Cleave keyboard offers accurate and effortless use

Natural hand positioning reduces fatigue

Do you seem to forever live behind your keyboard and, more often than not, it’s a painful experience?

You might want to give the Truly Ergonomic Keyboard from Cleave a try. It’s designed to allow you to maximize your typing with less fatigue and strain on your hands while improving your posture.

The standard keyboard layout descended from the original typewriter design, which was created for speed and efficiency but has more or less remained the same since the 1860s.

Over the years, we’ve seen keyboards gain functionality, become more rounded and even split into halves in an attempt to be more ergonomic and finger-friendly. All have had limited success.

The Cleave, designed in Canada, offers a uniquely split layout that aligns naturally with your hands. It incorporates all the standard full-sized keys in an almost columnar layout. It maintains traditional spacing between keys while using 40 per cent less space. So you can cover more real estate on the keyboard without having to reach out, minimizing wrist and shoulder pain.

You can place your forearms, wrists and hands in a neutral position, while the cushioned palm rest keeps your hands comfortable to further lessen the pressure on your wrist.

Maximizing the ergonomics required changes to the traditional keyboard. The more common and important function keys – like Backspace, Delete, Shift and Enter – aren’t on the perimeter as you might expect. Instead, they’re in the centre – typically where your strongest fingers are – for quick and easy access.

The keys are unique optical, infrared mechanical switches, using infrared light rather than metal or rubber contacts to register keystrokes. This makes the keyboard accurate and effortless while doing away with many of the issues that plague traditional mechanical keyboards.

For many, the feel of the keys is important. And because there are different strokes for different folks, this keyboard offers three variants. Select the option that best aligns with your typing style:

• Tactile Silent keys are silent yet provide feedback you can feel.
• Tactile Clicky keys generate audible keystroke clicks in addition to feedback for a more traditional typing experience.
• Linear Silent keys provide no audible or physical feedback.

The keyboard has a very durable design, with an aerospace-grade aluminum body to make it strong yet slim and sturdy. It measures 34.5 by 22.5 by 3.3 cm and weighs 950 grams, including the cushioned palm rest.

Staggered keys match natural hand alignment

Other features include adjustable white LED backlights. You can create cool effects – something you might love if you’re a gaming enthusiast – and you can even select which keys you want backlit.

It has an innovative shield to protect the surface from water, dust and even those pesky food crumbs – because who doesn’t like to eat while at their keyboard?

Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is a great enhancement for your computer, especially if you spend more time at your desk. You might as well work in comfort.

This keyboard looks a little out of the ordinary, but it’s a great conversation starter.

You should note, however, that like most laptop keyboards, it doesn’t have a separate numeric keypad.

The Truly Ergonomic Keyboard is available directly from Cleave. It normally retails for $330 but is available for $249.99 or 25 per cent off with free shipping to anywhere in North America.

Troy Media columnist Greg Gazin, also known as the Gadget Guy and Gadget Greg, is a syndicated veteran tech columnist, communication, leadership and technology speaker, facilitator, blogger, podcaster and author. Reach him @gadgetgreg or at GadgetGuy.ca. For interview requests, click here.

The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.

© Troy Media
Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.