Stones of the Yarra Valley

Ergonomic Keyboards That Aren’t a Pain in Your You-Know-What (Wrists)

· Vice

Prepare for the shock of a lifetime: I, as a tech journalist, type on a computer a lot.

Visit newsbetting.club for more information.

Did you climb back up into your seat from off the floor? What, no? What about if I told you that not only do I use a computer all day long, but I do it every work day, and even for bunches of time after work, on the weekends, and even holidays, too? You, me, and everybody, you say? Ok, fine then, tough guy.

What if I told you that I once suffered from the searing bite of keyboard-inflicted wrist pain and that unlike most trials in life, I solved it with a simple purchase? Yeah, now I got your attention. Ergonomic keyboards do all sorts of creative things with their shapes to promote a healthy typing posture that reduces a person’s tendency to twist their wrists, elbows, and shoulders in ways that aggravate nerves to the point of pain. Buying one could be just your ticket to finally rid yourself of that all-day typing pain.

a quick look at the best ergonomic keyboards

what i looked for

Not every ergonomic keyboard is a mechanical keyboard, in which beneath each keycap there’s an individual, physical switch. Many of them are, though. The market is in an intense honeymoon period with mechanical keyboards, and it doesn’t show any signs of cooling down.

There are many types of mechanical keys, and some of them can be loud enough to annoy your roommates, family members, and coworkers into a frothing rage. Ask me how I know… Cherry MX are a family of the most widespread key switches, and they’re often used as a benchmark for other brands’ switches, such as Gateron, Kailh, Outemu, Razer, and Logitech. Check out this explainer for an idea of which ones will be quiet enough not to drive you or your neighbors crazy.

You’ve probably heard of carpal tunnel syndrome. It occurs when you bend your wrist at awkward angles repeatedly, such as when typing. It compresses your median nerve, which runs through your wrist, and the strain is cumulative. It can get quite painful. I’ve lost count of the times in my life where I’ve got it.

Bending or twisting your elbows unnaturally in front of a keyboard can aggravate your ulnar nerve. Yep, I’ve suffered from that one, too. Your hands, arms, and fingers tingle as if they’ve fallen asleep, but it lasts for days. Longer if you don’t give yourself a rest from typing, which is hard when so much of modern life happens in front of a computer screen. Good ergonomic keyboards correct your typing posture so that you don’t aggravate your median or ulnar nerves.

the tented keyboard: logitech ergo k860

(opens in a new window) Logitech

Ergo K860 (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window) Available at Walmart Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Logitech calls it a split keyboard, but that’s not accurate. Unlike the Kinesis Freestyle2 and Freestyle Edge RGB also in this guide, you can’t separate the keyboard into two halves. Rather, the Ergo K860 is what’s known as a tented keyboard because it rises to a sloping ridgeline in the middle of the key layout that gently slopes down, as if Logitech had baked the keyboard in a pizza oven and let an air bubble into the dough.

The Ergo K860’s hump lets your arms rest in a more natural position when using it. Think about it. When you’re typing on a typical flat keyboard, you’re holding tension through your arms to get your hands flat against the keyboard, but if you relax your arms they’ll naturally rotate away from each other a little. The tented keyboard lets you relax your arms at all times, removing tension that inflames your ulnar and median nerves.

Aside from the hump, the Ergo K860 is remarkably conventional. There are no mechanical key switches underneath the keycaps, so it’ll feel and type just like an ordinary keyboard, without any noise. There’s a large memory foam wrist pad that you shouldn’t use for more than occasional, short breaks, because it’s best to raise your wrists off any surface when typing for long periods. And while there’s a USB cable, I’d just use the built-in Bluetooth wireless connectivity and bypass trying to find a USB-A port on a contemporary computer, most of which come exclusively with USB-C ports these days.

