Niz plum EC keyboard. The combination of 35g + the dome switches are a great combo of light activation but still letting you rest your fingers on the keys without triggering them because the activation is at the top rather than linear.
I skipped the whole mechanical keyboard acquisition cycle (thanks to a comment or two from HN), bought a Niz, totally happy with it and best keyboard I've used, haven't been tempted to keep searching.
I can recommend NIZ keyboards if you are looking for something totally different. The switches are electro capacitive dome not mechanical. Very light and effortless to type and very quiet as well with a hint of tactileness.
They are expensive and need to be imported, but the feel is amazing. Good luck on your journey.
I also have this keyboard. I find it to be really solidly built and the lighting effects are a nice touch, but would agree that it doesn't seem to make my typing any better then using the keyboard on my macbook pro. FWIW, I originally got the keyboard with brown switches but then sent it back for blue switches and that seemed to make a big different in how it felt. What type of switches did you get?
I’ve tried mechanicals (Cherry switches), various rubber domes, the IBM buckling spring keyboards, and the Apple scissor switches. Then I was recommended the Niz by a friend, and it’s the closest thing to ideal I’ve ever used. To be honest, owning mechanicals made me realize how gimmicky they are. They distract me from my own writing, and can be a huge pain in the ass to coworkers or close ones trying to sleep. Unusable during work calls. No such issues with these nice electrocapacitive boards. I anticipate I’ll stick with them for a long time.
10 year Topre user (Realforce 87U 30-45g variable)- recently picked up a Niz and it's been an absolute dream. Tactile, light (35g uniform), quiet. This keyboard is awesome.
Could never find Cherry MX Blue/Browns which worked for me- always triggered RSI in my outer wrists. Chiclets caused problems in my fingertips from bottoming out.
Topres gave me a decade of heavy coding after battling RSI and I love them for that. But this Niz is making me smile. I'll get another Niz before I go back to my Realforce.
Any chance of using alternative switches? I am quite a fan of the very low activation linear keys. There are some 25g Kailh switches that would suit this. They are colloquially known as gChoc, originally light blue and produced on special request, they’re now pink.
Seconded Gateron Clears (though I've heard the activation force is more like 35g than 30g). I use them on a Noppoo Choc Mini.
I'm a fast typist (around 130wpm) and use these switches just to try to improve speed, rather than anything relating to health. They're also great for gaming for me, playing Starcraft 2.
I have been dying for some keyboard recommendations. I'm using a corsair w/ blue keys but I feel like the activation force is becoming a bit too much for everyday continual use (my opinion).
I use KUL Se-87. I forget which keys are in it, but I wish the springs were a little heavier. Maybe I just need to learn to type more gently. I use it on mac, windows, and linux all the time (via a kvm switch).
My finger joints are all messed up from decades of typing on computer keyboards.
Filco Majestouch Tenkeyless with brown switches for me. It's reasonably priced, looks lovely, and is brilliant to type on. That the keys come off for washing and brushing out the keyboard base is also a nice bonus.
I use a filco majestouch tenkeyless with brown switches. I love it but it is pretty clicky. drives my girlfriend nuts. I have a bt apple chiclet keyboard hanging around for when she gets extra annoyed.
I've been using an electro-capacitive (Topre-like) keyboard with ultra-light 35g keys called Niz. They're actually lighter than the latest gen macbook keyboards and let me type as fast as I did on the butterfly keyboards, and they are completely silent.
Now all I'm looking for is a split compact version of these Topre-like keyboards. Pretty much 99% of the custom keyboard scene is just various housing and PCBs for cherry style switches. For whatever reason with electro-capactive keyboards there are limited options. If anyone knows of a split topre keyboard please let me know!
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