Rugged Keyboards – Why It Pays to Spend More

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It’s an easy guess as to what you’re thinking when you read that headline: I’m not going to fall for that spend more, save more argument—it’s just a sales pitch. But in fact, you’d be wrong. Over and over again, rugged keyboards have proved their worth over the cheaper alternatives. So when it’s time for your next keyboard purchasing decision, take a look at the facts and not just the prices!

Rugged versus Consumer Grade

When it comes to choosing a new keyboard, of course there’s nothing wrong with selecting a bargain bucket consumer grade keyboard. That is, if you only intend to use it in the clean, warm and dry environment of your office. But if you need to use your keyboard on site, in the field, for military, medical, police or industrial applications, you’ll quickly find that your cheap keyboard wasn’t so cheap after all. Constant replacements of equipment that simply isn’t up to the job can become extremely expensive.

Take time to consider some of the differences between what you might be buying. For example check out this comparison between iKey keyboards and consumer grade cheapies:

iKey rugged keyboards have been built to resist dirt and debris in the working environment. Cheap keyboards can become clogged up with dust, dirt and crumbs even in a relatively benign office setting.
iKey rugged keyboards are waterproof—it won’t matter if it rains or if you spill your coffee over them. Generally speaking, consumer grade keyboards will stop working if you get them wet, and they may not work properly again even after drying out.
An iKey keyboard can be washed down on a daily basis—essential if you are intending to use it in a medical, dental or veterinary capacity. Everyday keyboards, on the other hand, are not easy to clean, virtually impossible to disinfect and will harbour germs and bacteria that can spread illness.
A standard consumer grade keyboard cannot really be compared to an iKey rugged keyboard with a stainless steel casing. If you need strength and durability under harsh conditions, there’s really no question which one will be right for you.
iKey also manufacture zero emission / ATEX keyboards that are suitable for use in hazardous environments, once again making your purchasing decision easy.
iKey keyboards are built for durability and have been designed to survive the harsh conditions that they are typically used in. All of them have been NEMA / IP rated, so users can be assured that they are up to the job—and the testing and quality assurance processes that iKey keyboards are subjected to are second to none.
iKey keyboards exceed ISO certification requirements and are available in 20+ different international layouts.

And there are other persuasive reasons to choose iKey keyboards in preference to consumer grade items and alternative ruggeds. For one thing, iKey offers a design and customisation service for large clients, and even for smaller orders there is plenty of scope specifying a different options and configurations for your keyboard. In other words, you will be able to buy a keyboard to exactly suit your requirements out in the field. Cut-price consumer grade keyboards can’t really compete at this level and may not be suitable for your precise needs.

Cut-price inconvenience

Picture this: you have a small team out in the field and two out of three of the consumer grade keyboards you have provided them with become choked with sand. Replacements can be ordered but will take several weeks to arrive from the manufacturer in the Far East. Your team will have to struggle on with just one working computer and so your schedule is blown out of the water.

Or picture this: in the busy reception area of your surgery, two of your receptionists are struck down with a winter virus. Over the course of the week, your agency sends through three different temps to help the two remaining receptionists. It’s critical that all the keyboards are disinfected on a daily basis or everybody will become ill—so of course you’re now wishing you’d chosen waterproof, medical grade keyboards.

Or this: you make the purchasing decisions for the county police service. The rugged keyboards that you have issued to your officers for the last 5 years are scheduled to be replaced. The budget’s tight so you have to make savings where you can—and that means cheaper keyboards. But within weeks broken keyboards are crossing your desk with increasing regularity. Those savings weren’t savings after all.

Whatever industry you are in, you can imagine a similar scenario. It may be momentarily tempting to lessen the pain of buying new equipment by opting for the cheaper alternative, but in the long run that wrong decision may come back and cost you dearly.

When it comes to computer keyboards, and in fact any peripherals, you will—without exception—get what you pay for. Remember that when it comes to your next purchasing decision.