Best ergonomic keyboard 2024: avoid chronic pain and type with ease

The best ergonomic keyboards in 2024 serve to boost comfort, and could even help to prevent pain in the long term. Now that more of us are working from home, it's important to make sure you have the right home office setup. After all, you'll be spending a large part of almost every day using it. 

You might not have thought too much about maintaining the right typing position each day, but if you don't those pesky aches and pains won't go away and could develop into more serious problems. Luckily, the best ergonomic keyboards will be able to help. 

Designed to encourage the most suitable hand and wrist placement, the best ergonomic keyboards will help to contain repetitive strains and will ensure that even the longest screen sessions won't have you hunting for painkillers. 

You can buy ergonomic keyboards in one of two shapes: a split keyboard with the two sides slightly angled, and a keyboard made with a built-in comfort curve that looks like it might have been designed by Salvador Dali. Both kinds are good: it's really just a matter of picking the one that has the layout you prefer and suits your body. Everyone is different so personal preference is king. 

Many ergonomic keyboards also include wrist rests. You'll often see these on the best gaming keyboards and the best mechanical keyboards too, since spending a lot of time using those carries the same risks as spending all your hours typing. You can also find some of these sorts of features in the best keyboards for all-round use, but the keyboards in this guide are designed with comfort as the priority. 

Don't forget that fixing your ergonomics means thinking about areas such as the best office chairs, too. Posture isn't just about where your hands are, but also about how you're sitting and how well you're supported.

To put together this list, we have tried and tested every one of these ergonomic keyboards, you can find out more by reading how we test at T3. 

The best ergonomic keyboards you can buy today in 2024

One of the latest designs from Matias is the Ergo Pro, shooting for a bisected, ALPS-inspired design, this model has arranged the navigation keys in their traditional pattern, but lays them out horizontally. It also positions them along the bottom row, more like a laptop keyboard, making it a little odd to use to begin. 

However, once you get used to it these design choices make total sense and won’t stand in the way of long typing sessions. It also makes use of Matias’ bespoke Quiet Click mechanical switches that give you that clacky feedback, but removes most of the sound thanks to some rubber keyswitches.

Perfectly suited to Microsoft's Surface range (but one of the best ergonomic keyboards for Windows no matter what the brand), this is a wireless affair and operates up to 32-feet away thanks to the magic of Bluetooth. The layout of the keyboard is your standard QWERTY setup, but its curved geometry facilitates a really comfortable experience that won't leave you feeling sore after a day's furious typing. 

Double padding on the arm rest provides that little extra layer of luxury, while something a simple as a split space bar makes touch-typing a breeze. Those rests are also stain resistant, just in case you slurp a little too much coffee while you're hard at work.

To see how the Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard fares against a top-rated competitor then check out T3's Microsoft Sculpt vs Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard comparison feature.

For ergonomic keyboards that can go anywhere and everywhere with you, look no further than the excellent Moko Universal Foldable Keyboard, which works with Windows, Android and iOS (so you can use it with your Apple iPad Air and still avoid wrist strain at the same time).

It's just 6.37 inches (16.18 cm) when folded, so it's almost small enough to put into your pocket. Besides that, the two halves of the keyboard are perfectly spaced to keep your hands and fingers in a natural position.

The ergonomic keyboard corner of the PC peripheral market, much like any other, has its fair share of ultra expensive and mid-range models, but that's not to say everything in the 'budget' range can be dismissed as a load of tat. 

Vitalitim's ultra thin device is one of the best inexpensive ergonomic keyboards, with a 2.4Ghz, cable-free connection that's operates up to 10 metres away. It's lightweight and features a thin, low profile, but it also packs in an impressive 110 keys (with 12 hotkeys for those all-important shortcuts). It has a few drawbacks, but it's brilliant considering the low asking price.

The latest offering from Mistel aims to cross the divide between traditional ergonomic keyboards (which strip out features in favour of comfort) and full-fat mechanical keyboards with their clacky feedback. The Barocco, on the whole, marries the two pretty well with Cherry MX Switches as standard and a temperature-resistant build that ensures it can survive most punishment. 

The split design works well, helping negate the overall strain of using a regular keyboard for too long. The RGB backlighting offers 11 different modes, while the inclusion of macro-based hotkeys gives you the scope to customise those all important shortcuts. A worthy inclusion on our best ergonomic keyboards list.

Logitech's contribution to the mid-to-expensive range of the market is another model that aims to marry two seemingly incompatible elements – the affordable asking price for a smaller spec model with the robust feature set of a higher-end keyboard. You can also head to our Logitech discount codes to snap up some savings.

The result is the K350, which manages to be extremely comfortable to use for both short and long sessions, AND versatile thanks to curved 'wave' keyboard layout and a set of customisable macro keys. Unfortunately, the placing of these multimedia buttons leaves a lot to be desired, making them a little awkward to use for a model designed to reduce strain. 

