MoErgo Glove80 Ergonomic Keyboard assessment

REVIEW – There are only a few choices on the market for a totally wi-fi ergonomic keyboard with keywells.  Fewer choices nonetheless if you would like it to be pre-built, and by some means even much less alternative if you happen to don’t need a 3D printed case.  MoErgo noticed a necessity to enhance on the restricted client choices accessible on this house, and spent near a decade refining what has launched because the Glove80.  Born of necessity and refined by means of design iteration, the Glove80 delivers one of the best keyboard platform I’ve had the nice fortune to expertise.  Learn on, and I’ll take you thru it.  

What’s it?

The Glove80 is a wi-fi, eighty key, totally break up ergonomic keyboard with contoured keywells by MoErgo.  It’s provided in a soldered or unsoldered model, with your alternative of purple (linear), purple professional (linear) white (clicky) or brown (tactile) choc v1 switches, and in white or gray.    

Based mostly in New Zealand, MoErgo founders Steven Chiang and Chris Andreae set out in 2014 to create what grew to become the Glove80, and the manufacturing mannequin we have now right this moment is the results of over 500 design iterations.  MoErgo launched the Glove80 on Kickstarter in 2022, and right this moment the keyboard is available from their web site.  

MoErgo has constructed a energetic group of ergo-enthusiasts on their discord, the place the founders are additionally actively engaged with the neighborhood.  

What’s included?

• 1x black Glove80 Journey Case
• 1 x USB-C cable
• 1 x Key cap puller
• 12 x Further ft for excessive angle mounting and customized mounting
• 12 x Further silicone ft pad for prime angle mounting and customized mounting
• 1 x Set of additional threaded rod and nuts for prime angle mounting and customized mounting
• 1 x M4 spanner
• 4 x Further clean MCC keycaps
• 2 x Clean MBK keycaps to function homing keys
• 12 x O-ring OD 5.5mm ID 3.5mm 
• 12 x O-ring OD 6.5mm ID 3.5mm

Tech specs

Design and options

MoErgo spent the higher a part of a decade iterating on the Glove80 design, and it reveals within the particulars of the board.  The place different implementations of the keywell depend on the keycaps or a “excellent circle” method to create the keywell arc, the Glove80 makes use of totally different arc shapes per column.  In an ortholinear structure, which means every column is tuned to reduce journey distance from residence row to achieve every key based mostly on the finger that will be doing the work.  Since this design is constructed into the case of the Glove80, and isn’t reliant on sculpted keycaps to create the keywell, you may rearrange keycaps as wanted and never lose the ergonomic advantages.  

Concerning the thumb cluster, that is additionally a singular tackle what is usually present in different off-the-shelf ergo keyboards of this kind.  One other arc is discovered right here, however for a unique purpose.  When you had been to make a fist after which splay your fingers, you’d see your thumb journey in an arc – similar to how the thumb cluster is laid out.

The Glove80 makes use of the low-profile Kailh Choc V1 swap and solely helps a soldered PCB (no sizzling swapping).  Utilizing low profile switches permits the glove to sit down as low to the desk as potential as a way to promote a impartial wrist place with the right horizontal arm place. 

Like every little thing on the Glove80, every design alternative is there for a purpose – and you might have observed the distinctive keycap profile.  It’s proprietary, and dubbed the MoErgo Choc Cylindrical profile.  This resolution to create a customized keycap profile was based mostly on the necessity to have a low profile, clean edged keycap within the thumb cluster.  There are different profiles accessible which might be designed to work collectively on the Glove, which will be bought individually from MoErgo.  The fabric of alternative for the Glove80 keycaps is POM, which is robust and resilient however nonetheless skinny sufficient for the per-key LED’s to shine by means of.  

The board is basically manufactured from plastic, coupled with the minimal design aesthetic, make it fairly gentle weight.  There’s a single USB-C port and button energy swap on the prime of every board, and the built-in palmrest will be simply eliminated.  Every half of the Glove80 additionally consists of 6 GPIO pins for module extensibility, which opens the door for modding attachments onto the board.    

Lastly, wanting on the tenting mechanism, there’s a threaded bolt design which permits the person to dial within the wanted angle.  That is deceptively easy, however implies that the tenting system is totally out of the best way if you happen to don’t need or want it.  The identical bolts is also used to connect the Glove80 to a base plate, and clamp it onto no matter you’d like from there.  Some examples of this comply with courtesy of MoErgo.  One of many new initiatives on my checklist is to setup my very own captains chair!  

