Ergo K860 Download
Ammiano Hibbert
Keep your wrists in a natural and comfortable posture, whether you're seated or standing with an innovative palm lift feature. Tilt legs of 0, -4, and -7 lift your palms into the optimal ergonomic position depending on your unique set up.
A fluid and ultra-precise typing experience with no compromise in speed and accuracy. Your fingers glide effortlessly across the matte surface of the keys, and tactile details make it easy to orient your fingers and stay focused. The split layout and convex curve promote a more natural hand and finger placement.
With the new ERGO K860 Logitech tries to beat the Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard with the Alcantara palm rest. And in certain areas, like the typing experience, the K860 definitely succeeds with this goal.
As the Alcantara of my Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard has been worn out over the last two years, it was time for a new keyboard for daily usage. Luckily Logitech just released the new ergonomic keyboard ERGO K860. Priced at $130, it's on the upper top of mainstream keyboards, but for ergonomic ones still decently priced.
The ERGO K860 can be connected by either Bluetooth 5.0 or via 2.4 GHz USB receiver. I prefer the later one, as the range is generally better and it usually has less hiccups and issues, especially on Linux. The K860 is supposed to use Wireless encryption with the receiver, but i couldn't find any documentation on the Logitech website on the used algorithm (e.g. AES 128bit?). Given that Logitech had security issues with their wireless products in the past, I hope they learned their lessons and are going to provide more specifications later.
The two included AAA batteries are not rechargeable, but at least they are supposed to last two years. On the top right over the num pad, there is a battery check key, which just ignites an LED light in either green or red to display the battery status.
The keyboard has an interesting key labeling, showing both the Windows and MacOS labels at the same time. For example you have a start key (without the windows logo) and a MacOS style cmd key. The same applies to a lot of other keys, which feels somewhat cluttered and coud be distracting for users that don't type blindfolded. On the other hand ergonomic keyboards are more suited for people, who type with ten fingers anyway. The keyboard has no multimedia or macro keys and mostly has a standard layout (Same applies for the German variant I am using). The only special keys are Logitech related and on the top right and are used to connect the keyboard to multiple devices at once and switch between them.
Compared to the Surface Ergonomic Keyboard the keys are stiffer and require more pressure to trigger. Which is not a bad thing, at least in my opinion this lowers the number of typing errors for me. Generally if you used to type on a Surface Ergonomic Keyboard, you get used to the almost identical layout of the Logitech K860 in seconds. Still, it's no mechanical keyboard, so the key travel is shorter, but in general for rubber dome switches it's top notch. Typing is fun and fluent, there's no ghosting and not a single key feels wobbly.
The integrated pillowed wrist rest is soft, but feels more plastic-like, compared to the soft and warm Alcantara on the Surface keyboard. But it also seems to be more robust and durable. Also it's easier to clean as it's impregmented and water repellent.
The Logitech ERGO K860 is a great choice if you are looking for an ergonomic keyboard. Compared with the Surface Ergonomic Keyboard it offers a slightly better typing experience (key travel and pressure wise) and also important, a non-bluetooth connection. The wrist palm on the K860 feels not as pleasant and smooth as the Alcantara one on the Surface keyboard, but it probably is going to last longer. Both the Surface and the K860 keyboard are excellent ergonomic keyboards, make sure to check them both out, before going for one.
First I need to get prepared. I went through all of our Lego collection and found enough dark-grey Lego bricks that will help me prototype a perfect Lego stand that will color-match my keyboard and get the job done.
Now my desk looks great. I have easy access to the Trackpad and can still take advantage of this additional cushion attached to the Ergo keyboard when swiping and using gestures. My wrists are resting nicely and are set to a very ergonomic position.
When I got the first edition of the Microsoft Natural Keyboard for my Windows computer, I decided to learn how to touch type. Until that moment I was typing pretty fast but having the keyboard split into half ergonomically forced me to take lessons and learn how to type. It took me months then, but it was worth it!
Just over 8 years ago I wrote a post reviewing a new keyboard I had purchased, the Microsoft Sculpt. I've been a user of split ergonomic keyboards for almost my entire adult life, finding them far more comfortable on my hands and wrists, especially after getting RSI in my late teens.
