For those who spend a great portion of your waking hours behind a desk, merely slapping an ergonomic mouse and keyboard in your desk gained’t resolve the actual downside, which is sitting nonetheless for too lengthy. However after you’ve peppered in a number of walks and added some stretches for good measure, your workstation ergonomics is the subsequent factor to think about. Hunching, twisting and contorting are all more likely to result in discomfort in the long term.
Ergonomic keyboards may help: these boards cut up, tilt and/or angle the keys in ways in which assist preserve your shoulders and chest extra open and your forearms and wrists extra aligned. One ergonomic board gained’t work for everybody, so I examined out 15 completely different fashions, and regarded a mixture of ergonomic options that embody Alice and absolutely cut up designs, columnar orientations, thumb clusters, programmable keys and extra. Listed below are the most effective ergonomic keyboards we may discover.
Desk of contents
What to search for in an ergonomic keyboard
Alice vs cut up
Most ergonomic keyboard layouts fall into two classes: Alice and cut up. The previous is a single board with the 2 halves of the keys rotated about 30 levels aside on the backside. The separation varieties an A-shaped house between the keys — which has nothing to do with why it’s known as an Alice structure, it’s only a joyful coincidence. This refined tweak pushes your elbows away out of your ribs whereas holding a straight line out of your forearm to your center knuckle. Utilizing one, I fairly immediately felt extra open alongside the entrance aspect of my physique. This structure extra carefully resembles a standard keyboard, so it needs to be simpler for most people to get used to than a completely cut up possibility.
Talking of, cut up boards break the keys into two separate components you may place individually. You may put them shoulder distance aside, convey them nearer collectively or angle them as a lot as feels snug. You can too put your mouse between the halves, which can really feel like a better journey on your cursor hand and will probably assist with situations like repetitive pressure accidents. Personally, I like with the ability to put my present snack between the 2 components. I’ve additionally discovered that pairing a cut up keyboard with a great ergonomic mouse has helped me much more, notably a vertical mice.
Tenkeyless
Yow will discover ergonomic keyboards with and with out quantity pads. Not having these quantity keys on the proper aspect allows you to preserve your mouse nearer in, minimizing total attain. However in case you work with numbers lots, you’ll doubtless need that pad included. Some programmable boards permit for using layers, which briefly repurpose keys and may offer you a ten-key possibility by means of intelligent remapping of letter keys.
Tenting and adverse tilt
Tenting raises the center of the keyboard up, so your palms transfer nearer to a “handshake” place. Alice keyboards often angle up in direction of the center and at all times to a set diploma, because the two sides are related. Break up boards typically allow you to regulate the diploma of tenting, going from flat to refined to excessive carry.
You might have encountered keyboards with an non-compulsory carry in the back of the board, elevating the highest keys greater than the house bar. Each set of palms is completely different, however for most individuals, pulling the backs of the palms in direction of the forearms will increase pressure. Detrimental tilt has the other impact by sloping within the different course, reducing the highest quantity keys whereas elevating the sting with the spacebar. Many Alice and a few cut up keyboards provide an non-compulsory adverse tilt. I discovered it was extra snug to allow that characteristic after I’m standing, and I most well-liked to have the keys flat when sat at my desk.
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Staggered vs columnar
This determination appears to be one of many extra hotly-contested amongst ergo lovers. A traditional keyboard has staggered keys, with every row barely offset to the rows above and beneath it — so the A key’s about midway between the Q and W above it. It is a holdover from classic mechanical typewriters, during which every press activated a hammer that smashed ink onto paper within the form of a letter. To suit the hammers as shut collectively as potential, whereas nonetheless permitting for finger pads, the keys had been staggered.
Columnar or ortholinear keyboards stack the keys in orderly columns, typically with rows that aren’t linear. Proponents declare this makes the keys simpler to achieve. Whether or not that’s true can be as much as your fingers to determine, however I can say for sure that in case you discovered to sort on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar structure is hard. It’s going to take days, probably weeks earlier than you instinctively hit the C key. The N, M and B keys don’t fare significantly better.
Programmable keys
With a number of exceptions, most ergonomic keyboards will work with PCs or Macs as a typical typing enter, however using perform and scorching keys might require some remapping. It may be as simple as an onboard swap to toggle between Mac and PC layouts, or as concerned as downloading software program to vary up the keys. Some boards even embody (or allow you to purchase) further keycaps to vary, say, the Mac’s Command and Choice keys to PC’s Begin and Alt buttons.