The Windows/Mac Agnostic: Logitech Wave Keys

(opens in a new window) Logitech

Wave Keys (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon (Windows/Mac) Buy Now (opens in a new window) Available at Amazon (Mac) Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Most keyboards are made for Windows. Manufacturers have become better at building keyboards that work for both Mac and Windows in the 12 years I’ve been seriously paying attention to and reviewing keyboards, but they’re still often marked only for Windows PCs. That means that when I’ve used such boards on Macs in the past, I’ve found myself hitting the wrong buttons at times and having to remember how I mapped which of the Mac’s unique commands to which Windows buttons.

The Wave Keys is available in two versions. One includes markings for both Windows and Mac on the same keys, where appropriate. If you use the Windows/Mac combo board on a Mac, you’ll find the “control” and “function” keys swapped. Windows’ “Start” and “alt” have the Mac’s “option” and “command” written underneath them. The Mac-exclusive version of the board has “control” and “function” in their correct spaces and no Windows markings.

At $60 for both versions, there’s no “Mac tax” for choosing the Mac-marked one. And as far as aftermarket keyboards go, it’s downright affordable. Both ‘boards will work on Windows and Mac interchangeably. The difference comes down to the markings. Buy the Mac version if you’ll only use it on a Mac, but buy the other version if you use it on Windows or switch off between a Mac and Windows PC.

One aspect I don’t like, which is trumpeted loudly in Logitech’s marketing materials, is the enormous, school-bus-sized memory foam wrist rest below the bottom keys. Not only does it make the Wave Keys hog for desktop space, but proper typing position lifts your wrists off the keyboard and desk. I know. Most people don’t actually type like that, but trust me when I say that raising your wrists off any surface becomes second nature with practice, and it reduces wrist pain down the line. I’m speaking from hard-won experience.

Perhaps the Wave Keys includes the memory foam pad because it knows most people will read that and just go right resting their wrists on the keyboard anyway, and better to do it with padding than no padding. Who knows. But if you find yourself taking advantage of the Wave Keys’ wrist pad, just make sure you do it for short rest periods and then get back to lifting your wrists, ok?

Split decision: Kinesis Freestyle 2

(opens in a new window) Kinesis

Freestyle2 (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window) Available at Walmart Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Split keyboards’ halves detach so that you can pull each half more in line with your shoulders. That, in turn, allows you to straighten out your forearms as you type instead of angling them toward each other to make your hands meet, as on a regular, one-piece keyboard.

Why should you care? It isn’t just a parlor trick. By straightening out your forearms, split keyboards do something that other ergonomic keyboards don’t do as well: they reduce shoulder and upper-back tension. They can feel wonky to get used to, and when their halves are separated they take up a lot of space on a desk, but if you find yourself with a sore upper back and tight shoulders after long typing sessions, one might do you a world of good.

Kinesis offers the option of connecting the Freestyle2 wirelessly over Bluetooth or via a cable. But the cable is a USB-A, not the newer USB-C type that most laptops these days typically have exclusively. I didn’t ding the Freestyle2 any proverbial points for that, since it does offer the wireless connectivity I expect most people will use, but you’re probably going to need to buy a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter if you plan on plugging it into your computer.

There’s a version that comes with risers that you can flip up when the halves are separated, which tilts the halves away from each other at opposing angles. That eases the strain on your ulnar and median nerves by letting your arms relax at a more natural angle. At $141 (as of the time we’re publishing this), though, it’s too expensive compared to the $100 version with them. I’d skip it.

two-piece gaming special: kinesis freestyle edge rgb

(opens in a new window) Kinesis

Freestyle Edge RGB (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window) Available at Walmart Buy Now (opens in a new window)

As long as you don’t mind paying double the price of the Kinesis Freestyle2, you can upgrade to the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB for $200. Following the same split construction, this version is more oriented toward gaming. Unlike the Freestyle2, it’s a mechanical keyboard that includes programmable RGB (red, green, blue) backlighting behind the keys to provide a rainbow-like color display during use.

