I started a new role at the beginning of April, and they ship you equipment, including a new keyboard and mouse. We were given a stipend, but there was a recommended option. I decided to go with the recommended option, the Logitech Wireless ERGO K860 keyboard.
Software
You can modify what some of the keys do, e.g. F1-F12 keys. You can change what they do so; for example, the F12 key can act like an F12 key, or it could be the volume up key (default). What's nice, though, is you can also choose to open an application.
There are more options if you click on the More link.
The Keyboard
The Keys
The keys are low profile but have a nice tactile feel to them. It's not a clickety-clack loud keyboard which I appreciate. They seem pretty durable; I've only had the keyboard for a couple of months, so time will tell.
The only thing that annoys me about the keyboard is the Print Screen key position. It's directly above the backspace. I'm constantly taking random screenshots of my desktop because of where it's located.
To avoid constantly print screening you can use the LogiOptions to remap this key. I decide to remap it to the backspace key as that's the only time I press the Print Screen key.
Comfort
The software is a nice touch, but the big thing I love about this keyboard is it's so comfortable on my hands and wrists. Aside from Apple keyboards, I've always had little feet at the front to raise the keyboard, which adds strain to your wrists. This keyboard flips where the feet are, to the front, causing a downward slope which is more comfortable on the wrists. The foot placement, mini-split at the center of the keyboard, and convex shape make it much more comfortable. There's also an integrated cushioned wrist pad which adds to the comfort. It can't be removed to clean or replace, so that's a potential downside.
Ways to Connect
This is the first time I have a keyboard that can connect with a USB dongle or Bluetooth. I've had USB dongle or Bluetooth keyboards, but never the option for both. Since I've owned Macs, I had Apple keyboards, all Bluetooth before this keyboard. I thought I would have to use the USB dongle, so I was pleasantly surprised that it was Bluetooth.
Another cool thing about the Bluetooth support is you can pair the keyboard with up to three devices. This is not something I use often, but it was handy when moving from my old computer and my new work laptop.
The Look
If you're looking for a keyboard that stands out visually, this is not that, but it has a sleek dark grey look which definitely doesn't look terrible.
If you're looking for a comfortable keyboard that types well, check out the Logitech Wireless ERGO K860 keyboard.
Top comments (2)
I'm using the Ergo K860 as well and overall I love it. I wasn't having any wrist issues but I found that my arm position when using a standard 104 key keyboard put a lot of strain on my upper back.The split and raised design.
I was annoyed at first that it was battery powered only and non-rechargable after that. However, I've been using it 8 hours a day for over a year now and I'm at 70% charge on the batteries I installed on day 1.
I really like the feel of the short travel. As you press it offers a bit of resistance that then gives way. If you need the clicky sound & feel of a mechanical keyboard, this one's not for you, but I find it very satisfying and I've never had issues with accidental presses (beyond my ADHD twitches) or kepresses not registering.
The only complains I have are that I have a hard time finding the 5-7 keys on the number row without looking, and the wrist pad can be a bit irritating if you slide along it often to reach numpad or your mouse.
I work mainly in vim, tmux, and a tiling window manager along with vimium in the browser, all configured such that I often work for hours without moving my hands from home position, so the wrist pad issue isn't a big deal for me.
Overall, I'd highly recommend it if you aren't dead set on mechanical.
Also as a related side note I've been using the Logitech Performance MX mouse for almost 10 years now and if I were only allowed to keep one peice of hardware I own it's what I would choose. The toggleable weigthed flywheel / clicky wheel feature is invaluable, there's a bunch of well placed, customizable buttons for your thumb, and it's got a bit of weight to it, which I find gives me a bit more precision with small movements.
The ergonomics are incredible but if you're a lefty or have small hands
Also, it's insanely durable. I bought one for home and one for the road. It's spent years bouncing around in my backpack, collected construction site grime/dust, spent many hours in direct sunlight and marine environments, and the only maintenance I've had to do is replace the battery and the ani-friction pads.
There's a catch though... it was discontinued a few years ago. They're still easy to find new, but because they're so loved they've shot way up in price. I paid about $80 for each of mine, but they generally go for $200+ now.
If mine breaks they would have to get into the $300 range before I'd start looking at other options.
I have no loyalty for any particular brand and i make my decisions by evaluating features and build quality against my needs, but I realized recently that pretty much all of my peripherals are logitech, which kind of surprised me. Apparently they make some good products.
Thanks for sharing!