At a look
Expert’s Rating
Pros
Very comfy typing expertise
Hugely customisable
Great software program
Takes strain off of palms, wrists and shoulders
Cons
Expensive
Sharp inclined positions usually are not comfy
Takes time to relearn typing positions
Our Verdict
The Dygma Raise is a formidable achievement each in phrases of design and value. Yes, it’s a severe funding, however when you use it on a regular basis for the subsequent few years I’m certain it’ll really feel prefer it’s paid for itself when your palms aren’t screaming at you. The solely drawback is that it’ll most likely wreck you for utilizing another keyboard.
Price When Reviewed
$349
Best Prices Today: Dygma Raise
Retailer Price Dygma $419 View Deal Price comparability from over 24,000 shops worldwide Product Price Price comparability from Backmarket
Most of us spend rather a lot of time on our keyboards, however they may not be serving to us in phrases of posture or hand well being. Dygma is an organization that focuses on unorthodox typing units designed to maintain your digits working, even when your typing calls for are excessive.
One such product is the brand new Raise, which not solely splits in half but additionally tilts at a pointy angle to vary the strain in your wrists. So, is it one thing that may assist maintain your palms pain-free or will it induce complications from having to relearn the essential ideas of utilizing a keyboard?
Further studying: The best mechanical keyboards: Top picks for every need
Design & Build
High high quality elements
Many configuration choices
Split development and tilting stands
Mechanical keyboard with programmable backlights
As any good chef will inform you, the primary chew is with the attention. With that in thoughts, Dygma lays out a veritable feast earlier than you even get to the keyboard itself.
Opening the packaging reveals a group of containers that include the elevating package that you simply screw into the underside of the Raise, an enhancement package with keycap removers, ‘O’ rings you should utilize on every key, plus a cleansing material. Then there’s the attractive padded and fur-lined case by which the precise keyboard itself resides, together with the braided cables and ‘Neuron’ adapter you should connect it to your pc. It all seems to be and feels premium.
The Raise presents an fascinating design, with two separate halves of the keyboard which you can plug into one another to make a extra customary format
Martyn Casserly
The Raise presents an fascinating design, with two separate halves of the keyboard which you can plug into one another to make a extra customary format. The halves usually are not precisely the identical measurement, with the left aspect measuring 153.8mm and the precise a barely bigger 177.3mm. This is especially because of the H and Y keys jutting out a bit of bit, attributable to the truth that keyboards usually are not designed to be precisely symmetrical. Go on, take a look at yours now, you’ll see that the keys don’t line up above one another, they’re staggered.
An anodized aluminum key plate holds every part in place, with prolonged palm rests to make issues cozy. Mine is Atlantis Blue, however there are a selection of different colours obtainable: Daredevil Red, Egyptian Gold and Royal Purple every with the selection of black or white key caps and palm pads. You get two pads within the field which you can stick onto the areas beneath the keyboard, which provides to the relaxed really feel you get when utilizing the Dygma Raise.
The pads can be eliminated, washed and caught again on, so that you don’t want to fret in regards to the aesthetic turning into tatty after some use.
The two halves of the keyboard lay flat on a desk, with no changes to tilt them upwards. Obviously, the elevating package affords some elevation, however solely sideways, so the typing floor can really feel a bit of low when you’re used to tilting up the again of a keyboard. It’s a small factor, however I want to have had a solution to modify this manually.
You’ll have to screw the elevating package onto the bottom plates of the keyboard (every part is included), which then offers you the choice to tilt the separate items to angles that fit your most popular typing place.
As it is a mechanical keyboard, there are switches underneath the PTB double shot keycaps, all of which may be configured when ordering the Dygma Raise. My evaluate pattern got here with Kailh Speed Copper switches, however there are one other eight you could possibly select from together with varied Cherry MX variants and Gateron GT Pro 2.0, with solely a most of $26 added to the price generally.
If you like to make use of your individual or have a favourite set, then the Raise is hot-swappable with any switches that use 3- or 5-pin switches with an MX stem.
Martyn Casserly
Illumination comes from RGB lights and LED strips underneath the keys and key plate that shine brightly and in a spread of colours. These may be configured by way of the accompanying software program (extra on that later) with the flexibility for particular person keys to be highlighted in numerous tones.
The two halves join by slotting them into one another with the assistance of inside magnets, it’s match and really simple to rapidly repair in place or take aside. Due to the separate sections, there are USB-C ports on each, with the included cabling permitting you to route them by means of the Neuron connector so that they solely take up one port in your pc.
Keyboard really feel and typing expertise
60% format with programmable thumb keys
Split keyboard helps with arm and chest alignment
Tilted place takes rather a lot of getting used to
Looking on the keyboard it’s instantly obvious that there are some things lacking. As it is a quick format, you gained’t discover a number-pad on the Raise, nor (extra sadly) are there arrow keys. At least, not devoted ones. Beneath the cut up space-bar there are two ‘layer’ keys that assist you to entry the particular characters and options which might be defaulted to the second and third layers (sort of like superior Shift keys), though extra layers may be arrange within the software program.
