Review of the MoErgo Glove80 keyboard

It's time for another keyboard review. I've previously reviewed the ZSA Moonlander and the Kinesis Advantage 360Pro. When I read raving reviews about the Glove80 from MoErgo, I had to try it out. I sent an email to MoErgo, and we talked about the Keyboard. When they saw my previous reviews, they were kind enough to send me the Glove80 from MoErgo a pair with my configuration. I want to thank them for the units. As with all my reviews, I'll go straight to the point.I've been using Glove80 for several weeks now, so let's examine its pros and cons (nit: this is a lengthy review; get your coffee or tea before diving in)What is Glove80?If you have used a split keyboard in the past, you can skip this section. If you're new to mechanical keyboards, the Glove80 will look very different compared to other keyboards. First, the keyboard comes with two pieces instead of a single one, and the split allows you to reposition the halves to minimize ulnar deviation, which causes carpal tunnel. Here is a picture of using a standard keyboard. You can see how the wrists are bent.Second, unlike other keyboards, it has a concave key well and thumb cluster to comfortably reach all keys, reducing finger and thumb strain and stress. These ergonomic keyboards also have adjustable tenting mechanisms that further improve hand positions. Along with other features, the Glove80 is a low-profile, mechanical keyboard that provides an ergonomic position for your hands and allows you to type for a long time.Now, let's dive into the various features of the Glove80. You'll see there is more to it.Accessories & CaseFirst of all, the Glove80 came with a large travel case. I was amazed by it because the case was superbly built and perfect for transporting your Keyboard from one place to another. It's very protective. However, I think the word "travel" doesn't fit the description properly because it's anything but travel-friendly. It's huge, almost like a 13-inch Laptop case.

I tried If I could fit it into my backpack, and surprisingly, even though it looked huge, it could fit into my 21L backpack:Would I use it when I go to a coffee shop? Probably yes, depending on if I feel like to travel with it. But it would definitely come with me if I traveled for several weeks and stayed in an Airbnb. I like the case, and the best part is that it's included with Glove80 upon purchase. Another benefit of the case is the peace of mind of receiving it. The keyboard has a highly protective case, so you can be sure nothing will happen to it.Within the case, you'll receive quite a bit of accessories: Some spare keycaps, plastic, o-rings (I'll explain those in a bit), a USB-C to USB-A cable, a keycap puller, rods, and a spanner for tenting (more on this later). Of course, the Glove80 comes as a ready-to-use keyboard; you don't have to solder or build anything yourself manually (this might be obvious for some, but in the Mechanical Keyboard world, keyboards are often sold as "kits", and you need tools, such as soldering iron to build your kit. Most of them don't come with keycaps either).The low profile design makes it easy to carry it.But if you want, you can also order a Glove80 as a kit to solder your favorite switches yourself. At least there is an option for that.The legs of the Glove80 don't perfectly align with the desk, so you have several plastic o-rings that you can put in between the legs. That way you can achieve a perfectly leveled keyboard. Configuration and DesignPeople who know me know that I'm into design, especially iconic furniture. I try to buy and use goods that blend into my work environment. When I visited the MoErgo website, there were four options in terms of color I could choose:White keycaps on a white or black body. Black keycaps on a white or black body.I got the white keycaps on the white body option, and as you can see from the photos, it looks nice. Before I explain my keycap choice, I want to share a few words about the design.First, Glove80 needs to get rid of the sharp edges.

