Glove80 Keyboard Review (3 months)

Some people are very into keyboards. They build them, they buy many of them, they review them. They know a lot about the software and hardware, and can describe the pros and cons of each component. When they look for a keyboard, they can use their prior experience to decide what features they care about, and can identify potential issues.

I am not one of these people. But given recent wrist and forearm pain, I decided to switch impulsively to a split keyboard. I did some not-comprehensive-at-all research - I didn’t really know what I was looking at, or how to compare different brands, or what attributes to consider that would be right for me. I ended up buying the MoErgo Glove80 Split Wireless Keyboard, largely because the curved design, tenting system, and my perception of the company as a start-up that had a large passionate community behind the product. It also looked reasonably professional, minimal, and like it would fit on my desk.

When considering which keyboard to buy, I also looked at the Logitech Wave, Kinesis, Microsoft Sculpt, and others. I disqualified the Moonlander, Voyager, ErgoDox and others based on the flat design; I thought the curved looked like it would be more comfortable. If you hold your hand straight out, palm down, and watch your fingers as they bend while keeping your forearm still, then you can see the area they reach is on a curve. It is not scientific, no, but my primary guide when looking at different keyboards was identifying in what positions my arms and hands felt most comfortable in, and disqualifying keyboards which I thought would force me to move from these positions. This is also why I went straight to a split keyboard, rather than the connected keyboards that just angle the keys slightly differently, like the Microsoft and Logitech keyboards linked above.

I am not able to solder, so that removed a few other smaller keyboard options from my list. It is exciting seeing how people modify their keyboards to meet their unique needs, but it is not the most accessible hobby, especially getting started. I wanted to buy pre-built. I was also hesitant to switch to a keyboard that made the decision to remove keys, like the Charybdis Nano, for example. I did not use function keys regularly, or program key macros, so I wanted the most familiar keyboard, but structured differently. Now, after using the Glove80 for a few months, I think this would be much less important to me. I am much more open to using and programming function keys, layers, and specific key press sequences than I was before.

So, I bought the Glove80. The following is what I think of it after using it for about three months. Note again that I haven’t used any other split keyboards, so I won’t compare features, or comfort, except against laptop keyboards or the Logitech MX Keys for Business, which I used for about a year prior to the switch.

Before any criticism, I want to say that this is a fantastic product on the whole. I want to thank the people involved in making this, designing it and spending so much time in our lives to improve it. The creators really deserve a lot of credit. For my first foray into a split keyboard, I’m very happy with it. Note that if you’re considering buying a keyboard like this, you won’t heal every pain in your body, But I’ve undoubtedly noted a difference since I’ve stopped pronating my forearms so much. That said, I also type less. I’m trying to use voice access more. And in general, just rest my hands.

The Build

But the Glove80 is all plastic, I read online. And for the most part it is. Compared to the Logitech MX Keys, which had a metal frame, the Glove80 is much lighter, and feels a bit less sturdy. But all the MX keys had to do was lie flat; the Glove 80 is tented on six feet, so I don’t mind a bit of flex. I don’t think that it feels cheap at all, and the primary frame of the keyboard is solid enough that I don’t have any complaints.

The palm rest is only connected by two screws to the main frame of the keyboard. This is meant to allow easy removal. I have never removed it, nor do I plan to, nor do I see many photos of it without the palm rest. So I would sacrifice the ease of unscrewing for a slightly more sturdy connection.

The tenting is more limited than I was expecting, but I am reasonably happy with it. It is not a pleasant process to adjust. If you extend the screws out all the way, they can be slightly wobbly. And it’s tricky to make sure that both sides match. As seen above on the leftmost post, I used the additional supports to stabilize the rod. At very high levels of tenting, given the feet don’t angle, only an edge will connect with the ground, making it more wobbly. At that height, you’ll likely need a mounting solution that comes separately, and some example images are here. It is tricky, though, as depending on how you work (sitting, standing, etc.), if you adjust throughout the day, one mount might not be suitable for another position.

Note that the rods are a standard size, so it is possible to mount and extend the Golve80 on whatever you’d like, given the interest, knowledge, time, and resources. For me, I took maybe two hours on a Saturday morning, and explored a few options. After a couple times adjusting, I found a comfortable and stable height, and haven’t touched it since. Overall, I was hoping for more extreme tenting and tilting options built-in, but you need to customize these yourself. The V2 nicely includes some additional rods and support pieces to help address this.

