They say too much of anything is good for nothing. When I first got into mechanical keyboards a few years ago, little did I know that I would someday be writing about my hobby turning into something compulsive. Mechanical keyboards have been one of the best sources of joy for me over the years, but my love for them has now turned into an obsession.

I started with a budget mechanical keyboard to test the waters, but things soon got out of hand as I wanted to experience more and better keyboards. Besides the logistical challenges of owning too many keyboards, I also find that I don't enjoy using one as much as I used to. And probably the worst part is that I have now turned into someone I used to make fun of — a keyboard snob.

5 I have bought too many keyboards

It seems you can have too many keyboards

You probably don't expect a tech reviewer to say this, but it's high time I admitted that I have too many keyboards. Upgrading to a mechanical keyboard does something, turning one's worldview on keyboards on its head. From never giving a second thought to things like the typing experience, form factors, and hot-swappable PCBs to not being satisfied with any keyboard, I've come a long way, and I'm not sure I like where I've reached.

I have more keyboards than I would ever need. From full size and TKLs to 75%, 65%, and 40% keyboards, I have them all, but I don't really need them for my work (or even for my amusement). The financial investment of this out-of-hand hobby has reached a number that could have easily allowed me to buy a new high-end graphics card.

I don't exactly regret buying so many keyboards, but I also realize that I got swept away in the process of discovering new features and technologies — gasket-mounted, aluminum, wooden, hall effect, and many more. After trying almost everything, I had already found my dream keyboard somewhere in the middle, but I just kept on going.

4 I'm suffering from choice paralysis

I'm always using the same keyboard

The biggest downside of collecting so many keyboards is that I'm unable to do justice to each of them. I always find myself coming back to one or two models that I'm most comfortable with. What was the point of buying so many different keyboards if I'm not spending enough time with each of them? Instead of swapping between the keyboards every few weeks, I keep using the one I'm used to, unable to pick a new one as my daily driver.

The whole point of investing in multiple keyboards was that I was excited to experience something new every time. However, after trying out a new keyboard for a few days, I sent it back to its box and reverted to my favorite TKL or low-profile model. Maybe I should try to sell some of the keyboards I own to recover some of my investment and, more importantly, reduce the number of choices I'm faced with every time.

Selling any of my keyboards is easier said than done, however. The majority of my keyboards lie unused in my cupboard, but the moment someone suggests (mostly my partner) that I should sell them, I turn defensive, rejecting the idea as heretical. It's almost as if my keyboards own me instead of the other way around.

3 I have nowhere to store them all

We might need to do something about it soon

One of the least glamorous problems of having too many keyboards is that I'm always running out of places to store them. When I had 4 to 5 keyboards, keeping them stacked on my secondary desk was easy. When the number went to 10, I had to move them to my cupboard. And when I went past that, I had to find space in my partner's room (which wasn't an easy conversation).

I never really wanted to keep any of my keyboards out of sight, since that meant my chances of actually using them would tank even more. When I was forced to do it, I still didn't want to dump them in storage where I would rarely come across them, and end up forgetting about them. Hence, it's more a question of finding an optimum place to keep them rather than that of running out of space.

Maybe a display rack is the answer, or maybe I really should sell some of them. The former is my preference, but I keep procrastinating the whole idea. The only consolation is that at one point, I'll be forced to take action since it doesn't look like the influx of keyboards into my home is stopping anytime soon.

2 The joy of using one has dissipated

All good things come to an end

I feel like I've come full circle — from not caring about my keyboard at all to being a fanatic about mechanical keyboards to again becoming disinterested in them. I still love mechanical keyboards, but I rarely register that I'm using one anymore. The years of using every type of keyboard have left me sort of immune to being excited about anything new.

Perhaps this uneventfulness is proof of the superior quality of mechanical keyboards, as they disappear into the background, serving their purpose to a tee. Maybe the only way to rediscover the joy of using a mechanical keyboard is switching to a membrane keyboard, throwing light onto the things I take for granted.

My focus is always on buying the next mechanical keyboard instead of enjoying the ones I have. There's a nagging feeling that I can only derive joy from this hobby by hunting for the next thing — thinking I still haven't found the best keyboard. The reality is that I've probably derived as much fun out of mechanical keyboards as I could, running on fumes now, or maybe there's a mechanical keyboard out there that can reignite the spark for me.

1 I've turned into a keyboard snob

I wasn't supposed to join them

Mechanical keyboard enthusiasts are prone to displaying their overflowing love for the hobby on every platform. Whether it's commenting on Reddit, making videos on YouTube, or writing articles on XDA, it's easy to get annoyed by fans of mechanical keyboards. This fandom frequently brushes the boundaries of snobbery, as some would claim.

It turns out that I've become something of a keyboard snob myself, throwing shade on membrane keyboards, and talking people's heads off about upgrading to mechanical keyboards. I have become what I used to make fun of, what I used to be afraid of. I might be kidding, but it's clear that mechanical keyboards have made me a convert, an enthusiast who lives and breathes all things mechanical.

Whether this is permanent or there's still hope for me is something I'm yet to figure out, but what's clear is that mechanical keyboard snobs give others enough reasons to dislike them. It's not exactly pleasant hearing someone yap about something endlessly, and hence I'll try to control my feelings about mechanical keyboards in front of others. My next keyboard will either help this endeavor or reinvigorate my snobbish side; only time will tell.

What's the next big thing for mechanical keyboards?

Of late, it seems that nothing new is happening in the world of mechanical keyboards. Hall effect keyboards are old news now, budget keyboards now have everything you could possibly want, and there are far too many brands and models to keep track of. For the market (and the hobby) to feel fresh and exciting again, some groundbreaking features need to arrive on new mechanical keyboards soon. Alternatively, we need to see the big brands launch more affordable models without the usual omissions. Without that, the mechanical keyboard winter might extend indefinitely.