KINESIS Gaming Freestyle Edge RGB Split Mechanical Keyboard | Cherry MX Linear Red Switches | RGB | Ergonomic | Detachable Palm Support | Fully Programmable | TKL | Available Tenting

As someone who both works in IT and then comes home to spend another 6 hours on a computer this was immensely helpful for my wrists. I was starting to develop pain and tightness in my wrist and forearms due to long hours on standard keyboards and this keyboard has been an absolute God-send. The keyboard is sturdy and the mechanical keys feel great to use. The software is a bit wonky and takes some getting used to mounting a virtual drive in order to change settings on it but offers a good amount of flexibility once you get the hang of it. Being able to position each half in exactly the correct position for my sitting style and natural placement of my hands is a nifty feature. I hadnt seen anything like this before and figured Id take the chance given my wrists getting worse. Well worth the money. The only real problem area I can think to nitpick on is the wrist wrests are clipped in and are kind of a flimsy connection. Ive had them slip off a couple times when I picked it up in the wrong spot but nothing worth losing a star over as picking it up from the main body prevents this. Overall Ill definitely be returning to this brand for my next purchase and will be recommending it to anyone that needs some kind of ergonomic hardware.

I gone split and Im not coming back. I definitely recommend the lift kit for better ergo options. Easy to customize to get the most out of your macro experience. On board memory is a huge plus since I cant install outside application on my work desktop. I recommend

Working from home all day then turning around and gaming most nights on the same computer with a normal keyboard pretty quickly leads to pretty severe shoulder and back tension issues. Bought a pair of these keyboards to improve the ergonomics of our day to day lives, and man what a life saver they have been. Within a day or two we were both totally used to the split keyboard layout and our backs and shoulders stopped hurting at the end of the day. Would highly recommend to anyone who uses a computer many hours a day. Well worth the investment. Pros: + Ergonomics + High quality materials, real cherry switches, nice thick wrist rests that hold up over time and dont sag when the keyboard is angled with the optional accessory (see cons below) + RGB lighting is nice, if a bit limited on options + Programmable keys are awesome, and being able to create macros on the fly without needing to open the software is a nice touch + Multiple profiles can each have separate lighting and macros assigned to them Cons: - Updating the keyboard is a bit of a convoluted mess. You have to hit specific key combinations in specific orders, download and rename files to specific naming conventions and put them in specific folders. Its manageable to anyone whos tech savvy and their website has pretty thorough instructions, but it just seems like a royal pain compared to most things that are just Would you like to update your software? Yes/no - The layout of the home, end, page up, page down, insert, print screen keys are VERY different from a standard keyboard. As a programmer, it is taking me a long time to re-learn the positions of these keys that I use ALL THE TIME. - Media controls are mapped to the F keys plus the FN key, so you pretty much need two hands to use them (FN is the far bottom left key, for reference) - The software is a bit clunky. Programming more complex macros can be accomplished, but it has a decent learning curve. The RGB options are pretty limited compared to other software out there like Corsairs iCue. - The tenting accessory (sold separately) is honestly just trash. I reviewed it separately, but TL;DR it wont stay standing at its highest setting. - Both the Red and Brown switches are definitely not silent. Even after painstakingly putting rubber gaskets on every single key on both keyboards, they are still loud enough to hear several rooms over with the doors closed when you are really typing (80+ WPM). This isnt Kinesis fault, thats just mechanical switches for you, but its something to be aware of if you are used to typing on a membrane keyboard (much quieter).

Due to my rheumatoid arthritis, I always use the ergonomic styled keyboard, recent ones have been the keyboards by Microsoft. However, I missed typing on Cherry MX switches, Ive also had a Razer keyboard. However regular keyboards hurt my wrists over time (Im a developer so I type a lot). I wanted to give this keyboard a shot because it combines the switches I love typing on, with some cool RGB lighting effects and macros to setup convenience shortcuts, etc. I am very happy I decided to give it a try, I love typing on this keyboard. Keys feel fantastic (I got the MX Brown), their app to setup the shortcuts, lighting effects, etc. is super simple to use, and the palm rests are some of the best Ive ever had on a keyboard. Ive seen the off shoots/copy cats, one has a dial, but to me setting up the Kinesis button to be my play/pause key, and setup the two macro buttons below for volume is very convenient. If you want an ergonomic keyboard with Cherry MX switches, I would highly recommend giving this product a shot. I dont think youll be disappointed.

