ErgoMechKeyboards
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
- EMK wiki
- Split keyboard compare tool
- Compare keycap profiles Looking for another set of keycaps - check this site to compare the different keycap profiles https://www.keycaps.info/
- Keymap database A database with all kinds of keymap layouts - some of them fits ergo keyboards - get inspired https://keymapdb.com/
view the rest of the comments
I have the ZSA Moonlander and multiple versions of the Keeb.io Iris (v2 up to v6, I believe - they're on v8). I use both regularly and they're great keyboards. I took several keys off the Moonlander to make it match the Iris, which incidentally makes it look closer to the Voyager. It's still a bulkier board than the Iris, though, especially with the wrist rests still attached. However, it's very easy to travel with and the size difference is rarely relevant.
I have a low profile Iris and sometimes use it as a travel board, but I'm not a big fan of the low profile keys (I have the "Compact Edition," I believe, so the spacing might also be part of the problem - they have a new "LM" version I might like more).
The Voyager is also low profile and has only 4 thumb keys compared to 8 (which I use extensively*) on the Moonlander and Iris, so it isn't a good option for me. But if you like the idea of a low profile split board and there's a layout you like that only requires four thumb keys, the Voyager looks great.
If you want a similar split keyboard that can come pre-assembled, with the option for a low profile version, I highly recommend the Iris. If you want an even more versatile, albeit slightly bulkier, keyboard, the Moonlander is fantastic.
* - I have my thumb keys set up with two layer shifts, alt, command, control, space, and enter. One of my Irises has a rotary encoder on a thumb keys but I wouldn't do that again. I could handle three per thumb and overload, but two isn't feasible without learning a new layout. Our thumbs are our most powerful fingers, so it makes sense to use them extensively.