For some boards, remapping or programming keys is a vital characteristic. Gaming peripherals have further keys that you would be able to set to execute a sequence of keystrokes with the push of a single button. Keyboards that work with layers, during which a single button can carry out a number of capabilities, sometimes will let you change what these are. Some ergo keyboards have non-standard layouts, like thumb clusters with a number of keys close to the house bar that you just function together with your thumb. You’ll additionally have the ability to program these.
Different concerns
Ergonomic keyboards are available mechanical, membrane, and scissor swap variations. Which works greatest for you is, once more, as much as your choice. I gained’t get too deep into the particulars right here, as we’ve a whole information dedicated to mechanical boards, however the in need of it’s that membrane and scissor switches are much less customizable than mechanical and sometimes cheaper. Typing on them tends to be quieter and softer. Mechanical switches are extra customizable, provide a extra responsive typing expertise and are often pricier.
You’ll even have the choice of wired or wi-fi ergonomic boards. All different issues being equal, wired fashions are cheaper. Aggressive avid gamers who depend on split-second responses might choose the zero-lag of wired keyboards. Wired fashions additionally by no means run out of battery life and have fewer connectivity points. However wi-fi keyboards preserve your desk much less cluttered.
Some ergonomic keyboards include everlasting or detachable wrist or palm rests, which might be cushioned or laborious. That is one other space the place opinions diverge: proponents declare they allow you to keep a impartial hand place, whereas detractors say they put stress on the tendons in your wrist and may exacerbate situations like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms needs to be resting, not your wrists, and also you may discover you want having that assist or you might discover the stress uncomfortable.
How we examined ergonomic keyboards
All our guides start with intensive analysis to determine what’s on the market and what’s value testing. We take into account manufacturers with good reputations that we’ve heard good issues about from colleagues and take a look at keyboard critiques in boards and different trusted publications. For this information, I appeared for keyboards with ergonomic options like tenting, cut up keys, palm assist and so forth. I additionally zeroed in on boards that didn’t require a deep quantity of familiarity with the huge and exhaustive world of customized keyboards.
As soon as I settled on ten boards, I acquired them and used every one for wherever from a number of days to some weeks. I attempted out the remapping and macros software program and regarded the consolation, design, value and sturdiness of every mannequin earlier than arriving at picks I feel will work greatest for the most individuals on the market.
Finest ergonomic keyboards for 2024
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Ergonomic options: Alice cut up, middle tenting, non-compulsory adverse tilt, wrist relaxation | Host connection: Bluetooth or USB receiver | Swap sort: Scissor | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Home windows | Ten key: Sure | RGB lighting: No | Programing interface: Logi Choices+ (app) | Language/Structure: QWERTY
The Ergo K860 from Logitech carefully resembles a typical, full-size keyboard, so there’s not a lot of a studying curve. However refined modifications just like the Alice structure, tented center and non-compulsory adverse tilt make typing noticeably extra ergonomic. Logitech makes a few of our favourite PC equipment, and the the reason why are all evident with this keyboard: it connects shortly and reliably through Bluetooth, the construct is strong and feels high-quality and it is moderately priced at $130 (and is usually on sale for round $100).
It’s suitable with more moderen iterations of Home windows, MacOS, iPadOS, ChromeOS and Linux, although you’ll want software program to assist non-basic key capabilities for the latter two working methods. There are three switching buttons that swap between beforehand related gadgets, and the board speedily swapped between a MacBook and a PC laptop computer in my assessments. Constructed-in perform keys like quantity and brightness labored nicely and the Choice/Begin and Command/Alt combo keys labored accurately relying on which pc was related to.
The rotated Alice-split design and raised middle made a distinction in the way in which I held my arms as I typed, permitting me to maintain my elbows comfortably away from my ribs and my palms rotated inward as an alternative of forcing them flat. The palm relaxation is springy however agency (albeit not detachable) and the arrow keys and a numeric keypad on the proper aspect put all potential keys inside attain. Sadly, that provides size to that aspect of the board, which forces your mouse farther out. The scissor swap keys can really feel mushy in case you’re coming from a mechanical board, however they’re responsive sufficient. Logitech gives software program for programming the keys, however this mannequin will doubtless attraction most to these on the lookout for a plug and play possibility.
For a mechanical Alice keyboard with each wi-fi and wired capabilities, I like to recommend the Periboard 835. The Mac and Home windows-compatible board has a strong construct, low profile switches, RGB lighting, snug tenting and some further programmable keys.
