this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
137 points (80.4% liked)

ErgoMechKeyboards

5857 readers
1 users here now

Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards

Rules

Keep it ergo

Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)

i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²

¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid

No Spam

No excessive posting/"shilling" for commercial purposes. Vendors are permitted to promote their products/services but keep it to a minimum and use the [vendor] flair. Posts that appear to be marketing without being transparent about it will be removed.

No Buy/Sell/Trade

This subreddit is not a marketplace, please post on r/mechmarket or other relevant marketplace.

Some useful links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I think having a split keyboard so my mouse can be in the middle would really help my comfort at the desk. Is there a style that doubles up the middle keys? My typing style means sometimes I use my right hand to hit T, left to hit Y, etc.

Is this a style already, or would I need to build my own?

I am completely new to this domain and would appreciate advice from knowledgeable enthusiasts.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 year ago

I use my mouse in the middle and it's much more comfortable. My keyboard halves are quite far apart-- more than most split keyboard users-- and as the other poster suggested, I do a significant amount of my work with keyboard only.

It feels much shorter and my arm feels much more supported when I move my right hand inward to the mouse instead of flaring my elbow outward. In general, elbow tucked is a more ergonomic and stable position, even in e.g. a bench press, and so it's less fatiguing. Less fatigue means more time without hunching.

That's my experience, anyway. Different bodies and different setups might end up optimizing differently.