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

I have used mechanical keyboards for a while and really enjoy the feeling. this one takes it one level up with the ergonomics. i havent played with all the customization but i would recommend getting the tenting kit with this. it really helps make it more comfortable.

Programmer here, writer of design docs, etc. Not a gamer. My old Microsoft Natural 4K encountered some coffee one day, and I had to get another ergonomic keyboard. This was one of the few ergonomic & mechanical keyboards on the market; one of the extremely few from a reputable company. I chose the Blue variant, along with the lift kit, etc. This keyboard is very nice. I do miss the curvature of the MSN4K, but other than that, it provides almost the same experience. The feedback provided by the Blue keys is much nicer than most of the membrane keys on the market; I dont regret purchasing it at all. I did have a customer support issue (PEBCAK, turns out), and their Twitter rep was very helpful. I appreciate that, a lot! The RGB system is mostly tacky, I found a reasonably pleasing pattern. I havent gone deep into the macro system: its not something I care about generally speaking. I do note that the split design is a bit funky, I have to adjust both sides of the keyboard just so, or I wind up with a host of illegible characters. The primary ergonomic issue with this keyboard is the location of the arrow keys; my hands have to force down to manipulate the arrows. Ive appropriately remapped my editors to handle key actions, but its pretty frustrating having keys that arent sustainable to be regularly and at speed. I anticipate that this will be my daily driver for a long time.

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 was SO looking forward to this keyboard. I love the back lighting, and the programability of it. As soon as i plugged it in, it worked as promised. And then i started typing.. OMG, this thing is SO LOUD. I cant even focus long enough to finish my thought without being distracted by the constant clacking of every key. I hear a sharp noise as the key as its being hit, the key moving as its being released, and if you hit the key just right, you can also hear the spring (sound like a metallic vibration). It is SO DISTRACTING I just cant get over it enough to keep the keyboard. I really wanted to love it. I spent hours looking up reviews and comparing with other split keyboards. I gave it a few weeks of constant use to see i could change how i hit the keys, or perhaps get used to the noise, but I cant. Its a problem that i cant hear what is being said during my online meetings over me typing. Its just a loud keyboard. As far as i can tell, some people like the sharp clincky noise?? If you are used to typing on a laptop or soft keyboard (with short keys), this will drive you crazy. The coolness factor of this keyboard is not worth the noise. Returning and purchasing a quite keyboard instead. Hopefully that will get rid of the sharpness of the sounds and i can finally go about my day thinking about what im trying to write, instead of being distracted by what is being written.

I use this keyboard for work all day long. I only bought it two days ago, but I already ordered another one for my home PC. If you are used to a Microsoft-style ergonomic single-piece, then this keyboard is a cinch to get used to. The cherry brown version has very solid, medium-noise, clicky key switches. Chances are you will probably want the tent kit. Just pretend that this is a $240 keyboard that comes with a tent kit instead of a $200 one where the kit costs $40 extra. Does a $240 keyboard with a tent kit make you angry? If it does not then you dont need to waste time complaining that the keyboard does not come with a tent kit. Nobody cares. The tent kit, should you get it, is pretty nice. Is it infinitely adjustable? It is not. Go get an Ergodox if you want that. But it does have three very nice rise settings and is stable, compact, and lightweight. The keyboard case and wrist wrests are fine, structurally. Matte black plastic. Not exactly a luxury look, but serviceable. The pads on the palm rest seem easy to clean and are low-friction. The RGB lighting is gorgeous, and moderately flexible. I wish there were a way to set minimum intensity for Breath, or a custom spectrum for Wave. I like that you can program it by mounting the in-keyboard storage device and saving files to it. You can back up your config by copying it off. The software is serviceable.

I got the Brown key variant, and I have to report that it comically loud. This would be good for (1) deaf people and (2) stage plays where you need a loud keyboard so that the audience can hear the typing. Anyone you live with will hate this noise. And if youre listening to music, youll hear this through the music. Its unfathomable to me that there are key variants that are even louder than Brown. Its a lot of money to spend on something that is so annoying. If you were on a conference call, this typing sound would be RIDICULOUS; coworkers would mock you / know every key that you press. How awkward would that be during a tough conversation (e.g., performance eval)? I dont want to find out. Im ordering a bunch of other keyboards to compare, including a different one with the Red Quiet switches. Ill report back. Hopefully I find a better one and can return this noisy thing. Glare: If you have a window in front of you and you have this keyboard at arms length, the keys are difficult to see. There is great glare on them and its difficult to read the keys in daylight. Presumably it would be better in a dark room, but Im mostly using the computer during the day. keywords: silent quiet noisy loud click clack sound glare Update (May 2021): I am returning this due to the sound and glare. The Kinesis Freestyle Pro with silent switches is quieter, though the space key is still loud. The Freestyle Pros keys are easier to see, because the letters are printed in white and better withstand glare.

