The Best Ergonomic Keyboards For 2025

Table of contents

Best ergonomic keyboards for 2025

What to look for successful an ergonomic keyboard

You mightiness beryllium looking into ergonomic accessories to thief pinch a circumstantial problem, specified arsenic carpal passageway aliases tendonitis. Or possibly you’re simply looking for a measurement to make agelong hours astatine your table much comfortable. It tin thief to cognize immoderate of nan terminology and reasons down various features, which we explicate below. Just support successful mind that caller instrumentality unsocial won’t lick nan problem. Changing positions, doing regular stretches and taking walk breaks will each spell a agelong measurement towards making you consciousness amended while you work.

Alice vs split

Most ergonomic keyboard layouts autumn into 2 categories: unibody (or Alice) and split. The erstwhile is simply a azygous committee pinch nan 2 halves of nan keys rotated astir 30 degrees isolated astatine nan bottom. The separation forms an A-shaped abstraction betwixt nan keys — which has thing to do pinch why it’s called an Alice layout, it’s conscionable a happy coincidence. This subtle tweak pushes your elbows distant from your ribs while keeping a consecutive statement from your forearm to your mediate knuckle. Using one, I beautiful instantly felt much unfastened on nan beforehand broadside of my body. This layout much intimately resembles a accepted keyboard, truthful it should beryllium easier for astir folks to get utilized to than a afloat divided option.

Speaking of, divided boards break nan keys into 2 abstracted parts you tin position individually. You tin put them enarthrosis region apart, bring them person together aliases perspective them arsenic overmuch arsenic feels comfortable. You tin besides put your rodent betwixt nan halves, which whitethorn consciousness for illustration an easier travel for your cursor manus and could perchance thief pinch conditions for illustration repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Personally, I for illustration being capable to put my existent snack betwixt nan 2 parts. I've besides recovered that pairing a divided keyboard pinch a bully ergonomic mouse has helped maine moreover more, peculiarly a vertical mouse.

Tenkeyless

You tin find ergonomic keyboards pinch and without number pads. Not having those number keys connected nan correct manus broadside lets you support your rodent person in, minimizing wide reach. But if you activity pinch numbers a lot, you’ll apt want that pad included. Some programmable boards let for nan usage of layers, which temporarily repurpose keys and tin supply you pinch a ten-key action done clever remapping of missive keys.

Tenting and antagonistic tilt

Tenting raises nan mediate of nan keyboard up, truthful your hands move person to a “handshake” position. Alice keyboards usually perspective up towards nan mediate and ever to a fixed degree, since nan 2 sides are connected. Split boards often fto you set nan grade of tenting, going from level to subtle to utmost lift.

You whitethorn person encountered keyboards pinch an optional assistance astatine nan backmost of nan board, raising nan apical keys higher than nan abstraction bar. Every group of hands is different, but for astir people, pulling nan backs of nan hands towards nan forearms increases strain. Negative tilt has nan other effect by sloping successful nan different direction, lowering nan apical number keys while raising nan separator pinch nan spacebar. Many Alice and immoderate divided keyboards connection an optional antagonistic tilt. I recovered it was much comfortable to alteration that characteristic erstwhile I’m standing, and I preferred to person nan keys level erstwhile sat astatine my desk.

Staggered vs columnar

This determination seems to beryllium 1 of nan much hotly-contested among ergo enthusiasts. A accepted keyboard has staggered keys, pinch each statement somewhat offset to nan rows supra and beneath it — truthful nan A cardinal is astir halfway betwixt nan Q and W supra it. This is simply a holdover from vintage mechanical typewriters, successful which each property activated a hammer that smashed ink onto insubstantial successful nan style of a letter. To fresh nan hammers arsenic adjacent together arsenic possible, while still allowing for digit pads, nan keys were staggered.

Columnar aliases ortholinear keyboards stack nan keys successful orderly columns, often pinch rows that are not linear. Proponents declare this makes nan keys easier to reach. Whether that’s existent will beryllium up to your fingers to decide, but I tin opportunity for definite that if you learned to type connected a staggered keyboard, switching to a columnar layout is tough. It will return days, perchance weeks earlier you instinctively deed nan C key. The N, M and B keys don’t fare overmuch better.

Programmable keys

With a fewer exceptions, astir ergonomic keyboards will activity pinch PCs aliases Macs arsenic a modular typing input, but nan usage of usability and basking keys whitethorn require immoderate remapping. It tin beryllium arsenic easy arsenic an onboard move to toggle betwixt Mac and PC layouts, aliases arsenic progressive arsenic downloading package to alteration up nan keys. Some boards moreover see (or fto you buy) other keycaps to change, say, nan Mac’s Command and Option keys to PC’s Start and Alt buttons. Those are what's called hot-swappable keys, meaning you conscionable propulsion nan aged cardinal disconnected (usually pinch a provided cardinal puller) and instrumentality nan caller 1 on, nary soldering required.