I bought the Glove80 v2 just as it was being released, so it came with a carrying case. Just a brief note: the accessory case to carry the keyboard is fantastic, and well made. Opening the case to reveal the keyboard feels like you have just purchased a premium keyboard. Now, the keyboard is still bulky, So don’t expect to fit in to a laptop bag - unless you have a very large laptop carrying bag.

The key caps feel really smooth. I do wish I spent some time to explore the different types of key switches. I got the standard, recommended ones, and they are a bit too “clicky” for my preference. But they offer good resistance, and usually I have headphones on, so I don’t mind. I believe you can buy out test panels with all the different types of key switches, if you want to try them out before hand. The keys also wiggle a bit, side to side and back and forth, more than a laptop or the Logitech MX keys do. But when I’m actually using the keyboard, I don’t notice or mind this at all.

I don’t like the LED lighting at all. I would say it’s the worst part of the keyboard for me. On the Logitech, the LED lights lit up the letters. Here, the LED lights are placed slightly above the letters, and the letters themselves aren’t see through (dark text on translucent white keys). For me, it means that only the top half the letter, or whatever text is on the key is half-illuminated only.

Perhaps for some people who use it for gaming or for looks appreciate the programmatic control you have over the LEDS and the colored patterns they form. But not me. I want to be able to see the keyboard in the dark well. I don’t want a rainbow keyboard. Especially with the keys being in a different layout, there are times where I need to look down to see where certain key is. It is irritating, because my eyes go to the light and not toward the dark text that is lit up.

Some people in comments online worried about the lack of homing keys. I agree with the support guide here; I don’t think you need them. The design and contours of the keyboard naturally put your fingers where they should go. Now, that said, initially I was putting my fingers incorrectly. Given that my hands feel bit small on the keyboard, I was initially starting with my index fingers on the innermost columns of each half. This allowed my thumb to reach all 6 thumb keys, without having to angle my wrist oddly or move my palm from the palm rest. After reading more of the support guide, I figured out that I had my fingers wrong.

Size

Now that I’ve mentioned this, the keyboard feels slightly too big for my hands. This might just be a situation of inaccurate expectations, but I was hoping really to not have to move my wrists or stretch my fingers out too much, especially with the columnar layout. But I still have trouble reaching the inner- and outermost columns, as well as the top two rows (number key and function key rows). I’ve also found that I would prefer a wrist pad that was slightly higher, rather than immediately sloping down. Leaving my wrists on the rest makes it a bit tricky to reach all the keys.

I haven’t seen a keyboard company provide a great sizing chart. In the Glove80 marketing, they say it’s been tested on a range of hands. As a user with no experience in split keyboards, I took their word on it, and just hoped that my hands were within a standard deviation of the average hand size. Still, while typing or coding, I have to stretch my fingers out more laterally than I would like. In reviews for other split keyboards, I’ve seen comments that state the thumb cluster is difficult to reach; here with the Glove80, at worst I need a small wrist adjustment to reach all 6 keys.

This is why now after using the Glove80, I wouldn’t mind trying out a keyboard with less keys, that is a bit smaller and forced the user to use key sequences for certain keys. For me, I would prefer only moving my fingers up and down along the bottom 4 rows, and middle 4 rows, and I may adapt the keyboard layout again to accommodate that.

I did change my keyboard layout from the Qwerty to the Workman layout. The Glove80 online layout editor worked great, so no complaints there. It was really easy to use, with the key being layouts that I could just choose from and adapt. I would not have gone through the pain of remapping every key. Even just trying to change the position of two or three keys slowed me down. Remapping does require you to restart the keyboard and install firmware, but this boils down to moving files between folders and pressing some keys. I know it isn’t perhaps the most user friendly thing. and could definitely confuse some people, but I imagine people buying this keyboard won’t have any trouble with it at all. Overall, I thought it worked fine.

Support

The user guide is really nice. Control-F on a PDF is just easier than a million knowledge base articles that I have to hunt through. It isn’t a pain learning the Magic layers or Bluetooth set-up, but remembering which layers and lights correspond to what is a bit annoying. I think most times where I need to adjust a setting, I have to look up the user guide simply because I don’t remember what all the colors mean.

