My first ergo mech keyboard was a ZSA Moonlander which I got a little over a year ago. I love it. However, I am now being asked to come into the office more often and am looking at getting something similar, but more portable.
I was looking at the ZSA Voyager since the split keeb, low profile form factor, and columnar layout seem to check a lot of boxes, but I can’t tell if I can go cut out that many keys/rows. Mostly concerned about losing the bottom row where I often hit CTRL, and losing out on the 3 thumbcluster buttons I always use.
Questions I have are:
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Is it easy to switch from keyboard layouts that have dedicated ctrl keys, vs long pressing?
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If this is used for an office setup where the keyboard is going to basically be straddling my laptop keyboard, do folks often just dance between the split keyboard to the laptop keyboard for those extra keys or muscle memory chords?
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Are there low profile split type keyboards I should be considering?
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If I like U4Ts, what type of switches should I be looking at for low profile tactiles but not too thocky and loud?
How is the Moonlander not portable? It’s even got a case for transportation.
I find having to tinker to re angle the thumbcluster each setup with hex key kind of a deal breaker on the portability on a daily basis. Also it’s kind of thick in the foldable case. After getting my wife a Keychron K7 low profile and case, I realize that is closer to the form factor I want for portability.
I used to take my moon lander to work for over a year until I designed my own keyboard and have now been using it.
So yeah, the moon lander is more than portable
Check out the Chocofi or the Piantor, or maybe even the Ferris Sweep / Urchin if you want portable.
For MX keyboards, typeractive sells an Ergodash that I would love to own that’s pretty small as well.
I find Home Row Mods really easy to use, but they’re pretty divisive. Some people hate them.
Adding to this, if you go with a pcb custom, then the keeb snakeskin cases are great for portability
Are there low profile split type keyboards I should be considering?
A Moonlander is an evolution of the ergodox layout, and I don’t think you’d have too much trouble switching between. Slicemk.com has some wireless low-pro versions, but I can’t personally vouch for any particular vendor. There have been other variations, like the ReDox, that try to bring the thumb cluster in closer.
If I like U4Ts, what type of switches should I be looking at for low profile tactiles but not too thocky and loud?
In my experience, keycaps and plate make more of a difference when it comes to sheer amount of sound.
If the keyboard would be sitting on your office desk anyway, you could get yourself an Ergodox/Redox/ErgoDash and not worry about shedding keys for sake of portability.
I agree. Getting a second keyboard to leave at the office is ideal. A second Moonlander would eliminate any context-switching cost, but if that’s too pricey, the layout of the Ergodox is very similar and also supported for ZSA’s tools. You can likely find a reasonably priced Ergodox used.
For a while, I had an Ergodox at home and one at work myself. Later, I switched to a Corne and then due to the pandemic, my work became 100% remote.
Make an experiment and create a layout for your Moonlander without bottom row and internal columns. That way you will feel how the voyager will work for you. This was exacly my case and eventually I got Voyager with a Zip Kit for ML and stayed in this layout. Once I got used to it my fingers have to travel less and I’m satisfied with both of my keyboards. They have exactly same layouts now.
https://lowprokb.ca/products/corne-ish-zen
Cornish Zen has been a phenomenal mobile keyboard for me. I think it’s sold out at the moment but they do new runs periodically.
Unicorne by boardsource is similar, it’s the same layout but wired (all usb-c) and supports joysticks if that’s your thing
Oh neat. I have a coworker who has been designing a joystick keeb. I’ll send this to him too.