It's the only electrical item on my desk with sharp edges. Here is a video that shows some of them. 0:00 /0:09 Do they bother me? Not at all. You might think it looks good, but the design should not harm you. Initially, I had a few issues because my mouse was between the two halves, and I would always bump into these sharp edges.Second, Glove80 is very lightweight. It feels sturdy but not as premium as the Moonlander or the Kinesis Adv360. You can feel a weight when you hold the keyboards, but not so much with the Glove80. I plan to fix it by designing a custom 3D base and filling it with sand (or any heavy material). I also discovered that people buy weights, such as https://www.amazon.com/Hyperwear-Booster-Hyper-Weighted-Vests/dp/B002O5JYVU/ and use double-sided tapes (i.e., 3m LS300).It looks like a straightforward thing to do. I'll share more about this once I have something working.The Glove80 has a unique design compared to other items on my desk. The sharp edges around the keyboard are not problematic, but smoother corners would be appreciated.However, I have been using the Glove80 for many weeks now, and this lightness isn't an issue. Yes, it would be nice if it stayed or had a more premium feeling, but it didn't bother me. I believe MoErgo will improve the case even further in the future. Keycap and switchesThe Glove80 provides several switch configurations. For the record, I never used a Kailh Choch v1 switch. All my keyboards had MX switches, so I knew there would be a shorter distance. But my previous switch was a MX Brown, and before that, I used MX Red and MX Red silents. When I ordered the Glove80, I went with the Kailh Choc v1 Red Pro Linear switches. The Glove80 with the Kaih Choch v1 Red Pro switches.The Glove80 has a great page describing all other options.

The number one reason I picked up this switch is the low actuation force of 35 gf. I wanted very light switches (That's something I still miss from my Apple Magic Keyboard days). One thing I didn't like with the Browns was that my fingers were tired after a long session. Let me show a typing session:So, how do they hold so far? I love them. When I first used them, I had multiple erroneous typings I would accidentally type, but things have improved in a few weeks. I can't complain. If I would order again, I will pick up the same switches. I also ordered additional multimedia and macOS keycaps for keycaps. The keycaps don't feel very premium, one reason is of course because of the Choch switches. However, using the keycaps for quite a bit and changing them, I discovered something I would never have thought to be an advantage:I can use any keycap on any switch! Due to the size and various key differences on the Kinesis Advantage 360Pro, swapping or changing keycaps wasn't possible. That's not the case with the Glove80. This is probably obvious for many, but I love the consistency.Tenting and Palm restsGlove80 supports tenting. Unlike other keyboards, it's highly customizable and continuously adjustable. What exactly means "continuously"? Unlike other keyboards with only a few settings, you can configure it to any distance. This is very important for personal customization, as it allows you to change the height of your keyboard to your liking.However, with greater power comes also a great responsibility. What I mean is that the tenting mechanism is not very user-friendly. With Kinesis, for example, I could increase the height on the go with a press of a button, but it wasn't as flexible as the Glove80. But with Glove80, you need to unscrew the legs and use rods to change the length. But here is another question: Does someone constantly change the lengths of the legs during the day? I doubt it. Hence, even though setting the legs is highly mechanical and needs time, it pays more long-term. Because unlike other keyboards, it allows you to set up your keyboard in any way you want.

And I mean it. Here are some photos from the Glove80 user community that use their keyboards in very different setups:Various mounting setups of the Glove80 keyboardBattery Life and LEDsThe Glove80 is a wireless split keyboard, so you can use it without plugging it into your computer. When I received my Glove80, I charged it once, and since then, it's still working, and I haven't charged it yet. That's very cool. I don't use the LEDs, and the only time they are activated is when I switch to the magic layer (via the MoEergo key). The magic key is great because you can immediately see the battery status of each pair. Here is a photo of it:Green and orange LEDs show each half's battery capacity. The upper row is the left half, and the lower row represents the right row. Here, you can see that the left (also the primary half) has a lower battery capacity. That's expected because the lower half is the brain of the split keyboard and does more work.As you see, the Glove80 has an RGB LED per key, which is a great feature. However, the ZMK firmware is limited, and you can't program individual LEDs per key. However, they are working on it, and I think we'll receive an update soon that enables us to do per-key RGB programming.The Glove80 at night.Firmware flashingFirmware flashing is probably the best part about Glove80. It's way better than the Kinesis Advantage360 Pro in any way.First, instead of two files, you get a single FW file. It doesn't matter which part you flash with this file because you drop it into each bootloader. Second, you don't have to compile it manually on your MacBook or use GitHub Action (or any other build system) to build the firmware. Glove80 made an online build farm with a UI that allows you to save your ZMK layouts, build them, and download them. It's perfect. Online layout editor of Glove80The UI has many rough edges; I think it could be better. But these details can be improved with time.