For immoderate boards, remapping aliases programming keys utilizing package is simply a important feature. Gaming peripherals person other keys that you tin group to execute a bid of keystrokes pinch nan push of a azygous button, and we cover nan champion gaming keyboards successful a abstracted guide. Keyboards that activity pinch layers, successful which a azygous fastener tin execute respective functions, typically let you to alteration what those are. Some ergo keyboards person non-standard layouts, for illustration thumb clusters pinch aggregate keys adjacent nan abstraction barroom that you run pinch your thumb. You’ll besides beryllium capable to programme those.

Other considerations

Ergonomic keyboards travel successful mechanical, membrane, and scissor move versions. Which useful champion for you is, again, up to your preference. I won’t get excessively heavy into nan particulars here, arsenic we person an full guideline devoted to nan champion mechanical boards, but nan short of it is that membrane and scissor switches are little customizable than mechanical and typically cheaper. Typing connected them tends to beryllium quieter and softer. Mechanical switches are much customizable, connection a much responsive typing acquisition and are usually pricier.

You’ll besides person nan action of wired aliases wireless ergonomic boards. All different things being equal, wired models are little expensive. Competitive gamers who trust connected split-second responses whitethorn for illustration nan zero-lag of wired keyboards. Wired models besides ne'er tally retired of artillery life and person less connectivity issues. But wireless keyboards support your table little cluttered.

Some ergonomic keyboards travel pinch imperishable aliases removable wrist aliases thenar rests, which tin beryllium cushioned aliases hard. This is different area wherever opinions diverge: proponents declare they thief you support a neutral manus position, while detractors opportunity they put unit connected nan tendons and tin origin wrist symptom aliases moreover exacerbate conditions for illustration carpal tunnel. Ideally, your palms should beryllium resting, not your wrists, and you mightiness find you for illustration having that support aliases you whitethorn find nan unit uncomfortable.

How we tested ergonomic keyboards

All our guides statesman pinch extended investigation to fig retired what’s retired location and what’s worthy testing. We see brands pinch bully reputations that we’ve heard bully things astir from colleagues and look astatine keyboard reviews successful forums and different trusted publications. For this guide, I looked for keyboards pinch ergonomic features for illustration tenting, divided keys, thenar support and truthful on. I besides zeroed successful connected boards that didn’t require a heavy magnitude of familiarity pinch nan immense and exhaustive world of civilization keyboards.

Once I settled connected 10 boards, I acquired them and utilized each 1 for anyplace from a fewer days to a fewer weeks. I tried retired nan remapping and macros package and considered nan comfort, design, value and durability of each exemplary earlier arriving astatine picks I deliberation will activity champion for nan astir group retired there. For consequent updates to this guide, I person continued to get and trial retired caller keyboards arsenic they travel connected nan market, adding and replacing nan apical picks arsenic warranted. If and erstwhile Microsoft ergonomic keyboards, for illustration nan Sculpt, travel backmost connected nan market, arsenic a collaboration pinch Incase has promised, I'll effort those models, too.

Other ergonomic keyboards we tested

Naya Create

I didn’t get to afloat trial nan Naya Create keyboard, but I was capable to effort 1 retired for a fewer minutes during CES this year. It’s 1 of nan much customizable keyboards you’ll find. Not only is it a afloat split, mechanical committee pinch programmable keys, nan thumb clusters beryllium conscionable beneath 2 modular platforms that each judge a touchpad, trackball, dial aliases a 3D joystick. These are meant to switch your rodent and different input devices, eliminating recreation for your cursor hand. Each half of nan keyboard assemblage bends successful 2 places to let for precise tenting and, from my short clip pinch nan Naya, nan hinges and nan full committee felt solidly built. The Naya Create starts astatine $500 earlier you adhd connected immoderate of nan rodent modules, but that’s not stopping group from ordering. According to Naya’s website, nan first 3 batches of pre-orders sold retired and nan 4th batch will vessel successful July 2025.

Kinesis Advantage 360

If you want thing afloat divided pinch thumb clusters and a columnar layout but that’s a small little minimal than nan Zsa Voyager— and wireless to footwear — nan Advantage 360 from Kinesis, makers of nan popular Advantage 2 is simply a bully 1 to cheque out. It looks for illustration it comes from an ‘80s-era IBM office, but is someway besides from nan future. The tenting goes from debased to aggravated and nan cardinal good curves concavely to meet your fingers wherever they people land. The 360 is per-key programmable, useful pinch layers and has 4 macros keys.

