Why you'll love it: While not a new idea in ergonomics, the
Kinesis Freestyle Edge adds enough unique features to the split keyboard design to warrant some attention.
The split keyboard design was first suggested in the 1920s, but it only gained traction after a study by Herbert Kroemer was published 1972. This study propelled the split keyboard design into the limelight, and the subsequent 50 years of research or so has proven that it has a serious impact on ergonomics.
The basic idea is that when you're typing on a normal keyboard, your wrists are angled, which causes strain. A split keyboard breaks the body into two halves, allowing the keyboard to accommodate the natural angle of your arms. Kinesis is a pioneer of this design, offering more than 10 different kinds of a split keyboard.
While the Kinesis Advanatage2 is technically the more ergonomic mechanical keyboard, it has a pretty significant learning curve. The Freestyle Edge, on the other hand, can be adopted in a matter of days. The keyboard is split down the middle and attached with a braided cable. By default, it lays flat on the table, but you can purchase a kit separately that will angle each side by either five, 10, or 15 degrees.
Outside of the flashy design, the Freestyle Edge is a solid mechanical keyboard. It's outfitted with genuine Cherry MX switches — either Blues, Browns, Reds, or Silvers — and comes with eight programmable macros on the left side of the frame. The key switches have blue LEDs on top, too, that can be adjusted to nine different brightness levels.
That's not what makes the Freestyle Edge special, though. Every one of the 95 keys can be remapped to any two functions. These aren't just simple functions like "copy," either. Each key or key combination can be set to a function of up to 300 characters, and you can set the speed in which each function completes.
What's more is that you never have to download any software to program the keyboard. On Windows, the configurator is built-in, and if you're not a fan of going at it through software, you can program all but a few functions on the keyboard itself. Functions are tied to one of up to nine profiles, which you can switch between using the dedicated key, and stored on the keyboard itself. Your macros and keybindings go wherever you do.
Pros: Fully remappable keys, split keyboard design, genuine Cherry MX switches
Cons: At nearly $200, the Freestyle Edge is one of the most expensive keyboards on the market
Buy the Kinesis Freestyle Edge on Amazon for $179 (originally $219)