KINESIS Advantage2 Quiet LF Ergonomic USB Keyboard (KB600LFQ)

The BEST keyboard on the market!! I own 2 of them ... one for each computer. I LOVE my Kenesis Advantage Keyboard!!! I have retired 2 others over the past 20 years... one got urped on by kitty cats and the other finally just gave up the ghost after 16 years. LOL. I have used a Kinesis keyboard since the mid-90s. Could not live without it. Just lay it across my lap and go. No more carpel tunnel syndrome. Literally. I was in deep pain transcribing notes from a director (197 single-space pages) and the pain was terrifying through my arms and back. I was either going to go to the hospital or find an ergonomic keyboard. I went online and found this keyboard. Bought it... spent a few days getting used to it.... and never looked back. ALL the pain left while I kept typing. (I have clocked in on an old Selectric typewriter at 111 wpm @ Kelly Girl Services.) Everything else is primitive to this. It's definitely worth the few days of getting used to. I LOVE being able to sit the keyboard in my lap, rest the pads of my hands on the keyboard and just clatter away. Keyboard quality: Fabulous. A+++ Typing speed: Fast. And faster than fast. Easy peasy. Literally NO PAIN because of positioning of keys and use of thumbs for heavily used keys like Backspace, Shift, Delete, etc. Build quality: Fabulous. Top quality.

BACKGROUND: I have used Macs since 1986 and, therefore, many of their keyboards. I have also tried several other brands over the years - but none can compare to the ease of typing on my Kinesis, which I have used for 15 years. I don't remember when I got the first one, but the original keyboard was the white model, and, over the years, it has gradually turned a dull yellow. The first one took a little time to get used to it, but it was/is fantastic once I did. I'm 6' 1" and broad-shouldered, so I had to squinch my arms together and bend my wrists. And I used to wear wrist braces for carpal tunnel issues. After using the Kinesis for a while, I stopped wearing the braces and have not had wrist issues for a loooonnnnggg time. :-) Also, I can touch type on the Kinesis keyboards. I say boards because this purchase was my 4th one: upgrading the office keyboard, home, and 2nd home. In December, after waiting for six weeks, I was excited to try one of the new 360 models - and frankly LOVED both the flexibility of adjusting each hand's key's angle and elevations together with the feel of the keys! But unfortunately, despite all of Tyler Sullivan's (in their tech support department) efforts, I could not conquer the programming skills needed to make it operate as a Mac keyboard. His efforts were much appreciated, but although I have used Macs for all these years, I have never done any coding. It was literally Greek to me! Since I liked the keys on the 360, I decided to try the Advantage 2 model to see how it feels. It arrived yesterday. The new model keys are so silent and touch-friendly. A tiny detail - the home keys are slightly more cupped, so one's fingertips tell you instantly that they are “home.” :-) Overall: WOW! Nice! Smooth! And Quiet. Worth updating! (Even without my carpal tunnel issue, I’d update just for the superior feel and quieter typing!) And consider that the A2 is one-half the cost of the 360 (which I had just returned), so there is that. And finally, FYI - I will likely upgrade the other two keyboards. Considering the extra cost of replacing two more keyboards tells you how much I like the A-2 model. Nonetheless, I will wait awhile with my fingers crossed - yep - it is challenging to type that way ;-) I am hoping that, once the original demand for the 360 has been caught up, Kinesis will consider making the 360 available ready to use as a Mac Keyboard! KINESIS, ARE YOU LISTENING? So, I strongly recommend you give their technology a try. I hope you find it as appealing as I do.

Ok, straight up...I've used about 10 different ergonomic keyboards, and this one is by far my favorite. I have carpal and cubital tunnel, and prior to this, the only keyboard I found that helped as much as this one, in terms of comfort, was the Microsoft 4000, which has been discontinued. Cons: -Price tag, wish it was cheaper, but if it lasts, it'll be worth it. -10 Key, the on/off button for the number pad sucks and you're fooling yourself if you don't think you need one. Being a Mortgage Loan Officer, I use it frequently. Switching back and forth was not the business -Learning curve, I'm going on 2 weeks, and no look typing with about 80% accuracy. -Other Keyboards, I didn't think this was going to be an issue at first, but since I work from home about 20% of the time, I use this keyboard and also a Kensington Split keyboard (Pro Fit). Switching from one to the other sucks...you have to unlearn and relearn both keyboards because the layouts are so different. Pros- Comfort- Really comfortable, like really. no wrist pressure Key Mapping - didn't think this would come in handy, but it does. Thumb keys- probably my favorite part, this helps out a lot, didn't realize how much I use it. Layout - I wasn't the best typist, but I have realized that this layout has forced me to learn how to use the rest of my fingers, not just my thumb, pointer, middle fingers for typing. This is good, less stress for those, as the work is distributed evenly across my hand. buy it, if you have the cash, just know it's going to take time to learn.

