Amanda Buck—March 13, 2021
I have been using the kinesis maxim family of keyboards for over 2 decades, usually purchased by my employer and had to leave it behind when I changed jobs. However, I got to keep my last one and some of the membrane-style switches eventually gave out after about 7 years. The cherry mechanical switches should last much longer. I was hoping that my previous lifter from the standard Freestyle would fit the Pro, but they are different dimensions. I managed to make do for now but they don't fit very well. I am very good at adapting to different keyboard layouts, and the ability to separate my hands really decreases strain on my wrists compared to a flat keyboard. I wanted quiet, non-clicky, but tactile (office / WFH / speakerphone - touch typing and shortcut key navigating). After lots of analyzing I went ahead with the cherry red. Overall I like it. It does feel squishier than I expected, and at times I have held down a key without realizing it. So the feel is "linear" as advertised, in that you can't tell when a key has been actuated by feel. I wanted low actuation force but it is basically non-existent. It is so hard these days to find a place where you can actually test the different keyboard options before making a purchase, so hopefully my experience is helpful. Preference of switch type is very individualized, there is nothing wrong with the cherry red that I got, just that it is a different feel. The macro functionality is neat, though I haven't found much use for it yet. It's especially impressive that you can mount the drive on Linux and edit the configuration by hand, or you can program it on Windows using the GUI and bring it back to Linux. I kind of wish there was an extra key to run keyboard macros that didn't conflict with standard office shortcut keys (ctrl and alt key combos are already mostly taken). Maybe there is one and I just haven't found it yet. Read more
Customer—April 2, 2024
I purchased the keyboard along with the extra tenting accessory and the 10-digit keypad. Just over 24 hours with the new setup and I can already say this is the best keyboard I've ever used. Typos are almost a thing of the past (no more cramping your hands in unnatural positions to hit certain keys), and the comfort level is phenomenal. Cherry switches so the typing feels wonderful, and while it takes some getting used to the layout of certain keys, the split design and elevated angles completely eliminate fatigue and strain. Pricey for a keyboard setup, especially if you're used to spending under $100 for a traditional membrane, but as the title says... Read more
Nik—March 27, 2021
Moved to this keyboard off of a 10+ year-old MS Ergo 4000. Compared to the MS keyboard, it is obviously much more flexible to position (especially with the VIP3 Pro kit - don't buy this keyboard without it or you just get a two-piece keyboard with no tilt adjustment or wrist pads), but the keys themselves are all square and not sloped or differently-sized for better ergonomics. So focus on this if positioning is where you need ergonomic support, but not if you also need a high degree of ergonomic adjustment for your hand/fingers. On the other hand, the mechanical keys do, as I hoped, feel great. I am certain that the strong key feedback makes my typing "crisper" so I hold my hands more appropriately, and my fingers literally are less tired when typing for extended times. The Cherry Red Quiet keys are fine for typing while on Zoom meetings, and the people I'm talking to do not report keyboard noise. There is, as mentioned in other reviews, a little reverberation as the keys hit the metal baseplate, which would be nice to have silenced, but I don't find it especially bothersome. The feel is good with no tacticle "click," which I'd assume you'd get on the Brown keys. This is NOT a clicky keyboard and if you want one, look elsewhere. Programmability is amazing, and I'd point you do the documentation on how wide it is. You have 3 layouts to customize, each with their own second "layer" by pressing the fn key. This means that in total you have 6 full keyboard layouts to work the way you want. The software to edit layouts is easy enough to use, and once you set things up, the layouts and macros are saved on the keyboard. So if you're using this with ChromeOS or Linux without native support, you can personalize on another machine and then use the full customizations on other computers. The VIP3 Pro accessory which, again, you just should buy to get the most of our the ergonomics of this keyboard, is cleverly built and gives you three different angles to tent your keyboard. I found myself tenting the left more than the right, and it's nice to have that option. It only does horizontal angling though, so you cannot tilt the keyboard vertically forwards or backwards. On the downsides, the rubber feet to keep the keyboard stable are not very sticky, and as a result, the tenting accessory ended up sliding around and sometimes flipping position on my very slick keyboard tray. I put some microsuction tape on the rubber feet and that resolved it. Overall I'm happy and can type comfortable and quickly on the keyboard. Took some getting used to with typing with my hands far apart, but once I got a few days' use under my belt, I was back up to my typical 100wpm, and my hands and wrists feel great after a long day of typing. If you cannot touch type, however, avoid this keyboard. Using a broadly split keyboard like this along with hunting and pecking would be incredibly frustrating. I'd also have a hard time endorsing this as a gaming keyboard for the same reasons (the same would be true of Kinesis' gaming version of this, which is the same except with fancy lights). Between the un-padded metal backplate, the lack of forwards/backwards tilting on the VIP3, and the slippery keyboard feet, the keyboard falls short of being a true best-of-the-best option, at at a little above $200 for the whole kit, that's a disappointment. But the options for ergonomic mechanical keyboards are limited, and I cannot fault the feel of the keyboard once I got it "just so." Read more
