There’s just something about the feeling and the experience that you get when using one of the best mechanical keyboards that makes it really hard to go back to using a membrane keyboard.
Maybe it’s the extra key travel, the more consistent typing experience or even just the fact that you can customize a mechanical keyboard to your heart’s content with new keycaps. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t made one in 30 years.
If you’re using one of the best MacBooks, chances are you’re probably used to typing on the company’s scissor switches (which replaced the infamous butterfly switches) and might even have a hard time getting used to a mechanical keyboard. For those using an iMac or a Mac mini, though, it might be the perfect upgrade for your desk setup. With the iMac M4, you get a Magic Keyboard in the box, but with the Mac mini M4, you’ll have to provide all of your own accessories.
I lucked out though as Apple sent over a full-size Magic Keyboard with a Magic Mouse and a Magic Trackpad back when I reviewed it. Still, despite how hard I tried to make it work, typing on a membrane keyboard completely threw me off after having only used mechanical keyboards for over a decade.
For the past week, I’ve been using a mechanical keyboard specifically designed for Mac right down to its look and feel and it’s been a complete game changer. If you just switched back to Mac after years of using Windows like I did, here’s why Satechi’s SM3 mechanical keyboard could be the perfect accessory for your new Apple computer.
Now with more keys
While the SM3 is Satechi’s latest mechanical keyboard, it isn’t the company’s first as it released the SM1 last year. Normally, companies start big and go smaller but Satechi took the opposite route by releasing a 75% keyboard with no numpad but a full row of function keys. Now, it's back with a true full-size keyboard as the SM1’s followup.
The SM3 is nearly identical to the SM1 except for its larger size, the extra space between groups of keys and the fact that it now features a 108-key layout instead of an 84-key one. It still comes in either a light or dark version and uses the same low-profile brown switches.
On the underside, there are two adjustable feet on either side as well as a slot to store the included 2.4 GHz USB dongle on the left. While the dongle can certainly come in handy with older devices or if you’re using a laptop docking station with your MacBook, the SM3 can also connect to two different devices over Bluetooth. When you need to charge its 2,500 mAh battery, you can always plug it in using the included USB-C cable.
Instead of another toggle switch on the side, switching between connection modes is done on the keyboard itself using the four clearly labeled keys above its number pad. There’s one for both Bluetooth connections, one for the 2.4 GHz dongle and one for wired input. On the top right side of its aluminum enclosure, there’s just a single toggle for power and a USB-C port.
The SM3 is a simple, straightforward and easy-to-use mechanical keyboard across the board. If you like the look of this keyboard but don’t want to switch to macOS just yet, it also works on Windows and you can switch between the two operating systems by holding either Fn + P (Win) or Fn + O (Mac).
One of my favorite things about the SM3 so far is that you don’t have to waste time holding the Fn key while pressing down one of the function keys to do things like control your Mac’s volume or even the keyboard’s backlighting. It comes equipped with a function key lock feature that’s enabled right out of the box. This lets you press its media keys just once to activate them. Alternatively, if you use the function keys more often, you can press Fn + Esc to disable it.
Made for Mac but mechanical
Besides the lowercase “mac” and “win” etched onto the SM3’s “o” and “p” keys, respectively, this keyboard really feels like Apple had a hand in its design. This makes sense though as all of Satechi’s Mac accessories are as close as you can get to first-party products without having to actually pay the Apple Tax.
In terms of the typing experience you get with the SM3, I really like the feel of its double-shot PBT keycaps which are smooth to the touch and flat. However, there are three small homing bumps on the “F” and “J” keys which makes it easy to keep your fingers on the home row. Even with quieter, non-clicky brown switches, if you have a tendency to bottom out while typing, the SM3 can get a bit loud, but this is the kind of thing you can train yourself out of with enough practice. The five rubber feet on the bottom of the keyboard also do a good job of preventing it from sliding around on my desk.
There is one immediate downside to the SM3 though: its switches are soldered. If you’re a mechanical keyboard enthusiast like myself, you’ll know that soldered switches are much more difficult to remove and replace if you decide you want to try a different type of mechanical keyboard switch down the line. For that, you’re going to want a keyboard with hot-swappable switches.
For $120, Satechi likely could have made the SM3 hot-swapable, though that would have detracted a bit from its Apple-like simplicity. Trust me, once you go down the rabbit hole that is mechanical keyboards, a part of you might wish you had just stuck with a single switch type. And for that, brown is the perfect all-arounder.
Brown switches have a slight tactile bump when actuated to let you know you actually pressed a key down, but they aren’t loud and clicky like blue switches. It’s also worth noting that the brown switches found in the SM3 are proprietary, which means I’ll have to reach out to Satechi to learn more about them.
An easy way to upgrade any Mac
Don’t get me wrong, Apple’s Magic Keyboard is good enough for most people, especially when it comes bundled with your new computer like with an iMac. However, if you have your MacBook in one of the best laptop stands or just bought a new Mac mini and are thinking about getting a Magic Keyboard to complete your desk setup, you might want to consider the SM3 instead.
The SM3 is actually slightly cheaper than the full-size version of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, $60 cheaper than the full-size version with Touch ID and $80 cheaper if you get that same keyboard in black.
Then again, if you haven’t used a mechanical keyboard before and are looking to see what all the fuss is about, you don’t have to spend a lot these days. Years ago, I remember paying over $100 for every mechanical keyboard I got. Now, you can get a decent starter one like the Lemokey X1 for just $37 or for even cheaper when it’s on sale which happens frequently.
If you’re sitting at a computer all day for work like I do, want a bit more control over your typing or even if you’re just in the market for a new keyboard, you owe it to yourself — and your hands — to give a mechanical keyboard a shot. For those with an Apple desktop or a docked MacBook, Satechi’s SM3 doesn’t disappoint and aesthetically as well as functionally, it pairs quite well with any Mac.
