7 Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboards of 2024

Imagine a piano virtuoso playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata to a crowd of enthralled listeners. The pianist plays with feeling and emotion, taking advantage of every note on the keyboard for a captivating performance.

Now imagine the same performance on a piano with half as many keys, and each note is being played at the exact same volume. Doesn't exactly have the same impact, does it?

It's true, not all instruments are created equal. This article will give you a list of keyboards that are so well-made, you'll be able to give an amazing performance worthy of an admiring crowd every time.

For the best performance possible, you're going to want a keyboard that can go neck and neck with a real grand piano. Anything less than that can and will stifle your playing ability. That's why a keyboard with 88 weighted keys is the creme de la creme of electric pianos.

Let's rank the 7 best 88-key weighted keyboards, and wrap up the list with a buyer's guide and FAQ section so you have even more buying power.

My number one choice is the Yamaha CK88 thanks to its impressive abundance of features and capabilities.

How will the other keyboards on the list stack up to the Yamaha? Read on and let's find out.

Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboards

SPECS:

• USB MIDI compatibility
• Bluetooth connectivity
• 363 preset voices, 160 live sound sets

Where do I even begin with this beast of an instrument? I don't own one myself, but I've played them many times. Even with hours of playing and tinkering, I've still only scratched the surface of what this keyboard can do.

So why did I give this keyboard the number one spot? Let's start with the build quality. Yamaha's standard action hammer key bed is satisfying to play, the weighted keys providing the perfect amount of resistance for your fingers.

The impeccable build quality is apparent as soon as you start playing; the keys are just so satisfying to press. But what really makes this digital keyboard shine is its nearly endless list of useful features.

Digital pianos are a useful tool in general, but the Yamaha P-143 really takes it to the next level. It comes fully loaded with a Bluetooth audio input, mic input, MIDI capabilities, filter envelope functionality, and built-in reverb, delay, and modulation effects.

You can even set up to two points to split the tone, allowing you to play multiple tones at once. You can play Billie Jean's bass riff on your left hand, and dial up the perfect synth tone to play on your right hand. Throw in one of Yamaha's preset drum loops and you've got a one-man band!

The interface is also robust and responsive, and I love the display. The built-in speakers are dynamite as well!

Only our premium pick, the Nord Stage 4, can outshine the CK88 –– but it also costs three times as much. As upper-mid budget instruments go, this is one of the best you can buy.

SPECS

• LS action keys
• 8-watt built-in speakers
• USB Audio/MIDI
• 8 onboard tones

I've always appreciated Korg. They've created so many great keyboards with fully weighted keys and impressive sound quality. The Liano 88-key Piano is another great piano from Korg, and it takes the spot for the best travel keyboard on the list.

It's thin and lightweight while still rocking the coveted 88-key wingspan. 88 hammer-action weighted keys bring your ideas to life. The realistic playing action reminded me of why I fell in love with the piano in the first place.

And with this little gem of a keyboard, you can bring a huge easel to paint your musical ideas on anywhere you go. It has 8-watt speakers and 8 preset tones to choose from.

You can even transform the tones with reverb or an external pedal. This keyboard really shines with its classic electric piano sound. It won't quite replicate the experience of an acoustic piano, but a lightweight keyboard at this price point isn't in the same weight class as a grant piano to begin with.

I love its synth tones, and it gives you tons of room to play around in a jam session with other musicians. You can totally have a prog rock or jazzy improvised jam with this keyboard, since it's simple and quick to operate.

Fortunately, it feels great to play as well. The keys have LS action, which is a light touch action that is highly sensitive. In other words, it won't take much to express yourself fully with dynamics and nuance in your playing.

If you need something a bit lighter and smaller than the Yamaha CK88 that still delivers great quality, you can't go wrong with the Liano.

SPECS

• built-in recording function
• 10-watt amplifier
• 15.5 lbs

Roland keyboards are some of the best in the game. Like Yamaha, they've carved out a name for themselves as a company that brings high-quality musical instruments to a wide audience.

Roland's GO:Piano88 is a perfect keyboard for the whole family to use. Thanks to its abundance of features and simple interface, it has something that everyone will love.

Seasoned players can explore its tones and recording capabilities. Even with these features, it's so simple and satisfying to use that it will even be a good fit for someone just sitting down at a piano for the first time.

Roland boasts that the touch sensitivity of this fully weighted keyboard is the next best thing to an acoustic piano. This makes it an ideal choice for kids taking piano lessons in school or as an extracurricular activity.

The playing experience of the Roland is similar to that of a traditional acoustic piano, but it's far more affordable and takes up so much less space in your house.