Im 33 years old and i started to game again about 2 years ago - but when I picked up some of my more favorite games, twitch shooters, i was getting a lot of pain in my wrists. I was using a Corsair K95 and a SteelSeries mouse. Switching to this keyboard and my new mouse alleviated most of the stress and it makes sense because my desk is really non-negotiable in terms of changing. Its a bit pricey but its also good for FPS gaming because you can put aside the other half of the keyboard and you dont have to go purchase a smaller form factor keyboard, i have huge fingers and i dont need a tiny little keyboard. I recommend this to both people looking for relief as well as enthusiasts as it has solid RGB lighting, a sidearea on the left hand of extra keys to program - super cool and handy, easily customizable and programmable macros... onboard software - which is great when you are like me and utilizing a switch between two computers - the preferences are onboard so it works across platforms. As I write this review I realize there are more and more things I like about this keyboard, if you have the extra cash - go for it - you will not regret it. I will retract a few stars because of the premium aspect of the niche product id like a steel body option. It just makes sense especially if you are going to travel with it. I do appreciate the thick woven cable insulation but definitely do not particularly like all the plastic material for the body.

So 3 stars seems about right, theres a lot that i love about this keyboard, Ive bought this one as well as the original version that was blue backlit only. I compare this keyboard to the Dygma Raise, Ergodox EZ as they are all split mechanical keyboards. The good: I love that its a standard layout, the extra bulk doesnt bother me as i like having a 75% or TKL keyboard. The macro keys dont get much use but there are times when i just need some more keys whether it be in games or for work purposes. The palm rests are perfect and much better than the fabric ones that came optional on the original. Arrow keys are often left out of some custom split keyboards, and while you can use layers on the Dygma and ergodox I tend to just prefer the standard arrow keys Things to improve it to my ideal keyboard. 1. Detachable USB-C cables to connect it to my computer as well as the 2 halves. I have custom cables that Id rather use and being tethered to this keyboard can be a bit frustrating as i tend to swap every so often. 2. Hot-swappable key switches. Id love to be able to change my key-switches with basically anything I want but would have to de-solder and re-solder every key, something Id rather not have to do. 3. The non standard key cap sizing makes it incredibly difficult to find key cap sets that I can use the only real issue here is what is listed within the second image. group buy key cap sets are amazing but most the time the bottom row is a pain. 4. Finally the overall construction. I understand that injected plastic is infinitely cheaper than say aluminum but it makes the typing feel a bit hollow. Having a premium option would be amazing, and Id love to mod the keyboard with dampening foam as well. If the above changes were to be made it would honestly be my endgame split mech keyboard, as for now the search continues.

As someone who uses a keyboard all day for work, I kinda new in the back of my mind that I should really look at getting a more ergonomic set-up and invest in my long term health. However, it took a badly broken wrist for me to make it a priority, as I was struggling to go back to using my old, non-ergonomic keyboard. The Kinesis keyboard is expensive, but its turned out to be a great investment. When I ordered it, I figured it would probably take me a few weeks, maybe months, to get used to the split layout, but that the state of my wrist meant it was a good time to take the hit and relearn, as Id reap the rewards in the years to come. In actuality, the transition was seamless. After about 5 minutes of test typing, I felt confident I could use the keyboard and achieve the same (or maybe better) speeds that I had done before my accident. The wrist strain after prolonged use is nil, and the ability move each keypad independently means I can get a setup thats just right for me. The split design means I can also easily take the keyboard with me when traveling for work. I went with the MX brown switches, which have given me the desired balance between audible feedback whilst not being too loud (important when Im doing a lot of typing on video calls etc). My only gripe is that the top left corner of the right wrist support started coming away within days (the vinyl covering is not well attached to the base). I tried gluing it back on, but to no avail. For such an expensive keyboard, youd expect better. Other than that, I do miss having a number pad, but not quite enough to purchase one separately. I also purchased the optional lift kit at the same time, but I havent used it, as I prefer a flat setup. So, Id suggest trying the keyboard first and maybe testing different inclines using some blocks etc to see if you like the incline before spending extra on the lift kit.

