KINESIS Gaming Freestyle Edge RGB Split Mechanical Keyboard | Cherry MX Linear Red Switches | RGB | Ergonomic | Detachable Palm Support | Fully Programmable | TKL | Available Tenting

Overall like the keyboard. You can, in theory, move keys around. The reprogramming software works fine. But the keys themselves are different heights per row. So if you move a key from one row to another then both keys you swapped are the wrong height for their new position.

Tried this because its rated best by WireCutter. I have a (cheaper) FreeStyle at work. I love the backlighting and that you can control the colors. Its nice that you can pick the Cherry MX switch you like best, but most people will have no idea which to pick. I chose brown as I use it for typing only. I think the brown is too loud for office work and unfortunately the reds are just as loud (silent red on the Pro model are really silent which is weird in a different way). I think the brown takes a little too much force to type compared to the FreeStyle. But the Cherry MX does provided a crisp feel missing on cheap keyboards. Oddly the keyboard layout is different/worse than the FreeStyle. The FreeStyle has larger ESC and Delete buttons. And as with all Kinesis keyboards, I really miss the numeric keypad. Also the built-in wrist rest is nice but it slopes down too much for my liking.

One of the best keyboards in the market and rated #1 for ergonomic keyboards by PC Magazine and NY Times Wirecutter. Simply, an amazing keyboard. Macros can be challenging to use because there is no software integrating them with the operating system- but that also means they are computer independent and work on Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you like multicolor backlights, this keyboard has you covered. I just use white backlighting myself. It doesnt come with the keyboard lifts (~$25) or a numeric keypad. I found the Qisan Mechanical Gaming Numeric Keypad/Keyboard 21 Keys Mini Numpad with Cherry MX Brown Switches White Backlight for iMac/MacBook - Black works well with this keyboard and has the same key switches and white backlighting. The Kinesis keypad *isnt* backlit. If you want a similar wrist rest to the keyboard for your keypad, get a Kensington ErgoSoft Wrist Rest for Standard Mouse, Black (K52802WW). It works well.

Overall, this keyboard is OK. The split design is nice, but thats about it. For over $200, I expected something high quality, but this is a disappointment. I dont know if I was expecting too much, or if Im just picky, but this keyboard was a letdown. I have never owned a keyboard with Cherry switches, but I heard great things about them. Are these really Cherry switches? If so, I feel Cherry is extremely overrated. Squeaky, inconsistent switches: The switches on this keyboard (MX Brown) were squeaky from the start. Not all of the keys squeaked, some where fairly quiet, but about 1/3 sounded terrible every time they were pressed. There is a TON of variation in the sound each key makes. Some are solid, some feel looser than other, some are quiet, some squeak. The keys in the center of the board also make a weird Ringing-bell type of sound that is pretty annoying too. Terrible tactile feedback: The tactile feedback on these is a joke. If I press the key slowly, I can feel the bump, but in normal typing, I cant feel anything. When I compared these side-by-side with my $35 Logitech keyboard, the Logitech is much quieter, and has much, much, MUCH better tactile feedback. The travel is about the same, the Logitech feels much more solid, and has a more pronounced bump with no vibration or squeaks. Keys dont always register after the bump: I can carefully press the keys past the bump, and if they are not depressed enough, they do not actuate. What little bump is present is in the wrong place. This makes the tactile experience frustrating when your fingers tell you that the key actuated, but nothing registers on your screen. Again, compared to my $35 Logitech, the Logitech is FAR superior, and actuates every time the key passes the tactile bump without fail. The tenting supports cost an extra $25: Really? This is sold as the ultimate ergonomic keyboard, but without the tenting, it isnt really ergonomic at all. The split is nice (this keyboards only redeeming quality), but for over $200, they could include the $1 plastic pieces to make this function as an ergonomic keyboard. Instead they charge $25 for them, and they dont work without the wrist rests, so if your desk has rests already, you cant use the tenting supports. I had high hopes, but I cant justify the cost of this keyboard, and I cant stand the squeaky, inconsistent keys.

Firstly, I really like this keyboard, and love the clacky blue keys which feel really good. Also, Im a big fan of the lighting - I cant believe I went 25 years without a lighted keyboard. The only complaint I have is there is a steep re-acclimation curve to get used to where the Del, Home, End, Pg Up, Pg Dn, arrow keys, and number keys. I am a computer programmer of 25 years, and with my MS Natural Keyboard, I NEVER had to look down and search for ANY of the keys mentioned above. I didnt even think about it... However, with this keyboard which Ive had for a month now, it is slow-going getting used to the new key-locations. Whoever said its an easy transition mustnt use those key listed above very much. For what I do, I use them a lot. For gaming, there are no problems whatsoever, and I really appreciate the lighted keys then. With all that said, I do recommend this if youre looking for a lighted keyboard, and as a bonus, the keys feel and sound so crisp as you type!

