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

I love this beast. Im a massage therapist with arm/hand tendonitis and gaming tendencies. Greatly reduces strain while gaming while also being aesthetic af and giving just the right amount of satisfying mechanical feedback. The wrist pads are comfy. Downsides: 1: I wish you could keep the tenting without the wrist pads, as I sometimes like to use an ice pack as a wrist pad for the WSAD side while gaming. So when I do this I have to take out the tenting stand along with the wrist pad. 2: tenting stands sold separately on an already expensive keyboard 3: the software is ....... not great. I tried several times and still havent figured out how to get the Windows key to function. I have also forgotten the magic code to open the settings now and cant be bothered to look it up. 4: no number pad. this is a blessing and a curse honestly because I have way more room for my mouse now on a Not Large keyboard tray. (I bought a separate number pad for the rare occasion that its extremely inconvenient not to have one)

I am a remote worker and type a lot. A LOT, loads of reports, facilitation, notes, diagrams.... I really hated this keyboard initially, but after three days, I got more used to it. I began typing faster and even saw ways I can utilize the macros to optimize to daily flow. BUT, the keys are loud! I cannot be off mic during calls, which not feasible for the facilitator of a meeting or even a key participant...so sending it back. I did a lot a research and this makes sense...I would say for productivity A, just get BROWN....bluh bluh...look it up! Just consider typing noise, if it is an issue...this is not the best option. I type loud, I guess and this made me sound profoundly louder.

This keyboard is very nice, the nicest one Ive ever owned, and also the most expensive! For the price this keyboard costs, Im very disappointed that I could not tent the two halves right out of the box. I expected the lift kit would be included for that price, but was shocked to discover that it cost an ADDITIONAL $25! That robbery should not be tolerated, and so Ive deducted a star from what otherwise would have easily been a 5 star product. For gaming and computer power users, this keyboard is fantastic! Highly versatile and infinitely programmable with pretty lights under each individual key makes for a sublime typing experience. The only thing I found lacking was the missing number pad and the lift kit that I mentioned above. Also the plastic feels a little flimsy on the wrist rests, but so far that has not been an issue... just have to be gentle with them if youre taking them on and off.

Lets get this straight: Right now, the Kinesis Freestyle Edge is the best relatively-conventional ergonomic keyboard you can buy. No exceptions. Yes, its expensive, as keyboards go. But it is tentable, adjustable, programmable, comes with your choice of three types of Cherry mechanical keyswitches (not cheap Chinese knock-offs) and actually useful palm rests. Its solidly constructed and has the good key feel youd naturally expect from Cherry switches. It is customizable in many ways, almost all of which can be done right on the keyboard itself, but if you prefer to do it from a configuration application, Kinesis has you covered there as well. (The Smartset app, available for MacOS or Windows, does everything you can do directly from the keyboard as well as a few things that you cant.) The Edge RGB adds fully addressable RGB backlighting, for the loss only of the Scroll Lock key which honestly NOTHING EVER USES ANY MORE ANYWAY. Like the Caps Lock key, I dont know why it still even exists on modern computer keyboards. Its no longer relevant, and its no pain whatsoever to lose it. I mentioned MacOS above. Yes, you can use this keyboard with your Mac. To do that, youll need to do two things: 1. Youll need to order and install https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B085PWG291/, a set of four replacement keycaps for MacOS. 2. To make the keyboards actions match the new key caps, youll have to remap four keys, swapping the left and right Windows keys with the left and right Alt keys. ALT on the PC and ALT/OPTION on the Mac send the same key code, and WIN on the PC sends the same key code as the Macs COMMAND key, but their positions on the keyboard are swapped. Remap each WIN to ALT and likewise each ALT to WIN, and youre good to go. (This is easier and less confusing to do from the Smartset app.) Every time you run it, the Smartset app will also check to see if your keyboard needs any firmware updates. YES, THIS KEYBOARD GETS FIRMWARE UPDATES. Updating firmware is simplicity itself: Copy the update to the keyboards firmware folder, unplug the keyboard, plug it back in, and thats it. DONE. Your grandmother could do it, after you show her how the first time. So what makes this better than all of those $20-$60 ergonomic keyboards? Well, bluntly, theyre all cheap, dumb crap with no adjustment, no programmability, and with cheap, bad membrane switches (and usually with even cheaper screen-printed keycaps). Theyll wear out quickly under heavy use, and theyll never approach the key feel or tactile feedback of a proper mechanical key switch. Why is tactile feedback important? Because it prevents you from damaging your hands by hitting the keys harder than you need to. So if you have any semblance at all of RSI issues, and you want to protect your hands and wrists, buy this keyboard. Seriously. Im not kidding here. Your hands and wrists will thank you forever. UPDATE ====== Since writing the above Ive bought a third of these, for use with a work-issued Mac. If youve ever typed on a recent Mac keyboard, you know why. The first two are original-version Edges, one with Red switches, one with Brown. For the RGB I went back to the Reds because I think I slightly prefer them. All three have silicone damper rings installed. I personally give the RGB color control on the Edge RGB a resounding meh. I do NOT like the changes to the keycaps; shifted keys are upside down, which is to say, the shifted character is BELOW the unshifted character, not above it or to its right. This can be confusing. I have never seen any other keyboard do this, EVER, and it is a BAD IDEA. It doesnt even work well with the illumination, as the light is mostly blocked from the shifted character. Kinesis should change it back. Since they are standard Cherry keycaps, you could of course work around this by replacing the keycaps with a more conventional set of backlight-compatible Cherry keycaps. But on a $200 keyboard, you shouldnt HAVE to.

