If you want to take up an instrument, then the piano is one of the most versatile options. It’s great for beginners, with both digital and analog versions, and can play simple and complex tunes.
Whether you are already a skilled piano player looking to buy or upgrade your piano, or a novice starting out, there are many different pianos out there that can suit your needs. You’ll need to do some research whenever you want to bring one into your home.
Do you need a piano or a keyboard? Do you need the full 88-key keyboard or can you get away with a smaller keyboard with fewer keys? What are the benefits of 88 keys?
What are some of the best digital pianos and keyboards out there? We will answer these questions and also make sure that you know of the best keyboards that you can buy right now!
7 Best Piano Keyboards With 88 Keys (2022 Update)
Here are some of the best keyboards with 88 keys that you can purchase.
1. RockJam 88 Beginner Digital Full Size Piano
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- Semi-weighted keys
- 24 watt speakers
- Sheet music stand
Pros
- Various sound options
- Can connect headphones for silent practice
- Full-sized, semi-weighted keys feel like a real piano
Cons
- Some people prefer fully weighted keys
This piano is available in all key types, but we recommend the 88 key digital piano. It has semi-weighted keys that are sensitive to pressure and velocity, that will allow your fingertips to feel like they are on a real piano.
You will also be able to switch between the sound types, mimicking the sounds of an electric piano, a grand piano, a guitar, and even a church organ. You can either play loud and proud with stereo speakers that give 24 Watts of sound, or play with a pair of headphones without disturbing others.
There’s even an output to connect to an amplifier, and various inputs that can attach petals and even a microphone. You can even insert a USB to play along to your favorite songs.
To round out the list of features, you can easily rest a tablet or sheet music atop the stand to play along with your favorite songs.
Also included is a subscription to Simply Piano, which is an application that allows you to turn your piano learning into a game. You will be able to play various practice games, level up your content, and gain access to a library of both modern and classical piano tunes to play along too.
2. Costzon Bx-ll 88 Key Portable Piano
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- Microphone port
- Sheet music stand
- Wireless bluetooth technology
- External speaker
Pros
- Comes with a sustain pedal
- Can connect to headphones
- Full-sized, touch sensitive keys
Cons
- Does not have weighted keys
- Best for beginner to intermediate level
This portable 88 key piano from Costzon has touch sensitive keys, giving you the perfect feel of an acoustic piano. The lower notes are much heavier and the lighter notes are much lighter, building finger strength and teaching resistance.
You can activate them by pressing the transpose button to get the acoustic experience, or leave the sensitivity off and play the digital way.
The piano also comes with several connection ports for MIDI and USB ports, allowing you to connect your computer to the piano. Then you will be able to play along with songs and web programs, and even connect your phone to Bluetooth to play even more pieces.
Additionally, durability and portability is paramount with this piano. The aluminum alloy keeps the piano’s structure together, and the keys are made of durable ABS material that will resist both finger slips and fading of the gloss. You can plug in this electric piano and it only needs 4 hours of charge to keep 12 hours of battery life. A strong carrying case is included to store your keyboard and take it to your next gig.
3. Starfavor 88 Key Electric Keyboard
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- 100+ tones, rhythms, timbres and demo songs
- Sheet music stand
- Piano stand
- Built in 30-watt speaker
Pros
- Ultra-realistic sound
- Full sized, great for beginners
- Can connect to external elements
Cons
- Semi-weighted keys only
- Best for beginners
The full-sized and semi-weighted Starfavor 88 Key Electric Keyboard is the same key size as a traditional piano, and is perfect for beginners to learn on. You’ll be able to play along with the 128 rhythms, 31 preloaded songs, and even a metronome to keep track of your playing. You will be able to hear your songs with two high quality loudspeakers that will give 30 watts of output.
The loudspeakers are also equipped for 3D surround sound so you will be immersed in your music as you play for the crowds or for yourself. Finally, you will be able to connect any MIDI, USB, AUX, and microphone cables to the piano for performance and for music editing.
The Starfavor Keyboard comes with a piano stand, music sheet holder, and a power supply so you can easily set it up and start playing!
