By cryptoadmin 
I most likely have a look at my laptop display screen greater than I have a look at my relations. And copious hours sitting at a desk haven’t executed 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 put money into an ergonomic keyboard. The primary time I attempted a completely break up, thumb cluster board, I knew I had discovered the reply to my specific downside. But it surely was difficult to determine methods to sort on it. Different unibody boards with angled keys, comparable to Alice type 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” choice for everybody (since our bodies are inherently completely different), this information explores the choices so you will discover the most effective ergonomic keyboard for you.
Desk of contents
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Greatest ergonomic keyboards for 2025
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What to search for in an ergonomic keyboard
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How we examined ergonomic keyboards
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Different ergonomic keyboards we examined
Greatest ergonomic keyboards for 2025
What to search for in an ergonomic keyboard
Alice vs break up
Most ergonomic keyboard layouts fall into two classes: unibody (or Alice) and break up. The previous is a single board with the 2 halves of the keys rotated about 30 levels aside on the backside. The separation varieties an A-shaped area between the keys — which has nothing to do with why it’s known as an Alice structure, it’s only a completely satisfied coincidence. This refined tweak pushes your elbows away out of your ribs whereas protecting a straight line out of your forearm to your center knuckle. Utilizing one, I fairly immediately felt extra open alongside the entrance aspect of my physique. This structure extra carefully resembles a conventional keyboard, so it needs to be simpler for most people to get used to than a completely break up choice.
Talking of, break up boards break the keys into two separate elements you may place individually. You may put them shoulder distance aside, convey them nearer collectively or angle them as a lot as feels comfy. You too can put your mouse between the halves, which can really feel like a neater journey in your cursor hand and will probably assist with circumstances like repetitive pressure accidents (RSI). Personally, I like having the ability to put my present snack between the 2 elements. I've additionally discovered that pairing a break up keyboard with a great 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 suitable aspect enables you to preserve your mouse nearer in, minimizing total attain. However for those who work with numbers rather a lot, you’ll possible need that pad included. Some programmable boards permit for the usage of layers, which briefly repurpose keys and may give you a ten-key choice via intelligent remapping of letter keys.
Tenting and detrimental tilt
Tenting raises the center of the keyboard up, so your fingers 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 linked. Break up boards typically allow you to modify the diploma of tenting, going from flat to refined to excessive raise.
You will have encountered keyboards with an non-obligatory raise behind the board, elevating the highest keys greater than the area bar. Each set of fingers is completely different, however for most individuals, pulling the backs of the fingers in direction of the forearms will increase pressure. Adverse tilt has the other impact by sloping within the different path, decreasing the highest quantity keys whereas elevating the sting with the spacebar. Many Alice and a few break up keyboards supply an non-obligatory detrimental tilt. I discovered it was extra comfy 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 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’s about midway between the Q and W above it. This can be 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 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 determine, however I can say for sure that for those who discovered to sort on a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar structure is hard. It can 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 an ordinary typing enter, however the usage of perform and sizzling keys might 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) additional keycaps to alter, say, the Mac’s Command and Choice keys to PC’s Begin and Alt buttons. These are what's known as hot-swappable keys, that means you simply pull the previous key off (normally 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 an important characteristic. Gaming peripherals have additional keys you could set to execute a sequence of keystrokes with the push of a single button, and we cowl the most effective gaming keyboards in a separate information. Keyboards that work with layers, through which a single button can carry out a number of capabilities, sometimes help 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 issues
Ergonomic keyboards are available in mechanical, membrane, and scissor change variations. Which works greatest for you is, once more, as much as your desire. I received’t get too deep into the particulars right here, as we’ve a complete information dedicated to the most effective 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 normally pricier.
You’ll even have the choice of wired or wi-fi ergonomic boards. All different issues being equal, wired fashions are inexpensive. Aggressive players who depend on split-second responses might choose 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 preserve your desk much less cluttered.
Some ergonomic keyboards include everlasting or detachable wrist or palm rests, which will be cushioned or arduous. That is one other space the place opinions diverge: proponents declare they provide help to keep a impartial hand place, whereas detractors say they put strain on the tendons in your wrist and may exacerbate circumstances like carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms needs to be resting, not your wrists, and also you may discover you want having that assist or you could discover the strain uncomfortable.
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 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, break 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 anyplace from a number of days to a couple weeks. I attempted out the remapping and macros software program and regarded the consolation, design, worth and sturdiness of every mannequin earlier than arriving at picks I believe will work greatest 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 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'll attempt these fashions, too.
Different ergonomic keyboards we examined
Naya Create
I didn’t get to completely 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 yr. It’s one of many extra customizable keyboards you’ll discover. Not solely is it a completely break 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 substitute your mouse and different enter units, eliminating journey in your cursor hand. Every half of the keyboard physique bends in two locations to permit for exact tenting and, from my brief 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 folks from ordering. In keeping with 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 linked but adjustable break up board is certainly a product you should buy. It’s a solidly-built board and the ball joint connecting the 2 halves appears like it can put up with lots of use. A squeeze of the lever on the prime of the keys enables 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 perform 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 additional neck and shoulder pressure on my half, which is form of the other of the purpose. However for those who’re not into tenting anyway and need a flat, Alice-split board with an adjustable splay, this works fairly nicely.
Kinesis Type Break up Touchpad Keyboard
The concept behind the Kinesis Type Break up Touchpad Keyboard is fairly ergonomic: put the trackpad between the 2 halves and decrease journey in your mouse hand. The space 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 preserve my wrists totally unbent. There’s no tenting or detrimental tilt both, each of which might assist a bit extra, ergonomically talking.
Logitech Wavekeys
Whereas it's a superbly advantageous and inexpensive Bluetooth keyboard, the Logitech Wavekeys has minimal ergonomics. The keys stand up barely within the center and there's a snug 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 preserve your wrists straight.
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