For DIY musicians, it has Bluetooth and MIDI connectivity, as well as a metronome and built-in recorder to store your jam sessions for later playback.

An 88-key weighted keyboard with all these features is a fantastic gift for your family, yourself, or both! It's a powerful tool for arranging and recording your musical ideas, and it's just as suitable for beginner piano players as it is for pros.

SPECS:

• Bluetooth audio/MIDI connectivity
• 10-watt amplifier
• 15.5 lbs

If you're anything like me, you've had to pay your dues by playing junkier keyboards in the past. I grew up learning on a super cheap electric piano with sticky, unresponsive keys that most certainly were not weighted.

When I made the transition to an acoustic piano, the feeling of playing the keys was entirely different. It made me realize the difference that key quality can make in your playing experience. It's not to be overlooked.

So when I first tried out the Alesis Concert 88-key Digital Piano, I was blown away. The old adage "they don't make 'em like they used to" does not apply here at all. In the case of Alesis keyboards, they make them much better than they used to.

I couldn't believe that a digital piano that felt this good to play was only $300. Back when I was growing up, you just couldn't get an electric piano this powerful at that price point. Technology has come a long way, and Alesis takes full advantage of those advancements.

This piano has 10 preset tones, built-in reverb and chorus effects, a layer mode to combine different voices, a split mode to play multiple tones at once, and even an adjustable touch response for the keys. That's right, you can adjust the keys' sensitivity to fit your exact playing style.

A keyboard with tons of useful features along with high-quality 20-watt speakers and semi-weighted keys, all for less than the price of a single snare drum. It's as much of a steal as it sounds like.

Pick up the Alesis if you want the most bang for your buck.

SPECS

• 10 preset voices
• 7 watt speaker system
• 24 lbs

Sure, it's a bit predictable that Yamaha would dominate a list of the best keyboards on the market, but they're at the top of their game for a reason. Yamaha continues to hit home runs with their low- to mid-budget instruments. They can compete with much pricier offerings from other brands.

The Yamaha P-143 is a great choice for someone who wants the closest thing to a grand piano but in the form of a fairly budget keyboard. While it's not the most lightweight keyboard on the list, it still makes your piano-playing experience fully portable.

And it uses Yamaha's Graded Hammer Compact action for the keys, which is why it feels so much like an acoustic piano. The bottom keys are weighted more heavily than the top keys, just like the keys on acoustic pianos.

You can easily select from 10 preset voicing and 4 different types of reverb. The interface is super simple, making this one of the most user-friendly keyboards on the market.

There's something else Yamaha did to go the extra mile in terms of user-friendliness. The P-143 is fully compatible with the Smart Pianist app, which gives a roadmap to newer players looking to improve.

You can use the app to adjust tones, layer voicings, play along to videos, make recordings, track your progress, and instantly post your recordings on social platforms if you choose.

But at the end of the day, this keyboard really stands out for its hammer action, which is the next best thing to that of a traditional piano.

SPECS

• Synthetic ebony and ivory keytops
• Sliding key cover
• Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM)
• Yamaha CFX piano sound

The last entry on the list had keys that feel great, but the Yamaha Arius YDP-165 kicks it up another notch. This digital piano looks and feels exactly like an acoustic piano, and it even has some benefits when compared to a traditional piano.

For one thing, you'll never have to tune this piano since it's fully digital. The intonation, the sustain pedal, the dampening pedal - they all work perfectly and will never have to be adjusted.

The Arius uses faithful stereo samples of a grand concert piano, with Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) for even more realism. Imagine being able to create genuine acoustic piano sounds with a digital piano that's so much more affordable and less of a hassle to transport into your home.

The speaker system is internal and allows sound to escape through a long, narrow hole in the back of the piano's body. This creates a wide sound space for the listener; it's truly encapsulating.

The Arius also comes with a power adapter, owner's manual, and a book of 50 great piano pieces to learn. This is a nice relatively affordable and hassle-free option for those who are interested in a digital piano that looks and feels the same as a classical piano.

I know I'd have a much better time playing on one of these than on a "real piano" that hadn't been tuned a couple of years (which applies to most people's household pianos).

SPECS:

• 2GB memory for piano sounds
• 1GB memory for Nord sample library (samples can be replaced with Nord Sound Manager)
• 4 assignable audio outputs

You won't find a better keyboard than the Nord Stage 4. Professional pianists will probably be familiar with this beast of an instrument; it's incredibly popular and has shown up in studios all over the world.

It's not the most affordable digital piano out there, but it is perhaps the most versatile piano on the market today. It will elevate your ability as a performer, sound designer, arranger, producer, or collaborator.

