If you’re a writer who types all day, you may be looking for a new keyboard. In this article, we will compare five keyboards so you can find the most comfortable keyboard for typing all day.
Typing long-term on small, cramped keyboards can cause wrist issues and some users report issues with carpal tunnel.
If you find that your hands ache after a long day of typing, it may be time for a new keyboard. But not every writer or typist prefers the same keyboard features.
Many typists prefer ergonomic keyboards to relieve wrist pain and streamline their typing, but not all ergonomic keyboards look the same. Finding the right one for you can be a challenge.
There are many different ergonomic models, including split keyboards and slanting keyboards. We’ve considered ergonomics, mechanics, and wired or wireless to find the five best keyboards for long-term typing.
The features of each keyboard vary depending on the different needs of the user and the uses for the keyboard. Some have dual purposes for both typing and gaming, but the main focus for this article is typists and writers.
Now, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Our Recommendations For The Best Keyboards For Typing
To find you the most comfortable keyboard for typing, we’ve broken them into five categories: best overall, great for comfort, great for business, great for writing, and great for travel.
Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard: Best Overall
The Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard is our top pick for the best overall keyboard for typing long-term. This keyboard includes an attached wrist rest, a wave design, and split keys for optimal hand positioning. The wrist rest is adjustable; you can raise the legs beneath the rest up to seven degrees.
With the wave and split-key design, this keyboard encourages better posture and adjusts the angle of your wrists to prevent wrist and hand pain. The keyboard is also tented, meaning it comes up in the middle and rests against the table on each side. Perfect for typing for long periods.
This keyboard is wireless and connects to Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android. It’s the 2020 model, so it is a couple of years old, but the keys are not mechanical. When you type, the keys are quiet and easy to press.
Overall, this keyboard is well-loved by users, with many appreciating it’s battery life and material quality.
Cloud Nine C989M Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard: Great for Comfort
The Cloud Nine C989M Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard is great for comfort and avoiding wrist strain.
This keyboard minimizes pain by aligning your wrists to a more natural position with built-in tenting and palm support. Because of its split-key design, the distance between your two hands can increase or decrease as you need, allowing you to align your shoulders and elbows to minimise shoulder, back, and elbow pain as well.
The keyboard utilizes mechanical switches to provide a tactile typing experience and ease the force you need to press the keys while enjoying a satisfying clicking sound.
The keys are also backlit, meaning low-light environments can’t stop you from typing quickly and accurately. The lights can be adjusted and assigned through the app.
Though this keyboard is wired, it works with any operating system, including Linux. It’s also perfect for gaming hobbyists. While primarily suited to typing, it’s programmable macro-keys and responsiveness also work well for gaming.
Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard: Great for Business
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001) doesn’t glow in the dark or include reprogrammable keys, but this keyboard is highly ergonomic and optimized for business.
The keyboard utilizes a split-key, domed design with a cushioned wrist rest to allow natural wrist and hand positioning and ease arthritis and carpal tunnel symptoms. This keyboard also includes a separate number pad for quick access to numbers.
This keyboard is wireless and compatible with both macOS and Windows. The wireless connective feature utilizes Bluetooth to connect to any device, including computers, tablets, and phones.
The quiet nature of the keys is perfect for quiet office environments. The keys themselves are shorter but quieter, so there is no need to press down hard to type. The keyboard uses a wireless Bluetooth connection, but your device must have a full-sized USB port. This keyboard will not work with a phone or tablet.
Popular with regular computer users, this keyboard is aimed at writers, business professionals, and typists.
X9 Performance Ergonomic Keyboard: Great for Writing
The X9 Performance Ergonomic Keyboard Wired with Wrist Rest ranks in the top 100 best-selling keyboards on Amazon. This keyboard is excellent for typing and writing with a split-key design and a built-in wrist rest.
When you utilize this keyboard’s two-zone split-key design and integrated wrist rest, you’ll find the carpal tunnel and arthritis symptoms melt away. The keyboard height is also adjustable using two kickstands at the back of the keyboard.
The keys are not backlit like some of the other keyboards on this list, but they are quiet and responsive to gentle tapping. This keyboard also includes LED lights to indicate Caps Lock, Number Lock, and Function Lock.
