Review: Kinesis Advantage Keyboard
I recently replaced my work and home keyboards with the Kinesis Advantage. These are my collected thoughts on it after two full months of daily use.
Adjustment Period
Adjusting to the Kinesis Advantage layout took some time. It is not a typical ergonomic keyboard, and the differences are more than the separated hand positions. It spaces and aligns the keys differently. Many non-alphanumeric keys have different positions. Even if you have perfect typing habits, you will suffer during the break-in period.
The good news is that the pain ends quickly. For alphanumeric keys, I was back to my normal speed within a week. For special keys (chiefly command, option, control, tilda, backspace) it took me two to three weeks to reach full speed. The arrow keys were particularly difficult to adjust to; they required a full month.
Comfort
My previous keyboard was a standard Apple chiclet model. I’ve always had minor wrist discomfort, but the Apple Keyboard brought out the worst of it. It became unbearable. I had to rest and flex my hands after only 20 minutes of typing. Using a computer had become unsustainable. When I heard about the Kinesis, I read as many detailed reviews as I could find online (not many). I then talked to my friends @zapnap and @nirvdrum, both Kinesis owners, who had nothing but nice things to say about it. I took the plunge.
What a world of difference. Two months later my wrist pain is gone. Not only does it feel better when I type, but also when I play guitar and piano. There were certain discomforts that I had grown accustom to over the years, which I had accepted as common or inevitable. Yet after just two months with the Kinesis they are gone. I began feeling relief within a couple of days. My wrists gradually felt better for a little over a month until the pain was entirely gone. In hindsight I cannot believe I waited so long to do something about it.
Typing Speed
My typing speed has also benefited. Part of this is because my hands are more relaxed and I can hit the keys faster, but mostly it’s because my hands don’t travel as far for routine tasks. I don’t have to move my right hand to use arrow keys; I no longer have to place my pinky, middle finger and thumb into an awkward position to hit control+command+3; I no longer need my pinky to press backspace (overuse of the pinky stresses tendons, which can lead to wrist pain). The Kinesis layout, once I became used to it, proved much more efficient than a traditional qwerty layout.
Macros
The Kinesis takes an optional footswich ($35), which I highly recommend. It allows you to activate the number pad in a hands-free manner. It also gives you quick access to your custom macros.
I did not expect to use macros, but they have proven very useful for inputting certain keyboard shortcuts. For instance, I have an app called MercuryMover that moves windows to preset locations. It is activated by pressing control+command+up. This is awkward and difficult to remember. Instead, I have a custom mapping to footswitch+w, which triggers that series of keys.
Quirks
There are a few things about the keyboard that I would change if I had the chance:
- It’s loud. Clickety-clack is unavoidable when using it.
- Macros cannot be listed, backed up or restored. If you overwrite them, they’re gone. If you forget one, there’s no means to recall it.
- There are no finger placement indentations on the “f” and “j” keys. The Kinesis has a unique feel to it that in my opinion renders these unnecessary, but I missed them until I fully adjusted.
Answers to Anticipated Questions
- Dvorak legends are available.
- If you don’t like the default layout, you can map any key to any other key.
- Look for refurbs! I saved $60 per keyboard by choosing this option. It looks brand new and carries the full warranty.
- In my opinion the Pro model is not worth the cost difference. The memory provided for macros on the standard model is plenty.
- The foam wrist pads (included) are a nice touch. They are definitely more comfortable than the bare plastic.
- I have no issues switching between a Kinesis and a traditional keyboard. I routinely use my MacBook’s built-in keyboard when I travel.
If you’re considering buying a Kinesis, feel free to ask questions in the comments of this post and I will respond to them.
I've been experiencing hand/wrist/arm pain lately, and have been thinking about purchasing this keyboard, which also comes highly recommended from a friend of mine. But I am concerned about throwing $300 at the problem without examining the ergonomic (including posture) problems that are causing the pain. I'm curious if you can describe what you think were the causes of your pain, and how this keyboard solves them? My pain, I think, comes from rotating my wrists inward and also flexing my wrist (on the horizontal plane) outward. These problems are not caused, but are are exacerbated by a bad habit of resting my left arm on the armrest of my chair when typing.
Another keyboard I've considered, is the GoldTouch adjustable: http://www.goldtouch.com/p-133-goldtouch-for-ma.... My wife has one and I find the adjustability really helpful. I can set the bend and height to the precise angle that is comfortable for my body, and this can be somewhat independent for each hand. And I bet slightly changing the angles throughout the day could reduce strain.
Another issue I have is the clawlike position my hand takes when I'm doing frequent Command-Tabbing (which is a lot of the time). A macro or some more healthy hand position for doing this would be helpful. I think using a foot pedal for the command key might help me here.
Thanks for the review!
Great post man. I largely feel the same as you do about the Kinesis and you hit all the important points.
People often freak out when I tell them how much the “weird keyboard” cost but I always bring up the mattress analogy: you spend 1/4-1/3rd of your life sleeping, so cheaping out on a mattress that will give you long term back pain is just plain stupid, even if it is 1/10th of the cost for the cheaper option.
Same thing with the keyboard. As developers we usually spend 6-8+ hours a day hovering around a keyboard. The cost of surgery of long term discomfort is almost definitely more expensive than $300 for an ergonomic keyboard (with a great warranty, fwiw).
I haven't used the Goldtouch so I don't have a basis for comparison, but
these are the specific ergonomic/posture issues that the Kinesis addressed
for me:
The most obvious is the form factor that all ergonomic keyboards share.
Instead of a traditional keyboard where your arms are pushed inward and your
wrists are pushed outward, both arms and wrists lie in a natural position.
Unique to the Kinesis, however, is the shape. Instead of a flat surface,
which forces wrists to bend upward, the Kinesis has has a contoured surface,
allowing my fingertips to rest beneath the plane of my wrists. This too is a
more natural position. If you hold out your arm in mid-air, your wrists will
naturally drop down, not spring up.
Finally, and what surprised me the most, is how much the Kinesis reduces
awkward stresses and “clawing” like you allude to. For instance, put your
hands over your keyboard as if you are typing. Now try to trigger
command+control+1. There isn't a graceful way to do that on a regular
keyboard. It requires physically moving your hands and/or making awkward
stretches with your fingers. Maybe it doesn't feel awkward because
you're used to it, but if you're like me it still causes discomfort with
repetition. There are certain shortcuts that would be difficult on the
Kinesis (e.g. command+control+down), but they are much less common. With the
Kinesis, you also have the option to create macros to work around them.
You're welcome to swing by oneforty and try mine if you want to get a quick
feel for it before ordering. I'm not sure how useful it would be given the
adjustment period, but it might give you a sense of what you're in for that
first week.
Also worth noting: when I called Kinesis with questions before my purchase,
they reiterated that they provide a money back guarantee.
I wrote a longish review of the Advantage too and would emphasize the “adjustment period” comment: I didn't realize how much I liked the Advantage until I went back to a normal keyboard for a week after adjustment.
Then I went, “Ah ha! This is better.”
It’s loud. Clickety-clack is unavoidable when using it.
It's definitely quieter than the IBM Model M or Unicomp Customizer, however, which were my points of reference.