Logitech Ergo K860 Review - My First Ergonomic Keyboard!

**The Ergo K 860: A Wireless Keyboard with Ambitious Features**

The Ergo K 860 is a wireless keyboard designed by Logitech that boasts a range of features, including smart backlighting and ambient sensors. However, one feature that sets it apart from its competitors - such as the MX Keys - is its lack of LED backlighting. This omission may be a deal-breaker for some users, particularly those who value this feature.

On the other hand, Mike pointed out that touch typists would not need to look down at guidance, making smart backlighting unnecessary. While this argument has merit, Logitech's decision to omit LED backlighting from the Ergo K 860 is puzzling, especially considering the keyboard's premium price tag of $130.

**Design and Build Quality**

The Ergo K 860 features a sleek design with an ergonomic shape that promotes natural typing posture. The graphite color matches well with other Logitech keyboards, such as the Master 3. The contrast between the keys is also noteworthy, making it easy to read in low-light environments. The keyboard layout is essentially a copy and paste from the MX Keys, with every single key identical except for the addition of a numpad.

**Battery Life and Connectivity**

One of the most significant advantages of the Ergo K 860 is its battery life, which supposedly lasts up to two years on triple-A batteries. This is impressive, especially considering that LED backlighting or other smart features are not present. The keyboard uses low-energy Bluetooth or the unifying receiver for connectivity, making it a plug-and-play solution for Windows and Mac users.

The Ergo K 860 also boasts easy switch functionality, allowing users to instantly switch between three different devices. Additionally, it supports Logitech Flow, which enables seamless switching between multiple systems. This feature is particularly useful for those who work with multiple devices regularly.

**Driver Software**

The driver software for the Ergo K 860 is remarkably simple, offering a range of customization options and ease of use. Users can program the top function row to any command they desire and switch the F1-F12 keys to standard mode. The battery status can also be checked at the bottom of the screen.

**Target Audience and Upgrade Consideration**

The Ergo K 860 is not designed for everyone, particularly those on a tight budget or who prefer traditional keyboards. At $130, it's a significant investment, especially considering that users can try out alternative ergonomic keyboards before committing to this one. However, if you're an existing user of an ergonomic keyboard and are looking to upgrade to something with more features like Logitech Flow and wireless freedom, the Ergo K 860 could be a great option.

**Personal Experience**

In conclusion, I'm pleased with my experience using the Ergo K 860 as my daily driver. The keyboard is comfortable to type on, promoting natural posture without straining my wrists. While I appreciate the added features like Logitech Flow and wireless freedom, the lack of LED backlighting remains a concern. Nevertheless, I would recommend considering this keyboard if you can find it for less than $100 on sale.

**Comparison to Other Keyboards**

As I mentioned earlier, the Ergo K 860 shares its design and layout with the MX Keys. While some users may prefer the more minimalist approach of the MX Keys, others may appreciate the addition of a numpad in the Ergo K 860. In contrast, other keyboards like the Master 3 offer similar features without the ergonomic shape or wireless freedom.

Ultimately, the choice between these keyboards depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to traditional keyboards, consider trying out an ergonomic keyboard before investing in one with advanced features like Logitech Flow.