- Rotated keys and palm wrest make typing snug
- Wirelessly connects shortly to a few devides
- Hotkeys work with MacOS and Home windows
- Takes up a big footprint
- Wrist wrest isn’t detachable
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Ergonomic options: Absolutely cut up | Host connection: USB-C port | Swap sort: Mechanical (tactile or linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Home windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Sure | Programing interface: QMK/VIA (browser) | Language/Structure: QWERTY
For those who (expertly) sawed a mechanical keyboard in two, it will appear to be the Keychron Q11. You may even push the 2 halves again collectively to make it appear to be a typical, 75 p.c mechanical board (although when you uncover the expediency of a snack bowl between the halves, I don’t know why you’d do this).
Keychron is extensively revered within the mechanical keyboard world as a result of they make keyboards with a powerful construct high quality that aren’t astronomically costly. Like all Keychron gadgets, you should purchase this one assembled or barebones, to which you’ll add your personal keycaps and switches. I examined a completely assembled mannequin with Gateron G Professional Purple linear mechanical switches, which give smoother motion and a quieter clack than tactile or clicky switches. The keycaps are constituted of PBT, a higher-quality polymer than the ABS plastic keys present in cheaper keyboards. The machined aluminum physique feels substantial and there’s no wobble. All of that mixed creates a luxe and sturdy really feel and a satisfying, buttery clack as you sort.
The assembled model comes with keycaps (and a keycap puller) to arrange the board for both Mac or Home windows. A swap on the prime of the board toggles between the 2 working methods, making certain the perform keys act appropriately. Additional keys embody the 2 customizable knobs on the prime corners and 5 macro keys to the left of the board. These and the remainder of the board might be programmed with open supply keyboard firmware QMK and VIA, which most Keychron boards are suitable with out of the field.
I’ve very primary keyboard wants so I used VIA to provide the proper knob zoom capabilities, make the M1 key open a clipboard supervisor and have the M2 key execute a screenshot. Programming with VIA requires using keycodes and also you’ll must outline macros throughout the app to get the knob to do extra superior issues past the pre-selected choices, however the implementation of your new directions is instantaneous (and fairly satisfying).
The one drawbacks are the dearth of tenting and the moderately quick USB-C bridge cable connecting the 2 sides. I discovered I needed a bit of extra separation than 9 inches, so I swapped it for an extended twine. However there’s no simple repair for the dearth of middle carry.
- Top quality construct
- Easy and buttery mechanical keys
- Absolutely cut up keys preserve your palms at a cushty distance aside
- Simply toggle between Mac and Home windows methods
- No middle tenting
- Quick bridge cable included
Kensington
Ergonomic options: Alice cut up, middle tenting, non-compulsory adverse tilt, wrist relaxation | Host connection: Bluetooth or USB receiver | Swap sort: Membrane | Hotkey compatibility: Home windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: No | Programing interface: Kensington Konnect | Language/structure: QWERTY
The compact Kensington Professional Match Ergo sells for $70 at full value, however is usually on sale for round $55. That makes it a great price range board, but it surely feels far more premium than the worth tag suggests. The membrane keys are surprisingly springy and the low profile keycaps make typing simple. The wrist relaxation, particularly when mixed with the adverse tilt, hits my palms at simply the proper spot, not placing stress on my tendons whereas holding the backs of my wrists straight. In fact, completely different hand sizes can have completely different experiences, however my males’s medium/ladies’s giant mitts had been snug.
It related simply through Bluetooth or radio dongle to each the Mac and PC I attempted, staying reliably related and woke shortly from sleep. And the LED indicator for the rechargeable battery stayed inexperienced (full) over the month or so of testing during which I used it and saved it intermittently. Recharging is easy through the USB port. Whereas it’s easy to change to a Mac or Home windows structure, the keyboard works higher as a PC peripheral.
Kensington’s software program means that you can reprogram the perform keys and some specialty keys with shortcuts or macros however I couldn’t get the software program to work with my Mac. It carried out fantastic with my PC laptop computer, however this in all probability is not the keyboard to get if you need minute, custom-made key remapping anyway. For those who simply need a comparatively cheap keyboard that’s much more snug to sort on than most, it is a good one to seize.