I bought this primarily for the split keyboard design, and I love this aspect. Im never going back to any other sort of keyboard. Moreover, the keyboard looks great. The chromatic backlighting is also a good aspect of the keyboard. BUT The ease with which you can set macros is a drawback. You do this by pressing the Macro button. Which is right next to the Profile button used for switching the backlight settings. Which you cant see if you are typing in the dark relying on the backlight settings, because the special keyboard keys have no backlighting. My point is that it is VERY easy to accidentally press the Marco key. Ive hit it by accident several times, a bottle of aspirin falling over has hit it, my cat has hit it ... And when it gets hit, you will suddenly have a macro of whatever you are typing linked to, say, the S key. And then you cant type an S anymore, because this initiates a macro text dump. Try even searching the web for this problem without needing to type an S. So as long as this macro is in place, your keyboard is no longer functional. You should be able to solve this problem in a few ways: the SmartSet app, a soft reset, a hard reset. Lets go over these: The SmartSet app seems like the best course, since you may have actual macros you want to keep, and resetting the keyboard will nuke those along with the one you want to get rid of. To use the SmartSet app, you have to pair your keyboards internal flash drive with your computer. To do that, you are told to press the SmartSet key + f8. But this doesnt work. So you cant pair your keyboard to your computer. So you cant use the SmartSet app to do anything. Strike 1. Next, the soft reset. This clears the macros off one profile, but not all of them. To do a soft reset, you must hit SmartSet key + Shift f12. But this doesnt work. Hitting these keys will simply not do anything. The soft reset isnt an option. Strike 2. And the hard reset. This one resets the keyboard to factory default, so youll get rid of the macro that is preventing you from using the keyboard, and everything else, if you have any macros. For this one, you press SmartSet key + f12 while plugging the keyboard into the computer. This one does work. About 1 in 50 times. So you have to do it over and over and over and over and over ... and eventually it will work, and you can use your keyboard again. Id like to disable the Macro key entirely, which may be possible via the SmartSet app, but since the SmartSet app doesnt work (or rather, the keyboard flash drive pairing key sequence doesnt work), I cant use the SmartSet app, so I guess Ill never know. In sum, the Freestyle Edge RGB keyboard is excellent for its ergonomic design, very good for its RGB lighting (the special keys should be lit too), BUT doesnt give you the macro functionality it promises: accidentally set macros can and will render the keyboard useless until got rid of, and two out of the three ways of fixing the problem just dont work. So be warned: if you get this keyboard, you WILL have periodic incidents where the keyboard stops being usable due to bad macros, until you can manage to clear them, which is a long and frustrating job of work. UPDATE: The one option that prevents the keyboard from destroying itself with its own macro function stopped working. No hard reset either. My keyboard is now unusable since several critical keys now trigger macros instead of their correct function and there is NO WAY to undo this. Here are five right-arrow strokes to demonstrate: 55555 Yes my right arrow key is dead forever, because it is the number 5. Dont buy a keyboard that is build to destroy itself.

Pros: Split-keyboard RBG Lighting Multi-function Macros/Keys Mutilple selections for type of keys Built-in wrist rest Stable Cons: Tenting kit is extra $$$ Tenting only has two levels (low and high) Ive used a variety of split keyboard designs over the years (including the recent CloudNine C989M) and Im in love with this keyboard. This is also my third Kinesis to date. Kinesis has gone to great lengths to improve on its past designs, incorporating elements from gaming keyboards, such as lighting, macros, swappable keycaps, and swappable key mechanisms. This means that you can configure the Freestyle Edge to suit just about any preference, including swapping the caps for Mac buttons instead of Windows. Even the key mechanisms themselves can be swapped for a lighter or heavier feel. My only criticism is that they dont include the tenting kit in any of their keyboards, adding a $30-50 charge to an already expensive keyboard. And the tenting kit is a MUST. Without it, you lose the ability to raise or tilt the keyboard and some of the more ergonomic advantages of a natural wrist-hand position. Advice: if you have hand or finger injuries that make typing for long periods difficult, get the low-weight keys. Your fingers will appreciate the rest.

