Backlit Bluetooth Ergonomic Keyboard ProtoArc EK01 Plus Full Size Wireless Split Keyboard with Dual Bluetooth and USB Cushioned

So, my microsoft sculpt ergonomic spacebar broke and I needed a replacement. I actually went through 2 other keyboards before landing on this one. So I'm going to compare the sculpt, Meetion, Nulea 7 color, and ProtoArc. All of them were Wifi + 2x bluetooth. I use with both. I've had the MS Sculpt for years, I like it. In that time I've needed to replace a couple key caps, but it's been good. I really like the feel of the keys and I'm used to the shortcuts. Every one of these new keyboards seems to have a different idea on what alternate shortcuts the function keys do, I wish that were standard. The biggest issue with the MS Sculpt was it was bluetooth only, so I had to pull out and old wired keyboard every time I needed to go into bios, that was a bit of a pain. But I liked the use, feel, lightness of it enough. It took 2 AA batteries that I replaced maybe 2 times a year. All the new ones recharge via USB-C, but that needs to be done maybe every 1-2 weeks? So not bad since I can plug it in to the pc that it's next to for that. All the new keyboards also have a wifi dongle so I can use them in bios. First I tried the Nulea. The feel of the keys is the same as the ProtoArc, it actually has a lot of similarities. I really like the key feel. But what absolutely destroyed and made me hate the Nulea was the missing right CTRL key, OMG that drove me insane, 100% garbage without it. They have this stupid "light" button instead, it's so worthless without the right ctrl key. On top of that, I use a lot of complicated keyboard shortcuts, and depending on the wiring of the keys, some might not work. In my case Ctrl+Shift+Win+Page Down did not work, which was problematic for me as well. So I ended up returning that. Next I tried was the Meetion. It was lighter than the others, good and thin too. It doesn't have the flat keys, but keycaps. I like good key caps, but those they were not. It felt super cheap, but the biggest deal breaker was often repeated stuck keys, at least once a day. After a few days of that I returned it. I've been using the ProtoArc for a few weeks now, and it's great. It does have that light key on the right, it adjusts brightness and honestly I don't really care about that feature and wish I could remap it. But all that matters there is that it actually has the right ctrl key. My keyboard shortcuts work, I can use it in BIOS. It's probably about an oz heavier than my original microsoft sculpt. The only part that isn't great are the volume keys, well, all the keys in that little circle of keys in the center between the halves. That's why I deducted the star, but they work, and the keyboard looks great otherwise. So I'm happy with it and hopefully will have it another 5 years at least. Edit: So, after about 6 weeks of using it, the up arrow just fell off, it looks like the part that holds half of it down was malformed during manufacturing, I suppose that can happen. But it caused me to come here and reevaluate my review, and I've actually added back that star, so it's 5/5. Reason being is, first, after using it more, the volume keys didn't bother me as much, just got used to them, and mainly, when I contacted customer service about the key issue, they were very prompt to respond and sent me a replacement right away, they said it would take 4-5 days, but somehow it arrived the next day, and it works great, so very happy with that. One thing I also forgot to mention in the original review, is that it has one of those silicon keyboard spill covers, which is a really nice feature! Specifically because you can usually only find those made on laptops. So if you want your keyboard to always be easily cleanable you can use it all the time. I did use it for a couple weeks, but it slowed down my typing a little like any other cover I tried, but I do like having it. Read more

I really like this keyboard. I do a lot of typing and prefer an ergonomic keyboard to prevent wrist pain. I really like the mechanical keys. They feel solid and have good push-back. I was using a Logitech Wave keyboard, so it's taking a bit of getting used to the way the keys are positioned. But, it keeps my hands straight and I can type really well with it. No sticky keys and relatively quiet keystrokes. The blue keyboard is beautiful and the adjustable back-lighting is a plus. The wrist pad is soft and comfortable. I have this keyboard hooked up to a Linux machine via USB dongle. It made the connection instantly. The only thing that bothers me a tiny bit is that the light is a bit brighter above the F1 key. This is not a big problem, but it does bug me a tad. Also, the Back and Forward media keys don't seem to work when using Spotify, but this could be a compatibility issue with Linux. Read more

After almost 20 years, my Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000 started to break down on me. I've had to learn to touch type because the letters have worn off over the years. I have been in development/IT/cybersecurity for many years and have carpel tunnel/RSI/whatever-its-called-these-days and a natural keyboard with a split key design is a necessity. But I'm quite picky with my keyboard and wanted to find something that would suit me. This unit fits the bill perfectly. I don't like really loud mechanical keyboards. Some people do but I do not. This keyboard has a good tactile feel to the keystrokes so that I can tell if my presses registered without me having to look at the screen, but it's not so loud that people on my zoom calls ask me to mute my microphone because of the noisy keys. Another feature I like about this one is that it is similar (not identical) to my old unit regarding the wrist rest. It is some type of faux leather with some texture to it, but is also slightly padded. Not so much that it makes it awkward, but just enough to keep it from being too firm. Very comfortable. The keys are spaced appropriately and I had no trouble adjusting to this new keyboard even though the keys are significantly different from my last one. Some of the nice features about this keyboard are that it has volume up/down controls in the center of the keyboard, along with play/back/forward keys too. There are some handy keys available for use with this unit as well, but I'm a pretty simple user. While my last keyboard was usb, this one is wireless, but I had a requirement of not wanting a bluetooth keyboard. I have a KVM switch on my desk for my home laptop and my work laptop, as well as other "mad scientist" computer experiments, and this keyboard allows me to plug in an RF USB receiver into the KVM instead of being forced to use bluetooth. It does have bluetooth and an easy to use switching system for multiple computers (separate buttons included above the numeric keypad), but because I'm sometimes installing operating systems, etc., it is a must for the keyboard to appear as a native USB HID on the target computer. This ProtoArc device works perfectly in that regard and I've had no problems with any computer I've worked on so far, and I've tried at least 7 various units. It works great with my KVM, or plugged directly into the computers. Another feature I didn't think I would care about but has been very handy on quick trips into the office when I do not turn on the overhead light is the backlighting of the keys. I thought this would be very over-rated but has turned out to be the "surprise" utility function for me. overall the feel is great, functionality is superb. I hope to be posting about a new model in about 20 years when the keys are so worn off that I can't tell what key is what anymore. I'll definitely see what ProtoArc has to offer for human input devices at that time as well... Read more

The media could not be loaded. It’s really comfortable to type on, and nice and quiet. Takes a week or two to get used to the split but now I don’t want a regular keyboard ever again, much easier on my hands. I type for a living, 20-30 keyboard intensive hours per week. However, I’ve broken the same left shift key twice. First one lasted a year and a half, this one only 5 months though. Tried to repair it but the clip mechanism is quite small and fiddly, I’m not surprised they keep breaking. Kinda torn because I love typing on it, but if they keep breaking it’s not a good investment. I like the key backlight, though I wish the letters were clear so they would light up as well, better for peripheral vision key checks. It also doesn’t do super well typing at high speeds unless cable connected. Mine lives on the desk so that’s fine, but others may need the wireless function more. Read more