Relative noise level of tactile keyboards

Question

I'm hoping to replace my Apple aluminum keyboard with a more comfortable alternative. There are many great options out there—friends have recommended the Das Keyboard and the Tactile Pro—and I think I'm ready to make the leap.

But, as a graduate student, I work in quiet, shared offices where other diligent workers are mere feet away. I know someone with a Tactile Pro and the typing clatter is distractingly loud. If you have heard one or more of these popular "tactile" keyboards in person, can you rank its noisiness with respect to other options?

Here are some keyboards I've heard of, but I'd also be interested in assessments of other models I haven't heard of yet:

• Das Keyboard Model S Professional — the "loud" model with Cherry MX blue switches
• Das Keyboard Model S Professional Silent — the "quiet" model with Cherry MX brown switches
• Matias Tactile Pro
• Model M
• Apple aluminum keyboard
• The slightly older Apple white plastic keyboard
• Your typical junky keyboard from Dell or somesuch

Of the keyboards I've personally heard, I'd place the Apple aluminum keyboard as the quietest, the older Apple plastic keyboard and other OEM equipment as slightly louder, and the Tactile Pro as far louder than these two. Where do other keyboards fall on the spectrum?

(I've seen a few videos comparing keyboard noise, but I've found it impossible to glean much from these. This one comparing the Das Keyboard clicky and silent models, for example, makes it seem like the two sound identical. I think placing the noises on a spectrum with keyboards I know from real life will be more helpful.)

Answer 1

Step away from the traditional keyboard, and move to a flexible silicon keyboard like this Inland Pro, or this DekCel or any number of others. Or, if you need an Apple keyboard (you don't actually need it to be Apple specific since you can use any keyboard with a Mac) you can get this bluetooth/wireless flexible keyboard.

You can expect any flexible keyboard to be quieter than a standard one.