**Conclusion**

The Ergo K 860 is a well-designed wireless keyboard that offers several impressive features, including smart backlighting and ambient sensors. While its lack of LED backlighting may be a deal-breaker for some users, touch typists may not need this feature at all. With a premium price tag of $130, it's essential to consider whether the Ergo K 860 is worth the investment.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat does an advanced economic keyboardlook like actually what is an ergonomickeyboard well it's a keyboard designedto minimize muscle strain and complimenta comfortable posture for people whospend a dangerous amount of time infront of a screen typing and typing andtyping and typing you get the idea nowthere are different types of ergonomickeyboards in the market and here's aquick glimpse of what they look likewhat I'm interested in is this splitkeyboard and there's a reason for thattoday Logitech is announcing the Ergo K860and they designed this to offer anatural typing experience while alsodelivering all the wireless featuresLogitech is known for now this is myvery first organ amah keyboard and Ihave spent quite a while testing thisguy and haven't used it extensively I'vegot to admit I might have to end upditching my entire mechanical keyboardcollection because this is the mostcomfortable keyboard I've tried yet butallow me to explain right after this thenew cooler master master mouse 7:10 aweird name but damn this thing is goodwith an ultra lightweight body it's only53 grams for excellent flick control andthe aim correction the ultra weave cableis awesome for Wireless like feel theambidextrous shape for me personally issuper comfortable and then like theshorter body plus the glide is smooththanks to white PTFE feet enjoy thedomination with an excellent opticalsensor and despite the funky name thecooler master mm 710 is legit check itout the low all right so let's getpricing out of the wayit's $130 us which is actually a lot infact it's $30 more than the MX keyswhich is another one of my favoriteswhen you compare to other split economickeyboards it's also way too expensivenow I'm not an expert when it comes toreviewing organ AMA keyboards as Imentioned earlier this is my very firsteconomic keyboard and so naturally I wasconcerned about a few things and thefirst ones obvious the learning curveget it the curve so how long does ittake to comfortably type on a splitlayout without making a thousand errorstyping up a sentence also is it reallythat comfortable and is it somethingthat's worth considering if you valueyour typing experience and that's animportant one so let's begin with thelearning curve believe it or not Ipicked up my pace after spending just afew hours with his keyboard but thatmight not be the same for you I gaveMike the chance to get used to thiskeyboard but he still hasn't quiteadjusted to it yetin fact he just straight-up told me thatthis isn't a keyboard for him and that'sokayI don't constantly look down on mykeyboard for letters when I'm typing upsomething I've memorized most of the keypositioning so I could easily get themMike on the other hand is not a touchtypist because sometimes he uses hisleft hand to hit Y and the right hand tohit be the problem here for him is tosplit design because the keys areseparated and he has to look down forguidance I still make a few errors hereand there with B and n because they'respaced wider compared to the other rowsbut that goes to show that I don't haveall the keys memorized in my head somepeople take typing courses and so overtime they become touch typist meaningthey don't have to look down forguidance because they've basicallyprogrammed the key positioning to theirhead and it's basically muscle memorythey can easily adjust to anotherkeyboard within a matter of just youknow a few minutes and we've verifiedthis with a typist so if you fall intothat category you don't have to worryabout getting used to this new layoutcoming from a standard keyboard but Ihave to warn you going back to astandard keyboard takes even longer toreadjust if you're not a touch typistI'm already starting to have issuestyping on my notebook because I'm makingmore typos than before and that freaksme out not to mention we review a lot ofhardware and keyboards fall into thatcategory so if I were to switch toanother gaming Micanopy board for reviewwell that's gonna take longit's gonna be challenging to get used tothe standard layout which I know seemsodd but it is true now let's switchgears and talk about ergonomics becausethis is where things get a lot better ifyou pay close attention to the centerportion of the frame you'll notice thatthe keyboard is slightly curved andelevated this was done to promote anatural posture when typing while alsoreducing pronation for your wrists yousee if you take a standard keyboard forinstance it's a flat surface with abunch of keys on it and when you'repreparing to type you'd naturally rotateyour wrists to adjust to that flatsurface and this could cause carpalsyndrome and a whole other list ofstrain injuries for a lot of people I'vecertainly experienced this in the pastwhen I'm glued to a screen for daysediting a video or typing up a script orstructure like this thing is I reallyhaven't paid close attention to theseissues until I started using the ERGokay 860 because this keyboard sort ofhelped me reevaluate the way how I useperipherals to get work done and I'msure a lot of you can relate to thatbecause this keyboard offers a supremeexperience when typing without applyingany stress to your muscles and it's justperfectanother thing I noticed is that mywrists we're not deviating that muchwhen compared to typing on a standardkeyboard it's basically sitting stillwith my fingers doing the work for themost part and that to me was justfascinating and this is again thanks tothat split keyboard design the othercomfort factor is the wrist rest and Icannot emphasize this enough it makes aworld of a difference when you're typingfor hours and Logitech has made a fewtweaks here