As a developer, Im constantly battling with the perfect desk position to stop an aching shoulder, elbow, wrist, etc. Wrist hasnt been a problem in a long time but I noticed I began to lean to one side (left) as I used mouse. This helped me open up my shoulders and chest by splitting the keyboard. I can comfortably lean back now, no hunched shoulders. I also switched to a trackball mouse for less movement and center position to stop reaching over. I now hold a very central position, its amazing! Dont forget to get the lifts (for that slight angle) Lifts: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B077J7ZBM7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Mouse:https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0B4RPF5GS?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Mouse pad: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B011MIP6TI?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I bought this keyboard not for gaming but for its ergonomics, as someone whose wrists had become sore from typing a lot every day. I should say right away that a big plus of this keyboard is that the soreness in both wrists and some fingers disappeared almost immediately upon my using this keyboard, so its ergonomic design definitely helped me. I use the keyboard with its optional lift kit set to a 10 degree angle. (I think anyone using this keyboard for ergonomics needs to buy the lift/tilt kit.) I also place the two keyboard halves about a shoulder-width apart so my arms and wrists are about perpendicular to the edge of the table. I find the large palm rests sturdy and quite comfortable and I have no trouble typing for many hours without strain or pain. So a great job to the engineers for making a well designed, comfortable to use, reliable keyboard. But the big plus is balanced by a big negative which is that, even after two months of steady use and despite a lot of tinkering with the Kinesis software that lets one remap keys and adjust responses of keys (see below), my typing speed is still way below (about half) of my typing speed on my previous keyboard, and I continue to make many typing errors that are mainly related to having mapped the Ctrl modifier key to a long-press of the thumb keys. I should point out that, before using this Kinesis keyboard, I have used Thinkpad keyboards for many years as my favorite keyboard. I am also an experienced and fast touch typist on standard keyboards. I feel that four changes, in decreasing order of priority, would change this good keyboard into a great ergonomic keyboard: 1. Split the large space key of each keyboard half into two separate keys, giving four keys altogether that the thumbs could type. It would also be better to place the split thumb keys along a short arc of the thumb so one thumb key is a little bit to the right and closer to the wrist pad on the left keyboard half, and similarly for the right keyboard half. (Just splitting the thumb key in half as it currently exists would not be as ergonomic.) Two of these four thumb keys could then be mapped to modifier keys like control or shift, and perhaps the delete key could also be mapped to one, leaving a remaining thumb key for space. Having just one key under each thumb is a greatly missed opportunity to make the keyboard more ergonomic since the ctrl, Shift, Del keys are badly placed on most keyboards (activated by the weak pinky finger). I use emacs heavily for writing and coding and so having quick easy ergonomic ways to touch ctrl and to hit the Esc key are especially important for me. 2. Use half-height short-travel non-mechanical keys or even a mouse-click switch under the four thumb keys so that the thumb keys can be activated as rapidly as possible, with the least amount of travel. (Thumbs are strong but slow.) This is crucial for fast accurate typing if modifier keys like ctrl and Shift are to be activated by the thumbs. My most common error on the Kinesis keyboard is not pressing the thumb fast enough to ctrl or Shift another key. 3. Offer a version of this keyboard that uses half-height non-mechanical shorter-travel silent dome-based switches (similar to what Lenovo uses in its Thinkpad keyboards) for ALL of the keys. After trying several different mechanical keyboards like the Kinesis, I found that I simply type faster and more enjoyably with high-quality non-mechanical low-height quiet keys. (And it doesnt hurt that dome-based keys are nearly completely quiet, no clacking of the mechanical keys that can bother other people or that are heard while talking on the phone.) I think the ergonomic keyboard market is big enough to justify this choice economically, although I would guess many gamers would prefer mechanical keys. 4. Modify the Kinesis software to allow long-press overloading of keys for all keys (see below for more