The Glove80 Discord is active. If you have a question, go there and ask it. I am confident someone will respond and help you out, which is a very comforting thing to see when buying a product as expensive as this one. And whenever I check in, which is perhaps once a month or so, I always see Stephen, a co-designer of the keyboard according to his profile, responding to queries and issues that people are posting about. It is reassuring to see this and to feel like you have a direct connection to somebody if something is going wrong. I haven’t interacted with him, so I can’t talk about potential troubleshooting or how well that goes. People will share their set-ups, shortcuts, layouts, and more, building a community around the product. A decent technical understanding is assumed in most cases, I think; for example, the firmware announcements or discussion of ZMK, or even understanding for non-tech people, why they talk about branches all the time. Recently, there was a Bluetooth connection issue with a firmware release, and the maintainer asked affected users to install a test fix and provide feedback. But again, I don’t expect anyone to be rude if you ask a basic question as long as it is serious and you put some thought into it prior.

Personally, in terms of any software bug, only rarely have I noticed some stuttering or lag or Bluetooth disconnection. This is pretty rare. It’s also happened on every other Bluetooth device anyone has ever used. So it doesn’t really bother me. There is also a cable that you can connect from your computer into the keyboard, if you prefer to use wired.

I’m still struggling with how to handle a mouse along with the keyboard. I have limited space in the keyboard tray on this desk. and it doesn’t exactly fit on either side. It feels uncomfortable to have it in the middle. Often the mouse ends up on the main part of the desk, which also isn’t comfortable for me anyway. In the past month or so, a community member has added support for controlling the mouse within the keyboard. This doesn’t appear to be officially supported by the company, at least not yet. I’ve been looking at track balls, track pads, touch bands, eye control. and more. A keyboard like this that includes a trackball or some sort of pointing device would be nice, but I’ve also seen people online post about issues with straining their thumbs from overuse as well.

At the 100 day check-in email, they did provide a $20 discount code toward a second Glove80 keyboard, telling you to get your backup Glove80. I have no idea who would spend $400 more on a backup keyboard. And when I’ve told my friends about this keyboard, I think they’ve thought I was strange. None of them have asked if I could give them a discount code. What would be preferable is a discount code to use on accessories like mounting equipment. That said, the regular product emails and updates are a nice way to keep in touch, and it is helpful to see how you can improve your own workflow with the programmable nature of this keyboard.

Summary

So to summarize, if you are interested in getting your first split keyboard, I would consider the following:

• After having pain in your hands, take a lot of time to identify where your hands feel the most comfortable. Where’s the soreness in your fingers? On your wrist? Try to find that pose where you think your hands will be the most comfortable, and look for keyboards that would allow you to achieve that pose. This on its own rules out a lot of keyboards, and prepares you to think about how the rest of your set-up affects your comfort.

• The size of your hands is something to consider, but companies don’t provide much reassuring about it. It might be strange for people who are in the keyboards, but that was definitely a concern of mine, since I think I have smaller hands. For others, my measurements are as follows:

  • finger lengths, measuring from the crease where my fingers first bend from my palm (right hand and left hand are equivalent (*phew*)):

    • pinky 6.5cm,

    • index 7.7cm,

    • middle 8.3cm,

    • pointer 7.3cm.

  • From my wrist to the top of my middle finger is 19cm.

  • Laterally, palm down, fingers relaxed but straight, measuring across the back of my hand from the tip of my thumb to the edge of my pinky is about 14cm.

  • If I splay my fingers, the tip of my thumb to pinky is 21cm.

• If your fingers are bright bigger than mine, then you should be fine with the Glove80. I’m not sure about other keyboards.

• Decide if you’re willing to deal with a few small technical steps to achieve what you want. If you’re OK with downloading a couple of files and pressing a couple buttons, then you’ll be fine with the Glove80. For now, given the maturity of the industry, you’re stuck with some personal to-do work if you want more custom set-ups in general.

• People make a big deal out of the key switches. If you’re really concerned, buy a key switch sample on Amazon and test it out. Otherwise, the standard is probably fine.

• Note the difference between a columnar or staggered layout. The Glove80 is columnar. Yes, there is a bit of an adjustment period, but if you are not switching from a QWERTY layout, the adjustment is not difficult.