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There’s absolutely something to be said for a good keyboard. Having something well-made that feels and sounds good to type on can make the time you spend at your computer feel much more worthwhile. Whether you’re clocking in and working, browsing your favorite forums, or booting up Steam for a gaming marathon, a satisfying and comfortable interface between you and your computer is indispensable.
A lot of great keyboards fall short in one specific way: ergonomics. With non-optimized layouts and limited customization, it’s almost like some keyboards are designed to be tough on your wrists. And if you’re spending hours every day in an office chair, you’ll want something that’s been optimized not only for an engaging typing experience but also to keep those long hours of typing from taking an unnecessary toll on your long-term comfort.
While there are countless options with diverse layouts and shapes, all ergonomic keyboards are designed with long-term comfort in mind. By angling out your wrists and spreading your shoulders apart, these keyboards can reduce strain and potentially prevent or alleviate the stress put on the body by typing.
To complement your new ergonomic keyboard, we have a guide to the Best Ergonomic Computer Mice and Best Office Chairs. And in case you realize that ergonomic peripherals aren’t for you, we also have our more-traditional Best Keyboards guide. For other peripherals, we have recommendations for the Best Computer Speakers and Best Computer Monitors.
What Are the Different Types of Ergonomic Keyboards?
While there are countless types of ergonomic keyboards, the most common are typically going to be angled keyboards and split keyboards. Angled keyboards, often referred to as “Alice”-style keyboards in the mechanical keyboard world (named after the TGR Alice), split the alphanumeric keys along the middle, positioning the two halves at an angle from one another while keeping the modifier keys (backspace, enter, shift, and so on) in their standard positions. The angle will vary between keyboards, as will the number of keys, but the main constant in an Alice-style keyboard is that, despite the halves being separated from one another, the keyboard itself is not split. It has one case that all of the keys are held in.
Alternatively, a standard split keyboard does the opposite: A standard split keyboard will keep all of the keys in their standard position (with no new angles) and instead cut the entire keyboard in two, creating two distinct halves that can be moved independently of one another. Some of these keyboards will connect the two halves with a cable, while others will connect them wirelessly. This typically allows for the two halves to be angled, to sit far away from one another, or for only one half to be used (typically for gaming).
Outside of all this, there are also ortholinear keyboards. On a typical keyboard, the keys are staggered instead of being aligned upon a perfect grid. But with an ortholinear keyboard, the keys are aligned along this grid. While this can be more difficult to type on at first, it theoretically enables your fingers to move more naturally, directly up and down to reach other keys instead of moving at an angle. There are both ergonomic and split ortholinear keyboards, and keyboards that use nonstandard staggering instead, like the Naya Create.
What Are the Benefits of an Ergonomic Keyboard?
The largest benefit of an ergonomic keyboard is in the name: It is more comfortable and ergonomically beneficial to type on. While this benefit can be felt by anyone, it is most significant for people who spend multiple hours a day at a computer: The repetitive movements and fixed position of typing can put unnecessary strain on the body due to the unnatural position required.
This is most prominent with the angle of the shoulders and wrists. When typing on a standard keyboard, your wrists need to be placed directly in front of your torso at an angle, putting strain on your wrists and hands. Instead of forcing your wrists to sit at an uncomfortable angle, an ergonomic design will put the two halves of the keyboard at an angle, allowing your wrists to sit more naturally.
What Are the Benefits of a Split Keyboard?
If you don’t care for the angle that an ergonomic keyboard has you typing at, or if you want to optimize further, a split keyboard could be the solution. When typing on a single-piece keyboard, even when angled, you need to bring both of your hands in front of your chest, close to one another. This position can put strain on your shoulders and back when done over a prolonged period of time. A split keyboard aims to solve this by allowing you to move the two halves of the keyboard further apart, with them potentially sitting in front of either shoulder. An added secondary bonus is the ability to angle the two halves of the keyboard however you see fit.
Is There a Significant Learning Curve?
While this really depends on the individual, there can be anything from a mild adjustment period to some more serious confusion. Personally, I find the transitional period between any keyboard with a somewhat-standard QWERTY layout to be fairly quick, since all of the keys are in positions at least somewhat-close to what I expect. However, even I struggle with more “strange” layouts like those found on ortholinear keyboards. After years of typing on standard keyboards, the familiar naturally becomes more familiar, and the unfamiliar can feel truly alien. However, if you are genuinely passionate about a new layout, I’ve often found that the transitional period is well worth the end result of using something that you really enjoy. It might suck for a bit, but don’t let that stop you!
Are There Any Other Downsides to These Keyboards?
Because these keyboards tend to have more space between the keys, they might not be as optimal for gaming. The WASD keys are split at an angle on an ergonomic keyboard, and it will be slightly more difficult to reach keys on the right-hand side of an ergonomic keyboard, and with some split keyboards, it can even be impossible to press certain keys when only using one half. Because of this, if nothing else, you’ll likely become more familiar with the key assignments menus in your favorite games. If you’re playing an older title that doesn’t have these kinds of settings, you might find yourself entirely out of luck.
For each of the keyboards on the list, I spend anywhere from a few days to a week testing every aspect of its performance and usability. This includes typing, gaming, multimedia editing, general browsing, and general productivity work with spreadsheets, text documents, and the like. I also experiment extensively with any bundled software, testing to ensure all the features work properly and that there’s nothing missing. During this process, I take extensive notes and pay attention to where each keyboard performs well, where it runs into difficulties, and what kinds of quirks I run into during testing.
Once I’m done testing, I compare each of the keyboards I’ve tested, looking at important metrics like build quality, typing experience, customizability, and repairability. While these metrics are fairly objective, there are quite a few subjective ones as well: Comfort, size, aesthetics, and layout preference will ultimately depend on the individual user, so I try to focus on a keyboard’s intended use case and general appeal instead of focusing on my personal preferences.
Ultimately, my decisions are made primarily based on the keyboard’s functionality, build quality, and longevity. I aim for each pick on this list to not only start out good but to stay good for a long time.
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