The closest one has gotten thus far to ergonomic perfection. Reduces repetitive strain injury by separating the keywells to about shoulder's width apart, opening up the chest and slightly unrounding the shoulders by eliminating the need to bring the two wrists together--which inclines towards the fetal position. Takes some time to getting used to as the space, enter, ctrl, alt, del, and backspace keys have been relegated to the thumbs. Wouldn't know exactly how long as I integrated it into my setup around the same time I switched over to Dvorak (3-4 weeks ramp up time) but I'd say the keyboard itself take maybe 3 days to get used to . The keyboard already comes with built-in mode switch buttons enabling hotswapping from DVORAK to QWERTY with two key presses. The keys themselves are height-offset in the wells so that they are never out of your fingers reach. These ergonomic wells, and distance they are spit across, are the main innovations that make the Advantage the best, as well as the only example I've ever seen for 20+ years in the keyboard market. Overall, the keyboard seem to be made of rugged material and durable contruction; albeit only time will tell. The only improvement I can think of is that the keyboard apparatus still limits the user by a pronation. Though the keywells open up the finger move to 3-dimensional space, the kinesthetics of linking, or the kinetic chain, stop at the wrist. The design of the keyboard encourages wrist resting at he base of the board which may lead to wrist extension at an angle which, if extended, is the exact movement which pinches the median nerve resulting in carpal tunnel syndrome. This example, of course is based on the height of the keyboard relative to the users torso but as most people place the keyboard at below shoulder level, the hand is forced into the horizontal position, parallel to the ground, to maintain contact with the keys; which, again, due to the kinesthetics, have an impact on the rest of the chain by abducting the elbows, and further up, extending the shoulder cuff, cumulatively pronating the torso, and overall leading to what one holistically observes as bad posture. Of course this is still leagues better than the normal keyboard. I can't think of anyway around the horizontal hand problem without liberating the keyboard from the 2-D plane to 3-D space, which is what the keywells started to de but didn't finish. However, the logical conclusion and execution, of this line of thought would result either in a torso support apparatus or an elliptical "key-cave" that would completely redefine human-computer i/o as we know it. Thee keywells are a bit too close together for the broad shouldered--better than the smushing of the conventional keyboard, of course, but it would have been nice if the keywells were width adjustable.

I have been using this keyboard almost since it came out in the late 90s. I was diagnosed with a mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and it was a common trend in those days in the software industry for folks using the emacs editor with the control key being dedicated to the little finger. Kinesis changed the keyboard layout to give those keys to to the strong fingers - the two thumbs - and forced the hands to stay on their side of their keyboard - and I along with tons of other folks have avoided surgeries as long as we type on the Kinesis keyboards. Sure, there are other keyboards out there now - but Kinesis remains the gold standard in terms of how efficient your hand movements are (minimal) and how much pain you need to endure (none) for folks suffering from RSI injuries. I would give a fair warning that although the rest of the keys are approximately in the same locations - qwerty - the thumb keys take a bit getting used to - and requires approx 2 weeks of practice. so don't lose heart within a day or two. Its ok to look at the keyboard and type for a month. before you can get back to no-look typing... and you will find that your speed of typing is actually better than it ever was. PS: I don't get paid for this review. I am just a regular user - who just brought my 4th kinesis advantage - this one for work - most companies reimburse this BTW. The keyboards last a long time. In a couple of cases, I left my keyboard at my previous company to be used as a loaner for people to try out.. else, I don't think any of my keyboards actually broke !! One time, in the last 20 years, I had to send a 5 year old keyboard back to the company for cleaning out.. and I think they replaced one side of the motherboard - due to a coffee spill that shorted some components. but thats it.. and it was due to user error.

I was so excited when this product arrived at my house! I'm obsessed with good design and ergonomics, and this product did not disappoint. I was looking for something that would have absolute minimum impact on my fingers because I had tendonitis and pre-osteoarthritis from overwork. With this product, it feels very good to type, and I love the quiet cherry red keys. I read some reviews that said cherry red felt "mushy: but to me they feel awesome!! I love low-impact on my body. It warps my mind and makes me realize everything I've been doing wrong with typing. It also makes a fun parlor toy to show off to friends when they come over. None of us have ever seen anything like it before--even the nerdy tech guys in my family! I find the thumb keys the most difficult to relearn, though I know there are options to reprogram the way you want it--I haven't done that yet. I normally type 100-120 WPM on a traditional keyboard, but I'm super slow with this one as I get used to the curved keys and new thumb position keys. It's a great product for anyone who is serious about ergonomics--knowing as well that ergo is highly personal and it's important to find the right products that feel great and work for YOUR body and workspace setup.

If you hands tend towards average to large, then this keyboard will be a good fit for those looking for an ergonomic solution. My hands are tiny and so it didn't work to well. I wound up just straining my fingers in new and unusual ways. It is a solid keyboard, doesn't make loud clicky sounds, uses just the right amount of pressure and even has little rubber feet to keep it from moving around or scratching things up. Even the 10 key function was nicely worked in and that was the least difficult learning curve too lol. The learning curve is there but for any good typist it is not to difficult overcome. Even with the trouble I had reaching some keys it took mostly about an hour to get the main changes down. For those who are curious the most difficult really was only having the space bar on one side. Was just too used to be able to switch between thumbs for that. I didn't try remapping as it just wasn't going to work for me long term so got nothing there. I have pc and it was just plug and play with no problems. Word of caution if you intend to put it on a pull out keyboard tray - it's quite tall and likely won't fit. Measure carefully. Hope this is useful for someone out there!

