Top 8 Best 88-key Weighted Keyboard Pianos

Martin Kristiansen

My name is Martin Kristiansen and I’m the founder and chief editor of HomeStudioIdeas.com. I’ve been playing, recording and producing music for the last 10 years.

Are you looking for the best 88-key weighted keyboard pianos on the market in 2022? In this article, we went through what we believe are the finest weighted keyboards of the moment and picked out quality ones that offer great value for the money.

Our chosen models on this list also include a list of their pros and cons. This will help you make an educated decision before buying a new weighted keyboard. As musicians, we’re always a bit picky when it comes to buying a new instrument.

This is why our evaluation considered how they feel and weight, the price, and other features that might be important for you. In our final verdict, we will share with you what we believe is the best 88-key weighted keyboard to consider when you’re looking for one of these beautiful instruments.

At a Glance: Our Pick of the Best 88-key Weighted Keyboards:

First things first, let’s define the things to look at when it comes to buying the best weighted keyboard.

Buying Guide – Choosing the Best Weighted Keyboard

So, how do you decide which weighted keyboard is the best one to buy? To be honest, there is no simple answer to this question. It all depends on your needs and preferences.

Just to clarify, a weighted keyboard is a digital keyboard. Thanks to an in-built resistance system they provide a feeling similar to an acoustic piano. 

There are two kinds of weighted keyboards. The first kind is fully-weighted, which means that each key has its resistance. The second kind is semi-weighted, which means that there is the same resistance across all the keys. Both mimic the realistic feel of a real piano.

Naturally, a weighted keyboard is more expensive than a regular digital piano. But it’s worth the price if an authentic playing experience is what you’re looking for. Consequently, weighted keyboards are a popular choice for both serious pianists and hobbyists.

Depending on your use case, necessities, and other different factors, every weighted piano has its special features. You may want to consider the best option for live performances or practice as a beginner. 

Regardless of your considerations, here are some of the elements you should check when it comes to buying your new weighted keyboard:

Keep reading our list below to find out our best picks for 2020’s weighted keyboards. We believe these are the top-rated options worth considering on the market today. This guide will provide you with further insights into the various types of weighted keyboards and how to choose the best one for your needs.

1. Casio CDP-S350 – Best Overall

The Casio CDP-S350 is an outstanding weighted keyboard suitable for anyone looking for a full-package digital piano that is budget-friendly. It has a total of 88 weighted keys with a scaled hammer action that provides constant sensitivity on the keys, emulating accurately the touch of a real acoustic piano. Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate, you’ll enjoy the precise key weighting and 3 sensitivity levels as you play.

Firstly, it features so many excellent sounds and elements for its cost that it will satisfy piano enthusiasts of any genre.

Secondly, the Casio CDP-S350 has onboard a collection of 700 different sounds of instruments and effects, 200 rhythms with auto-accompaniment, 64 voice polyphony, and 32 slots registration memory.

Thirdly, It’s equipped with a pitch-bend wheel, a backlit LCD, and it can be operated with AA batteries which can be very handy when it comes to impromptu performances.

In terms of design, the Casio CDP-S350 has a slim body with a minimalist control interface which we like. With a depth of only 232 mm and a weight of 24 lbs, this compact digital piano can be your perfect musical companion at home, at the studio, or on stage. 

Last but not least, its keys have a matte texture that mimics ebony and ivory that support better finger grip, improving significantly its playability when it comes to performing tricky musical passages. 

2. Yamaha P71 – Best Value

We consider the Yamaha P71 as the best value-weighted keyboard. Why? It’s quite suitable for both beginners and advanced pianists for what it offers.

It has a total of 88 keys that features a built-in resistance system. This feature gives that feeling of a genuine acoustic piano.

Yamaha P71 is an excellent balance of quality and convenience. If you’re looking for a weighted keyboard that will provide the best bang for your buck, look no further.

The Yamaha P71 has a sustain pedal that allows you to create unlimited music. It also allows you to create distinctive mixes of various sounds with a total of 10 different voices that you can combine in two. You could merge two pieces of music that are usually played separately and enjoy the experience of hearing the new combination with the same tune. 

This exclusive model purchasable only on Amazon has a slim and sleek design with only 12 inches in depth. Also, it’s readily portable with 25 pounds of weight. It’s perfect both for rehearsals and for your home studio since you can easily connect it to music software or an amplifier. 

3. Yamaha P-515 – Best Premium Pick

Yamaha is a world leader when it comes to music innovation, and the P-515 is part of Yamaha’s high-end range.

This model is an elite choice for producing incredible sound, from live shows, recording sessions to piano rehearsals. This is one of the best weighted keyboards with 88 keys that will provide stunning sound quality. It’s tuned to produce the best sounds for anyone who can appreciate an audiophile experience.

The prestigious Yamaha CFX concert grand piano and the legendary Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano were used to create the sample piano sounds of this model. This means that you can play the P-515 sounding like either one of these, and it’s truly astonishing for the ears.

This instrument comes with a smart technology that makes it easy to adjust the sound to your individual preferences.

The P-515 is great for anyone looking to upgrade from the low/mid-range weighted keyboard. Even though this keyboard is more expensive than some of the alternatives on our list, there are a lot of advantages that make it well worth the purchase price.

The exquisite quality and the full acoustic piano experience provided by this keyboard make it one of the best models you can buy. 

4. Roland FP-10 – Best Budget Pick

The Roland FP-10 is the response to the entry-level piano market by the incredibly popular music brand Roland. This model is designed for both beginners and hobbyists, which is why it provides excellent sound quality for an affordable price.

