The very best ergonomic keyboards for 2025

I most likely take a look at my pc display screen greater than I take a look at my relations. And copious hours sitting at a desk haven’t accomplished favors for my already wonky neck and shoulders. When you additionally really feel some discomfort from typing and mousing the day away, you would possibly need to spend money on an ergonomic keyboard. The primary time I attempted a totally cut up, thumb cluster board, I knew I had discovered the reply to my specific downside. However it was difficult to determine find out how to kind on it. Different unibody boards with angled keys, equivalent to Alice fashion keyboards, would possibly make issues extra snug for you with out requiring a lot relearning.
I attempted out greater than 15 fashions of ergonomic boards and located a couple of that stood out. Whereas there’s no single “finest” possibility for everybody (since our bodies are inherently totally different), this information explores the choices so you will discover one of the best 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

Finest 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 types an A-shaped area between the keys — which has nothing to do with why it’s known as an Alice format, it’s only a glad coincidence. This delicate tweak pushes your elbows away out of your ribs whereas retaining 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 format extra carefully resembles a standard keyboard, so it ought to be simpler for most people to get used to than a totally cut up possibility.

Talking of, cut up boards break the keys into two separate components you possibly can place individually. You may put them shoulder distance aside, convey them nearer collectively or angle them as a lot as feels snug. You may as well put your mouse between the halves, which can really feel like a neater journey on your cursor hand and will doubtlessly assist with situations like repetitive pressure accidents (RSI). 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 good ergonomic mouse has helped me much more, notably a vertical mice.

Tenkeyless

You’ll find ergonomic keyboards with and with out quantity pads. Not having these quantity keys on the proper facet allows you to hold your mouse nearer in, minimizing total attain. However should you work with numbers so much, you’ll possible need that pad included. Some programmable boards enable for the usage of layers, which briefly repurpose keys and might give you a ten-key possibility by way of intelligent remapping of letter keys.

Tenting and damaging tilt

Tenting raises the center of the keyboard up, so your arms 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. Cut up boards typically allow you to modify the diploma of tenting, going from flat to delicate to excessive raise.

You might have encountered keyboards with an non-obligatory raise behind the board, elevating the highest keys increased than the area bar. Each set of arms is totally different, however for most individuals, pulling the backs of the arms in direction of the forearms will increase pressure. Damaging tilt has the other impact by sloping within the different route, reducing the highest quantity keys whereas elevating the sting with the spacebar. Many Alice and a few cut up keyboards supply an non-obligatory damaging tilt. I discovered it was extra snug to allow that characteristic after I’m standing, and I most popular to have the keys flat when sat at my desk.

Staggered vs columnar

This resolution appears to be one of many extra hotly-contested amongst ergo fanatics. A traditional keyboard has staggered keys, with every row barely offset to the rows above and under it — so the A secret’s about midway between the Q and W above it. This can be 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 doable, 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 succeed in. Whether or not that’s true will probably be as much as your fingers to resolve, however I can say for sure that should you realized to kind on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar format is hard. It’s going to 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 couple of exceptions, most ergonomic keyboards will work with PCs or Macs as an ordinary typing enter, however the usage of operate and scorching keys could require some remapping. It may be as simple as an onboard change 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 outdated key off (often with a supplied 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 characteristic. Gaming peripherals have further keys that you would be able to 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, 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 area 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 change variations. Which works finest for you is, once more, as much as your desire. I received’t get too deep into the particulars right here, as we have now a whole 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, supply 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 could favor 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 will be cushioned or onerous. That is one other space the place opinions diverge: proponents declare they allow you to preserve a impartial hand place, whereas detractors say they put stress on the tendons in your wrist and might exacerbate situations like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms ought to be resting, not your wrists, and also you would possibly discover you want having that help or you might discover the stress uncomfortable.

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

How we examined ergonomic keyboards

All our guides start with in depth analysis to determine what’s on the market and what’s value testing. We think about manufacturers with good reputations that we’ve heard good issues about from colleagues and take a look at keyboard opinions in boards and different trusted publications. For this information, I seemed for keyboards with ergonomic options like tenting, cut up keys, palm help 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 couple of days to a couple weeks. I attempted out the remapping and macros software program and thought of the consolation, design, worth and sturdiness of every mannequin earlier than arriving at picks I feel will work finest for the most individuals on the market. For subsequent updates to this information, I’ve continued to amass and take a look at out new keyboards as they arrive available on the market, including and changing the highest picks as warranted. If and when Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, just like the Sculpt, come again available on the market, as a collaboration with Incase has promised, I will attempt these fashions, too.

Different ergonomic keyboards we examined

Naya Create

I didn’t get to totally take a look at 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 totally cut up, mechanical board with programmable keys, the thumb clusters sit slightly below two modular platforms that every settle for a touchpad, rollerball, dial or a 3D joystick. These are supposed to exchange your mouse and different enter units, 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 the complete 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 individuals from ordering. Based on 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 after I first began testing ergonomic keyboards. It didn’t on the time, so far as I might 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 is going to put up with a whole lot of use. A squeeze of the lever on the high 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 flexibility to swap a couple 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 an alternative of letting them relaxation. Holding them like that created further neck and shoulder pressure on my half, which is type of the other of the objective. However should you’re not into tenting anyway and desire a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works fairly nicely.

Kinesis Type Cut up Touchpad Keyboard

The concept behind the Kinesis Form Split 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 snug distance and retains your wrist practically in-line together 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 totally unbent. There’s no tenting or damaging tilt both, each of which might assist a bit extra, ergonomically talking.

Logitech Wavekeys

Whereas it is a completely superb 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 hooked up, however the format is identical 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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