I switched to a split ergonomic keyboard for a week, and it's spoiled every other peripheral for me

2 weeks ago 6

ZDNET's key takeaways

Nuio's Flow Keyboard is available for pre-order today for $399.
The keyboard is well-designed and premium, and successfully innovates on the traditional keyboard with an ergonomic design.
There's a learning curve that comes with adjusting to the Flow Keyboard, and the price point might be too steep for some.

Often the most innovative products have the simplest visions. The QWERTY keyboard is a baked into devices we use everyday, yet its design has deviated little since it was first implemented onto typewriters in the 1870s.

Enter: Nuio, a brand-new ergonomic accessories company founded by two brothers: one, a former product design executive for Apple, and the other, a former digital marketing leader for Digitas.

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Nuio's first and most distinct product is the new Flow Keyboard, a wireless keyboard split into two pieces with a unique ergonomic design. The company also offers a detachable touchpad, a magnetic Deskpad, and a handful of accessories that support further customization of these devices.

I recently had a chance to go hands-on with the Flow Keyboard, and it's been a journey, to say the least. The $400 keyboard prompted a handful of assumptions about how I would use it, but the takeaways from the process were surprising, to say the least.

The first thing to know about using the Flow is that it's a shock to the system. We've been glued to the QWERTY format since the dawn of time, so switching that up -- at least at first -- feels bad. It feels inefficient and clunky, and harder to do the things you know you can do "better" the way you're used to.

That's where the adjustment mindset comes in. This isn't a device for someone to casually pick up; you need some commitment to adjust to the Flow. There are tons of different motivations: maybe you're starting to feel sore from typing all day, maybe you already have a diagnosed condition in your hands or wrists, but the first thing you realize is that the traditional keyboard is incredibly rough on the body.

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The Flow keyboard comes in two wireless pieces, breaking up the keyboard into two halves that allow for previously impossible positioning. The keys themselves are in their standard locations, but the overall shape of the keyboard is curved. Notably, the space bar exists as two separate keys on each piece where your thumbs fall naturally.

Where the traditional keyboard requires your hands to flay outward, potentially contributing to soreness and discomfort, the Flow Keyboard's split shape allows your wrists to align to a neutral, straight position, mapping to the hand's natural shape, and opening up your posture in the process. "There are no right angles to the human body," Nuio's CEO, Tom Wilson says.

The arrangement of the keyboard can be adjusted or tweaked at any time, bringing the keys closer together or further apart. It's not about setting it up into one position that's "optimal" and then leaving it there forever. Rather, the Flow reflects the reality of using devices in different settings: your position changes, and so does what's comfortable, allowing the device to adjust to you.

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It's not just the keyboard that allows for this kind of deconstruction. Nuio's product lineup also features the Flow Trackpad, a $249 wireless trackpad that can be positioned anywhere you want it. It supports multi-touch gestures and has high-resolution tracking and feels solid and substantial, with a premium, silky feel and textured base that holds it firmly in place.

If it feels strange to separate the keyboard from its traditional design, placing the trackpad wherever you want feels as natural or as wild as you make it. Whether you want the trackpad to be in the traditional spot, up to the right of your keyboard, or in your lap, it works just as well. Go wild.

The constellation of peripherals is rounded out with some teardrop-shaped wrist rests that can be positioned freely with the keyboard, which go for $99 for the pair, and some magnetic risers that attach to the bottom of the keyboards to raise and angle them further -- also $99 for the pair.

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All of the pieces feel solid and well-made, and remain stationary wherever you place them, particularly if you're using the magnetic Deskpad, which acts as a magnetic canvas to hold everything in place -- and does so quite well. Even lifting the Deskpad off of the desk and carrying it keeps the devices stuck to the positions you've placed them.

In my time testing out Nuio's system of peripherals, I learned that there isn't one "optimal" placement where I kept things. It feels good to be able to adjust and move your keyboard around based on whether you're sitting or standing and how intensely you're locked in.

After a week and a half, I became "acceptably" comfortable with the split keyboard, but I wouldn't say I could type at my usual keys per minute. However, the biggest shock to the system was when I returned to the traditionally-formatted keyboard after being used to the Flow's open design.

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Wrenching my wrists back into the cramped space of the traditional keyboard felt surprisingly bad; I couldn't believe that this was the keyboard I was so used to. It was at this point that I gained a new appreciation for the ergonomics behind the split keyboard format, and just how impactful it is on the body.

If you haven't heard of Nuio before, it's because the company is brand new, only now announcing its lineup of products. Starting today, its peripherals are available for pre-order, but only the Mac version of the Flow Keyboard in the space gray colorway is available, shipping on December 1st, 2024.

The Flow Keyboard with Windows-optimized keys, as well as the six additional colorways, will be shipping on January 1st, 2025.

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The cost of these products might be a barrier for some, especially when combined. For example, the Flow Keyboard, Flow Trackpad, and the Deskpad together will cost upwards of $700.

Additionally, the $99 price tag for the pair of magnetic keyboard stands seems a little hard for me to justify. But if you're committed to a premium take on innovative ergonomics, Nuio's lineup is one of the best on the market.

ZDNET's buying advice

Nuio's lineup of smart peripherals bring some sophistication and customization to ergonomics. Whether you're motivated by health-related reasons or you're looking to customize your workspace, the Flow Keyboard is a solid option for Mac users (for now) to rethink the way they interact with the digital space.

The price point for these peripherals is a little steep, particularly when you combine them together. But they are attractive and well-made, exuding a premium and thoughtful design aesthetic.

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