This particular keyboard includes authentic piano sounds with its 88 weighted keys and 256 voices. It even has Bluetooth MIDI connectivity and can be connected to mobile music apps and other online learning tools.

The FP-10 is a scaled-down version of the intermediate model FP-30. It mainly eliminates some of the more advanced features while still maintaining its powerful performance.

If you don’t have the space or the budget for higher-end options, the Roland FP-10 is an excellent and well-balanced choice for your own first portable weighted keyboard.

5. Roland RD-2000 – Best For Live Performance

Our best pick for this section is the legendary stage piano RD-2000 by Roland which packs a wide array of truly impressive features that any live performer dreams of.

For starters, it offers a hyper-realistic acoustic piano experience thanks to its fully weighted hammer action and a dedicated acoustic piano sound engine.

This model has two distinct sound engines and extensive controller features which allow for remarkable full-keyboard polyphony.

One is called V-Piano, which is one of the best acoustic pianos sounds digitally replicated today.

The other is SuperNATURAL, which provides 1100 extra sounds and effects. This opens up endless possibilities for musical creativity and modulations.

The RD-2000 is a premium digital keyboard made for the stage. Still, it’s also perfect for music production in a studio.

This is one of the best digital pianos with weighted keys and offers a beautiful layout that is enveloped in an elegant aluminum shell, making it a long-lasting investment for a weighted keyboard.

For its under 48 pounds of weight along with an intuitive external connectivity system, it’s indeed very suitable for live gigs, performance tours, and even as your go-to piano for music productions. 

6. Alesis Recital 88 – Best For Beginners

When it comes to semi-weighted keyboards, the Alesis Recital 88 is one of the best value options if you’re looking for a new instrument without breaking the bank.

This digital piano with 88 semi-weighted and full-sized keys with adjustable touch will fit your playing style, particularly if you’re just starting. 

This beginner-friendly model includes 5 different voices and 128 polyphony, allowing for premium sounds and a wide variety of melodic combinations.

Layer Mode allows you to combine two voices of the 10 available in the sample library, and you can also assign each voice to the left or right hand.

Then we also like the fact that it’s battery-powered with a 9V adapter, allowing you to get creative with its effects anywhere you go.

But what we love in particular about this digital piano is that it gives you all the tools you need to succeed as a beginner. The Alesis Recital 88 also comes with 2 months of online piano courses that will support your piano learning and help you develop your skills at your own pace.

Overall, we believe this is a good choice if you’re a beginner looking for a new piano that is a low investment.

7. Korg Grandstage 88 – Best Sound Bank

When it comes to a rich sound bank and exploring musical combinations, our pick is the Korg Grandstage 88. This model has a vast selection of impressive studio-quality sounds and special effects available only to more high-end alternatives.

It has sounds of acoustic pianos and other orchestral instruments, including church and vintage organs, old-school electric pianos, and synths.

With its high-quality 7 sound engines, 500 programs, and preset tones, the Korg Grandstage 88 contains samples from a variety of popular pianos from around the world.

It includes a broad assortment of polyphony, ranging from 36 to 240 voices depending on the 7 sound engines you can choose. This instrument allows you to modulate the preset sounds with different parameters and experiment with new samples.

In terms of build, the Korg Grandstage 88 is pretty solid and will survive a turbulent gigging lifestyle. The 88 keys weighted keyboard model weighs around 44.1 lbs, which should not be a problem for most musicians who regularly play onstage.

It includes 2 bright OLED screens which work like a charm in terms of functionality and user interface during live performances.

8. Casio PX-S1000 – Best Design

Casio is one of the leading players in the digital piano industry, and the company combined innovation and modern design into its PX-S1000.

This piano is dubbed as the slimmest in the world, which is something that’s hard to disagree with. The PX-S1000 is super lightweight and easy to bring around at only 24.7 lbs. This model is quite distinctive when it comes to its modern design and sleek build, due to its reflective surface which gives it a striking appearance.

Even without a screen, the control interface is intuitive and easy to use under any lighting conditions. Simply put, the design of the PX-S1000 makes it perfect for gigs and music rehearsals.

Additionally, this keyboard runs on both battery and AC mains power which is a plus for traveling performers who can take advantage of its compact & extremely light weighted build.

As a mid-range digital keyboard, you’re getting a lot of features at a low cost. It has 88 hammer action keys paired with a sound engine that provides a high-quality, rich, and vibrant sound.

It includes as well a MIDI recorder that is capable of storing one full song on-board, and the duet mode allows two people to work on one song. Interestingly, this keyboard comes in a white version and in a limited edition in brilliant red too.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are some of our best picks for 88-key weighted keyboards in 2022. It’s quite tricky to pick a single best digital piano out of the ones reviewed above. Each of them has its pros and cons based on the use case.

When choosing which one to buy, the best thing to do is to take a look at their playability, sound quality, design, connectivity, and build quality.

Above all, you should decide which one is right for you based on your specific needs.

If we have to pick one from this list, we went in-depth on why we loved the Casio CDP-S350 above all.

One honorable mention is the Casio PX-S1000, which is a great mid-range digital piano that provides you with a good set of features at a reasonable price. This model is a great value for money and is suitable for players who are looking for a quality, stylish and affordable piano.

We hope this article helped you in your quest to find the best digital piano for you. You can click on any of the links provided above to find out more technical details about any specific weighted piano. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to contact us.