Are mechanical keyboards too high/bulky for ergonomic typing?

Question

I'm a software developer by trade so I type a lot for extended periods. For the past 3 years i've been using the apple full sized aluminum keyboard for both work and home use. Two major positives stand out to me about this keyboard:

Precision & shallow key depth. I love the feel of the apple keys - they inspire a sense of precision when I type. The tactile feel is great and coupled with the shallow key depth it allows me to type at a rapid rate while gliding across the keyboard with ease.

Slim profile. Another thing I really enjoy about the apple keyboard is how thin and flat it rests on the desk. It wasn't until i tried a mechanical keyboard that i learned to appreciate this. The thin profile allows me to rest my palms on the desk while keeping my hands/wrist/forearms in straight alignment. A thicker mechanical keyboard requires my hands to tilt upward causing undue stress. A palm wrest seems to be a necessity but shockingly very few mechanical keyboards come with one integrated.

I thought i’d give mechanical keyboards a try so i picked up a corsair k70. I’m really struggling with the bulk of this keyboard. I find it requires my hands to angle up too much. Also the long key depth (4mm) seems unnecessarily long. After using it for about a month now I find I am still unable to type as fast as with the thinner keyboard and the k70 still causes some soreness and uncomforted after extended use.

Are there any mechanical keyboards that have good integrated palm wrests that would offer a similar hand/wrist/forearm alignment to the apple aluminum keyboard?

Answer 1

This is a complicated question to answer, because while you are ostensibly looking for a mechanical keyboard, you are comparing them unfavorably with a non-mechanical keyboard whose best characteristics for you are essentially incompatible with the concept of a mechanical keyboard.

That being said, yes, there are mechanical keyboards with built in palm rests. They aren't slim, and they don't have shallow key depth - for that you'd want something with scissor-switches, like the SIIG JK-US0412-S1 USB Slim Aluminum Keyboard with Hub.

The Mechanical keyboard with integrated rest I recommend for you is the ROCCAT Ryos TKL Pro USB Illuminated Mechanical Gaming Keyboard. There are cheaper Chinese keyboards with "mechanical" switches and palm rests, but they look about as attractive as their QA process probably was, so the Ryos lineup it is. Of that lineup, I think Cherry MX Black switch-based models are your best bet; their 60g linear actuation force is near the 65g linear actuation of the Apple Aluminum you've been using. Keep in mind that with Cherry switches, few to none of them actually require you to travel all the way to the bottom of the switch in order to actuate; most actuate somewhere about halfway down, so you don't have to slam the keys or travel the complete distance to type the character.

Answer 2

The mechanical keyboard height has been a problem for me a developer, I am always have to use wrist rest because otherwise I find myself lifting my wrists in order to achieve a comfortable typing position, but the problem is that having lifted wrists causes me a lot of pain when typing for long periods of time.

As a developer I do recommend mechanical keyboards they can be very solid, feel great and can last for many years, and can even be customizable, which is a beautiful hobby.

Hope it help you, and take care of your wrists!

Answer 3

Mechanical keyboards are mostly just a trick to get people buy expensive keyboards. I think it's based on the retro hype, because keyboards used to be mechanical. Also people likes the feel and sound when you click the button. I like it too, but they are just awful for typing. Just like you said, they are too high. I tried this type of keyboard and my wrist got so damaged that I couldn't do anything with it. I switched back to normal keyboard and the problem was gone. I used that keyboard for 3-6 months. Didn't learn to type nearly as fast as with my low keyboard. When I switched back, it felt so fast. Especially when programming.

Sometimes I miss the feel and sound of mechanical keyboard, but they are just too bulky to be ergonomic, like you said.

Answer 4

They come in different sizes. Get a low profile mechanical keyboard. Best of both worlds. Logitech MX Mechanical and the Nuphy Air are two great options.

I have the MX and a full size Keychron and I have the same problems as you with the Keychron. Maybe if my desk had height adjustability but it doesn’t.

Answer 5

Keyboard ergonomics are some of the most debated, and subjective, things in tech peripherals. It very much depends on your body type, position, preference, typing style etc.

There are people that despise low profile/travel keyboards and find them painful to use, others that love high actuation force and significant travel. People go as far as ordering custom builds, building their own switches (sometimes scavenging the pieces from several switches to get the exact feel they want). Similarly, key profile can have a big impact, and again all the variations have their adherents (MT3/SA versus DSA/GMK/OEM and more). People even have opinions about the texture based on the plastic used and whether they like "scooped" versus flat keys.

I haven't even mentioned layout, size, split, ergo and many more options.

That's all a way of saying there is an absolute ton of choice when it comes to keyboards - whatever your preference there is likely to be a range of options and prices. The key is to find what works for you - it won't necessarily be the same as anyone else - and try to do so without costing a fortune. Try different layouts, try different sizes, keycaps, layouts and you'll start to zero in on what works best for you.

For mechanical keyboards, Keychron have a large range, going from entry level to mid-tier without getting too crazy. I bought a 60% layout keychron to see if I liked it, for example, and when I did not I had no trouble passing it on to someone else. I've used half a dozen of their models since then and they are generally high quality and representative of the style/size they aim at. Since you mentioned low profile, have a look at their low-profile range

If you want to do it without shelling out a pile of cash, there are often local keyboard meetups where you can see and try out different styles and ask questions from knowledgeable people to see if you can narrow things down. Plus you get to see some pretty cool boards while you are at it.