4. Alesis Recital 88 Key Electric Piano
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- 5 voices
- Built in 20-watt speakers
Pros
- Keys have adjustable touch response
- Interactive online piano lessons included
- Can connect to pedal, headphones etc
Cons
- Semi-weighted keys only
- No pedal included
Not only does this piano come in black or white colors, but it is tailored to you. The full sized and semi-weighted keys of the Alesis Recital piano have adjustable touch controls so you decide how much weight to put on them. It also comes with 5 voices and two large speakers that give 20 watts of sounds.
You can also connect a ¼ sustain pedal input, a ¼ stereo headphone output, and even connect it to speakers that will carry your music everywhere. You will be able to take the piano anywhere by powering it with the power adapter or with 6 D cell batteries, and then setting it up wherever you want.
Finally, it comes with standard, split layer, and lesson modes to let you learn your piano lessons how you want to learn them. You also will receive 60 virtual lesions from the basics all the way to your favorite songs, and also get access to Skoove for 3 months.
Skoove is the perfect application to learn piano with interactive lessons tailored to you, and also you can have conversations with real piano instructors.
5. 88 Key Digital Piano from PAXCESS
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- 129 tones
- Inbuilt 24-watt speakers
- Can charge up and play for 12 hours
Pros
- Keys are velocity sensitive to feel more like a piano
- Education features for beginners
- Lightweight
Cons
- Semi-weighted keys only
This Piano from PAXCESS might seem like a simple 88 key piano, but it has a few tricks up its sleeves. This full sized digital keyboard has 88 keys that will allow it to replicate the feel of a real piano. Or you can change the touch response to your own comfort level.
It also comes with several professionally crafted voices that will allow you to mimic an acoustic piano, grand piano, and a church organ. Plus, there’s 129 tones to choose from to help you learn.
The speakers give 24 watts of sound, perfect for playing for people, and a headphone socket allows you to experience your music in private. You can also connect the piano to your earphones, external speakers, pedals, and electronics to improve and customize your playing experience.
The piano is also lightweight and comes with a special bag and music stand for you to carry it between shows and gig locations, along with a power cable and charger. If you need a good piano, this is one of the better ones here.
6. Yamaha 88 Key Weighted Action Digital Piano
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- 10 voices
- Sustain pedal
- Keyboard stand
- Padded bench seat
Pros
- Fully-weighted keys
- Slim and lightweight
- Dual mode to combine voices
Cons
- Some found the stool didn’t rise high enough
Yamaha is a contender when it comes to making music for you, and the Yamaha P71 88-Key piano is one of the best that shows you why. This piano comes with a sustain pedal and a power supply, along with an adapter. The 88 keys are fully weighted and perfectly showcase the feel of an acoustic piano, providing the best experience for your needs.
The piano comes with 10 different voices, including tones from real Yamaha grand pianos, as well as a dual mode that lets you combine two voices together. This allows you to play with piano and strings together for instance, giving you new options when it comes to making sounds.
The bundle also comes with an X-style Keyboard stand that has 6 lockable heights, and a padded bench for you to sit on with 3 height positions. It’s the perfect bundle that gives you everything you need, and will make sure that you don’t just play piano, but that you also enjoy playing it!
7. Casio 88 Key Compact Digital Piano Bundle
Buy on Amazon
Features
- 88-key digital piano
- 10 tones
- Stand
- Bench
Pros
- Comes with instructional book and DVD
- Duet mode for 2-player practice
- Lightweight and portable
Cons
- Some have more tones
If you really want everything there is to know about the piano in one solid bundle, then the Casio bundle is perfect for you. This bundle comes with a 88 key digital piano with scaled hammer action, 10 built in tones that allow you to adjust the reverb and the chorus, and even a duet mode.
Two players can easily practice together on the same machine, or even play songs together. The bundle doesn’t just include the piano, but also an adjustable stand, a bench, a sustain pedal, a cleaning cloth, and an instructional book and CD.
This makes it perfect for beginners who want to get started with the piano, as everything they need is right there for them to use. Then, once they gain their confidence they can take the piano out on the town and show their skills off to the world.
The bundle is affordable and comes with all the bells and whistles, and it can even be adjusted to contain a bench for the piano instead of a stand.
Things to consider
Pianos Vs Keyboards
Much like guitars, you can get a digital piano or an acoustic piano. Acoustic pianos are usually pretty large— think big grand pianos found in the rooms of the wealthy. These aren’t the most portable or affordable option unless you have a massive area to show it off.
These pianos have the traditional 88 keys and the piano’s sound is created by hammers hitting the strings of the piano to make the sound.