Wired keyboards don’t bother me per se. When it comes to using a keyboard, I typically leave it at my desk anyway. But unlike its cheaper sibling, the Freestyle2, the Freestyle Edge RGB only connects to your computer via a USB-A cable. Most computers these days only come with USB-C ports, so you’ll most likely have to buy a USB–A-to-USB-C adapter to use it.

The Freestyle Edge RGB also comes with a 20-inch cord that connects the two halves of the keyboard, rather than the Freestyle2’s nine-inch cord. I don’t see the use of such a long cord, though, unless you’re built like Frankenstein’s football-playing, defensive tackle son and have shoulders wider than a Honda Civic.

The Freestyle Edge RGB comes with the flip-out risers that tilt the board’s two halves away from each other at an ergonomics-improving angle. You also get a choice between two types of mechanical key switches: Gateron Red Pro v1 (linear), which are fairly quiet and low-effort to push down, and Gateron Brown Pro v1 (tactile), which are louder and take a little more effort to type on.

Why would anyone want a louder, harder-to-push key switch, you might wonder. The tactility of pressing such a switch is enjoyable to some. I prefer the Browns because they’re just more satisfying to use. Don’t look at me like that. Surely you’ve turned the knob of a vintage record player or mashed the button of a German luxury car’s stereo and shuddered with delight at the sheer pleasantry of how it felt. Same thing with keyboards for some folks. But then, hey. I live alone and don’t have anyone else around here to piss off.

the throwback: incase sculpt

(opens in a new window) Incase

Sculpt (opens in a new window)

Available at Incase Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Microsoft launched this fella back in 2013, and there are legions of fans who swear they’ve never typed on such a comfortable keyboard. Cue the en masse cries of anguish when Microsoft phased it out in 2024 and ended production. But the design lives on. Incase bought the rights to the Sculpt and put it back in production.

The Sculpt doesn’t just tent the center of the board like the Logitech Ergo K860. It also twists the left and right sections of the board toward each other. Like with the tented hump, it’s also to allow the user to keep their arms, wrists, and shoulders in the body’s most natural resting position when using the ‘board. That’s why it looks like a background element from that Salvador Dalí painting of melted clocks

Separating the number pad from the rest of the keyboard was a clever move that I appreciated. Certain people, such as programmers and accountants, may use the numpad often, but the rest of us don’t. I like keeping the numpad tucked away somewhere behind the monitor where it’s out of my way and not taking up space.

That is, if you can get ahold of one. Amazon lists it as currently unavailable, as do all the other retailers as of publishing time. Incase lists stock as “coming soon” and lets you reserve one. If you want one and are a patient person, you should preorder yours now. There’s no expected arrival date, which is frustrating, but some people who’ve reserved Sculpts in 2025 have received theirs since, so they are shipping. It’s just on a vaguely slow and undefined timeline.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Keychron Q11

(opens in a new window)

Keychron Q11 (opens in a new window)

Available at Amazon Buy Now (opens in a new window)

What doesn’t this ‘board have? It’s a mechanical gaming keyboard with a high-quality aluminum body, RGB backlighting, and a split layout that lets you separate the two halves for the sake of eliminating shoulder pain. It even looks less janky when the halves are connected than most split keyboards, including the two Kinesis ‘boards in this roundup.

Well, the Keychron Q11 doesn’t have a few things, actually. It isn’t tented, so you have to keep your wrists and arms twisted (pronated) to type on the flat keyboard layout. There’s no wireless connectivity, either. Keychron’s product photos hide this fact well, but you have to plug this baby into your computer directly.

Fortunately for anyone who’s using even a semi-recently made computer, it comes with a USB-C cable, unlike most of the wired keyboards I looked at for this roundup. That means you don’t need any cumbersome adapters to plug it in.