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Ergonomic options: Absolutely cut up, middle tenting, thumb cluster | Host connection: USB-C port | Swap sort: Mechanical (tactile, clicky, linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Home windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Sure | Programing interface: Oryx (browser) | Language/Structure: QWERTY (programmable)
A rep I spoke with at ZSA warned me in regards to the Voyager, saying the board has an impact “like a brain injury: A moment ago you knew how to type, and now you don’t.” That’s precisely how I felt after plugging within the impossibly compact accent. For one, the columnar structure places keys (notably these on the underside row) in spots you don’t intuitively attain for. Then there’s a thumb cluster the place you’ll discover not simply the house bar, however different essential keys like return. Lastly, the board makes use of layers, giving every key as much as three capabilities.
I truly needed to interrupt testing at one level and plug in one other keyboard as a result of I simply felt too gradual and disconnected like I used to be typing with oven mitts on. Nonetheless, now that I’ve the dangle of how the Voyager works, it feels magical. Hardly ever do my palms want to go away the house place, but each key I want regularly is definitely accessible.
Because you don’t must reorient your fingers if you use arrow keys, hit the mute button or sort with the quantity pad, you’re at all times in the identical place, which may prevent some critical gathered time. Your thumbs, that are pretty dexterous, are able to doing extra than simply mashing the spacebar; right here, they function the return key, tab button and may even initialize layers. The absolutely cut up and additional compact design allow you to place the 2 boards wherever they really feel snug and the non-compulsory magnetic legs give it a refined however efficient middle tenting.
The place some keyboards provide remapping capabilities as a nice-to-have characteristic, the vast majority of individuals will doubtless wish to use both the browser-based Oryx configurator or Zsa’s Keymapp app to change up what these keys do. It took me a number of tries to get them set in a approach that labored for me, so I bought fairly acquainted with Oryx. It doesn’t require you to lookup keycodes, as an alternative providing you with an enormous library of searchable instructions. However modifications aren’t carried out mechanically — you must flash the keyboard’s firmware by pushing a button on the prime fringe of the gadget to make the modifications.
Sure system-specific capabilities, just like the Mission Management key on a Mac, should be programmed utilizing key sequences (on this case, management + down arrow). And infrequently the board will mistake a single faucet for a faucet and maintain (which frequently allows a second perform). I additionally flashed the board as soon as and misplaced all use of the proper aspect, however reflashing mounted it.
The Voyager isn’t for somebody on the lookout for a fast adjustment to enhance their ergonomics. It’ll take weeks of follow and reprogramming (each the board and your mind) earlier than typing feels fluid once more. I like to recommend holding a screenshot of your newest Oryx-configured structure in your desktop for reference till you keep in mind which keys do what. That mentioned, as soon as issues begin clicking, the Voyager actually does maximize your output whereas minimizing your actions.
If you would like one thing absolutely cut up with thumb clusters and a columnar structure however that’s rather less minimal — and wi-fi besides — the Benefit 360 from Kinesis, makers of the in style Benefit 2 is an efficient one to take a look at. It appears to be like prefer it comes from an ‘80s-era IBM office but is somehow also from the future. The tenting goes from low to intense and the keys curve concavely to meet your fingers where they naturally land. The 360 is per-key programmable, works with layers and has four macros keys.
- Fully split board
- Center tenting for a natural hand position
- Thumb cluster lets your thumb do more work
- Compact size and clever key mapping keep your hands in the home position
- Difficult to relearn ortholinear layout
- Takes time to program and learn the right key functions
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Ergonomic features: Fully split, columnar keys, thumb cluster, wrist rest, optional tenting and negative tilt (additional cost) | Host connection: Wired or Bluetooth and USB receiver (wireless costs extra) | Switch type: Mechanical (tactile, linear or clicky) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS & Android | Ten key: Programmable | RGB lighting: Yes | Programing interface: Bazecor | Language/layout: QWERTY (but programmable to any layout)
Like the Zsa Voyager, The Dygma Defy is another fully split, columnar board with thumb clusters and keys and layers that are per-key programmable. It has a little more going on than the Voyager, with full sized keycaps, built-in wrist rests and twenty more keys, including eight keys in each thumb cluster. The programming software, Bazecor, is super simple to figure out, making it easy to program shortcuts, macros and layers (again, sticking a screenshot of your keys layout on your desktop will help as you learn what you’ve programmed every key to do). The keys are a delight to sort on with springy and responsive mechanical switches. As an entire, the Defy feels nicely designed and the (removable) wrist rests have a just-right consistency.
