But if you do a lot of typing and have concerns about your posture or suffer from arm, wrist, or shoulder pain, you might want to upgrade to an ergonomic keyboard. After researching and testing the top ergonomic keyboards, all of which are designed to reduce strain and keep your arms in a more natural position, we recommend the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB. The Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB is the best option due to its fully split design, its responsive Cherry MX mechanical keys, its zero-degree slope and low profile, its programmability, and the optional ability to tent the keyboard to 5, 10, or 15 degrees.
With the recommended Lift Kit accessory , you can also tent each half raise the inner edges of the keyboard halves to keep your wrists at a neutral angle. Although getting used to typing on a fully split keyboard could take a bit of time—at least a few days, if not weeks—the Freestyle Edge RGB was the easiest for us to get comfortable with thanks to its standard, familiar key layout. It has a partially split, slightly tented design and a negative slope attachment that together put your wrists in a more ideal typing position.
Plus, the Sculpt keyboard connects via a 2. This fully split mechanical keyboard can angle in any position to accommodate a wide range of body types and ergonomic needs, though its layout and its blank modifier keys take some getting used to. This is the ergonomic keyboard for tinkerers: You can adjust the legs on the fully split keyboard halves to any tented and negatively tilted angle, you have your choice of 12 switch types, the keycaps and switches are easily replaceable, and the open-source firmware lets you remap keys and modify the backlight to your liking.
The ErgoDox EZ is for people who want their keyboard to fit and feel just so—and are willing to put the time and effort into relearning how to type. Both Dr. For the latest update to this guide, I interviewed Amaanat Gill, an associate ergonomist at Humanscale , a manufacturer of ergonomic furniture and tools. Standard keyboards force you to hold your wrists and arms at angles that can cause discomfort or pain in your hand, arm, or shoulder.
An ergonomic keyboard can help you position your body more properly, with your shoulders relaxed, your upper arms close to your torso, and your forearms level with the floor. As Rempel told us, if you use a keyboard more than 10 hours a week and already experience this discomfort or pain, you should consider an ergonomic keyboard.
Like buying an ergonomic chair or a standing desk , buying an ergonomic keyboard is an investment in yourself. Also, a keyboard, like a computer mouse or your favorite pair of sneakers, is a very personal choice.
Pain, numbness, or other serious symptoms likely require a medically advised option tailored to your needs. On that same note, our recommendations are based on ergonomic advice for most people, but everyone has different needs and preferences. Some of the keyboards we mention in the Competition section might be worth considering in these cases. Following are the most important features to look for in an ergonomic keyboard, according to our experts:.
Key feel and well-functioning keys: The shape and size of the keys, how much force you need to press a key before it registers called actuation force , and how much tactile and auditory feedback you get all affect how comfortable your hands will be after a long day of typing.
Key feel also influences how effectively you type. Typically a good feel is a key with some click about halfway through the stroke. For these reasons, we focused on mechanical switches, which are more responsive and comfortable to type on than cheaper and less durable membrane keys.
We recommend Cherry MX Brown switches or their equivalent because they have a tactile bump and a lighter actuation force of 45 grams compared with other kinds of switches. Flat keyboard slope from front to back: We focused on ergonomic keyboards with at least a zero-degree slope or, even better, a negative tilt option. This position, called extension , is a major cause of strain. That same study notes that a keyboard with negative tilt angled downward, away from the user protected the carpal tunnel from critical pressure far more than regular keyboards did.
Split keyboard: With split keyboards, you can hold your upper arms at the most comfortable position, by your sides. Conventional keyboards, in contrast, can force your hands to angle in and your elbows to push out from your sides, which can lead to hunched shoulders and upper-back strain. Split ergonomic keyboards come in two flavors: partially split and fully split. Partially split keyboards have a gap of an inch or two down the middle but the keyboard is a single unit, like a traditional keyboard, so it involves an easier learning curve.
A fully split keyboard, on the other hand, is basically a keyboard cut in half. This option is more flexible and adjustable; you can angle and position each half exactly how it is most comfortable for you. Such a design does come with a more difficult learning curve, though. But if you have wrist or shoulder pain, adjusting your typing technique is a minor hindrance if it might bring some relief. Now relax your hands and shoulders. Your hands roll out, your elbows get closer to your body and your shoulders relax.
