The best ergonomic keyboards for 2024

Ergonomic features: Fully split | Host connection: USB-C port | Switch type: Mechanical (tactile or linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Yes | Programing interface: QMK/VIA (browser)

If you (expertly) sawed a mechanical keyboard in two, it would look like the Keychron Q11. You can even push the two halves back together to make it look like a standard, 75 percent mechanical board (though once you discover the expediency of a snack bowl between the halves, I don’t know why you’d do that).

Keychron is widely respected in the mechanical keyboard world because they make quality keyboards that aren’t astronomically expensive. Like all Keychron devices, you can buy this one assembled or barebones, to which you can add your own keycaps and switches. I tested a fully assembled model with Gateron G Pro Red linear mechanical switches, which provide smoother action and a quieter clack than tactile or clicky switches. The keycaps are made from PBT, a higher-quality polymer than the ABS plastic keys found in less expensive keyboards. The machined aluminum body feels substantial and there’s no wobble. All of that combined creates a luxe and durable feel and a satisfying, buttery clack as you type.

The assembled version comes with keycaps (and a keycap puller) to set up the board for either Mac or Windows. A switch at the top of the board toggles between the two operating systems, ensuring the function keys act appropriately. Extra keys include the two customizable knobs at the top corners and five macro keys to the left of the board. Those and the rest of the board can be programmed with open source keyboard firmware QMK and VIA, which most Keychron boards are compatible with out of the box.

I have very basic keyboard needs so I used VIA to give the right knob zoom capabilities, make the M1 key open a clipboard manager and have the M2 key execute a screenshot. Programming with VIA requires the use of keycodes and you’ll need to define macros within the app to get the knob to do more advanced things beyond the pre-selected options, but the implementation of your new instructions is instantaneous (and quite satisfying).

The only drawbacks are the lack of tenting and the rather short USB-C bridge cable connecting the two sides. I found I wanted a little more separation than nine inches, so I swapped it for a longer cord. But there’s no easy fix for the lack of center lift.

Ergonomic features: Alice split, center tenting, wrist rest | Host connection: USB-A cable | Switch type: Membrane | Hotkey compatibility: Windows | Ten key: Yes | RGB lighting: No | Programing interface: N/A

Perixx makes a number of ergonomic keyboards and the Periboard 512 offers basic features at a low price. The standard keys will work with a Mac, but the included media keys and function keys are programmed for Windows machines. It worked well on the PC I tested it with, jumping to the search bar, opening the built-in Mail app and muting the sound when I hit the respective keys. The membrane keys are sturdy without wobble and the Alice split and tenting put your hands in a comfortable position. The rigid wrist rest angles down, which makes it easier to rest your palms and not your wrists.

At just $70, the 512 isn’t the most premium board and you can feel that in the lightweight design and cheaper-feeling keycaps. But if you’re just looking for a basic Windows interface with ergonomic features that’ll take some of the strain off your work posture, this is an inexpensive way to go.

Ergonomic features: Fully split, center tenting, thumb cluster | Host connection: USB-C port | Switch type: Mechanical (tactile, clicky, linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Yes | Programing interface: Oryx (browser)

A rep I spoke with at ZSA warned me about the Voyager, saying the board has an effect “like a brain injury: A moment ago you knew how to type, and now you don’t.” That’s exactly how I felt after plugging in the impossibly compact accessory. For one, the columnar layout puts keys (particularly those on the bottom row) in spots you don’t intuitively reach for. Then there’s a thumb cluster where you’ll find not just the space bar, but other important keys like return. Finally, the board uses layers, giving each key up to three functions.

I actually had to interrupt testing at one point and plug in another keyboard because I just felt too slow and disconnected like I was typing with oven mitts on. However, now that I have the hang of how the Voyager works, it feels magical. Rarely do my hands need to leave the home position, yet every key I need on a regular basis is easily accessible.

Since you don’t need to reorient your fingers when you use arrow keys, hit the mute button or type with the number pad, you’re always in the same position, which can save you some serious accumulated time. Your thumbs, which are fairly dexterous, are capable of doing more than just mashing the spacebar; here, they operate the return key, tab button and can even initialize layers. The fully split and extra compact design let you position the two boards anywhere they feel comfortable and the optional magnetic legs give it a subtle but effective center tenting.

Where some keyboards offer remapping capabilities as a nice-to-have feature, the majority of people will likely want to use either the browser-based Oryx configurator or Zsa’s Keymapp app to switch up what these keys do. It took me multiple tries to get them set in a way that worked for me, so I got pretty familiar with Oryx. It doesn’t require you to lookup keycodes, instead giving you a vast library of searchable commands. But changes aren’t implemented automatically — you have to flash the keyboard’s firmware by pushing a button at the top edge of the device to make the changes.

Certain system-specific functions, like the Mission Control key on a Mac, need to be programmed using key sequences (in this case, control + down arrow). And occasionally the board will mistake a single tap for a tap and hold (which often enables a second function). I also flashed the board once and lost all use of the right side, but reflashing fixed it.

The Voyager is not for someone looking for a quick adjustment to improve their ergonomics. It’ll take weeks of practice and reprogramming (both the board and your brain) before typing feels fluid again. I recommend keeping a screenshot of your latest Oryx-configured layout on your desktop for reference until you remember which keys do what. That said, once things start clicking, the Voyager really does maximize your output while minimizing your movements.

If you want something fully split with thumb clusters and a columnar layout but that’s a little less minimal — and wireless to boot — the Kinesis Advantage 360 is a good one to check out. It looks like it comes from an ‘80s-era IBM office but is somehow also from the future. The tenting goes from low to intense and the keys curve concavely to meet your fingers where they naturally land. The 360 is per-key programmable, works with layers and has four macros keys.

Ergonomic features: Fully split, center tenting, removable wrist rest | Host connection: USB-A cable | Switch type: Mechanical (tactile, clicky, linear) | Hotkey compatibility: Mac and Windows | Ten key: No | RGB lighting: Yes | Programing interface: SmartSet (app)

PC gamers who rely on the WASD keys may appreciate not having to contend with the right side of a keyboard at all, and instead use that space for their mouse. The Freestyle Edge from Kinesis is a fully split model with Cherry MX mechanical switches. The tactile Brown ones in my tester unit had a satisfying click and a not overly loud clacky noise. The wrist rests are removable and clever folding legs give you three height options for tenting and can be removed completely.

It has per-key RGB lights and nine macros buttons that can be programmed with the configuration app or without it using keyboard commands. All of this may appeal to gamers looking for a programmable keyboard with a few ergonomic tricks. Just keep in mind that all of those features add up to a somewhat bulky peripheral.