No soy gamer asi que no puedo opinar al respecto, pero siendo programador y pasando muchas horas en el computador y despues de unos 6 meses de uso puedo decir que este teclado ha complido con mis espectativas, no tengo ninguna queja y en general me ha parecido muy agradable, comodo y creo que no he vuelto sentir esas leves molestias en las manos que ya empezaba a sentir al usar teclados tradicionales. Aunque este mi primer teclado mecanico (solo habia usado teclados de membrana) para mi la calidad del producto es buena. (Ahora trabajo desde casa pero si tuviera que volver a la oficina sin duda compraria otro para tener uno en casa y otro en la oficina) -------------- No soy gamer asi que no puedo opinar al respecto, pero siendo programador y pasando muchas horas en el computador y despues de unos 6 meses de uso puedo decir que este teclado ha complido con mis espectativas, no tengo ninguna queja y en general me ha parecido muy agradable, comodo y creo que no he vuelto sentir esas leves molestias en las manos que ya empezaba a sentir mientras usaba teclados tradicionales. Aunque este mi primer teclado mecanico (solo habia usado teclados de membrana) para mi la calidad del producto es buena. (Ahora trabajo desde casa pero si tuviera que volver a la oficina sin duda compraria otro para tener uno en casa y otro en la oficina)

Purchased this keyboard around Dec 2019. It worked flawlessly for almost 2 years. Used very little for gaming, 99.9% of the time for work, about 6-8 hrs/day. Very comfortable, especially with the KINESIS Lift Kit (Tenting for The Freestyle Edge). Yes, there are other keyboards from the same manufacturer, including some more formal models designed for work (without those playful RGB lights), and even less expensive... But backlight was one of my requirements, and -at least when I first ordered mine- the gaming versions were the only backlit options (with the RGB thing), so... After almost 2 years of use, one of the LEDs was not working as it should. The keyboard itself still worked, but there was an issue somewhere. Way past the return window, but it was still under Kinesis 2-year warranty. Amazon customer service didnt help much, besides suggesting that I could contact the manufacturer, which I did. 24 hours later, after a brief exchange of emails, they provided an RMA number for returning the defective keyboard. In the meantime I ordered a new one from Amazon (I needed a spare anyway). Sent the old unit to Kinesis for repair or replacement. A couple of weeks later I received a new keyboard from them. Considering that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, I think that that was a very reasonable time frame, and overall an excellent customer service. Thank you, Joey Luckey at Kinesis Corporation.

I got this because I have been experiencing more issues from having my arms angled inward to type. I work as a software engineer and have been switched to full-time from home, so buying 1 keyboard I could use for work and for play (I have a gaming PC) was necessary for me to alleviate my pain. First, the good: This 100% helps the shoulder. I needed to move the two halves further apart than a simple split would do, so I went for this as a test, mostly, hoping it would help, hoping I wouldnt need to go even further up the price chain, and hoping it would be enjoyable to type on. It most certainly is. Anyone who does regular computer usage and suffers from having their hands so close together will almost guaranteed feel relief from using this. The whatever: I dont think its exceptionally different to type on than my former Logitech G910 but I am NOT a keyboard Enthusiast like some people. I do sometimes hit keys I dont mean to (usually its the period when I hit the space bar). I have short fingers. Its not a huge issue. The keys arent too loud but feel good to type with. I can tell when Ive fully pressed a key at least 95% of the time. Sometimes I make mistakes which I do not think are the keyboards fault. The bad: I really dont like the approach for managing macro keys. I get the point of it, to have it all on-board in the keyboard, but. The approach of mounting and ejecting the drive sometimes confuses Win10, and it fails to eject, or gives me an error after appearing to eject correctly, always leaving me wondering what just happened. I am carefully following the provided directions, but it seems not very user-friendly. Im guessing power users might be more ok with it. It begs the question, for this price point, do they expect power users? I use this on a USB switch so I can swap it between my work macbook and my PC. I experienced a very strange issue where an area of the right half of the keyboard was not working properly (a single press of the m key would type a series of letters, for example). I found it really clunky to figure out how to reset the thing (internet sleuthing to find an answer, their site/documentation is not as easy to navigate as Id hoped), and then to actually reset requires finger gymnastics of holding down 3 keys and plugging the keyboard in again. I dont know a single person who plugs a keyboard into the front port of a PC, so for anyone on a desktop/not a laptop, you are going to have to contort your body around to hold 3 keys down while plugging something in anywhere. It was a pain. I have no idea why it happened, it just was borked after waking up from sleep one time. If this happens too much, or at a time when Im trying to hop into a work meeting, this will probably make me buy a new keyboard from another brand. Overall, Im glad I bought it because pain = no work. I needed a split keyboard. Its good for that. I can type a lot without lots of struggle or errors. I dont love the macro key support. The process to mount it, set it, save/eject, is slow and clunky if youre hoping to configure a lot of macros or edit/tweak what youve done. The idea of doing it all without software is fine, but again feels outdated or hyper specialized to me. Average people will expect to have a software interface (which is provided, and I use), not just handle everything from keystrokes alone. I feel like someone whos that into macros for gaming is going to get a higher priced keyboard, or a keypad specifically for that, anyway.