Should I use a split keyboard?

We of course would be very happy to sell you a split keyboard, but we'll also be honest and say that split keyboards aren't for everyone. They do take some effort to learn to type on (see below), and you usually want to adjust your keyboard to fit your preferences (also explained below).

If you have technical affinity, such as an interest in technology or work in a technical trade, you'll likely have no issues using a split keyboard. There's no need to be able to program or learn how to solder, though you'll gain more customisability if you can.

Of course technical affinity isn't required - if you're motivated to start with a split keyboard, you'll be just fine too. You may want to adjust the layout of your keyboard to fit your preferences, which does mean there'll be a bit of a learning curve up front.

If you are generally impatient (and there's nothing wrong with that), we recommend starting with a kit that doesn't require soldering. Our Composer can help you find a kit that doesn't require soldering.

If you want a keyboard that works out of the box without any tweaking or learning, you probably will want to stick with a more conventional, non-split keyboard. If you still want it to be sort-of split, we can recommend a keyboard such as the Microsoft Sculpt.