This keyboard is compatible with any PC with a full-sized USB port. The wire attached is five feet long, giving you plenty of space to adjust your keyboard for optimized comfort.
Well-rated by users, this keyboard also ranks highly for gaming. So if you’re looking for another dual-purpose keyboard, this is a good pick.
Perixx PERIBOARD-613B Ergonomic Split Keyboard: Great for Travel
The Perixx PERIBOARD-613B Compact Wireless Ergonomic Split Keyboard with Dual 2.4G and Bluetooth Mode is a fantastic compact choice for those who like to travel with their devices.
This keyboard features a split-key ergonomic design and wide palm rest, which supports the wrist to reduce tension in the forearms. It’s a comfortable keyboard for people with pain in their hands and wrists.
The keys themselves offer a long travel distance and high responsiveness. The travel distance and responsiveness promote a satisfying typing feeling as you write, with the added benefit of fewer mistypes. The keys also curve downwards to fit the curve of your fingertips.
With two different ways to connect to your device and a switch to control which mode you are in, this keyboard can connect to computers, tablets, and phones. Even though it isn’t an Apple product, this keyboard is compatible with macOS, Windows 7, and Windows 10.
Many users report liking this keyboard for ergonomics, value for money, and comfort. Though this keyboard isn’t great for gaming, its compact nature makes it great for travel and moving from place to place.
Buying Guide
There were a lot of factors we took into consideration when picking these top 5 keyboards for typing all day.
The best way to approach buying a keyboard for extended use is to consider your body and needs. The ergonomic keyboards vary in shape and size, so finding a keyboard that fits your natural arm and hand positioning is critical to finding the most suitable option.
Keyboard Shape
Firstly, there are usually two types of split-key keyboards.
One type separates the two hands so that you can adjust the distance between your typing hands as you need.
Others are still connected, though there is a split between the two halves of the keyboard so that your hands reach for the keyboard from two different angles. Knowing how your hands rest naturally will help you decide which design is best for you.
Wired or Wireless?
If you don’t want wires cluttering your desk between your monitor and keyboard, a wireless keyboard is your best bet.
There are two options: Wi-Fi connection or Bluetooth are the most popular. Finding a keyboard may be challenging because of compatibility issues if you have a Mac or Apple product, but often Apple products can connect over Wi-Fi. Keyboard 5 on this list includes both wireless options to toggle.
Shape
The shape of the keyboard can vary widely between different designs. This list included wave designs, tented designs, and split designs. Some keyboards also include wrist or palm rests for straightening your wrists while typing, which some users report helps their carpal tunnel symptoms.
Is your workplace especially quiet?
If you work in a quiet environment, you want to be conscious of your switch type when selecting your keyboard.
Mechanical key switches can often provide greater durability and in some cases lower actuation force (read: amount you need to press to activate). However, they can often be louder than more traditional rubber dome switches.
Check out our guide on ergonomic keyboards for more info.
Type of Keys
Speaking of keys, we also considered travel distance in this guide; shorter keys tend to be quieter and require less force to type. Taller keys that travel a longer distance, though, can reduce mistyping.
If you like to work in low-light environments, you may want backlit keys. But not all the keyboards on this list include backlights. The keyboards with backlights may also offer adjustable lights, so you can brighten or dim the lights as needed.
Keyboards for Gaming or Business
You may spend all day using your keyboard, but it doesn’t always have to be for work. Some of these keyboards are rated well for gaming and business. The keyboards that work well for gaming are usually very responsive, have taller keys, and backlights.
Compact Keyboards
Finally, if you like to take your devices to the local coffee shop to work or travel frequently, a more compact keyboard may be perfect for you. A split-key keyboard fully separated into two pieces may not be your first choice because of its difficulty in transport. You may also prefer wireless keyboards because of their ease and ability to adjust.
Conclusion
When ranking these keyboards, we evaluated them using different metrics for different needs. Ergonomic designs, keys, compatibility, wireless or wired, and user ratings all factored into these rankings.
According to the measurements discussed above, the best overall keyboard in our view was the Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard. This keyboard accounts for hand and wrist positioning, the keys are quiet and easy to press, and the keyboard is wirelessly compatible with many different operating systems.
That said, we found some other great options too. At the end of the day, it will come down to what suits your preferences and needs best.