Optionally, you may add an LED underglow, tenting mechanisms and wi-fi capabilities (Bluetooth and RF) however every add-on will increase the worth by $70, $80 and $90, respectively. That introduced the absolutely kitted-out model I examined to $609. With out these, it’ll run you $369. That’s very shut in value to the Voyager, which doesn’t have an underglow or wi-fi capabilities. The Voyager does embody tenting knobs, however the carry is minimal at a couple of half an inch. At its most setting, the Defy’s tenting brings the halves almost vertical.
The Defy is a well-made, deluxe board, particularly with the add-ons. It’s in all probability greatest for individuals who choose a maximalist working setup and want a lot of further choices for programmable keys. I discovered myself at a loss for what to do with all of the keys and had a troublesome time holding all of them straight. Plus my cluttered desk felt prefer it was sacrificing a bit an excessive amount of room to accommodate the 2 sizable halves. For me, the Voyager strikes a greater stability between providing further keys and taking over minimal desk actual property.
- Premium construct
- 16 thumb cluster keys
- Programming software program is straightforward to make use of
- Costly, particularly with non-compulsory options
- Excessive studying curve
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Ergonomic options: Absolutely cut up, middle tenting, detachable wrist relaxation | Host connection: USB-A cable | Swap sort: Mechanical (tactile, clicky, linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Home windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Sure | Programing interface: SmartSet (app) | Language/Structure: QWERTY
As I mentioned in our information to ergonomic mice, my sporadic, console-only gaming doesn’t make me a gamer. However I’ve an honest understanding of what avid gamers may like. PC avid gamers who depend on the WASD keys might recognize not having to deal with the proper aspect of a keyboard in any respect, and as an alternative use that house for his or her mouse. The Freestyle Edge from Kinesis is a gaming variation on the model’s authentic Freestyle 2 is a completely cut up mannequin with Cherry MX mechanical switches. The tactile Brown ones in my tester unit had a satisfying click on and a not overly loud clacky noise. The wrist rests are detachable and intelligent folding legs offer you three top choices for tenting and may also be eliminated fully.
It’s backlit, with per-key RGB lights and 9 macros buttons that may be programmed with the configuration app or with out it utilizing keyboard instructions. All of this will likely attraction in case you’re on the lookout for a programmable gaming keyboard with a number of ergonomic methods. Simply remember the fact that all of these options add as much as a considerably cumbersome peripheral.
- Absolutely cut up means you may simply use the left half
- Excessive diploma of non-compulsory tenting
- Further programmable shortcut keys
- Considerably cumbersome
- Constructed-in cables should not customizable
Different ergonomic keyboards we examined
Goldtouch Elite Adjustable
I keep in mind questioning if one thing just like the Goldtouch Elite Adjustable existed after I first began testing ergonomic keyboards. It didn’t on the time, so far as I may inform, however now a related but adjustable cut up board is certainly a product you should purchase. It’s a solidly-built board and the ball joint connecting the 2 halves appears like it should put up with numerous use. A squeeze of the lever on the prime of the keys allows you to set the board simply how you want, adjusting each the vertical tenting and the angle between the 2 halves. There’s no programming to talk of, simply the power to swap a number of perform keys like print display and residential.
Sadly, the tenting doesn’t work for me. Due to the additional keys on the outer edges, elevating the center edges upwards lifts the middle keys significantly, which brings my wrists and forearms off the desk as an alternative of letting them relaxation. Holding them like that created further neck and shoulder pressure on my half, which is kind of the other of the objective. However in case you’re not into tenting anyway and need a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works fairly nicely.
Kinesis Kind Break up Touchpad Keyboard
The thought behind the Kinesis Kind Break up Touchpad Keyboard is fairly ergonomic: put the trackpad between the 2 halves and decrease journey on your mouse hand. The gap between the 2 places your elbows at a cushty distance and retains your wrist almost in-line together with your forearms. The construct is superb, with low profile mechanical switches that really feel clean and simply the correct quantity of clacky. The trackpad is responsive, however gestures solely work with Home windows computer systems. Even dragging and dropping doesn’t work on a Mac right here, so I don’t see Apple customers getting a lot use out of the board. I additionally discovered myself wishing for the slightest rotation of the keys — although they’re a long way aside, a slight angle would preserve my wrists absolutely unbent. There’s no tenting or adverse tilt both, each of which may assist a bit extra, ergonomically talking.
Logitech Wavekeys
Whereas it is a completely fantastic and reasonably priced Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech Wavekeys has minimal ergonomics. The keys stand up barely within the center and there is a snug wrist relaxation connected, however the structure is similar as another keyboard, with no splitting of the keys to open up your arms or preserve your wrists straight.