Periboard 835

For a mechanical Alice keyboard pinch some wireless and wired capabilities, nan Periboard 835 is simply a bully pick. The Mac and Windows-compatible committee has a coagulated build, debased floor plan switches, RGB lighting, comfortable tenting and a fewer other programmable keys.

Goldtouch Elite Adjustable

I retrieve wondering if thing for illustration nan Goldtouch Elite Adjustable existed erstwhile I first started testing ergonomic keyboards. It didn’t astatine nan time, arsenic acold arsenic I could tell, but now a connected yet adjustable divided committee is so a merchandise you tin buy. It’s a solidly-built committee and nan shot associated connecting nan 2 halves feels for illustration it will put up pinch a batch of use. A compression of nan lever astatine nan apical of nan keys lets you group nan committee conscionable really you like, adjusting some nan vertical tenting and nan perspective betwixt nan 2 halves. There’s nary programming to speak of, conscionable nan expertise to switch a fewer usability keys for illustration people surface and home.

Unfortunately, nan tenting doesn’t activity for me. Because of nan other keys astatine nan outer edges, raising nan mediate edges upwards lifts nan halfway keys considerably, which brings my wrists and forearms disconnected nan table alternatively of letting them rest. Holding them for illustration that created other cervix and enarthrosis strain connected my part, which is benignant of nan other of nan goal. But if you’re not into tenting anyhow and want a flat, Alice-split committee pinch an adjustable splay, this useful rather well.

Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard

The thought down nan Kinesis Form Split Touchpad Keyboard is beautiful ergonomic: put nan trackpad betwixt nan 2 halves and minimize recreation for your rodent hand. The region betwixt nan 2 puts your elbows astatine a comfortable region and keeps your wrist astir in-line pinch your forearms. The build is excellent, pinch debased floor plan mechanical switches that consciousness soft and conscionable nan correct magnitude of clacky. The trackpad is responsive, but gestures only activity pinch Windows computers. Even dragging and dropping doesn’t activity connected a Mac here, truthful I don’t spot Apple users getting overmuch usage retired of nan board. I besides recovered myself wishing for nan slightest rotation of nan keys — though they’re a bully region apart, a flimsy perspective would support my wrists afloat unbent. There’s nary tenting aliases antagonistic tilt either, some of which could thief a spot more, ergonomically speaking.

Logitech Wave Keys

While it's a perfectly good and affordable Bluetooth keyboard, nan Logitech Wave has minimal ergonomics. The keys emergence up somewhat successful nan mediate and there's a comfortable wrist remainder attached, but nan layout is nan aforesaid arsenic immoderate different keyboard, pinch nary splitting of nan keys to unfastened up your arms aliases support your wrists straight.

Ergonomic keyboard FAQs

What kinds of ergonomic keyboard styles are there?

Most ergonomic keyboards autumn into 2 categories: afloat divided which separates nan committee into 2 pieces, and unibody split, besides known arsenic an Alice design, which angles nan keys outward astatine nan bottom. When nan keys are rotated outward aliases divided into 2 halves, it allows for a wider dispersed betwixt your elbows for a much relaxed typing position. Other ergonomic features, specified arsenic thumb clusters, halfway tenting and antagonistic tilting are sometimes added to either type of board.

Which keyboard layout is nan astir ergonomic?

Since each personification is different, there’s nary 1 champion ergonomic keyboard layout. The modular QWERTY layout is what astir group are utilized to. The Dvorak, Colemak and Workman layouts rearrange nan committee to put nan much commonly utilized letters person to nan home-key position. All 3 are intended to minimize your digit movements. That whitethorn so consciousness much comfortable and little fatiguing, but group utilized to nan QWERTY layout will apt request to relearn really to type.

When do I request a divided keyboard?

You mightiness consciousness immoderate alleviation pinch a afloat divided keyboard if you find yourself tensing up astatine nan shoulders arsenic you type connected a modular board. Putting immoderate region betwixt your hands whitethorn let your thorax to enactment much open, which for immoderate is an easier position to maintain. You whitethorn besides admit being capable to spot your rodent aliases trackpad betwixt nan 2 halves of nan committee to minimize nan region your cursor manus needs to travel.

How agelong does it return to set to an ergonomic keyboard?

That depends connected nan type of keyboard. Since nan Alice-split creation simply rotates nan keys apart, typing connected it feels reasonably akin to nan regular keyboards you’re already utilized to. A afloat divided committee will return a small much adjustment, peculiarly if it uses thumb clusters. The enter, displacement and power buttons whitethorn now beryllium operated by your thumbs alternatively of your different fingers and that tin beryllium reliable to get utilized to. It took maine a afloat period to get wholly comfortable pinch a afloat divided keyboard pinch thumb clusters. But now, I for illustration it to typing connected regular boards.