Best ergonomic keyboard: Type with speed, style and comfort
Tired of aching wrists, hunched shoulders, finger cramps and mysterious pains? Sort them out with an ergonomic keyboard
If you spend most of your working days or nights at a desk in front of a computer, then a decent keyboard is an absolute must. Even if you work on a laptop you should at least consider an external keyboard, which will help you get in a more comfortable working position and save you some minor aches and pains. That goes double if you invest in an ergonomic keyboard.
These are designed to encourage better posture, support your palms and wrists, and push you towards good typing habits that could help you avoid some serious issues aggravated by poor keyboard use.
The dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome might not be one of them – numerous studies have found that the mouse is a more likely culprit – but keyboard mis-use can increase the risk of RSI and tendonitis, while contributing to painful inflammation in the elbows, shoulders, neck and back.
If you’re prone to arthritis, excessive use of an uncomfortable keyboard isn’t likely to help that, either. Switching to an ergonomic keyboard can help you reduce these risks. Below, you’ll find our list of the best ergonomic keyboards on the market and underneath that, we’ve got a buying guide covering all the things you need to consider before making a purchase.
Best ergonomic keyboard: At a glance
| Best overall | Logitech Ergo K860 | £115 | Check price at Amazon |
| Best mid-price ergonomic keyboard | Kensington Pro Fit Ergo | £76 | Check price at Amazon |
| Best budget ergonomic keyboard | Perixx Periboard 512 | £41 | Check price at Amazon |
The best ergonomic keyboards you can buy
1. Logitech Ergo K860: Best ergonomic keyboard overall
Price when reviewed: £115 | Check price at Amazon
Logitech’s K860 takes the classic split design but goes all out on adding extra comfort everywhere it can. The layout is split down the middle and humped to promote a neutral typing position, and this combined with the light but wonderfully responsive key action make it easy on the elbows and the shoulders and an absolute treat for the fingers – at least, once you’ve acclimatised. Your wrists aren’t left out, either, with a deep, memory foam wrist rest sitting inside a knitted fabric cover, which gives you a luxurious feeling of support.
The Ergo K860 can pair with up to three devices at once, switching between them with a singe key tap, and if you use a Logitech mouse and Logitech’s Flow software, you can flick from one compatible computer to the other by mousing over to the next screen. It’s one party trick you’ll never tire of. It’s an expensive keyboard, but nothing else feels quite like it. Only the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic, with its space-saving separate numeric keypad, comes close.
Key specs – Type: Split-key chiclet; Special features: Customisable function keys, Logitech Flow; Connections: 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth; Dimensions: 456 x 233 x 48mm; Weight: 1.16kg
2. Kensington Pro Fit Ergo: Best mid-price ergonomic keyboard
Price when reviewed: £76 | Check price at Amazon
The Pro Fit Ergo is a slightly cheaper alternative to the Microsoft and Logitech split keyboards, and can be purchased solo or in a bundle with the matching Pro Fit Ergo mouse. It’s a very decent effort, with a slightly less pronounced hump where the keys split, but still plenty of support for a good working posture and a comfortably padded wrist rest. As a bonus, both the wrist rest and the keys themselves are spill-resistant and wipe clean, so there’s no need to panic if you tip over your coffee or your beverage fizzes out from the can.
There’s much to like here, including the choice of Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections and being able to switch between them with a flick of a switch. The USB receiver can be replaced if lost or damaged, and it will run from a pair of AAA batteries for up to two years over the 2.4GHz connection and a further six months if you stick to Bluetooth. In fact, the only grumble is that, while there’s plenty of travel, the feel is soft and loose. On its own it’s far from bad, but it doesn’t quite hit the same mark of quality as the Microsoft and Logitech competition.
Key specs – Type: Split-key chiclet; Special features: Spill-proof and wipe clean; Connections: 2.4GHz USB dongle, Bluetooth; Dimensions: 482 x 252 x 38mm; Weight: 1kg
3. Perixx Periboard 512: Best cheap ergonomic keyboard
Price when reviewed: £41 | Check price at Amazon
The Periboard 512 is well established as one of the better budget ergonomic keyboards. You’ll have to do without premium features like wireless connectivity or a padded wrist rest, but there’s nothing wrong with the wave-shaped split design or the layout of the keys. Just be aware that you can’t use it with the wrist rest tilted upwards, which can help alleviate conditions caused by pressure on the wrists.
It’s solidly built despite the price, and while the keys have a slightly loose and rattly action, it’s easy enough to get used to and the split spacebar doesn’t need to be slammed down. In some areas, particularly on the left-hand side of the keyboard, it’s crisper than the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo. That’s still a better option overall if you can pay a little more, but if you’re getting some discomfort and you’re strapped for cash, the Periboard 512 has you covered.