So, urgent down and holding one will immediately make the ESDF keys glow, reworking them into a short lived set of arrow keys. While that is initially fairly off-putting (I take advantage of arrow keys rather a lot it seems), you’ll be able to rapidly modify to the characteristic, with the added bonus that you simply don’t have to vary your hand place to navigate by means of paperwork.
Admittedly it does really feel bizarre at first, however I used to be stunned how rapidly I adjusted to the brand new angles and was capable of kind at a quick velocity as soon as extra
Martyn Casserly
This is necessary, as a lot of the design ethos behind the Raise is for environment friendly and ergonomic typing or common keyboard use. As a regular keyboard, it’s responsive and cozy to make use of. The suggestions from the keys is strong with out being too clacky, and the journey feels sufficient in order that you realize you’ve pressed the important thing however don’t discover your fingers sitting too excessive.
If you’re a touch-typist like myself, you could discover the primary few hours a bit disorientating, as you attempt to hit the space-bar or different keys in that area with various success. Stick with it although and it’s best to discover that you simply get again as much as full velocity very quickly in any respect.
Of course, as soon as familiarity with the format is achieved, it’s time to tug the keyboard aside!
The cut up mode is the primary main change in terms of typing positions. The precept is that your shoulders are extra open whenever you separate the completely different sections, which ought to assist with pains in that area in addition to with the neck. Admittedly it does really feel bizarre at first, however I used to be stunned how rapidly I adjusted to the brand new angles and was capable of kind at a quick velocity as soon as extra.
It’s additionally a good suggestion to attempt angling the halves in order that they don’t sit within the conventional straight line {that a} regular keyboard calls for. This can take strain off of your wrists and loosen up the again and shoulders. It was curious how instantly I felt a distinction in how the muscle tissue have been getting used. Thankfully, the positioning can simply be tailor-made to your private desire, making it an easy course of of testing orientations to see which is essentially the most comfy to make use of.
There’s positively some trial and error right here, however it’s fairly enjoyable experimenting.
I did discover that utilizing the Raise within the cut up configuration was most likely my favorite and seen that my shoulders didn’t ache as a lot as they normally do after an extended day
Martyn Casserly
As somebody who suffers with a group of typing associated maladies, I did discover that utilizing the Raise within the cut up configuration was most likely my favourite and seen that my shoulders didn’t ache as a lot as they normally do after an extended day. There’s additionally rather a lot of scope in phrases of how far aside you’ll be able to place the two segments, due to the beneficiant size of the cables. So in order for you you’ll be able to place a mouse or trackpad within the hole you’ll be able to. Cups of tea are additionally an possibility, simply don’t spill them on the keyboard.
Of course, with a reputation like Raise, there’s the final mode to discover the place the two sides are tilted upwards to kind a sort of tent. This is achieved by way of the 4 legs beneath. You pull these out from their fundamental flat setting, then unfold the arms and push them within the notches within the base. Sounds a bit sophisticated, however it’s extremely easy and solely takes a number of seconds. There are 4 notch choices, each growing the angle of the lean. These go from a slight 10-degree slope as much as a pointy 40-degree incline.
Martyn Casserly
I discovered the decrease settings fairly comfy to make use of, with the angle seemingly taking a bit of strain off my wrists. This modified although as I elevated to the upper angles, the place I discovered it uncomfortable to carry my palms up, even with the help of the palm rests. I do have a number of points on this space although, with an extended historical past of shoulder issues and arthritis, so this might simply be my very own private alignment reasonably than the keyboard.
Software and programmable options
Bazecor software program suite
Create completely different layouts and coloration schemes
Programmable macros
Superkey characteristic
Alongside the spectacular quantity of methods you’ll be able to bodily adapt the Raise to your preferences, the software program that accompanies the keyboard is the place you’ll be able to actually tweak issues to an virtually ridiculous diploma.
The Bazecor identify of the suite may sound like a villain from the Wheel of Time, however there’s nothing monstrous about it. Once it’s downloaded and put in in your PC or Mac you might be taken by the hand by means of the assorted methods you’ll be able to configure the keyboard.
Everything is specified by a logical method, with visible cues making it clear the right way to become familiar with the instruments on provide. There can be a spread of superb tutorial movies on the Dygma web site that take you thru the capabilities of the Raise.
Martyn Casserly
the software program that accompanies the keyboard is the place you’ll be able to actually tweak issues to an virtually ridiculous diploma
First up there’s the important thing enhancing part. Here you see a map of the board with all of the present keys. You can choose from completely different layers, of which there is usually a most of 10! If you wish to add particular options to any key then simply click on on it and also you’ll then be capable of choose the assorted mixtures of keys that you simply wish to set off whenever you hit it.