When you start typing, the problem gets even worse. Your forearms are cramped and your fingers have to repeatedly stretch at awkward angles to reach keys. Your keyboard may require forceful tapping to strike each letter, sending a miniscule shockwave up delicate finger bones over and over.
One of the biggest ergonomic keyboard benefits is improved comfort. Your hands and arms rest in a natural position. Repeating the same unnatural movements over and over causes incremental damage that can lead to serious injury. The carpal tunnel is a passageway in your wrist about an inch across.
Carpal bones make an arch on the top and sides and a ligament encloses the tunnel on your palm side. Daily contortion causes swelling, irritates the nerve and can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. A repetitive strain injury RSI is similar. You perform the same uncomfortable movement over and over, and your hands, wrists and arms become damaged. Without treatment, the symptoms get worse and cause longer periods of pain. Carpal tunnel syndrome, RSI and other wrist pain issues take time and often medical attention to heal.
One of the ergonomic keyboard advantages is that they prevent injury from occurring in the first place. If your keyboard causes fatigue, it keeps you from being your most productive self.
If you pay employees to accomplish tasks and pain or frustration slows them down, it costs you money. Ergonomic keyboard benefits include improved productivity. If your goal is to complete an endurance event, you give yourself the best chance of success with comfortable shoes and attire designed for performance.
When your goal is a successful fishing expedition you choose a boat, lures, poles and other equipment designed for what you want to catch. If you want workplace productivity, you need an ergonomic keyboard designed to enhance your ability to work. It costs you time and money when good employees quit. You may not be able to give everyone a raise or fix every interpersonal issue, but you can show them you care about their comfort and well-being.
When bosses focus on holistic well-being, employees feel valued. Share ergonomic keyboard benefits so your staff knows their comfort and long-term health is a high priority for your organization. Some computer users are especially at risk for keyboard-related injury and fatigue. If you use a computer regularly for work or play, you need a keyboard designed for the way the human body works.
The first type of ergonomic keyboard is the Unibody style. Unibody boards are the easiest to get used to and typically the cheapest options. A Unibody style board is just one board that is together, as the name suggests. This means that you can get an ergonomic experience without the complexity of a split keyboard. The ergonomics may not be as great as a split keyboard but they will still be superior to the comfort of just a standard keyboard.
If you want something clean and simple while still getting a comfortable experience then a unibody board is the option for you. The other style of ergonomic keyboards is the split layout. A split style keyboard has more customizability in the sense that you can move each side around but this comes at a cost.
Typically split keyboards have another set of wires that you have to deal with between both halves. Also, split keyboards are often harder to get used to. Some split-style keyboards can be combined back into one regular board but these often sacrifice on looks for this extra function. In general, a split keyboard will sacrifice looks but will give maximum comfort.
Since you can adjust a split keyboard to your liking, if you are looking for the best comfort then a split board will best suit you. Switching to an ergonomic keyboard is a fantastic way to improve your comfort while working. They can solve pains, reduce the chance of long-term problems, and promote better posture. Problems such as carpal tunnel or RSI can be greatly reduced. While ergonomic keyboards have these benefits, normal keyboards still allow for slightly faster typing speeds, are more available, support many more sizes and layouts.
There are a few different styles for ergonomic keyboards to choose from depending on what you do daily. With Unibody and Split keyboards and a few different layouts for each type of board, there is something that will suit you.
For additional ergonomics, tips check out some home office tips from the University of Washington. Throughout my life, I have been a tech enthusiast. Starting from a young age I got experience in multiple fields including building PCs, programming, writing about computer peripherals, and more.
I wish to spread knowledge about these different fields and provide information about different niches that may be popular but are not written about often.
View all posts by Giacomo. You must be logged in to post a comment. Skip to content. Ergonomic vs Normal Keyboards Ergonomic and normal keyboards definitely have their differences but both have their benefits. Like this: Like Loading Published by Giacomo. Follow Following. The Tech Frontier Join 28 other followers. Already have a WordPress.
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