How To Find The Best Portable Piano Keyboard? – The Buying Guide and Top-6 Excellent Options

Many people choose portable keyboards for the compact size. If you seriously consider purchasing a portable keyboard, you must know the main characteristics you should be looking for. The variety of different portable digital pianos on the market is large, and it is very easy to purchase the wrong thing.

How To Find The Best Portable Piano Keyboard?
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Our article will guide you through the main things you should consider when shopping for portable keyboards. What is important, and what can be left out? Based on a detailed review, the best portable piano keyboard is the Roland GO: KEYS 61-key Music Creation. It is lightweight, has over 500 sounds, Bluetooth connectivity, which is perfect for beginners.

Top-6 best portable keyboards

Portable keyboards have different specifications. You select the one that suits you best, based on the main features and design. Let’s take a look at the top-6 of the best digital pianos that are worth considering.

1. Roland GO: KEYS 61-key Music Creation Piano Keyboard

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Features

  • 61 keys
  • Fully wireless
  • Bluetooth midi connectivity

This portable digital piano is perfect for beginners. It has everything you might need when you are just starting your playing piano journey. Featured by 66 ivory feel keys, you can play your own music using the loop mix functionality. The portable keyboard can be connected to your smartphone using a Bluetooth function. So you just need to choose the song you want to play.

Add more to your music by using the sounds from the preinstalled 500 ones. The portable digital piano takes seconds to set up. Anyone with no experience will cope with it. Its compact size will ensure you can fit it anywhere. It is so convenient to take the portable keyboard to the lessons. The keyboard has decent sound quality as well.

The power-operated keyboard operates wirelessly. Any speaker system can be connected for better sound effects. The price is affordable and the quality you get for this money is exceptional. Overall, this portable keyboard piano has all the modern features, a portable design, and an attractive price. It will be a great musical instrument for those, who have decided to learn how to play piano.

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Pros

  • Ideal for beginners
  • Easy to use
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Cons

  • Plastic case isn’t very strong

2. Casio CDP-S360 88-Key Compact Digital Piano

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Features

  • A slim body design
  • 700 high-quality tones
  • Easy connectivity

This portable keyboard piano features 88 weighted keys. Its slim design allows you to use it even when you are limited in space. It is ideal for those who just started piano playing. Not only that, but it is lightweight and can be carried to the lessons without a problem. You can pick the color you like the most out of the two available options.

The variety of tones and voices is impressive. It comes with 700 built-in tones, including grand piano sound, organ sounds, instrument sounds, and percussion sounds. This allows you to create any music you like. You can play along with the songs you select from your smartphone. The keyboard has hammer action keys, hence the playing feels like a grand piano experience.

Midi connectivity helps to connect the portable piano to smartphones or tablets wirelessly. Another benefit of this keyboard piano is it comes with accessories included. You will receive an all-in-one box with such items as an adjustable stand, a bench, a polishing cloth, and a manual booklet with a DVD.

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Pros

  • Includes accessories
  • Compact design
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Cons

  • Control options are limited

3. Yamaha YC61 61-Key, Organ Focused Stage Keyboard

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Features

  • The VCM organ engine
  • The VCM rotary speaker
  • The master keyboard mode

This 61-key stage piano keyboard is organ sound-oriented. Anyone who is seeking portable keyboards that can replicate the precise sounds will be happy with this piano. Featuring an extremely compact design, the keyboard piano weighs just 15 pounds. Take it to the lessons or performance event, it will not be a problem.

This keyboard includes all the basic functionality beginners will require. An onboard MIDI recorder allows you to record your music and play it back later. Dual line inputs allow you to connect another keyboard or mobile devices.

The keyboard piano is battery-operated. You will have around 5 hours on simple 5 AA batteries. The sound quality is close to the grand pianos, as with any Yamaha PSR piano model. Overall, this keyboard is one of the most compact among other keyboard pianos. It definitely should be considered as the quality is great and the sounds of the organ are the most accurate.

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Pros

  • Portable and lightweight design
  • Excellent piano sounds
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Cons

  • Doesn’t include a power supply

4. Kurzweil KP-100 61-key Portable Arranger Black

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Features

  • 31-synth action keyboard
  • An auto accompaniment function
  • Onboard speakers

This is one of the best portable digital pianos that comes with over a hundred different sounds, including an acoustic piano. It has an auto-accompaniment feature with more than 200 patterns you can choose from. The engine of this model is quite powerful and cope with any type of music you want to play.

If you are a beginner, this is just what you need. Selling at an affordable price, the performance of this portable piano is quite impressive. The selection of sounds and rhymes is great. It has acoustic piano sounds just like an upright piano, guitars, organs, sounds of electric pianos, and others. You can even create band music, using different genres included.

A built-in recorder allows you to play your own recorded music at any time you want. You will be able to record up to ten songs with one track each. The keyboard piano comes with a stand that can be detached at any time. You can either plug it into the wall socket or use it powered by the batteries. Taking piano lessons will be a pleasant experience should you purchase this keyboard.

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Pros

  • Over 200 auto-accompaniment patterns
  • Over 600 factory presets
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Cons

  • No built-in lessons

5. Yamaha NP12 61-Key Lightweight Portable Keyboard

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Features

  • 61 piano-style keys
  • Extended battery life
  • Can be battery-operated

Even though these portable keyboards don’t have weighted keys, the keyboard feels great due to the sensitivity of the keys. The sounds of the piano have classic Yamaha tones. The design is super light and compact. It makes it easy to take the keyboard anywhere you need to go. Built-in speakers produce decent-quality sound, so you won’t need to purchase anything extra.

