I have been a long-time admirer of the products Das Keyboard has created. I remember one of the first real articles I wrote on this topic almost eight years ago was the fact that they had crowdfunded the 5Q, a keyboard they called the world's first "cloud-connected" keyboard. That keyboard came and went, albeit with an intriguing idea that I don't think has been matched since.
Since then, Das has returned to producing keyboards that stick to their long-term formula: big, chunky, full-size mechanical keyboards with all the features most regular people could ever need. That's where the Das Keyboard 6 Professional comes into the picture.
The 6 Professional is the latest option in the American company's long line of 'Professional' keyboards, which can be called a bit formal in design. Compare it to the previous 4 Professional or Ultimate released almost 10 years ago, and you'd be hard-pressed to spot a big difference. To some, this signals stagnation and the fact that Das simply cannot continue in a world where the mechanical keyboard industry has changed beyond recognition from the relative niche they found themselves in when the 4 Professional and Ultimate were showcased to a mainstream behemoth. To that I would say that the 6 Professional remains one of the few keyboards that offers tangible features that benefit the everyday user.
The large volume knob in the top right corner, which feels tactile and satisfying to play with; the physical buttons for media playback and easy backlight control; the pair of USB-C pass-through ports that can be used to charge a phone or connect a wired mouse without taking up valuable port space on your PC. There may not be any fold-out rubber feet on the bottom, but that's because the 6 Professional is secured with Das' old method of screw-in feet, which lifts the keyboard to a much more comfortable angle than leaving it flat.
The story continues
6 Professional specifications
Switch type: Cherry MX Brown
Keycaps: ABS, double shot
Relief: White, dimmable on keyboard
Onboard storage: No
Additional ports: USB-C passthrough
Connection type: Wired
Cable: USB Type-C/USB Type-A, fixed
Weight: 1.05 kg/2.315 lbs
Price: $199/£150
The way I would describe the 6 Professional, at least in terms of its physical characteristics, is well thought out.
Elsewhere you get a full set of 104 keys, complete with a number pad and navigation cluster. There's also a bright and functional white backlight illuminating all those keys, which contrasts well with the black double-shot ABS keycaps. I'm a little bothered by the fact that these keycaps are made of ABS plastic, which means they feel cheaper than the PBT doubleshot keycaps I regularly see at the same price. The material itself is quite smooth, while PBT can be textured and offers a more comfortable finish under the fingers. Apart from that choice of material for the keycap, the 6 Professional is built in true Das style: like an absolute tank.
It weighs 1.31 kg (or 2.89 lbs) and the all-plastic chassis is ridiculously sturdy. There is no deck flex or any kind of housing movement, even under prolonged pressure. At this price, and even at higher prices, you'd be hard-pressed to find a keyboard as well built as this.
Das has also been loyal to one manufacturer for a long time when it comes to their switches, continuing to work with Cherry MX options in their Professional products. The 6 Professional is no different and offers a choice of the clicky MX Blues or the soft-touch MX Browns. I don't want any of that linear, funny stuff here. This puts the 6 Professional firmly in the typist's arena, with a choice of two switches that are useful if you sit at a desk all day and want a comfortable and tactile typing experience.
My copy came with MX Browns, often my favorite MX switch, with a satisfying bump mid-key press. They may not be MX2A Browns, unlike Cherry's own KC 200 MX, but the age-old first generation Browns in the 6 Professional feel exactly as they should. There's a sharper tactile bump combined with a smooth keystroke once broken in, and they feel fantastic. Using MX Browns feels like coming home to me: it's a great switch for everyday use, allowing you to publish articles and reviews, and even light gaming workloads in CS:2, although in those cases a linear switch will be better for an even more responsive keystroke.
You also get the benefit of full NKRO, so you can hold down as many keys as you want at the same time, useful if you're a power user with specific needs.
Buy as...
✅ You want thoughtful details: Where the 6 Professional wins is in the fact that it's a great all-rounder and offers thoughtful features including a dual USB-C port hub and a volume rocker.
Don't buy if...
❌ You want software support: While the 6 Professional offers a fantastic overall experience, the lack of configuration software makes it a bit dated in that department.
The 6 Professional, like Das' more Mac-focused MacTigr (another fantastic keyboard), does it without any sort of software-based configuration, which is a boon for tinkerers, or for those who just like the convenience of re-creating assign keys or program macros. In the modern market, software in some form is ubiquitous, with more gaming-like keyboards, although there might be an expectation that this has expanded to every conceivable corner of keyboard land. The 6 Professional is sturdy and doesn't offer the option to even remap keys, which is a shame as some of the brand's previous models included some form of configuration in the brand's Q software suite. Not today though.
The price is on the higher side: $199 / £150, but that all depends on what you want out of a keyboard. Das' latest beast isn't designed for tinkerers or professional gamers. Who it's designed for is you and me: people who want a reliable mechanical keyboard to last and not compromise on the features and functions you're likely to use.
Recommending the Das Keyboard 6 Professional is therefore one of the easiest jobs I've had in a while. It's simply a fantastic mechanical keyboard. In a world where the mainstream industry is all about speed and performance for the higher end of gamers and competitive players, the 6 Professional feels refreshing. Proving that there is still a place for pure typist keyboards from the very best manufacturers, the 6 Professional updates a classic for the modern world. If you purchase the 6 Professional, it may be the last keyboard you ever need.
