become all the rage in the world of mechanical keyboards. And these days, you can find handcrafted keycaps depicting just about anything, from your favorite characters to entire tiny fantasy worlds packed into an escape key or a spacebar. So, let's take a look at some of the best currently on the market!
Note: Before purchasing a key cap, be sure to check the size and style of the key cap to make sure it will fit the key and key shank you plan to place it on. Most manufacturers will list the key shanks and key sizes a key cap is intended for on the purchase page.
Dwarf Factory Small Meal
Dwarf Factory is known for making some of the craziest handcrafted keychains and the Petite Meal line is definitely one of the most unique. Each of the four keys in this line represents a tiny but delicious version of a fast food favorite. The keys shown are the Jr. Cheeseburger, Teeny Fries, Soda Pisa, and Shiftdog (which is sized to replace a Shift key). And, like most Dwarf Factory keycaps, they look fantastic. The details really show on each individual element, and you can even clearly distinguish each layer of the Jr. Cheeseburger.
It's a bit unusual, but sometimes that's what makes something really special. This set is compatible with Cherry MX and MX clones and is handcrafted in resin.
Related: Mechanical Keyboards and Membrane Keyboards: What's the Difference?
Dwarf Factory Mystic Dragon V2
Now on to something a little more in line with Dwarf Factory's usual offerings: the Mystic Dragon V2. This 2,25u (enter key size) keycap comes in eight individually stunning colorways, each featuring a different color of dragon resting in front of a crystal-laden monument. Like their other keycaps, this one is handmade from resin and compatible with Cherry MX and MX clones.
The real beauty of this is seen in the side view, where the full depth of the wooden platform can be seen as it blends into the subtly colored resin at the bottom of the cap. So if you're looking for something a little fancier, it's hard to go wrong with the Mystic Dragon V2.
MMCAPS Kraken Alien
MMCAPS are well known for creating irreverent pop culture themed keycaps of various recognizable characters, but the Kraken Alien is a more unique design from them. The Neonverse colorway, pictured here, features a masked alien at the base of his cowl with a Xenomorph-style opening along the top of his head.
The aperture is molded in a rainbow of vibrant neon colors, and the entire keyboard is just translucent enough to let light through if you have a backlit or RGB-capable keyboard. If you're looking for something unique, spooky, and dynamic, the Kraken Alien is a great choice.
HotKeysProject Lucky Cat
HotKeysProject is a handcrafted keycap studio that releases simple and dynamic designs often depicting faces with a very Japanese style theme. The Lucky Cat (shown here in its various colorways) is their latest addition and it's just too adorable to pass up. As the name suggests, this line of keychains features a Maneki-neko style cat with its paws up and a smile on its face. Their opacity varies by colorway, with some showing backlighting across the face or room and some being fully opaque. If you're looking for something simple and cute, the Lucky Cat is an easy choice.
Jelly Key 8 bits série II : Pipeline City
Jelly Key's 8-bit series is just a fantastic line of video game-themed keys, but their Pipeline City II variant (a sequel to their previous Pipeline City line from last year) is amazing. While Jelly Key maintains that this design was simply inspired by a certain era in video games, it's pretty obvious to see that it's more specifically inspired by a certain video game plumber that many of you may know .
Shown here is their Green Town Hall colorway, which depicts an entire stretch of an 8-bit video game, all encapsulated in keycap form. And the individual features have real depth under the resin, making it all really pop out of the cap. If you like old-school video games, this is an easy keyboard to love.
Related: How to Remove Keys | How to remove keys from your keyboard
CCcoolArt Macintosh Keycap
Etsy is a wonderful place filled to the brim with handcrafted keychains from small businesses and individuals. This retro-style Macintosh keycap from Etsy user CCcoolArt is a two-piece design that depicts a proper Macintosh with a secondary Tab key-sized keycap representing the mouse and keyboard to be placed in front of it. Light from a backlit keyboard will shine through the Macintosh's keycap and be visible on the screen. As a bonus, it comes with different screen overlays to put in the screen, ranging from the classic Apple logo to a little heart.
It may be a bit more on the artistic side than the functional side of keycaps, but it's so inventive and functional compared to all resin-topped keycaps.
The beauty of handcrafted keycaps comes from their diversity. You can style your new favorite keyboard with everything from a cartoon character to a fantastic view to your favorite foods. There's a keycap for everyone if you look closely enough.
For more hardware recommendations, check out the best Oculus link cable alternatives and the best keyboard and mouse for the PS5 on Pro Gaming Guides.
