The perfect ergonomic keyboards for 2025

I in all probability have a look at my pc display screen greater than I have a look at my relations. And copious hours sitting at a desk haven’t performed favors for my already wonky neck and shoulders. Should you additionally really feel some discomfort from typing and mousing the day away, you may wish to spend money on an ergonomic keyboard. The primary time I attempted a completely cut up, thumb cluster board, I knew I had discovered the reply to my explicit downside. Nevertheless it was difficult to determine sort on it. Different unibody boards with angled keys, reminiscent of Alice fashion keyboards, may make issues extra comfy for you with out requiring a lot relearning.
I attempted out greater than 15 fashions of ergonomic boards and located a number of that stood out. Whereas there’s no single “greatest” possibility for everybody (since our bodies are inherently totally different), this information explores the choices so you will discover the perfect ergonomic keyboard for you.

Desk of contents

Best ergonomic keyboards for 2025
What to look for in an ergonomic keyboard
How we tested ergonomic keyboards
Other ergonomic keyboards we tested

Greatest ergonomic keyboards for 2025

What to search for in an ergonomic keyboard

Alice vs cut up

Most ergonomic keyboard layouts fall into two classes: unibody (or 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 kinds 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 delicate tweak pushes your elbows away out of your ribs whereas preserving a straight line out of your forearm to your center knuckle. Utilizing one, I fairly immediately felt extra open alongside the entrance facet of my physique. This structure extra carefully resembles a standard keyboard, so it ought to be simpler for most folk to get used to than a completely cut up possibility.

Talking of, cut up boards break the keys into two separate components you’ll be able to place individually. You possibly can put them shoulder distance aside, deliver them nearer collectively or angle them as a lot as feels comfy. You may also put your mouse between the halves, which can really feel like a neater journey on your cursor hand and will doubtlessly assist with circumstances like repetitive pressure accidents (RSI). Personally, I like having the ability to put my present snack between the 2 components. I’ve additionally discovered that pairing a cut up keyboard with a good ergonomic mouse has helped me much more, significantly a vertical mice.

Tenkeyless

You will discover ergonomic keyboards with and with out quantity pads. Not having these quantity keys on the proper facet permits you to hold your mouse nearer in, minimizing total attain. However when you work with numbers loads, you’ll seemingly need that pad included. Some programmable boards enable for the usage of layers, which quickly repurpose keys and might give you a ten-key possibility via intelligent remapping of letter keys.

Tenting and unfavorable tilt

Tenting raises the center of the keyboard up, so your palms transfer nearer to a “handshake” place. Alice keyboards normally angle up in direction of the center and at all times to a set diploma, because the two sides are related. Cut up boards typically allow you to regulate the diploma of tenting, going from flat to delicate to excessive raise.

You might have encountered keyboards with an non-compulsory raise behind the board, elevating the highest keys increased than the house bar. Each set of palms is totally different, however for most individuals, pulling the backs of the palms in direction of the forearms will increase pressure. Unfavorable tilt has the other impact by sloping within the different course, decreasing the highest quantity keys whereas elevating the sting with the spacebar. Many Alice and a few cut up keyboards provide an non-compulsory unfavorable tilt. I discovered it was extra comfy to allow that function once I’m standing, and I most popular to have the keys flat when sat at my desk.

Staggered vs columnar

This determination appears to be one of many extra hotly-contested amongst ergo fans. A standard keyboard has staggered keys, with every row barely offset to the rows above and under it — so the A secret is about midway between the Q and W above it. It is a holdover from classic mechanical typewriters, through 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 doable, whereas nonetheless permitting for finger pads, the keys have 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 succeed in. Whether or not that’s true shall be as much as your fingers to determine, however I can say for sure that when you realized to sort on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar structure is hard. It would take days, presumably weeks earlier than you instinctively hit the C key. The N, M and B keys don’t fare a lot better.