Alternatively, if there’s one you don’t use very a lot, you’ll be able to map it to a different one from the total sized keyboard displayed on the web page. For occasion, I regarded on the second layer of my setup and located a key that wasn’t assigned. So I chosen it, then put within the mixture for a screenshot and assigned the important thing a selected coloration to remind me. Then, every time I switched to layer two, the important thing would gentle up purple and instantly take a screenshot when pressed. Very helpful.
For extra advanced duties there’s the macro possibility. In this menu, you’ll be able to configure or dwell report macros that can paste in a preset textual content to a doc or full a sequence of instructions to perform a process. Again, the programming is visible and easy to become familiar with, making this a really highly effective and usable characteristic.
Martyn Casserly
There’s additionally one thing referred to as Superkeys the place you’ll be able to assign as much as 5 instructions to any key. These are then accessed by a mixture of faucets and holding down that individual key. As an instance, you could possibly map a macro to a key, however it’ll solely set off when you faucet the important thing then instantly faucet once more and maintain it down.
There are 5 potential actions you should utilize to set off the important thing, and whereas they might take a bit of studying, the smart implementation by Dygma signifies that it’s not arduous to grasp them rapidly. You can at all times consult with the Bazecor software program to remind your self which keys are mapped and what instructions they’ll execute.
Alongside this, the software program permits you to improve the firmware for the keyboard, in addition to tweak all the final settings to a formidable diploma.
Price & Availability
If you’re used to selecting up any previous keyboard as long as it’s low cost, then the Dygma Raise most likely isn’t for you. This is a premium product by means of and thru, and that’s not solely mirrored in its high quality but additionally the value.
On the Dygma site, the baseline configuration begins at $419 (approx £345) and you may improve varied options for extra prices. It must be famous although that the choice switches and different upgrades are all affordable, with the costliest variant solely including $26 (approx £21) to the ultimate invoice, so that you’re not being inspired so as to add masses of extras on prime to get the configuration you need.
Out of the field, the Dygma Raise is able to go and has all of the options talked about on this evaluate.
In the mechanical keyboard world, there are additionally different choices, such because the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro, though that lacks any backlighting, can’t be cut up and doesn’t include palm rests. It does value much less, at $219/£249, in order that’s one thing to think about. If you simply desire a fundamental ergonomic keyboard with a curved typing floor, then the Logitech Wave Keys can do the job for $59.99/£69.99.
There’s additionally the Truly Ergonomic Cleave keyboard, which doesn’t cut up or elevate however does characteristic an angled positioning of all of the keys which may take strain off your wrists. It’s totally mechanical and configurable and can set you again $299 (approx £247).
Martyn Casserly
Should you purchase the Dygma Raise?
Paying prime greenback for a keyboard may not be excessive on rather a lot of folks’s listing of priorities, however in an age the place shelling out practically a grand on a cellphone isn’t uncommon, I’d say investing in a top quality keyboard that you could possibly use day-after-day for years is one thing price severe consideration.
The sheer stage of flexibility and customization obtainable within the {hardware} and software program makes the Dygma Raise one of essentially the most versatile and fascinating merchandise I’ve reviewed in a very long time. Even after a number of weeks with it, I saved discovering new issues it may do to make my typing life a bit simpler.
It does really feel a bit of intimidating at first, and relearning to kind can fry your mind for a number of days. I additionally didn’t get on that nicely with the steeper inclines within the tent place however you may.
I’ve discovered the format, nice software program expertise and tutorial movies imply that reasonably than being overloaded with options you’ll by no means use, the Raise is sort of a precision software that may flip the common-or-garden keyboard right into a powerhouse management heart in your pc. More importantly, my palms felt much less painful than they normally do once I use my conventional previous keyboard for a full day’s work. And you’ll be able to’t put a value on that.
Specs
64(ANSI model) / 65(ISO model) mechanical switches and 4x low-profile mechanical switches (hot-swap sockets for Mx switches and 4x Kailh hot-swap sockets for Choc switches.)
PBT double-shot keycaps (English US and UK) and high-end laser-etched ABS OEM profile keycaps for sprint and non-English languages.
Customizable RGB LEDs on the keycaps and 60 LEDs for the underglow.
Atmel tiny 88 U-CN Keyscanner Microcontroller
Sonix Sled 1735 LEDs Microcontroller
Annodized aluminum Key plate
Atmel ATS AMD 21G18A-U ​​Neuron Microcontroller
Splittable chassis
Raising package for angling two keyboard sections (between 10 and 40 levels)
USB-C
Neuron interface solely requires single USB-C slot on PC
Programmable by way of Bazecor software program suite
315.63 mm x 201.76 mm x 33.6 mm.
895g
This evaluate initially appeared on techadvisor.com.