What really sets the Nord Stage 4 apart from other keyboards is its sophisticated sound design capabilities. It has sections for piano tones, organ tones, and synth tones, and each one is adjustable and layerable.

There's also a litany of built-in effects, including EQ, delay, flanger, and 6 types of reverb. By layering multiple different tones, making adjustments in the control knobs, and applying effects to taste, you can create some truly unique tones and soundscapes.

The Nord Stage 4 is the only keyboard on the list with synthesizer capabilities anywhere near this powerful.

The fully-weighted keyboard feels incredibly satisfying to play. I also love the modulation wheel, which can be used like a whammy bar for even more articulate playing.

It's extremely powerful as a stage piano, capable of creating just about any tone for your live performance. Whether you're a solo act or part of an ensemble, the Nord Stage 4 will really make your piano skills shine in front of an audience.

Some of its synth tones sound perfect for trend-savvy pop fusion genres like neo-funk and nu-disco. All in all, if you want the best of the best for digital keyboards, then look no further than the Nord Stage 4.

Best 88-Key Weighted Keyboards Buyer's Guide

If you want the best weighted keyboard, 88 keys is the way to go. More sonic range means more room to experiment and express your creativity.

So if you've already decided you're in the market for a keyboard with 88 weighted keys, then here are some other criteria to look at to find the best piano for you.

Budget

Digital pianos can be quite pricey, but there are some more budget-friendly options as well. We wouldn't recommend spending any less than $300 on a digital keyboard if you can afford it, because the ultra-budget keyboards can be clunky and more prone to problems.

The $300 - $500 range will generally leave you with some very solid, well-made options. Over $1,000 is where we start getting into the premium keyboards that are probably a bit too feature-rich for beginners.

So determining your skill level and intended uses for the keyboard will help you decide how much it makes sense to spend.

Speaker Quality

Speaker quality is very important when it comes to electric pianos, because of course, they determine the quality of all the music you play on the instrument.

Keyboards will usually have outputs that can be routed to larger speakers if necessary, so if you have the means to do this, then the built-in speakers become less important.

In any event, it's still useful to have good built-in speakers for convenience and impromptu jams.

Tones

"You get what you pay for" definitely applies here. The Nord Stage 4, which is more than twice as expensive as the next priciest keyboard on the list, has by far the most tone control capability.

Likewise, the more budget keyboards have around 10 preset tones with only a few adjustable parameters.

If you just need a handful of solid tones, then you can't go wrong with these more affordable keyboards.

Additional Features

Finally, consider what additional features might be useful for you. The Yama CK88 is my number one choice because it has tons of useful features that are all straightforward to use.

I appreciate keyboards with MIDI connectivity because they make it so much easier to transfer your musical ideas into fully produced tracks.

Vocalists will appreciate keyboards with XLR connectivity so that a mic can be connected.

Before making your final purchase, there's no harm in checking out the list of features for your keyboard. Who knows, maybe you'll find a useful feature you didn't even know you wanted!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is it beneficial to have 88 keys?

88 keys are considered full-sized when it comes to keyboards. With this many keys, you'll be able to play in seven octaves, which gives you enough room for a shimmering high end and a booming low end.

88 keys is generally agreed upon to be the ideal number because it simply allows you more performing flexibility than smaller keyboards. Also, many concert pieces are specifically arranged to be played on an 88-key piano.

If you don't think you'll need the full 88 and would like a little more portability, check out our picks for the best arranger keyboards.

What are some fundamental concepts to learn on piano?

• Proper sitting position

• Proper finger technique

• Finger dexterity and independence: This will allow you to play trickier grooves and melodies.

• Being able to identify the notes on the piano by letter

• Basic understanding of music theory and how to form chords

• Consistent timing: Piano is a percussion instrument after all, and timing is important. Try playing to a metronome to internalize your sense of rhythm.

Is there a way to practice piano without disturbing my neighbors, roommates, or family members?

An electric piano is the perfect solution for anyone in this situation. You can turn the master volume down much lower than most grand pianos can go.

Furthermore, most electric pianos have headphone inputs for completely silent practicing. Check out our picks for the best keyboard headphones to complete your home practice setup.

In Conclusion

Thanks for reading my rankings of the best full-size weighted keyboards on the market. I hope you find the best one for your needs and enjoy your new digital piano.

Still have analysis paralysis? Let me recommend the Yamaha CK88 one more time. It is feature-rich enough to impress even the most seasoned musicians, but user-friendly enough to make first-time players happy as well.

Now it's almost time to gear up for your next electrifying performance. Break a leg!