In my previous review I wrote about how much I liked the Sculpt and how I enjoyed its compact shape and various design features. I also opined that it would "hopefully be my go-to input device for the next decade". Well we're not quite at a decade, but a new challenger has approached in the form of the Logitech Ergo K860. I've been using it for the past few months and wanted to give my thoughts on how it compares to the Sculpt. But first, let's take another look at the Sculpt, with 8 years of hindsight.
It's not an understatement to say that I have loved my MS Sculpt the past 8 years. I'm not the only one either. It's one of the best split keyboards out there, certainly before you start getting to the more exotic ergonomic keyboards. However, while Sculpt users will extoll its virtues, they will all give you the same list of rather critical flaws.
The keys are scissor switch chiclet keys, similar to the Sculpt, though the keys themselves are somewhat thicker. Importantly, the media keys also seem to be scissor switches and are a massive improvement over those in the Sculpt. One nice touch is that various keys that are different between Windows and Mac have both sets of symbols printed on them.
The Ergo K860 is significantly larger than the Sculpt as it features a full num pad and standard placement of insert/delete/etc and arrow keys. I was a bit worried that it would force me to move my mouse further away from me, but it turns out the additional keys don't increase the size as much as I expected. The layout of the split (with a narrower gap and steeper angle) and the smaller size of some of the keys means that the additional width fits in the space I had between my Sculpt and my mouse.
Talking of angles, the K860 features 3 options for slope: 0, -4, and -7. Note that those are negative numbers. Most normal keyboards slope towards you, with feet at the back. Ergonomic keyboards tend to either be flat or to slope away from you. The Sculpt achieved this with an optional stand at the front that attached magnetically. The K860 features two sets of feet that fold out. Personally I've found -4 to be the optimal for me, but it's nice to have the extra options to fit what is best for your body.
One slight "flaw" with the legs is that, despite their chunky appearance, they can break. This is especially true if, like me, you have the very bad habit of resting you head on your hand with your elbow on the keyboard's wrist-rest while deep in thought. On the Sculpt the stand spread the load out more and if I did exceed its weight capacity it would just detach. With the K860 I had one of the feet break. Thankfully, I was able to phone up Logitech and they sent me some replacements for free within a week, so kudos to Logitech's technical support.
Finally we have the wrist rest. I was very surprised by it when I first felt it. Looking at pictures you expect it to have a weaved fabric feel, or a slightly abrasive feel similar to the Sculpt. Instead it is rather smooth to the touch. According to Logitech's website it has a 2mm layer of high density foam on top of a 4mm layer of memory foam. I can't say it feels like it has 6mm of give, but it certainly has enough to feel comfortable while typing.
Unlike the Sculpt, everything here works with the Mac. The function keys work as expected, the Caps Lock indicator functions, the battery indicator lights up when you press the battery key. Even the calculator button works!
Typing feels pretty good on the K860. It's less clicky than the Sculpt, both in feel and sound, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The keys also feel a lot more solid, with little sideways flex. As previously mentioned, the function keys are scissor switches which feel infinitely better than those on the Sculpt. While this probably won't win over those who love mechanical keyboards, for those who like quiet keyboards with minimal travel this is certainly up there with the best.
It has taken a little while to get up to speed on the K860 after using the Sculpt for so long. While they have similar shapes, as previously mentioned the K860 has its split more angled while also being closer together. This meant that my muscle memory was shifting my right hand one key over when trying to find the home row. It's mostly fixed now, though I do still have trouble reaching the arrow keys. I suspect this will improve with time as I had the inverse problem when I started using the Sculpt.
In terms of connections, the Unifying Receiver is lightyears ahead of Microsoft's receiver. Logitech has a lot more experience here and it shows. Another plus is being able to link multiple devices to one receiver. As I also have a Logitech mouse (the MX Master 3), I can have both peripherals using just one USB-A port. This also means that if you lose the receiver, or it stops working, you can simply buy a new one and connect to that. If your MS Sculpt receiver ever broke, you're stuck buying a whole new keyboard.
You aren't just limited to one Unifying Receiver though. Above the Insert/Home/PageUp buttons are 3 buttons labelled "1", "2", and "3", each with an indicator light. These let you switch between 3 devices linked to the K860. These devices can be connected using either a Unifying Receiver or Bluetooth, and can be Macs, PCs, Chromebooks, or iPads. I currently have mine hooked up to my Mac Studio, iMac, and iPad, allowing me to use one keyboard (and mouse, thanks to a similar feature on the MX Master) for all 3 devices in my office.
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