I’ve been using one or another of the Kinesis contoured keyboard for about twenty years. Those keyboards are the reason I can still type after a severe case of RSI forced me to stop typing for well over a year. In short, I critically depend on this keyboard and I’m so very glad it exists. Having said that, I did find the latest iteration with Cherry Brown keys to be particularly loud and so, when my older versions at home started glitching (they eventually all do unless I spill a can of soda on them or my cat pukes into them first), I became curious about the Cherry Red keys. Customer support at Kinesis reassured me that the difference in tactility would be minor but they would be much quieter indeed. After trying the keyboard without even plugging it in, I found the Cherry Red keys unpleasantly mushy and far too soft to be usable. Thankfully, I was able to return the keyboard. I shall stick with the Cherry Brown, hearing damage be damned 😎 (that was a joke).

I received the keyboard after waiting for weeks, and the package is missing the hands rest cushions... Disappointing...

TL:DR the Kinesis Advantage 2 LF (KB600LFQ) is a phenomenal keyboard for anyone spending significant time typing. It's a solid investment in your work comfort and overall hand health. If you're on the fence about purchasing, I highly recommend giving it a go. As someone sat at a keyboard all day writing and programming I have tried many different keyboards with both standard and ergonomic layouts. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LFQ (Low-Force, Quiet) keyboard is the best so far. The biggest selling point for this keyboard is its ergonomics. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LF features a key well design that comfortably accommodates your hands and fingers in their natural resting position, which drastically reduces the strain typically associated with long periods of typing. The key wells are split and angled for a more natural position for your arms, wrists and hands. Additionally, the keys are highly responsive and don't require much force to activate, leading to reduced hand fatigue and a more enjoyable typing experience. One feature this keyboard has that the newer 360 models lack is a piezo speaker. This speaker creates a key click sound on key actuation so you can hear when the key is activated. It's a small detail but helps to avoid "bottoming out" the keys which is a common cause of pain in your fingers from typing. I bought this keyboard because I suffer from RSI, it's not a cheap keyboard but for me the keyboard enables me to keep working pain free. If you are suffering from RSI do seek expert advice though, RSI is a catch all name for a variety of different symptoms with different causes, what works for some may not work for others. The keycap profiles on the Advantage 2 is fantastic with the home row being a different shape so your fingers can quickly recognise where they are on the keyboard without looking. Sadly these keys are made of ABS plastic, giving them a sticky feel. They are pretty thin and wear out quickly getting a very smooth and shiny texture. You can buy replacement PBT keycaps direct from Kinesis, they aren't quite the same profile as the originals but they do feel nicer to type on and should not wear out. The keyboard sounds very hollow which is a real shame, I feel kinesis could have improved on this and with the Cherry Red silent switches it could have been a very quiet keyboard. There are various discussions online on how best to reduce the sound on these keyboards, I personally haven't tried any of them yet though. The Advantage 2 also has powerful programmability with Kinesis own Smart Set system, offering the ability to customise every key to suit your specific needs. It's possible to program it from the keyboard itself switching key positions and recording macros which is useful if your IT department limit the control you have over your PC, but you can also mount the keyboard as a USB device by using a key combination where you can create more powerful customisations such as "mod tap" keys where if you tap the key it performs one action and if you hold the key it performs another. For example, on my keyboard I have the Caps Lock key mapped to Ctrl when it's held down and Esc when tapped. The keyboard has two layers per layout, but supports many custom layouts which you can activate using a keyboard shortcut. It takes a little while to adjust to having come from using a regular keyboard but I was back up to typing at around 90 wpm within a week. The instruction manual that comes with the keyboard provides some useful guidance. If you buy this keyboard, do make sure you read the instructions. This is by no means a cheap keyboard, but given it's programability, and potential to prevent repetitive strain injuries, I believe it's a worthwhile investment. The Kinesis Advantage 2 LF (KB600LFQ) is a phenomenal keyboard for anyone spending significant time typing. It's a solid investment in your work comfort and overall hand health. If you're on the fence about purchasing, I highly recommend giving it a go.

Avant, je n'arrivait pas de taper sur un clavier sans regarder les touches. Car avec dix doigts sur un clavier standard, mes mains commençait à faire mal au bout de dix minutes. Avec ce clavier ergonomique, je peux écrire pendant des heures sans douleur. Et ma vitesse d'écriture a plus que doublé ! Seul conseil : prendre la version silencieux (LF), car il est beaucoup moins bruyant que la version de base.

As a programmer, having on of these is a must. It's really good and helped me get rid of the pain in my hands

My typing speed was averaging at 60 wpm with a peak of 75. Now i'm averaging at 80 wpm with a peak of 100 wpm. My wrist are no longer sore and I enjoy typing again.