Office makeover - keyboard help

macawmatt · June 15, 2023

The wife has okayed me giving her an office makeover once she realized that she is the only one still working solely off her laptop in her office. New monitor, powered desk converter, speakers are all sorted, just need some suggestions for the keyboard. Things I know to help with suggestions are below.

Majority of her typing is through the number pad and arrow keys doing reports in Excel and their in house software.

Has no issue with mechanicals but does not want anything too sensitive n the key press. I have an EVGA Z15 at home and it takes key presses too easily for her, she has only been using a laptop keyboard for years.

I still have a Logitech Wave at work and she wasn't completely against it. She didn't like the look of full ergonomic split keyboards. She does have a little wrist pain on occasion.

Did like the rest on the Wave keyboard, so some sort of option there would be a good idea.

Would like something "complete", don't really want to build a full custom keyboard.

Not near a bigger city with something like a BB or MC where we could go and try various keyboards out. Like I mentioned, she has only ever typed on her keyboard so that it what she is used to, biggest complaint having her look at the few I have access to was she likes pressing the key before it registers. When trying my Z15, she swore she looked at it and it registered a key. Thanks.

saintlouisbagels · June 15, 2023

I would recommend the Keychron K10 Wireless keyboard and then maybe something like the Cherry MX Clears.

Tactile switch with a high actuation force if this chart is accurate.

You could look into the Boba U4T switches as well. They're tactile switchs with no pre-travel, and it takes a high actuation force - but I'm a little confused why they bother calling them tactile when they feel like linear switches with the zero pre-travel. I don't know what kind of budget you're working with, and these are much more expensive compared to regular suggestions.

GarlicDeliverySystem · June 15, 2023

4 minutes ago, saintlouisbagels said:

I would recommend the Keychron K10 Wireless keyboard and then maybe something like the Cherry MX Clears.

Tactile switch with a high actuation force if this chart is accurate.

I second this. I have a K10 in the office and I love it. Just make sure to the hotswap version, so you can change the switches later on.

The standard red switches on the keychrons are pretty light, but you can switch them either for yellows or if the baby kangaroo switches (all in the keychron store) or go for Boba U4T as suggested previously.

If the wireless connectivity isn't that big of a deal, the V6 is a bit cheaper and can be bought as a barebones if you feel comfortable putting in switches and keycaps yourself.

In any case, I would strongly suggest to go with a hotswap version if available. That way you don't have to buy a completely new keyboard everytime you want to change to other switches. And if you are unclear on which you might want (the naming schemes and abundance of very similar switches doesn't make it easy), there are often switch tester packs in stores like this one: https://www.keychron.com/products/gateron-switch-tester