The Keychron Q11 is also incredibly efficient with its footprint. The entire board is hardly bigger than the key layout itself. There’s no thick wrist pad or wide bezels surrounding the keys to turn it into a desk-hogging behemoth. It’s an expensive keyboard at $250, though. You get a well built, very compact keyboard with a lot of premium features. It also comes with a premium price tag.

teeny tiny: hhkb professional 2

(opens in a new window) HHKB

Professional 2 (opens in a new window)

Available at HHKB Buy Now (opens in a new window)

The Happy Hacking Keyboard (HHKB) Professional 2 is a 60-key keyboard, an ultra-compact ‘board that omits not just the number pad but also the directional arrow keys, all to create a keyboard that’s just 11.5 inches wide. The keys themselves aren’t smaller than a conventional keyboard’s; it’s not like typing on a Blackberry or a Playskool calculator. It’s just that the Professional 2 prioritizes being compact for small desks and for tucking into a backpack so that you can take it with you to the office, lecture hall, or café.

The Professional 2 is a mechanical keyboard, but it uses a highly unusual type of key switch from Japan called a Topre. Typing on a Topre keyboard feels like typing on a wet clay tablet. Rubber domes underneath the keycaps cushion some of the harsh impact as the keycap depresses and activates the mechanical switch. Firm but not harsh, Topre switches are exceedingly comfortable to type on.

side view of the hhkb professional 2 – credit: hhkb

The HHKB doesn’t have any fancy tricks, such as being a split keyboard or tented in the center. Take a look at the side profile of the keyboard above, though. See how it looks concave and not flat? This promotes proper wrist positioning. Also, after all my griping about ‘boards with large palm rests that you shouldn’t be resting your wrists on anyway, it’s good to see a keyboard that does away with it entirely.

can i just use a gaming keyboard?

Yes. Probably. Somewhere out there it’s possible there’s a gaming keyboard I’m not familiar with, and perhaps it’s as flat and dismally unpleasant to use as a regular, non-ergonomic keyboard, but every gaming keyboard I’ve ever used has been comfortable and ergonomic. After all, they’re explicitly made for people spending long hours gaming on them.

If you already own a gaming keyboard, or if you’re considering one, then you don’t need to also buy a separate ergonomic keyboard just for internet browsing, typing, and working. Your gaming keyboard almost certainly has many ergonomic features and will work fine for all your uses. I’ve used plenty, from Filco to Corsair to Das Keyboard, and they all are comfortable enough to reduce wrist pain.

In fact, my own mechanical keyboard of choice is the old Filco Majestouch 2 TKL gaming keyboard that originally helped me eliminate my wrist pain years ago. Filco has since replaced it with the Majestouch 3.

only part of a complete cure

Alone, a keyboard may not solve your pain problems entirely. An ergonomic board will force you, consciously or not, to adopt a healthier typing posture, which will more than likely alleviate at least some of your pain. The whole shebang works best as a complete system of ergonomic keyboard, desk and chair at proper height, monitor leveled with the eyeline, and solid posture while seated.

Fortunately for us all, those other fixes are free. Check out these primers on correct typing posture from Columbia University and the Mayo Clinic. They have solid advice that I can vouch for by personal experience, and more importantly they have pictures, because you’ve been reading a lot by this point and could perhaps use a break from words.

the bottom line

If you don’t type enough to experience sore wrists, an aching back, or tender shoulders, or if you’ve hit upon some magic combination of good posture, healthy screentime-break habits, and comfortable workspace, then you don’t have to spend your money on a new ‘board. I’m a firm believer in not recommending purchases willy nilly. But if you even occasionally feel a twinge of pain from long sessions on the computer, do your aching body a favor and consider an ergonomic keyboard. ‘Board-related injuries don’t just go away over time if you ignore them. They just compound and get more painful, and take longer to heal.

The post Ergonomic Keyboards That Aren’t a Pain in Your You-Know-What (Wrists) appeared first on VICE.

Read full story at source