Keyboards are the digital version and they are very easy to use as well. They, however, do not have any strings and instead each key is a switch that produces a sound. The electric tone generator produces all the sound and those sounds are amped up using a speaker.
Digital pianos also have 88 keys that mimic the look of an acoustic piano, while keyboards tend to have 61 or 76 keys. Despite having fewer keys, most keyboards tend to have extra features, with more sounds that can be produced with the keys too.
Should I Get A Keyboard?
Keyboards and electric pianos tend to be smaller, more portable and much more affordable. They can be played on a simple stand that is easy to set up.
All the electrical components are compact and don’t take up a lot of space. Compare this to a grand piano that takes up an entire concert hall stage or section of room.
On the other hand pianos have weighted keys and can be nicer to play with a more authentic sound. Which one would you rather practice on?
Do I Need Weighted Keys?
Weighted keys are important for beginners, though by no means necessary. Weighted keys help to mimic the string action of an acoustic piano, because it just feels different under your fingertips.
If you have been playing all your life on a digital piano, and then need to play an acoustic piano, the feel of the piano can seem off. That can certainly cripple even the most experienced piano player until they get used to it.
The resistance of an acoustic piano allows for beginner pianists to discover how to touch each of the keys with the right amount of pressure to make the sound they want. It also builds up finger strength as well. So, while weighted keys are traditionally more expensive, you should try to find a keyboard with them.
It will only help your piano skills and will prevent you from having to relearn them once you move to a keyboard with weighted keys.
Do You Need A Pedal?
If you’ve ever sat at a church organ or grand piano, then you know all about the various pedals that the pianist manipulates with their feet when they play. Do you need those whenever you play on your keyboard?
The pedals help to add to the number of sounds that you can play, with most pianos coming with two or three pedals. The petals can help notes ring out for longer and softens certain notes. The use of the pedals are advanced techniques that a beginner isn’t going to get into just yet, but you should be on the lookout for a keyboard with a ‘Sustain Pedal.’
The sustain pedal is the most important pedal of the piano, because it allows you to hold out notes that would otherwise just stop whenever you stopped pressing on the key. It’s pretty rare to find a song that doesn’t use the sustain pedal, to the point where the pedal has been called the ‘soul of the piano.’
The pedals aren’t needed for you to learn the piano as a beginner, but as you get more advanced with the instrument, a sustain pedal could prove very useful as you start to branch out into playing songs.
The Benefits of 88 Keys?
88 keys might sound like a very specific number, but there is a reason why it has 88 keys. It started because of the composers who wanted to expand their music, because the more keys that you have the more sounds that you can make. The more sounds that you can make, then the more songs and genres of music you can play.
Additionally, it has to do with the tone of the music as well. Once you get to the lowest A of the keyboard, then the sounds lower than that tend to be unrecognizable. The same goes for the highest C on the piano. Most songs tend to use all the notes within the 88 keys, and then any other notes tend to be unrecognizable.
Why Do Keyboards Not Have 88 Keys?
In most cases, if you are buying a keyboard to learn to play, you do not need all 88 keys. The way that a piano works is it takes the same pattern of 12 notes and then repeats them over and over again. Often, keyboards tend to only use the most popular ranges such as the first 48 notes, and that’s enough to play most songs.
If you want to play something that needs all those extra notes you might need a keyboard with 88 keys. Basically, it isn’t a limitation if you don’t have all 88 keys, and it really depends on the music you are playing. If you want to play the piano and have fun with it, then go for a keyboard.
If you want to be serious and learn the proper technique to play the piano correctly, then you need to get a keyboard with 88 keys.
Purchase The Piano That Works For You
All of these pianos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the amount of instruments out there, but you should have an idea of what you want.
Do you want a portable piano that can be carried in its own bag? Do you want a piano that has weighted keys only or an option to turn them off? Are you going to be playing as a hobby or as a serious career choice?
All of these questions will determine what type of piano you get, along with your budget and your space of course. Once you figure out what type of piano you want, make the purchase and get started learning the keys. Whether you learn from books, television, or from an interactive app you will be able to quickly learn all 88 keys.
Then, you will be able to play on any type of piano from digital to electric, and play everything from notes, to chords, to songs. As long as you stick with the piano and also maintain the piano, you will have an instrument that will last you a lifetime.
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