The Casio range is huge, with lots of the best Casio keyboards and digital pianos on offer. You can buy tiny kids models, or full-sized, professional digital pianos made by the brand.
This article will show how varied their products are, and the fact that they have something for everyone. We’re covering Casio digital pianos for those who need something full-sized to replace an acoustic piano, and also Casio keyboards for portable playing.
Casio is a huge brand, but with our list of the best options you can decipher which of the range might be most suited to your playing.
Here are the best Casio keyboards and digital pianos 2023:
- Casio PX-870
- Casio CDP-240
- Casio AP-470
- Casio LK-280
- Casio SA-76
- Casio CTK-3500
- Casio PX-160
- Casio CTK-6250
- Casio CT-S200
Casio PX-870
Casio’s Privia range is a good option for those who want a full-sized 88-key digital piano with the feel of a grand piano. The PX-870 is the best option for this.
The design is fantastic, and synthetic ebony and ivory keys make this feel like an old grand piano. It will look great within your house.
The “Advanced Air” sound is designed to synthesize the resonance and give the feeling of having a piano lid. This means it’s one of the best Casio digital pianos to replace an acoustic option.
Further realistic feeling comes from the Tri-Sensor II hammer-action keyboard, modeled on the way an acoustic piano triggers sounds with mini hammers.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio PX-870:
- 256-note polyphony for complex playing.
- 19 tones including bass, strings and multiple sampled pianos.
- Duet, layer and split modes to play in different ways.
- USB compatibility.
- Quite big and bulky, not portable.
- Pedals are raised and awkward for some players.
The PX-870 is one of the best options for digital pianos, and for a big home model, it isn’t as expensive as many of its competitors. It’s not a cheap product, but for a digital piano it is pretty reasonable. The modern features such as the USB compatibility make this great for performing and composing.
Casio CDP-240
A lot of people out there are looking for portable digital pianos, these are much easier for taking on stage or to practices, but still give the full compatibility of an 88-key digital piano.
The CDP-240 is a fantastic stage piano. It gives a huge level of options to the musician, but it’s lightweight enough to take to shows in the back of a car.
In spite of being a portable option, and not costing too much, it includes a hammer action for a realistic feel on the keys. A 64-note polyphony is one area that could be improved to allow for more complex playing, but generally, it’s fine for most players.
Impressively, the Casio CDP-240 includes a brilliant 700 tones for you to choose from, giving loads of performance options. There are also 200 inbuilt rhythms to practice along to.
This is a good digital piano for beginners, not only is it affordable, it has a step-up lesson function to help you learn to play.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio CDP-240:
- Full-sized.
- Hammer action.
- 700 inbuilt tones to choose from.
- Great value for money.
- 64 note polyphony could be improved.
- Stand needs to be bought separately.
If you are looking for value, and a good digital piano to learn on that has some professional features as well as being good value, the Casio CDP-240 is a good option. The fact that it is so easily portable gives an added bonus. You can take it to performances with ease.
Casio AP-470
If you are looking for something with fantastic looks and that looks like a classical acoustic piano then the AP-470 could be for you. The Celviano range of Casio digital pianos is pretty expensive, but the luxury and extra features justify the price.
To look at this piano, you really wouldn’t notice much difference from an acoustic piano. It even has a movable lid. In spite of this classic look, though, it still has features and functions you’d associate with modern digital pianos.
The AiR technology sound source gives excellent detail and resonance simulation. There’s a hammer action response as you would expect.
This digital piano looks great and can be bought with a walnut, white or black finish. It comes with a bench, too.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio AP-470:
- Excellent amplification system with EQ.
- 256-note polyphony.
- 22 tones to choose from.
- Works with Chordana Play to help with learning.
- Inbuilt effects and USB recorder.
- Expensive.
- Not portable.
This digital piano is a fantastic option if you don’t need something portable. It’s costly, so a more elite option. However, if you’re looking for the best, with a realistic feel and beautiful looks, it’s worth considering the Casio AP-470 Celviano.
Casio LK-280
This is a brilliant, small and portable Casio keyboard with lighted keys. The lighted key function makes it a top choice for beginners as it can effectively teach you how to play songs by guiding the way. It’s a great option for kids and adults alike who are trying to learn the piano.
This is a 61-key option, so not full sized. It also has 48 notes of polyphony which is fine for most casual players and beginners.
There are loads of tech features including 152 songs built in to learn, the option to record your playing, a USB connection that allows you to use this as a controller and even an MP3 player input. You can play along to you favorite songs. A fantastic selection of 600 tones means you’ll never run out of interesting sounds, and there are effects too.
This is a portable Casio keyboard, but is made even more portable because you can use it with batteries if you wish.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio LK-280:
- Inbuilt effects.
- Lightweight.
- Affordable.
- USB, MP3 compatibility.
- Not full-sized.
- No hammer action.
For a smaller, portable model that is suitable for learning how to play, the Casio LK-280 gives a very good option. It’s also affordable, so you don’t have to worry too much about it not getting played if you’re buying it as a gift. It’s not full-sized, and you’re not likely to see it used on stage by the pros, but it is a good beginner model.
Casio SA-76
If you are looking for something smart and miniature, this could be a good option. You won’t be using this to play any classical compositions due to the size of it, but it is great for triggering sounds, learning some basics and taking on stage to trigger some sounds.
As well as having 44-keys it also has 5 percussion pads, you can set these up with whatever sounds you wish and trigger them live. It’s very basic, and may be best for kids, but it does have inbuilt speakers and a few different fun tones to play with.