Key specs – Type: Split-key traditional; Special features: Multimedia hotkeys; Connections: USB cable; Dimensions: 485 x 236 x 50mm; Weight: 1.04kg
4. Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic: Best ergonomic keyboard and mouse set
Price when reviewed: £214 | Check price at Amazon
The big selling point of Microsoft’s best ergonomic keyboard is that it’s almost as good as the Logitech Ergo K860, but it’s also bundled in with an ergonomic mouse and numeric pad. You can no longer buy the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard solo. It doesn’t connect over Bluetooth or allow you to connect with more than one computer at a time, but at least a single 2.4Ghz USB dongle has you covered for the whole desktop set.
This one adopts the chiclet style and packs it into a compact, numeric-pad-free layout. Microsoft bundles a separate numeric pad, but you don’t need to take up any desk space with it if you never plan to use it. Otherwise, we might grumble about the tiny function keys and the slightly cramped spacing near the edges, but there’s nothing you won’t acclimatise to within a day or two. The action is excellent, with plenty of travel, a minimum of rattle and a nice degree of bounce-back as you type. The Logitech is even better, with its impressively solid and consistent feel, but considering what Microsoft bundles in, it’s good value for money.
Key specs – Type: Split-key chiclet; Special features: Separate numeric pad; Connections: 2.4GHz USB dongle; Dimensions: 392 x 228 x 35mm; Weight: 842g
5. Azeron Cyborg: Best ergonomic keyboard alternative
Price when reviewed: £151 | Check price at Azeron
If you’re worried about carpal tunnel syndrome from too many long gaming sessions, stop right here. The Azeron Cyborg is an ergonomic gaming keypad you can use for hours on end without any feelings of discomfort for one main reason: before use, you adjust every finger slot’s height, angle, distance and separation from your other digits to fit your exact hand. No more demonic claw hand positions to reach every key on your keyboard – the Azeron Cyborg brings those keys to you, instead.
Beyond the solid ergonomics of the Cyborg, there are amazing customisation options for gaming, too. Each of the Cyborgs twenty-eight programmable buttons can be customized via the accompanying software to whatever function makes the most sense to you. If you don’t feel you need that many in-game functions, you can double-up as many as you like.
Key specs – Type: Omron mechanical; Special features: 28 customisable buttons, unique ergonomic shape; Connections: Micro USB; Dimensions: From 245 x 210 x 105mm; Weight: From 560g
How to choose the best ergonomic keyboard for you
What should you look for in an ergonomic keyboard?
Ergonomic keyboards are built to support your hands while typing and encourage a good posture, often through a split design. Many feature an integral wrist or palm support, and have keys that have been engineered to give plenty of feedback without requiring excess force to activate.
The split design doesn’t work for everyone. The theory is that it stops you hunching so much over the keyboard and encourages your shoulders and elbows to adopt a natural posture, while your hands and wrists are supported by the curved design and built-in supports. Ideally, every key is in easy reach of a finger so you can touch type with the minimum of movement from your hands. However, some people find the split layout confusing, and it’s often worse if you rely on two or three fingers and a thumb to type or have what some call a “hunt and peck” style.
The best way around this is just to commit and let your fingers and brain adjust over a week or so, but if that’s a struggle then there are still some great ergonomic keyboards that don’t use a split layout, and focus more on wrist or palm support and the action of the keys.
Wired or wireless?
As with mice and headsets, there’s a trend towards wireless over wired keyboards from the leading manufacturers. Given that you usually don’t move an ergonomic keyboard too much this is more a nice-to-have than a must-have, but it means one fewer cable stretching across your desk. What’s more, you can often share a USB dongle with a mouse from the same manufacturer, and battery life tends to be good: a pair of AA or AAA batteries will usually cover you for a year or more. Finally, Bluetooth wireless keyboards can often be shared between a few devices – some even feature easy one-button switching – so that you can use the same ergonomic keyboard across, say, a laptop, desktop or convertible PC.
Traditional or flat?
As with conventional desktop and laptop keyboards, ergonomic keyboards are drifting more towards the flat, chiclet style, for a lighter keypress with less travel that requires less weight or power to actuate. However, you can still find some great ergonomic models that use a more traditional keycap and either a membrane or mechanical switch. So, if you want to longer travel, louder clicks and more feedback, that’s definitely an option.
Is there anything else worth looking out for?
Keyboards may not be a major factor in carpal tunnel syndrome, but a comfortable wrist or palm rest that takes the pressure off your wrists is a definite plus. As with any keyboard, you might also find a numeric keypad or extra function or macro keys useful, depending on the applications you use and the kind of work you might be doing every day.