Programmable keys

With a number of exceptions, most ergonomic keyboards will work with PCs or Macs as a normal typing enter, however the usage of operate and sizzling keys could 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 alter up the keys. Some boards even embody (or allow you to purchase) further keycaps to alter, say, the Mac’s Command and Possibility keys to PC’s Begin and Alt buttons. These are what’s known as hot-swappable keys, which means you simply pull the previous key off (normally with a offered key puller) and stick the brand new one on, no soldering required.

For some boards, remapping or programming keys utilizing software program is a vital function. Gaming peripherals have further keys you can set to execute a collection of keystrokes with the push of a single button, and we cover the best gaming keyboards in a separate information. Keyboards that work with layers, through which a single button can carry out a number of features, 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 along with your thumb. You’ll additionally be capable 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 desire. I gained’t get too deep into the particulars right here, as we’ve a complete information devoted to the best 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 normally pricier.

You’ll even have the choice of wired or wi-fi ergonomic boards. All different issues being equal, wired fashions are cheaper. Aggressive players who depend on split-second responses could desire 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 hold your desk much less cluttered.

Some ergonomic keyboards include everlasting or detachable wrist or palm rests, which may be cushioned or onerous. That is one other space the place opinions diverge: proponents declare they enable you to keep a impartial hand place, whereas detractors say they put strain on the tendons in your wrist and might exacerbate circumstances like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms ought to be resting, not your wrists, and also you may discover you want having that assist or you could discover the strain uncomfortable.

Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

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 have a look at keyboard critiques in boards and different trusted publications. For this information, I seemed 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 a couple weeks. I attempted out the remapping and macros software program and thought of 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. For subsequent updates to this information, I’ve continued to amass and check out new keyboards as they arrive in the marketplace, including and changing the highest picks as warranted. If and when Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, just like the Sculpt, come again in the marketplace, as a collaboration with Incase has promised, I am going to attempt these fashions, too.

Different ergonomic keyboards we examined

Naya Create

I didn’t get to completely check the Naya Create keyboard, however I used to be in a position to attempt one out for a couple of minutes throughout CES this year. It’s one of many extra customizable keyboards you’ll discover. Not solely is it a completely cut up, mechanical board with programmable keys, the thumb clusters sit just under two modular platforms that every settle for a touchpad, rollerball, dial or a 3D joystick. These are supposed to substitute your mouse and different enter gadgets, eliminating journey on your cursor hand. Every half of the keyboard physique bends in two locations to permit for exact tenting and, from my quick time with the Naya, the hinges and all the board felt solidly constructed. The Naya Create begins at $500 earlier than you add on any of the mouse modules, however that’s not stopping folks from ordering. In response to Naya’s web site, the primary three batches of pre-orders offered out and the fourth batch will ship in July 2025.

Goldtouch Elite Adjustable

I bear in mind questioning if one thing just like the Goldtouch Elite Adjustable existed once 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 looks like it’s going to put up with numerous use. A squeeze of the lever on the high of the keys permits 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 operate keys like print display screen 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 a substitute of letting them relaxation. Holding them like that created further neck and shoulder pressure on my half, which is form of the other of the objective. However when you’re not into tenting anyway and desire a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works fairly effectively.

Kinesis Kind Cut up Touchpad Keyboard

The concept behind the Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard is fairly ergonomic: put the trackpad between the 2 halves and reduce journey on your mouse hand. The gap between the 2 places your elbows at a cushty distance and retains your wrist practically in-line along with your forearms. The construct is great, with low profile mechanical switches that really feel easy 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 hold my wrists absolutely unbent. There’s no tenting or unfavorable tilt both, each of which may assist a bit extra, ergonomically talking.

Logitech Wavekeys

Whereas it is a completely effective and inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech Wavekeys has minimal ergonomics. The keys stand up barely within the center and there is a comfy wrist relaxation hooked up, however the structure is similar as some other keyboard, with no splitting of the keys to open up your arms or hold your wrists straight.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/equipment/best-ergonomic-keyboard-130047982.html?src=rss

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