Another thing that makes the SA-76 so good for kids is how easy it is to navigate. Also, the lesson function and LCD display improve the ability to quickly and easily navigate.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio SA-76:
- Easy to navigate.
- Comes with drum pads.
- 100 inbuilt sounds.
- No touch sensitivity.
- Very small and limiting.
This keyboard is only good if you are looking for something specifically miniature. 44-keys is not great for a lot of different uses, but you might just want something that fits in your flight case to trigger a few notes at practice. It’s also a good keyboard option for kids to learn basic chords and melodies. Plus, it’s very affordable due to the size. The Casio SA-76 is a cheap Casio keyboard, but this may be what you are looking for.
Casio CTK-3500
Premium keyboard pack
The CTK-3500 (EPA bundle) is sold as an educational pack, and it is full of features that are amazing for beginners. It has 61 keys which is enough to learn most pop and rock songs, and know how to play melodies and chords.
If you buy the educational package, it comes with Chordana, which is an app that can show the song you are leaning on the LCD screen to make it easier. It also has an electronic learning suite.
If you are fine with 61 keys to get started, and you don’t need an 88-key Casio keyboard, this can be a good way to get started with learning. It can also help you to learn some of the basics of producing and remixing music as it includes the “Dance Music Mode”. A very cool Casio feature.
The CTK-3500 has 400 tones and 150 rhythms included, so you can practice playing along to lots of different tempos and rhythms.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio CTK-3500:
- Lots of tones and rhythms.
- Comes with a stand and e-learning suite.
- Compatible with Chordana.
- Can be played portably with batteries.
- No hammer action.
- No MIDI send option.
- A bit of a cheap, plasticky feel.
This has some of the latest compatibility with learning apps, making it one of the best 61-key Casio keyboards for beginners. At some point, you will probably wish to graduate to a model with 88-keys and hammer action, but for getting started, the CTK-3500 is a good cheap option.
Casio PX-160
This option has an optional furniture style stand, which means it is good for use within the home, but can also be suitable for taking to live shows. You can use a more portable, X-type stand when playing out and about. The PX-160 is a relatively affordable option for a sturdy 88-key digital piano.
This model has been designed to be suitable for beginners, but also good enough for intermediate and pro players. If you are a learner, you’ll be pleased with the option to buy a bundle, which includes a triple pedal, bench, furniture stand (Casio CS-67) and even comes with instruction books and DVDs.
The speaker system on the Privia option has been redesigned in recent iterations, and delivers a good amount of power for a home digital piano.
The tones are decent, though there are nowhere near as many as in some of the keyboards. The string and electric piano sounds inbuilt are particularly good.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio PX-160:
- Can be bought as an affordable bundle with stand.
- Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard.
- Great ebony and ivory feel to the keyboard.
- Value for money.
- Could do with more sounds and tones.
- Sound clarity is not amazing.
This piano isn’t the very best that money can buy, but for the money, it is quite an impressive option. It’s surprising that you can buy this for so much less than $1000 makes it a superb choice for beginners and intermediate players, and the hammer action and beautifully made keys feel more like a pro option. The Casio Privia PX-160 is better than its price tag suggests.
Casio CTK-6250
Another portable Casio keyboard with some very good features. This has more of a focus on performance and making your own customizations to the sound.
The Casio CTK-6250 has 700 tones built-in, so you will pretty much never get bored of the sounds that are available, but you can also store your own tones in the keyboard for live performances!
There is a song sequencer included, so you can record up to 16 tracks with different layers, and it can store five songs within.
One of the best features of this keyboard is the huge amount of effects. You can switch between reverb and delay, chorus, flanger, wah wah, rotary and even more! This means that the sound is more customizable and changeable than pretty much any other Casio keyboard.
The keys are touch sensitive, but don’t have hammer action.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio CTK-6250:
- Inbuilt sequencer.
- Loads of effects.
- Save and recall your own unique sounds.
- The piano sounds are a little bit weak.
- Not as easy to control as some other options.
- A bit big and bulky for a 61-key model.
As a live performance tool, and for the option to mess around with loads of great sounds, the Casio CTK-6250 61-key portable keyboard is hard to argue with.
Casio CT-S200
This is something a little bit different. It’s a basic digital keyboard and it doesn’t have the best inbuilt speakers, but the Casiotone has been designed to be 100% portable, and even has a carrying handle.
This is USB and MIDI compatible, so it is a good option for using as a MIDI controller in a studio or out and about for performances.
It has the famous “Dance Music Mode” for remixing and playing around with sounds, and an incredible 400 tones to choose from. There are also 77 rhythms and 60 inbuilt songs to play along with.
It has a very cool design, and it is easy to control with a simple set of buttons and LCD display.
What we like (and don’t like) about the Casio CT-S200:
- Very lightweight and portable.
- Lots of inbuilt tones (400).
- Cool design available in lots of colors.
- USB and MIDI compatible.
- Inbuilt speakers are pretty low quality.
- No inbuilt effects.
- No hammer action.
Though this may be basic, if you want something easily portable with plenty of sounds, the Casiotone CT-S200 could be a good option for you to take to practice and use as a MIDI or USB controller when producing music.
Conclusion
The range of the best Casio keyboards and digital pianos is very varied. There are options for those who are very serious about becoming classically trained musicians, and good choices for kids and those who want a portable beginner keyboard.
Casio is one of the most affordable brands out there, and their digital pianos and keyboards are very highly rated considering. The Casio Privia PX-870 is a great option for a digital piano and has been named the best overall on our list, but the Casio CDP-240 could be best if you want something more lightweight and portable.