The Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB made me question why I haven’t always used a split keyboard

polygon.com:

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I faced a dilemma that might be familiar to many computer users: My wrists were killing me. I was pulling eight-hour shifts at work, then playing more games on PC than ever on the same setup to stay connected to friends during a bleak time. I hadn’t experienced wrist pain from typing before, but it was so bad that I couldn’t go on without finding a more comfortable alternative that had at least some of the bells and whistles I expected from a modern gaming keyboard.

I eventually found a solution that met my criteria for a gaming keyboard as well as an ergonomic one, a combination of needs that I supposed would never intersect — at a reasonable price, at least. I found the Kinesis Freestyle Edge RGB, and while $199.99 might not be “reasonable” to some, it’s more affordable than other split keyboards that have similar features.

Prices taken at time of publishing.

The main feature that distinguishes the Kinesis from most other keyboards is that it’s split into two parts, with each chunk connected by a cable. In case you were wondering, yes, there is a learning curve to typing on this kind of keyboard. How tough it’ll be will depend on what your typing is like on a traditional keyboard. If you use the keyboard’s home rows, like you might’ve learned in computer class as a kid, it probably won’t take you long to acclimate, but if you hunt and peck for keys, the split layout may be more of a challenge.

Since the Freestyle Edge RGB is split, you can position each half exactly how you want as long as the two sides don’t stretch beyond the cable’s 20-inch length. So, instead of bending my wrists outward to type on conventional layouts, my arms and wrists can be more relaxed, typing at a position and angle that feels more natural. On my desk, the keyboard halves barely touch each other. It’s bliss. If you play games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, you can even move either half out of the way to make room on your desk for a HOTAS