Working from home all day then turning around and gaming most nights on the same computer with a normal keyboard pretty quickly leads to pretty severe shoulder and back tension issues. Bought a pair of these keyboards to improve the ergonomics of our day to day lives, and man what a life saver they have been. Within a day or two we were both totally used to the split keyboard layout and our backs and shoulders stopped hurting at the end of the day. Would highly recommend to anyone who uses a computer many hours a day. Well worth the investment. Pros: + Ergonomics + High quality materials, real cherry switches, nice thick wrist rests that hold up over time and dont sag when the keyboard is angled with the optional accessory (see cons below) + RGB lighting is nice, if a bit limited on options + Programmable keys are awesome, and being able to create macros on the fly without needing to open the software is a nice touch + Multiple profiles can each have separate lighting and macros assigned to them Cons: - Updating the keyboard is a bit of a convoluted mess. You have to hit specific key combinations in specific orders, download and rename files to specific naming conventions and put them in specific folders. Its manageable to anyone whos tech savvy and their website has pretty thorough instructions, but it just seems like a royal pain compared to most things that are just Would you like to update your software? Yes/no - The layout of the home, end, page up, page down, insert, print screen keys are VERY different from a standard keyboard. As a programmer, it is taking me a long time to re-learn the positions of these keys that I use ALL THE TIME. - Media controls are mapped to the F keys plus the FN key, so you pretty much need two hands to use them (FN is the far bottom left key, for reference) - The software is a bit clunky. Programming more complex macros can be accomplished, but it has a decent learning curve. The RGB options are pretty limited compared to other software out there like Corsairs iCue. - The tenting accessory (sold separately) is honestly just trash. I reviewed it separately, but TL;DR it wont stay standing at its highest setting. - Both the Red and Brown switches are definitely not silent. Even after painstakingly putting rubber gaskets on every single key on both keyboards, they are still loud enough to hear several rooms over with the doors closed when you are really typing (80+ WPM). This isnt Kinesis fault, thats just mechanical switches for you, but its something to be aware of if you are used to typing on a membrane keyboard (much quieter).

Its counterintuitive but springy mechanical keys can lead to more ergonomic typing for some people. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that each key pops your finger back up as you touch-type(?) Im using the MX Brown, and honestly would probably be happier with even less resistant keys (i.e. MX Silver). I cant imagine using MX Blue but maybe you want a forearm (and eardrum) workout... The bigger advantage is probably the split design. Combine it with the tenting kit (Id recommend the one that lets you keep the wristpad supports). The ability to shift the keyboard segment distance and angle makes for much more comfortable typing. There are some drawbacks: Of course, mechanical keyboards are noisier. I dont find this to be a problem in a home/small office, but you might not want a bunch of these clacking in the same room as you. The other drawback (unless you have really long fingers) is that you lose comfortable access to some keys that are common for coding & technical typing. This is a LARGE keyboard and Control, Backspace, Home thru PgDwn, and the arrow keys are a bit of a stretch. And there is no numeric keypad (which Ive always preferred for arrow key and Home thru PgDwn use). There isnt really a solution to this that still leaves room on your desk to use a mouse though. This keyboard doesnt magically solve that problem but Im not aware of one that does. Finally there is the fact that mechanical keyboards are sold as gaming devices--which I dont understand. Sure, the RGB lighting and key programming abilities are top notch. But Im not sure why youd want to use a mechanical keyboard for gaming--or any activity that requires you to press-and-hold keys. The added force required to hold down keys makes this slightly uncomfortable. A final comment: my keyboards onboard memory got corrupted at one point--I could type but not use the software or lighting. The fix is easy but NOT documented on the website or the manual which is a shame. The solution--which you will get if you contact tech support--is to reformat the little 4MB onboard drive (K in this command-line example): format k: /fs:fat /a:512 /q. Then unplug and replug in the keyboard. Kinesis probably doesnt want non-technical types formatting things, but do many non-technical people buy $200 keyboards? Bottom line: if you like mechanical keyboards, this is a great one. Id honestly recommend it for conventional touch-typists as much as gamers. If youre coding, it will take some getting used to and you might even want to add a separate keypad if you can figure out where to fit that on your desk.

This ergonomic keyboard is a winner. I have been using a split keyboard for over a year. Most recently the CloudNine C959 ergoTKL which I loved. As great as the CloudNine is Kinesis has two things going for it which surpass CloudNine. The first is the 5 additional programmable keys and the second is the tactic feedback from the keys themselves. I started trying to program using the Smartset app but quickly found out the onboard programming keys are actually very easy to use and activate immediately without the need to send commands to the keyboard from the app. I only use Smartset for programming the lighting on the keys. For compatibility I programmed the custom keys 2,4,6,8 just like the CloudNine preprogrammed keys. Then I made 1=Select line, 3=Cut line, 5=Excel insert row, 7=Excel Delete row. The tactile feedback of the keys is just right - not too firm, not too light, not too noisy. The palm rest is perfect. I am using the tenting kit which is worth the small additional cost. My only disappointment is that the upper case chars, such as the punctuation under the numbers, is not backlight like lower case chars.