3 ms·

My favorite keyboards is the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort. I can type for hours without any wrist pain compared to all my other keyboards.

neogodless 7y ago
My previous favorite was the Natural 4000 Ergonomic, and now the Sculpt Ergonomic. In both cases, I have had keys wear out* and have gone through quite a few, but like them enough to put up with the trouble. Of course, I could get the 4000 for $20; I tend to have to spend closer to $60 to get the Sculpt! * The Natural 4000 space bar was the worst offender. On my Sculpt Ergonomic, I've lost an 'L' and 'F5'.
- avisser 7y ago
  I've had mixed results with the 4000. I have a Natural 4000 from 1997. Every key still works great. I also bought one in 2016. That one had sticky keys (space) that never worked themselves out. It was by far inferior.
- bt848 7y ago
  In the easy-to-clean category MS Natural wins easily. I never used the 4000 but my Elite (still work after more than 20 years) can be washed in the dishwasher.
  - neogodless 7y ago
    I washed one of my Natural in the dishwasher, and it still worked for a while, but as hard as I tried to make sure it dried afterward, the keys started to feel more "scratchy." It's possible this would all be in my head, but I feel like the water did do some level of damage.
    - tech2 7y ago
      It might be the heat you ran the wash at, what temp/setting was it?
      - neogodless 7y ago
        Ah sorry this was way too long ago for my memory!
duxup 7y ago
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic is my go to. I wish there were alternatives that I knew of as it is far and away my favorite and I haven't found much in the way of other options.
overcast 7y ago
Yeh unfortunately I can't even try any of these boutique keyboards, because they are all inevitably plain rectangles. I don't know how anyone types on those things without wrist problems. Ergo 4000 or the Sculpt Comfort for me. The 4000 seems to be bombproof, everything is completely polished off the keys at the point, and still going for the past 12 years.
latortuga 7y ago
I have this keyboard as well, and the original wired MS ergo keyboard before it. I've had probably 4 or 5 of the wired one over the years. I enjoy the Sculpt, enough to buy one for home and office, as well as a replacement when one crapped out (hard to navigate tmux when your prefix key dies!). I can't type on non-ergo keyboards for very long, my wrist pain almost immediately comes back. I'd probably try an amazon basics ergo keyboard if they made one. I'm sure I could have saved a few dollars over the years by finding the exact right mechanical keyboard and it would have lasted forever, but I can also go on amazon and order a replacement keyboard and get it by Thursday, and not worry about spilling coffee on my $300 hand-crafted, certified organic mx blueberry waffle keycaps.
pxtail 7y ago
I own this keyboard as well and it is very well designed and very convenient to use, when I'm working outside of home office I'm taking it with me even if there are other keyboards available at the office. It hits sweet spot - it is slightly curved but not to the extreme where one would have to re-learn how to type, battery also lasts extremely long. Only issue I have with it is that additional functional keys switch is literally a switch, one needs to change its position to be able to use alternate keys function - for me it would be more convenient to have "Fn" key just like in notebooks keyboards. Edit: oh and maybe another one - missing physical switch on the back to disable keyboard, now one needs to remove battery or put some scrap of paper/plastic between contacts to completely "power off" device.

neogodless 7y ago

My previous favorite was the Natural 4000 Ergonomic, and now the Sculpt Ergonomic. In both cases, I have had keys wear out* and have gone through quite a few, but like them enough to put up with the trouble. Of course, I could get the 4000 for $20; I tend to have to spend closer to $60 to get the Sculpt! * The Natural 4000 space bar was the worst offender. On my Sculpt Ergonomic, I've lost an 'L' and 'F5'.

avisser 7y ago
I've had mixed results with the 4000. I have a Natural 4000 from 1997. Every key still works great. I also bought one in 2016. That one had sticky keys (space) that never worked themselves out. It was by far inferior.
bt848 7y ago
In the easy-to-clean category MS Natural wins easily. I never used the 4000 but my Elite (still work after more than 20 years) can be washed in the dishwasher.
- neogodless 7y ago
  I washed one of my Natural in the dishwasher, and it still worked for a while, but as hard as I tried to make sure it dried afterward, the keys started to feel more "scratchy." It's possible this would all be in my head, but I feel like the water did do some level of damage.
  - tech2 7y ago
    It might be the heat you ran the wash at, what temp/setting was it?
    - neogodless 7y ago
      Ah sorry this was way too long ago for my memory!

duxup 7y ago

The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic is my go to. I wish there were alternatives that I knew of as it is far and away my favorite and I haven't found much in the way of other options.

overcast 7y ago

Yeh unfortunately I can't even try any of these boutique keyboards, because they are all inevitably plain rectangles. I don't know how anyone types on those things without wrist problems. Ergo 4000 or the Sculpt Comfort for me. The 4000 seems to be bombproof, everything is completely polished off the keys at the point, and still going for the past 12 years.

latortuga 7y ago

I have this keyboard as well, and the original wired MS ergo keyboard before it. I've had probably 4 or 5 of the wired one over the years. I enjoy the Sculpt, enough to buy one for home and office, as well as a replacement when one crapped out (hard to navigate tmux when your prefix key dies!). I can't type on non-ergo keyboards for very long, my wrist pain almost immediately comes back. I'd probably try an amazon basics ergo keyboard if they made one. I'm sure I could have saved a few dollars over the years by finding the exact right mechanical keyboard and it would have lasted forever, but I can also go on amazon and order a replacement keyboard and get it by Thursday, and not worry about spilling coffee on my $300 hand-crafted, certified organic mx blueberry waffle keycaps.

pxtail 7y ago

I own this keyboard as well and it is very well designed and very convenient to use, when I'm working outside of home office I'm taking it with me even if there are other keyboards available at the office. It hits sweet spot - it is slightly curved but not to the extreme where one would have to re-learn how to type, battery also lasts extremely long. Only issue I have with it is that additional functional keys switch is literally a switch, one needs to change its position to be able to use alternate keys function - for me it would be more convenient to have "Fn" key just like in notebooks keyboards. Edit: oh and maybe another one - missing physical switch on the back to disable keyboard, now one needs to remove battery or put some scrap of paper/plastic between contacts to completely "power off" device.