The portable piano can be operated via a power supply or simple 6 AA batteries. The range of apps for different mobile devices will allow you to choose the one you want. The iOS app has good graphics and a user-friendly interface. The USB-to-host port gives you an opportunity to use all the different apps that help to teach you how to play the piano or create unique music.

A recording button, located at the front panel, allows you to record your creations and play them back whenever needed or share them with your friends. The price is affordable and the set of functions is decent. Definitely consider getting one of these portable piano keyboards if you are just starting your lessons.

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Pros

  • Built-in speakers are great
  • Plug-and-play design
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Cons

  • No accompaniment function

6. Casio CT-X700 Portable Keyboard

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Features

  • 61 full-size touch response keys
  • 600 tones and nearly 200 rhymes
  • Bright LCD display

This model is one of the best portable keyboard pianos that has a lot of functionality and yet still affordable. Featured with 600 tones and 195 rhymes, it allows you to create music of your choice. The keys themselves are nice and responsive. There is an opportunity for you to learn how to play the musical instrument using the lesson system it comes with and over 150 built-in songs.

This is one of a few portable piano keyboards that come with all the necessary accessories such as a sustain pedal, an adjustable piano bench, a keyboard stand, a polishing cloth, and an educational DVD. This saves you time searching for everything separately. Get the bundle and you are ready to start the lessons.

Unlike an expensive digital piano, this model is very compact and lightweight. The headphone jack is positioned in a convenient spot, so plugging your headphones in will be easy. This keyboard allows for playing a large variety of acoustic pianos’ sounds. MIDI connectivity allows connecting to any of your devices, so the playing experience becomes more comfortable.

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Pros

  • Good quality built-in speaker system
  • Affordable price range
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Cons

  • The adapter isn’t good quality

The buying guide to finding the right portable keyboard piano

Choosing the best digital pianos and keyboards can be quite challenging. Knowing what characteristics are the most important ones is the key to success. Let’s take a look at what you should be searching for in the first place.

1. Size

When you are looking for a portable piano, the size and weight do matter. It has to be comfortable to carry. If you also limited space in your room, a compact keyboard is what you need. Investigate what size keyboard will fit in your room before heading out to the store. If the keyboard is meant for a child, the smaller will be the better in the beginning.

2. Keys

This characteristic is also very important. You have to decide what number of keys you are going to be satisfied with. If you are just starting your lessons, you will be fine with 61 keys portable keyboard pianos. With full-size keyboards, you will get a wider octave range. It will also make you used to the full-size piano, which in turn will make it easier for you to transition to an acoustic piano later.

Look at the type of the keys. They can be weighted, semi-weighted, and lighted. Weighted keys bring the playing experience closer to acoustic pianos. So if you are looking for something, that has such a keyboard, look at the Roland FP models.

3. Voices and tones

The range of sounds is something you should look at as well. Look at the number of tones, voices, and rhymes. The higher the number, the more unique music you will be able to play. The quality of sound must be great, so you start learning to hear the correct sounds from the beginning.

4. Connectivity

Check out the connectivity of the keyboards. Even though they can play music on their own, it is always nice to be able to connect them to other musical instruments. Using your phone for some effects or learning apps is also important.

There are many keyboards that have Bluetooth built-in. Having a MIDI controller is also useful. All the modern techniques can be used by connecting to the computer via USB MIDI.

5. Controls and functionality

When you have control over the voices it leads to achieving the result you are after. The more functions the keyboard has the better quality music you will be able to produce. If you are a beginner, you will appreciate the built-in lessons and different learning modes. It will help you in your learning endeavor.

Having a pitch bend wheel in a portable piano isn’t something common. It will help you to perform synthesizer-focused techniques.

FAQ

Which is the best portable keyboard?

You have to take into account the main characteristics that are important to you. Including what is your level of playing the piano. If you are a beginner, you can purchase a portable piano with 61 keys, just to start the lessons. Look at the Roland keyboard models, as they have all the basic features needed in the beginning, the quality of sound is good and the price is attractive.

What is the best piano keyboard that feels like a piano?

Portable pianos that have full-size weighted key board are the closest to acoustic pianos. The feel and the touch of the keys are important. So if you are looking for a keyboard that will give you this feeling and experience you should consider Casio and Yamaha models.

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What keyboard is closest to the real piano?

It will all depend on the amount you are ready to spend. If your budget is limited, look into the Roland keyboard. It will have the sound and the touch of a grand piano.

What is the best digital piano that feels like a real piano?

Your option is the Roland model as it gives you the experience of playing an acoustic piano. The keys act a similar way and the sounds they produce will be close to the sounds of a grand piano. All of that will be packed in a compact case.

How To Find The Best Portable Piano Keyboard? Conclusion

Based on the information provided in the article, one of the best keyboard pianos is the Roland GO: KEYS 61-key Music Creation. The key action is one of the best as well and the keys have a touch response. The headphone jack is located conveniently, allowing you to connect any headphones you want. Powerful speakers play excellent sound.

It offers Bluetooth, USB, MIDI connectivity. It can be connected to any devices you have easily and fast. This is the best keyboard selling in this price range. Please share the article with your friends to make their choice easy to make and decide which portable piano keyboard is going to be suitable for them.

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