Having recently gotten back into mechanical keyboards, partially for ergonomic reasons, I can say the Moonlander so far is the single board I regret purchasing.
Almost $400 for a board that is so poorly designed you have to choose between a usable thumb cluster position or a comfortable tenting angle, because the thumb cluster is used as one of the tenting legs. So unless you have giant hands, it's just a very poor experience compared to some other boards I've tried. For far, far less.
And to fix this, instead of revising the Moonlander, ZSA is happy to sell you an $80 tripod kit, tripods not included.
You can get the benefits of a split board for a _fraction_ of the price by getting something like a Lily58 or a Corne, which have far saner thumb cluster designs, and have plenty of solutions for tenting. And if you're like the author of the linked article who can't handle high travel keys, both of those boards are available with low profile mechanical Choc switches.
I recently was gifted -- very, very generously! -- a Moonlander Mark I split, ortholinear keyboard [0] (made by the same company that previously made the Ergodox). It's genuinely fantastic, and I can't ever see myself going back to either a non-split or a non-ortholinear board as my desktop's input. It's a huge improvement ergonomically -- (0) no hunched shoulders, with the halves at shoulder width (1) the ortholinear layout results in much more natural-feeling finger motions and (2) the ability to "tent" the individual halves is also wonderful, for not having to twist your wrist out of its natural somewhat-diagonal position. Beyond that, the ability to easily modify up to 32 layers of functionality [1], with macros, really is astonishingly useful once set up to your personal workflow. If I were to lose it, I'd order a replacement immediately. Highly recommend, for anyone who can justify the board's price -- I'm normally fairly frugal, so the fact that I consider a $400 keyboard anything except an egregious waste of money really speaks to how much I like this device.
I’ve been strongly considering a split keyboard recently, and have been looking at (and loving the ergonomics of) the Moonlander, but struggle to reason paying $365 when every keyboard I’ve bought in the past has been <$80. Do you by chance know of any cheaper alternatives with similar ergonomics?
There is a lot of hype on this thread about the Moonlander keyboard.
The hype is real.
The author has a neat hack, but seriously, just get yourself a split keyboard that supports the QMK firmware, customize the crap out of it, and your hands will thank you forever.
Yeah, I can't imagine the Moonlander being a great fit for someone with normal/small hands. I got a Moonlander and happen to love it. Though, I really wish they hadn't decided to make the thumb cluster a tenting leg. I think that's my biggest complaint about it.
ZSA does sell a tenting leg kit that I believe should allow you to swap the thumb cluster screw for a leg, but I haven't tried it myself. It's only $24. Additionally, they have a 3d-printable file for a tenting leg that should work as well, if you happen to have a printer.
The Dactyl Manuform and Ergodox are also decent options for anyone looking for something like the ZSA Moonlander but don't want to deal with the Moonlander's issues. The Lily58 and Corne have far too few keys for my liking, but to each there own.
I agree this might be significantly better for some. The tenting is probably also better than the Freestyle Edge (which has only a couple settings).
If someone wants a first split keyboard though I think the Freestyle Edge is a much better starting point given the price difference and the fact that the non-letter/number keys don't have normal placements on the Moonlander.
Personally I tried the ErgoDox EZ and had to return it because it damaged my productivity since it doesn't support just using a normal keyboard layout. With a closer look this keyboard seems fundamentally the same actually so I wouldn't recommend considering to try it unless you use a keyboard all day long and even then be prepared to return it if it doesn't work out. The Freestyle Edge on the other hand is a sure bet.
I’ve got one of these and while I’m impressed I think I will still likely go back a normal layout as I’m just not seeing speed and accuracy I’m happy with. Previous to this I have tried other split layouts, including the X-Bows which I think is just a disaster.
The Moonlander I really _want_ to get along with. It has an almost but not quite perfect setup for Emacs, for example, with natural places for Ctrl and Alt, and the software and configurability is excellent. I’ll likely give it a few more months but honestly if you haven’t got pain to deal with I don’t think these fancy layouts are useful, and even then I’m not sure my joints are any happier.
I recently switched from a standard layout to split by purchasing a Koolertron programmable keyboard.
Main reason I bought it vs the Moonlander:
- Cheaper
- On Amazon
- got it in <1 week vs the 5 for the Moonlander.
Overall, I would recommend it as an intermediary step if you are looking to test out a decent and easily purchasable/returnable split mechanical keyboard.
I'm new to mechanical and split keyboards, but so far the moonlander has been great. Well, in the beginning it was a bit of a learning curve, but coming from the ergodox that shouldn't be an issue for you. Not being wireless is the only complaint that I have.
I went down the split keyboard rabbit hole for a bit, starting with a ZSA moonlander followed by a corne and then a ferris sweep but ultimately came to the conclusion that it's just too much hassle. The former was way too bulky to take out and about and I couldn't find a layout on the latter two where I could navigate quickly - be that around my mac using stuff like "cmd+tab", "cmd+`" or around my editor using the cmd+arrow keys. The lack of keys meant you had to start using layers and everything was just slower. The latter two also moved about on the table a lot which was annoying.