Im going to be honest: I got this to decide if I want to make the jump to (and shell out for) the ErgoDox EZ or ZSA Moonlander. Id never used a split keyboard before, but I needed to try something to deal with the pain I was getting in my back and shoulders and going smaller and smaller was not it (but the Logitech G915 TKL is still my most favorite keeb). I have a company provided basic wave ergonomic keyboard from Microsoft at work thats been helpful to mitigate shoulder/back pain, so I decided to go full split at home and Im glad I did. There is a learning curve to be sure; Im still in it. But the fact that I can position each half to keep my shoulders in a neutral position while typing has made a huge difference for me. I did shell out for the additional tenting kit to help my wrists and I highly recommend getting that too as well as using the included wrist rests. I appreciate that there are multiple switch options ( I love speed silvers) for this keyboard and that it has RGB backlighting. Im not a gamer, but I like pretty stuff and this is pretty. Only negative for me is that its not wireless. For someone who is split keeb curious, this is a good starting option. I will eventually pony up for the ErgoDox EZ or the Moonlander...some day.

Ive been a satisfied owner of the previous (original?) Freestyle Edge. I bought the new RGB Freestyle Edge for a second computer. Its basically the same keyboard except for two things. First, this one has programmable RGB. I didnt think I would care for RGB, but its grown on me. Second, the Fn keys have been shifted to the right in order to accommodate a physical Esc key. The Scrlk key has been removed and is bound to the Del key as a secondary action. This makes it a tad difficult to go back and forth between the two keyboards. I basically have to look down when using a Fn key. As for Esc, I reprogrammed the big << key to function as Esc in order to mimic the old keyboard. I really like the flexibility to configure the keyboard. You can edit a text file that is stored on the keyboard. It is accessed by pressing a combination of keys. This will make the keyboard appear as a mountable drive on the computer. You then open the folder and edit the file with any text editor. This works on Windows and Mac. I havent tried Linux. You can also reprogram keys directly on the keyboard using the Remap button. As for the keys, I have weak fingers, so I like low force, quiet keys so I went with the Cherry Red.

There is so much comfort and reliability with the split, mechanical keyboard, its simply amazing. Mechanical keyboards are much sturdier and have a longer lifespan than standard membrane keyboards. In addition, you can program macros for any application. Ive just gone through 2 Logitech Ergo K860 ergonomic membrane keyboards and saw with hard use the paint coming off the keys, and then keys not working. Less than a year each!!! The Kinesis gives you 2 years warranty, and the mechanical keys are designed to take a beating. And if you want to learn to play online gaming with your grandchildren after work, this brand will do it. Santon Craig, MD

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.

I love this keyboard - I have a Kinesis Advantage keyboard at my office for general work and it has really changed my life as I can type all day without any discomfort. For home use - which includes work as well as some gaming, I needed something more flexible, though. This keyboard is perfect for the job. During the day its comfortable and flexible. I got the brown keyswitches which are tactile and great for typing. When I want to play a game that uses the mouse I can move the right half of the keyboard out of the way and I have much more real estate (and better ergonomics) than with a single, full-sized keyboard. I am using the tenting adapter (what they call the lift kit) on its lowest setting and I really like it. Im only giving four stars because the lift kit should really be included. I think its basically required to use the keyboard properly.

As someone who both works in IT and then comes home to spend another 6 hours on a computer this was immensely helpful for my wrists. I was starting to develop pain and tightness in my wrist and forearms due to long hours on standard keyboards and this keyboard has been an absolute God-send. The keyboard is sturdy and the mechanical keys feel great to use. The software is a bit wonky and takes some getting used to mounting a virtual drive in order to change settings on it but offers a good amount of flexibility once you get the hang of it. Being able to position each half in exactly the correct position for my sitting style and natural placement of my hands is a nifty feature. I hadnt seen anything like this before and figured Id take the chance given my wrists getting worse. Well worth the money. The only real problem area I can think to nitpick on is the wrist wrests are clipped in and are kind of a flimsy connection. Ive had them slip off a couple times when I picked it up in the wrong spot but nothing worth losing a star over as picking it up from the main body prevents this. Overall Ill definitely be returning to this brand for my next purchase and will be recommending it to anyone that needs some kind of ergonomic hardware.