To see how this keyboard stacks up against another top competitor, then check out T3's Microsoft Sculpt vs Logitech K350 comparison feature.

While being one of the more expensive models on our best ergonomic keyboard list, the Tru-Form 150 from Adesso still manages to offer decent value for money with an impressive set of built-in features. Including a raft of multimedia keys, a 'wave' layout and split-design that places your hands on either side of a comfortable bump in the middle. 

The keys also have a larger, 2x font making them ideal for users for poor eyesight. The design can feel a little plasticky, with all the keys a little noisy for a non-mechanical keyboard, but it's still a decent peripheral for your home or office setup.

While the Microsoft Surface was designed with – you guessed it – Microsoft Surface devices in mind, the Big M has made sure there's another more versatile keyboard for the ergonomic crowd. The Sculpt combines design elements from both split and traditional layouts, resulting in a robust if aesthetically unappealing model. 

The tilt of its keys makes for very comfortable experience, while the included ergonomic mouse and separate numerical keyboard make for a setup that’s perfect for almost any kind of non-gaming task. If you’re looking to reduce RSI with a full keyboard and mouse combo, this is an easy sell.

The second generation Freestyle from Kinesis keeps the same segmented design that made it such an ergonomic-centric design to begin with, while adding in a few extra touches for. The new model is noticeably slimmer, its lower profile feeling that bit more comfortable to use than the first Freestyle. 

Its connective cable is 9-inches long but there's also a 20-inch version if you want even more space between your keyboard components. The model's keys don’t offer the nicest feedback, especially after long periods of use, but with Bluetooth connectivity and versions for both PC/Linux and Mac, it's a decent if pricey package.

When it comes to gaming-focused keyboards, comfort almost always comes second to performance, but that’s not to say there aren’t some models out there with some support for ergonomic users. The Razer Ornata Chroma Revolutionary packs in mechanical switches, anti-ghosting and all manner of macro keys for customisation. 

The big selling point for users wanting a more comfortable experience is a durable wrist rest that elevates your hands and takes off much of the strain associated with extended use. While not a keyboard designed with ergonomics first and foremost, it's certainly one of the most comfy to use in the gaming sphere.

Combining both a split-key design with the contours of a 3D build, the Perixx Periboard-512 II might look a little odd (and boast an equally ugly name), but it makes for a robust keyboard that belies its affordable, sub-£30 price tag. It’s a little bigger than the rest of the keyboards on this list, so it'll take a little getting used to, but once you're comfortable with its contours you'll find it a pleasant and responsive bit of kit. 

Add in some USB 2.0 hubs with seven multimedia hotkeys and you’ll find this Perixx peripheral and easy sell for those worried by RSI symptoms or those already suffering from the condition. In fact it's one of the best ergonomic keyboards for wrist pain out there.

More Microsoft? You bet. This ergonomic option from the empire built by Bill Guides is a bit beefier than the other two brand offerings in our list both in terms of build and functions, and makes a better bet for those who prefer traditional elevated keys to almost-flush ones, but don’t want to sacrifice the more comfortable wrist and arm alignment of an ergonomic keyboard.

For the keyboard shortcut aficionado, this is a veritable smorgasbord of functionality, with an intuitive zoom slider, one-touch commands like Open and Reply, and media keys. 

The Kinesis Advantage2 LF takes the split keyboard design to the next level, with its deep concave and huge gulf between the two sets of keys. But, despite a pretty steep learning curve, reviewers said it was the most comfortable keyboard they’d ever tried, all thanks to that unique layout. Well, and probably at least a little to do with the plush raised palm rests too.

Mac users can switch easily with included extra keycaps and a simple keystroke command for a quick setup with no Preferences menu in sight, and the keys are both reprogrammable and mechanical, with an incredibly satisfying clack courtesy of Cherry MX Red Switches.

Another Perixx entry in our best ergonomic keyboards list, and this one comes with a full-sized number pad, a split keyboard, and an integrated trackball – it's perfect if you have difficulty using the mouse as well as the keyboard, because your hands are never going to have to move very far.

Setup is a simple plug-and-play affair and you get a cable that's 1.8 metres (71 inches) long, so you should be able to position this keyboard pretty much wherever you like. There's a cool-looking set of media buttons and indicator lights up at the top too, like the 512 II model.

Gaming keyboards are great, but you're often lumbered with chunky designs that either don't pack away well or make your wrists and tends sore after extended use. The GameSir One-handed Mechanical Gaming Keypad aims to fight this with a compact design that takes all the major keys you're likely to need and packs them into one ergonomic layout.

The result is peripheral that's comfortable to use in conjunction with a mouse, and one that's also ideal for packing away when gaming on the go. It has 29 Cherry MX Red Key Switches, RGB lighting and more, so it's still a proper little gaming keyboard in its own right.

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