The only thing I'd consider trying in the future would be something like a Felix because you hardly have to sacrifice any keys. I'd only get one with low profile chocs or ideally Kaihl scissor switches, but these don't seem to have really made their way into the custom keyboard scene. Chocs plus the case still sits significantly higher than the Magic Keyboard which is bad for the wrists unless you've got some kind of wrist pad to make up the distance from the table.
I've settled on using a Protoarc full-size folding keyboard which I'm seriously impressed with. Typing experience is almost identical to the full size Magic Keyboard but it costs a quarter of the price and is way more portable. I'm surprised that I always see the Arteck keyboard being used in videos and photos because I tried another folding keyboard with a similar layout and having to use the function button to hit escape and other keys was super annoying.
Yup, I used to have a split. I looked around and decided to get a Moonlander. Couldn't get used to it, felt overly awkward and terrible for my fairly small hands.
I'm building one now using the wonderful Cosmos Keyboard Configurator [0], from the same author of the older Dactyl generator [1].
I just received my Moonlander a couple days ago, after using an Ergodox Ez for a year. It's a joy to use. It's slim, has a good palm rest, can tent, and having the thumb cluster take an angle when tenting the keyboard is a killer feature, it makes it much easier to reach all keys of the cluster without strain.
Only downside is the palm rest is huge, so you need a fair amount of desk space to use it.
I just ordered a Moonlander, but the UHK was one of the boards I considered. Those interchangeable thumb modules are such a brilliant idea. If the UHK were ortho it would have been a much harder choice for me.
I built a split keyboard recently (Sofle) and it's made a huge positive impact for me. Having halves at shoulder width and full control over the layout with QMK is great, and it finally got me to learn to touch type. If you're considering a Moonlander or Ergodox, and you're handy with an iron, look into building one first.
It generally works out cheaper than prebuilt, but I did end up nickel and diming myself making arbitrary improvements. A good read if don't you want to get sucked into the ridiculous prices of custom keyboards like I did: https://golem.hu/guide/budget-builds/
I didn't try the Moonlander but I had an Ergodox-Ez which was its predecessor. I ended up making a dactyl manuform and it was my favorite out of every keyboard I've tried. Just wish it was easier to make one with RGB so I can program different colors for different layers like the Ergodox.
Have you looked at all at the ZSA Voyager and if so, what were your thoughts? I realise it cuts down on the number of thumb buttons compared to the Moonlander but I saw quite a few Moonlander users who have used both saying they'd opt for the Voyager[0] or have got both and prefer the Voyager. Many people seem to have issues with the Moonlander's thumb cluster especially with smaller hands.
If you're interested in split keyboards, check out the Keyboard.io Model 100[1], which will be shipping in January. They're a reputable company, having already successfully sold the Model 01 and Atreus with great success. Jesse and Kaia are great folk and send regular updates on the production.
Why Model 100 over other split boards like the Moonlander or Ergodox? 1. Sculpted keycaps take the ortholinear split board to another level of comfort (and help recognize which keys your fingers are on). 2. It's $55 cheaper than Moonlander. 3. The palm key allows you to layers without having to move your hand. 4. Aesthetics?
I've been using a Model 01 for the past few years and other typing experiences can't compare. I'm waiting for a Model 100 now so I can switch to its better (MX-style) switches.
I've been eyeing the Ergodox-EZ for a few months and this was an instant buy for me. Lately I've been rotating between TKL keyboards and the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic, but my right wrist is still getting worse.
I looked at over a dozen split keyboard options. Seems like no matter if you build or buy, it'll cost around $300. I decided I didn't want to also buy a soldering kit and wait months for parts to arrive.
Very happy owner of a moonlander. Can't recommend it enough.
Let's say you want to get into split keyboards but are worried about the learning curve.
The best thing you can do to prepare is ensure you can touch type correctly. "Crossing", or typing a key with the wrong hand, just simply won't be possible anymore.
Once you can get that down, your keyboard will have shipped and you can start practicing the thumb cluster once it arrives.
Don't bother with the fancy stuff, like layers or custom layouts, until you've mastered the two fundamentals above.
Almost $400 for a board that is so poorly designed you have to choose between a usable thumb cluster position or a comfortable tenting angle, because the thumb cluster is used as one of the tenting legs. So unless you have giant hands, it's just a very poor experience compared to some other boards I've tried. For far, far less.
And to fix this, instead of revising the Moonlander, ZSA is happy to sell you an $80 tripod kit, tripods not included.
You can get the benefits of a split board for a _fraction_ of the price by getting something like a Lily58 or a Corne, which have far saner thumb cluster designs, and have plenty of solutions for tenting. And if you're like the author of the linked article who can't handle high travel keys, both of those boards are available with low profile mechanical Choc switches.
reply