you get the standard memoryfoam along with a higher density foam ontop followed by a stain resistant easyto clean fabric it's just reallycomfortable guys you just have to takemy word for it now keep in mind thatthis wrist rest is not detachable andI'm ok with that because you need tofind a place to rest your Athena andhypothenar to rest comfortably to typeon this keyboard in the first place butthe downside is that this is a prettybig keyboard I mean here's a shotcompared to the MX keys which is fairlycompact I'm a little worried about thewear and tear of this wrist pressbecause given that it's attached to thekeyboard you know we know the naturaloil is a thing not really sure how thislong this is gonna last because if thisgets completely worn out then you mighthave to end up replacing the entirekeyboard because like I said it's oneunit now right underneath the palm restlogitech has implemented palm lift whichcomes in two step increments and thiscomes in handy when you're typing in astanding position just so you get thatoptimal straight hand posture especiallywith sit stand s being really popularthese days I have to really invest inone of those in fact if you have anysuggestions on a great sit stand desklet me know in the comments down belowthe keys themselves are great it usesthe same mechanism as the MX keys so youget a solid faster and pretty tactileexperience with a respectable amount oftravel distance I love the fact thatthey kept it low profile but there isone big problem and then is thiskeyboard does not have abe back running which is really oddbecause if you look at the MX Keys thatcost 30 Lars less it comes with smartbacklighting with ambient sensors sothis feature I mean the lack of thisfeature is certainly gonna be adeal-breaker for a lot of people outthere but Mike brought up a validargument if you're a touch typist youwould necessarily be interested insomething like this because you wouldn'tneed to look down guidance but I guessthat's a topic for another day butreally they should have included LEDbacklighting in this keyboard in thefirst place because 130 dollars notgetting that feature it's I mean it'sreally a missed opportunity fromLogitech and I'm disappointed in thatcoming back to the basics I like thedesign of the ergo cage 60 the graphitecolor matches really well with themaster 3 and I like the contrast thepalmers offers the keyboard layout isessentially a copy and paste from the MXkeys literally every single key is theexact same - to split in the centeryou still get a numpad which is coolthis is a wireless keyboard and it runsoff to triple-a batteries now you mightbe thinking to yourselves well that'skind of dumb but I'm actually ok withthat because battery life supposedly isset to last for up to two years which isgreat and that makes sense because youdon't have LED backlighting or any smartfancy ambient sensors it's just akeyboard that can be paired vialow-energy Bluetooth or the unifyingreciever and it's both Windows and Maccompatible so it's a very simpleplug-and-play solution and it's also oneless charging cable to worry about itstill features easy switch meaning youcan switch between three differentdevices instantly also it has Logitechflow support and if you recall watchingmy MX keys videos you know how I lovethat feature just having to work withmultiple systems this ecosystem ispretty amazing the last thing to go overis the driver software is very simplejust like the MX keys and the master 3as you can see I've paired all three ofthem using one unifying receiver and itworks flawlessly jumping intocustomization you can program the topfunction row to any command that youdesire and there is a load of options atlaunched I guess pre-built already youcan also switch the f1 to f12 keys tostandard mode right over here and youcan check battery status at the bottomso the question that needs to beanswered here is who is the ergo key 860targeted towards in fact should youconsider upgrading to it if you'resomeone thinking about switching from astandard keyboard to anI'm a keyboard skip this because at $130it is just way too expensive for anupgrade because you can spend a lot lesson Amazon and try out an ergonomickeyboard to see how you'd like it I meanthe learning curve might take a while toget used to and you might even not endup liking it at all so that would be alittle bit of a downside if you decideto pick this out so start with somethingbasic see how you like the style andthen potentially maybe consider this oneor two years down the line now if youare using an existing organ on keyboardand if you're thinking about upgradingto something with more features likelogitech flow and wireless freedom thenthe Ergo k 860 could be a great optionthough you need to consider a few thingsone it doesn't come with LEDbacklighting I think that's my biggestdrawback or my biggest problem with thiskeyboard but for touch typists it mightnot be a deal-breakeralso I'm not a huge fan of the price at$130 it is just way too expensive so ifyou can find this for less than 100bucks on sale then it is somethingthat's worth considering now do I seemyself switching to this as my dailydriver moving forward absolutely becauseit's just really comfortable to type onand I love the fact that you get anatural typing posture without stressingyour wrists and not to me is definitelya welcome addition but I am concernedabout going back to a standard keyboardbecause if I'm reviewing a mechanicalgaming keyboard in the next in the nextfew weeks or something then man it'sgonna be a tough call so that's that'swhat it is guys let me know what youguys think about the Ergo cage 60 fromlogitech is it something that you'reinterested in in fact if you are usingan organ on the keyboard let me know thecomments down below what you're usingand what your experience is like I meanboth horican axe thank you so muchwatching make sure to check out somerelevant content over here subscribe hitthat notification bell so that you don'tmiss out on a new video and I'll talk toyou guys in the next one\n"