I bought myself a new keyboard with Christmas money, and after just a day of using it, I’m honestly kind of stunned by how much of a difference it’s making.
I picked up a Keychron K10 Max from Amazon and got it yesterday, and I don’t think I ever want to go back to a membrane keyboard again.
For context: before this, I was using a Logitech Ergo K860. It’s a split, membrane keyboard that a lot of people like for ergonomics, and it did help in some ways — but for me, it was also limiting. My hands don’t stay neatly parked in one position, and the enforced split often worked against how I naturally move. It also wasn’t rechargeable, and the large built-in wrist rest (which I know some people love) mostly became a dirt-collecting obstacle that I had to work around.
Another big factor for me is that I often work from bed. That means my keyboard isn’t sitting on a perfectly stable desk. It’s on a tray, my lap, or bedding that shifts as I move.
The Logitech Ergo K860 is very light, which sounds nice on paper, but in practice it meant the keyboard was easy to knock around, slide out of position, or tilt unexpectedly. Combined with the split layout, that meant I was constantly re-orienting myself instead of just typing.
The Keychron, by contrast, is noticeably heavier — and that turns out to be a feature. It stays put. It doesn’t drift when my hands move. It feels planted in a way that reduces both physical effort and mental overhead. I don’t have to think about where the keyboard is; I can just use it.
For a bed-based workflow, that stability matters more than I realized.
With chronic pain, hand fatigue, and accessibility needs, keyboards are not a neutral tool. They shape how long I can work, how accurately I can type, and how much energy I spend compensating instead of thinking.
This new keyboard feels solid, responsive, and predictable in a way I didn’t realize I was missing. The keys register cleanly without requiring force, and the feedback is clear without being harsh. I’m not fighting the keyboard anymore. It’s just doing what I ask.
What surprised me even more is how much better the software side feels from an accessibility perspective. Keychron’s Launcher and its use of QMK are far more usable for me than Logitech Options Plus ever was. Being able to work with something that’s web-based, text-oriented, and closer to open standards makes a huge difference as a screen reader user. I can reason about what the keyboard is doing instead of wrestling with a visually dense, mouse-centric interface.
That matters a lot. When your primary interface to the computer is the keyboard, both the hardware and the configuration tools need to cooperate with you.
I know mechanical keyboards aren’t new, but this is my first one, and I finally understand why people say they’ll never go back. For me, this isn’t about aesthetics or trends. It’s about having a tool that respects my body and my access needs and lets me focus on the work itself.
I’m really grateful I was able to get this, and I’m genuinely excited to keep dialing it in. Sometimes the right piece of hardware, paired with software that doesn’t fight you, doesn’t just improve comfort. It quietly expands what feels possible.
#Accessibility #DisabledTech #AssistiveTechnology
#ScreenReader #NVDA
#MechanicalKeyboards #Keychron
@accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind
For a tool that is so generic by default, I was surprised at how deeply personal a keyboard really is once you start to realise what you want.
@RareBird15@allovertheplace.ca @accessibility@lemmy.ml @disability@beehaw.org @spoonies@a.gup.pe @mastoblind@fedigroups.social what about someone with no hand fatigue but practically lying on gaming chair? my keyboard works fine, but I’d want a context menu key.
@patricus @accessibility @disability @mastoblind I think this keyboard should be fine for you, but you would need to either use Shift+F10 or remap one of the extra function keys it comes with to an applications key. It doesn’t have one by default, so that’s what I’m planning to do.
@RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind I love my Keycron. I don’t think I’ll ever get another keyboard brand.
@prism @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind Same. I finally get why people are so loyal to them. It’s the first time a keyboard has felt like it’s working with me instead of against me.
@RareBird15 @prism @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind Yeah, Keychron kicks ass. I used to have the k5, back when I was doing the mac thing full-time, but I had to give it to the pawnshop last year, and I never got another one because, well, I just never got around to doing it. I’ve got one of those Matias Bluetooth Keyboards AT guys was selling back in 2016 that still works, so I’m probably gonna use it for another few months, but once Easter hits, I’m buying some keychron keyboard with brown switches. That’s what was on my k5, and I was obsessed with it. I want a simple keyboard that just works. I don’t need any fancy customization features. just something that will work with Windows and make me happy.
@jmd2000 @prism @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind What are brown switches like, out of curiosity? I got the super reds, thinking they’d be the easiest to push given arthritis in my hands.
@RareBird15 @prism @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind Hmmm, they’re not to clicky. and there pretty easy to push in my opinion. Very smooth, like butter. I also just love how they sound. That’s what drew me in at first. Like, I didn’t even know what it felt like typing on one, I just new I loved the sound, so I just got them.
@RareBird15 Speaking of sound, this is also one of the reasons I went for cheap silent switches because I don’t want key presses to be super obvious when working. I also changed keycap profile to DSA because having all the keys at the same height really makes typing a nicer experience for me. @jmd2000 @prism @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind
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@RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind my word, that’s a sexy keyboard. I’m excited that it has a wired mode as well.
@gwync @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind The wired option was a big selling point for me too. I normally use wireless or Bluetooth, but having a stable fallback matters way more than I expected.
@RareBird15 @gwync Word of warning regarding wired modes of wireless keyboards, though — keeping a keyboard with batteries always charging can occasionally produce “spicy pillows”, i.e., blown up batteries that are a fire risk.
If that’s a configuration you’re planning to run continuously, it’s best to open up the board and unplug the batteries. Fortunately, the keychron boards allow that and still work with the battery disconnected.
@RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind I’ve been using wired exclusively for decades for a variety of reasons but I can see changes coming for me that might make a wireless option appealing sometimes.
@gwync @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind Yeah, wired is faster and more reliable in a lot of ways, but it doesn’t exactly work from bed when your computer is several feet away on a desk, lol. That’s the main reason I don’t use it.
@RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind Glad you’re enjoying your new keyboard. I don’t use one in bed, but I share your appreciation of a keyboard having some weight. I find that my Nuphy Air75 V3, being heavier, is more stable on my lap than lighter keyboards I’ve owned like the Keychron K3V2. Granted, there is a limit to how heavy a keyboard I’d like. When you discover the right kind of switch, nothing beats the feel of mechanical typing.
@RareBird15 @mfeir @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind I love this so much, not necessarily because I love Keychron keyboards, although I do, I’m using one now, but because that feeling of finding a tool or a technique or an idea that’s a revelation for you. For someone else that feeling could come from the keyboard you’re moving away from. It’s why talking about what we’re using and why we’re using it and how much it’s improved our lives is so great, and arguing with people who’ve found their own revelation is so pointless. Here’s to helping us all find our own revelations this year, ☺️.
@Yvonnezed @RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind We live in an age of so much choice. Every so often, I get a chance to try something I had once considered but rejected in favour of what seemed to be a better choice at the time. Being able to examine the road not taken has been unfailingly interesting. I’ve done that a lot with different apps for iOS. Particularly, different word processing apps.
@RareBird15 @accessibility @disability @spoonies @mastoblind The next time I get back into the Keychron game, which hopefully will be in a few months, I’ll have to play around with the Keychron launcher. I didn’t even know that it was a thing. What kind of stuff can you do with it? Like can you give me examples of how you use it?