Meeting, Set up, Setup

The Glove80 arrives packaged within the included journey case, and is able to exit of the field.  There’s a single USB-C cable included, however with the 2 halves I’d counsel getting a break up USB-C cable to assist with cable administration and make charging simpler (a full cost takes as much as 4 hours).  The handbook will stroll you thru the default key combos wanted to pair Bluetooth into one of many 4 profiles, and that connection course of is fairly straight ahead.  

I knew instantly that the default keycap structure was not going to work for me, so I headed over to the configurator.  MoErgo has an internet based mostly firmware builder for ZMK, and whereas it does require an account, it’s fairly intuitive to get your structure set.  There are a variety of choices and options right here, which is all properly documented.  Importing the firmware onto the board does take some effort because it must be loaded into every half individually after placing the board into bootloader mode.

I constructed out my structure to be as near an OEM QWERTY keyboard as potential, which has helped significantly with switching between keyboards as typically as I do.  Fascinated about making an attempt this structure in your Glove80?  Have at it!

With the structure set, pulling keycaps to reposition is customary fare, although MoErgo does advocate making use of some counterforce on the switches with the included spanner to make sure they don’t raise.  I used to be largely good with remembering to do that, and am happy to report that every little thing was tremendous even after I didn’t keep in mind to comply with the recommended protocol.  

Efficiency

Typing with the Glove80 is an absolute pleasure.  The POM keycaps have a singular really feel which is absurdly clean, and paired with the purple professional switches the important thing actuation is tremendous gentle and responsive.  The case received’t ship a deep sound profile, however such is the tradeoff for being minimal, light-weight, and ergonomic.   

Pivoting to ergonomics, the Glove is well probably the most comfy board I’ve used.  Notable comps embrace the Ergodox, Sofle, Dygma Increase, and Kinesis Freestyle.  The Ergodox is  the closest as an ortholinear, although the Glove80 is my first board with a keywell.  You’ll be able to really feel the distinction in how little your hand is transferring when typing on a Glove80, a lot in order that I develop into very conscious of it when utilizing different keyboards.  Some of the shocking facets of typing on the Glove80 was the way it promoted correct typing method.  I noticed that I had grown accustomed utilizing my pinkies solely on the very far reaches of a typical keyboard.  Regardless of sitting on residence row, I used to be utilizing a type of claw-like hand place, which the Glove80 received’t abide… MoErgo has helped me undo 30+ years of typing incorrect.  

Absolutely break up keyboards provide the capacity to set the halves at shoulder width, which promotes good posture and for me helped with recurrent shoulder ache from an previous sports activities harm.  Being totally wi-fi between the keyboard halves means you’ve as a lot or as little room as it is advisable to work with, with out coping with bridge cables.  I’ve had zero points with the halves speaking to one another.  

You might have observed… the Glove80 doesn’t resemble something near a regular keyboard.  It takes a little bit of muscle reminiscence retraining to leap into the Glove, and whereas actually subjective, this transition interval may very well be vital.  In truth, I’m really the third Gadgeteer to take a crack at reviewing it.  Each Julie and Kenneth gave it a go earlier than it landed with me, and in discussing their expertise, it boiled all the way down to adapting their typing model and workflows to the Glove80.  It may be a troublesome transition to go to a columnar structure by itself, however add within the keywell and all 1u structure of the Glove80, and it turns into a unique beast fully.  MoErgo recommends limiting typing to simply 30-60 min per day on the Glove80 till you will get again to 40wpm, at which level you need to be able to shift to it full time.  It’s an funding of each money and time, however if you happen to’re coping with RSI that different keyboards haven’t helped with – this can be your ticket out.  

What I like in regards to the MoErgo Glove80

• Distinctive ergonomic consolation and adaptableness 
• Prebuilt, plug and play expertise
• MoErgo workforce is invested of their neighborhood

What must be improved?

• Can be good to have firmware flashing by way of webapp
• Official sidecar mods reminiscent of a trackball or touchpad could be wonderful

Last ideas

In a world stuffed with heavy, slab keyboards that prioritize sound acoustics over operate, the Glove80 is a breath of contemporary air.  It delivers an unparalleled ergonomic typing expertise whereas compromising little or no.  How are you going to inform if it’s best for you?  At $400 it’s actually an funding, although nonetheless on the decrease finish of price for comparable boards.  When you’re on the fence, for these within the US there’s a leasing service the place you may attempt a specifically constructed Glove80 that options all the totally different swap sorts.  This isn’t affiliated with MoErgo, however supplies a possibility to see if what the Glove provides is price the price.  For me, it’s endgame – till they arrive out with an built-in trackball.  

Value: $399 – $409 (depends upon key switches)
The place to purchase: MoErgo
Supply: The pattern of this product was offered without cost by MoErgo. MoErgo didn’t have a closing say on the assessment and didn’t preview the assessment earlier than it was printed.