Our data, and its limits
Two sources, two periods. On eBay, from 27 August 2024 to 9 April 2025, we sold 210 MX Keys keys; hinges sold on their own are not included in that count. On our site, from 16 April to 23 September 2026, 160 orders were shipped, for 265 parts in total.
These are parts sales, not recorded failures: someone who orders a Ctrl key has lost or broken their Ctrl, but someone who bought a new keyboard instead shows up nowhere. The samples are small, the two channels did not offer the same choice, and available stock may have steered purchases. So we calculate no percentages: the figures below are counts.
The most replaced part is not a key
The most replaced part on an MX Keys is not a key but the scissor hinge, the small plastic X under each cap. From 16 April to 23 September 2026, our site sold 114 of them in 44 sales, far ahead of any single key: when a key falls off, it is usually the hinge that gave way, not the cap.
The spudger, the plastic tool used to unclip a key without scratching the keyboard, comes next with 31 sales, often added to a key order.
| Part | Sales |
|---|---|
| Hinges | 114 hinges in 44 sales: 27 sets of 3, 13 singles, 4 sets of 5 |
| Spudger (opening tool) | 31 |
| Surprise keys (packs) | 13 |
| Ctrl | 8 |
| Left Shift | 8, including 2 for Mac |
| Space bar | 7, two part numbers combined |
| Tab | 5 |
| S | 5 |
| Esc | 4 |
| Enter | 3 |
| Opt / Win | 3 |
| F10 | 3 |
On our site, modifiers lead
On our site, the most ordered keys are modifiers: Ctrl and left Shift lead with 8 each (2 of the Shifts for Mac), ahead of the space bar (7), Tab and the letter S (5 each). They are wide or heavily used keys; a plausible explanation, which our figures alone cannot prove, is that they are struck off-centre more often.
On eBay, letters dominated
On eBay, between August 2024 and April 2025, the picture was different: of 210 keys sold, 89 were letters, with O, R, L, B, I and A leading, ahead of symbols (22), the numeric keypad (21), digits and arrows (16 each). Modifiers counted for little: Esc 7, Cmd/Alt and Opt/Win 5 each, Shift 4.
| Key group | Sales |
|---|---|
| Letters (O, R, L, B, I, A leading) | 89 |
| Symbols | 22 |
| Numeric keypad | 21 |
| Digits | 16 |
| Arrows | 16 |
| Esc | 7 |
| Cmd / Alt | 5 |
| Opt / Win | 5 |
| Shift | 4 |
| Space | 3 |
| Delete | 3 |
| F10 | 3 |
Why the two channels differ
We have no definite answer. The two channels did not offer the same choice at the same time: what we listed on eBay depended on the keys then in stock, while the site offers the whole keyboard, modifiers included, plus hinges on their own. The periods and the customers differ too.
One thing is not in doubt: the hinge. On the site it sells far more than any key, and every key we sell ships with its own. It is the part to check first when a key will not stay on.
What it means for a repair
If a key fell off, remove it and look at the hinge left on the keyboard: if one of its four arms is split, that is what needs replacing (€6.99 each, €14.99 for three). If the cap itself is cracked or lost, order the complete key, which ships with its hinge. For Ctrl, Shift and the space bar, the dedicated guides cover fitting.