Why you'll love it: If "one size fits all" ergonomic keyboards aren't a good match for you, then the two-piece design of the
Kinesis Freestyle2, which lets you position each half of the keyboard as you see fit, is a great alternative.
Ergonomic keyboards solve a lot of problems, but there's no such thing as a "one size fits all" typing solution. Not only are everyone's hands different, but your height, arm length, shoulder width, and other factors can all affect how your hands, wrists, and fingers interface with your keyboard. This simple fact has led to the growing popularity of customizable ergonomic keyboards like the Kinesis Freestyle2.
Kinesis all but pioneered the split keyboard with its Freestyle lineup, and it remains at the top of the heap. Having your keys separated like this does admittedly take some getting used to, but being able to position the keyboard's two "islands" how you like goes a long way towards alleviating wrist pain and general arm discomfort. The Freestyle2's keys also sit low and feel very responsive without being mushy or requiring too much force to press, so it's easy on your fingers.
Aside from its unique two-piece design, however, the Freestyle2 doesn't feature a lot of other ergonomic features when compared to other keyboards like the Sculpt. To get the most out of the Freestyle (such as wrist-rotating tenting, tilting, and a supportive palm rest), you'll need to shell out some more cash for the VIP3 riser kit, which adds to the already fairly steep cost of the keyboard itself.
The riser kit offers a lot of customizability, though, and you can even adjust both the tilting and tenting with it, something you generally can't do on one-piece ergonomic keyboards.
This cost factor is really the only thing that kept the Kinesis Freestyle2 (with the riser kit) from being our top pick. If you add the risers, this keyboard actually offers ergonomics that are just as good as or even better than the Sculpt, plus the additional customizability of the split form factor, but it's twice the price.
If you don't suffer from serious wrist pain, though, you probably won't need the riser kit, and if you've gotta have a two-piece ergonomic keyboard, you'll find the Freestyle2 to be worth the price.
Pros: Split design lets you place the two halves of the keyboard in the best position for your hands, tactile and responsive keys, wireless Bluetooth connectivity, and solid build quality
Cons: It's fairly expensive (even more so if you add the riser kit), and the number pad is sold separately
Buy the Kinesis Freestyle2 two-piece ergonomic keyboard on Amazon for $89 (originally $99)
Buy the Kinesis Freestyle2 with 20-inch separation on Amazon for $105 (originally $119)