details) and to allow simple chords (say press 2 keys simultaneously to create a letter or to emulate Shift, Alt, Ctrl). Right now, the software allows a secondary long-press only on non-alphabetical keys like the space bars, Shift, CAPS, etc. But it would be extremely useful to allow long-presses on letters under the stronger faster fingers (letters d and f on the left, j and k on the right) so that, say, long-pressing an f on the left would be a ctrl modifier for the right keyboard letters, long-pressing a j on the right would be a ctrl modifier for left keyboard letters, and similarly long-pressing d or k would Shift the letters on the opposite keyboard half. If well implemented, this software fix would also get rid of the need to have multiple thumb keys. Since I believe the keyboard can be completely remapped configured in software, I just dont understand why Kinesis wont provide more flexibility for remapping, including providing some simple chords. The user can simply decide whether or not to take advantage of this more greater remapping capability. Here are some other miscellaneous comments: - To avoid making it too hard to switch back and forth between the Kinesis keyboard and my laptop keyboard (or using another desk keyboard when traveling), this is how I remapped just a few keys of my Kinesis keyboard (using the SmartSet app that works on MacOS or Windows but not Linux), especially to make it fast and easy to use when in the emacs editor: I used the Tap-and-Hold feature to add a secondary feature (long-press) to left space bar: short tap is space, long-press is ctrl right space bar: short tap is space, long-press is ctrl CAPS: short tap is Esc, long-press is ctrl (because I remap CAPS to ctrl on my regular keyboards) ;: key: short tap is Esc, long-press is Shift (so I dont have to move my right pinky for Shift) right Shift: is now the ;: key (a lower frequency key) But, again, using a long-press under the thumb keys for ctrl makes the timing difficult for activating the ctrl key quickly so is a major source of typing errors. This would be avoided by splitting each current thumb key into two separate keys (four thumb keys in all) since ctrl could be directly mapped to two of these thumb keys, also use a much shorter stroke to activate the thumb key. Or use simple chords for Shift, Alt, Ctrl like the original Fingerworks keyboard. Note: the SmartApp and the programming language allows one to adjust the number of milliseconds that have to pass for a long-press to be detected instead of a tap but I could not find a timing that removed my typing errors. I am using 250 ms for a long-tap detection. The extra thumb keys would also allow DEL to be mapped to a thumb, or simple chord like f and j pressed simultaneously could be mapped to DEL if the software were slightly modified. The DEL key on the Kinesis keyboard is really badly placed, far from the main row. - The IOS version of the SmartSet app works only on a large screen Mac, not on a Mac laptop, which is quite frustrating and should be fixed. - change firmware so lighting doesnt turn on and stay on when FN key is used, rather annoying. - redesign the plastic key caps so that the secondary characters are more clearly visible and readable when keyboard lit. Currently, secondary characters are dark when keyboard is lit. - add a 2nd B key to right side of keyboard so B can be typed with either hand. There is room for an extra B key on the right keyboard half. - a warning to future users: the Kinesis keyboard takes up a lot of desk space when the two halves are spread apart at shoulder width, there is little room to refer to documents on the table. Also tricky is where to place a mouse. Between the keyboard halves works but it is awkward to reach in between the keyboard halves over and over again. Maybe implement a Thinkpad-like finger mouse, so one can do some mousing without moving hands off the keyboard? - The tilt kit is overpriced as two simple pieces of plastic, although it is well designed. If Kinesis is finding that most people are buying the tilt kit at the same time as keyboard, include the tilt kit and reduce the total price.

This was one of the highest rated keyboards for ergonomics from Wirecutter and some other sites. I appreciate the split style and key action, but the number pad is in an unusual configuration on the left hand side of the keyboard, which makes my default left hand position feel unnatural. Also tenting is extra, I didnt think I needed this add-on, but the keyboard itself almost seems to slope inward uncomfortably. Perhaps it is because I formerly had a one piece ergonomic that was slightly raised in the center. Ive currently just stuck a notebook under the middle bit of the keyboard. long-term, I might return this keyboard, but will utilize for some time before deciding.