Kinesis is a Seattle-based company that has been designing and manufacturing ergonomic keyboards for over 30 years. Recognizing the fact that it is not only professionals who need peripherals that reduce stress on hands, wrists and shoulders, it created the Kinesis Gaming division in 2016 with models specifically aimed at the computer game-playing audience.
It offers a small lineup of just three models, but the Freestyle Edge RGB I tested is definitely the star of the show. It’s a fully split design, with the two halves permanently connected via a cable, and connects to any PC, Mac, or Chromebook via a long USB Type-A cable. I would prefer to have detachable cables for ease of transportation.
However, there is no shortage of cable length as the inner cable offers up to six inches of spacing and the main cable is 20 inches long. In the first case, excess can be stored inside the case, but I found braided cables to be quite stiff. You’ll be able to get each section into the perfect position for your shoulders, but you may find, as I did, that the cables tend to get in the way of items on your desk.
I don’t have particularly large hands, and I found the slightly compact layout of the Freestyle Edge RGB suited me well; It was never difficult to reach any of the familiar buttons.
It comes with a set of wrist rests that are extremely well cushioned and they can be easily removed if they are not to your liking. But what is quite surprising is that the keyboard does not have any tilt or tilt feature. At least not directly.
Freestyle Edge RGB features
Keys: Cherry MX Red/Brown/Blue/Speed Silver
Connection: wired (USB Type-A)
Keys: Total 95
Divide: completely separate halves
Setting up a tent: none, optional kit (5/10/15 degrees)
Tilting: none
Backlight: RGB per key
Media controls: programmable hotkeys
Price: $199/£230/€238/AU$371
Tenting essentially means removing the inside of the keyboard and helps prevent your wrists from rotating unnaturally. Due to the wrist injuries I suffered years ago, tenting is a must for every keyboard I use.
Kinesis Gaming offers a removal kit for the Freestyle Edge. On the surface, a few pieces look like flimsy plastic, but once in place they are rock solid. You can choose between five, 10 and 15 degree tenting with them, and I found 10 to be the most comfortable. The removal kit retails for just under $30 at the Kinesis store, which is a bit pricey.
Honestly, if you’re spending two hundred dollars on a keyboard, you’d expect there to be a few extra bits of plastic in the box.
Unfortunately, there’s no tilting option, so if you prefer to use a standing desk you may find the lack of this a bit annoying. However, it is for gaming purposes and how many of us play a few rounds of CS:GO standing up?
The Freestyle Edge is a fully mechanical keyboard, and you have the option to choose from four sets of Cherry MX keys when placing your order. My review sample came with the Browns, which are low-powered and nearly silent (and just my cup of tea). Alternatives include Reds, which are similar to Browns but have a more linear feel, as well as fast Speed Silvers or classically stylish Blues.
I found writing to be an absolute joy. Not only because it fits the size of my hands very well, but also because each key works exactly as expected and the feel is consistent across the board. Normally it takes a while to get used to a new keyboard, but within a day I was up to my usual pace.
There are eight additional keys that can be programmed for single use or specific macros, all handled via the SmartSet app (more on this later). As the name suggests, it has fully adjustable per-key RGB backlighting and a dedicated key to disable it. The LEDs are bright and vibrant, so if you want a little disco in your gaming room, fire up this keyboard for some dancing action.
At the top of the right half are four buttons with specific functions that allow you to switch between nine different profiles, record macros, and remap keys.
The last of these is called the SmartSet button, and using it in conjunction with some number keys activates some additional modes. One of these is Game Mode, which disables the Windows key to prevent you from opening the Start Menu in the middle of a game. Another enables NKRO mode, which allows the keyboard to record all keys pressed simultaneously.
Normally this is limited to around six, but if you want the absolute maximum key response across the board for crazy gaming this is the button for you. Personally I’ve never needed to turn it on but I’m old and very slow and found normal mode to be perfectly fine.
If you buy…
✅ You want the best ergo+gaming experience: Of course, you’ll need the optional lift kit, but with it you’ll get the perfect blend of comfort, speed, and gaming features.
Do not buy if…
❌ You have a limited budget: The base price is pretty high even for an ergonomic keyboard, and you really need the optional $30 lift kit to get the best user comfort.
While the Freestyle Edge RGB can be programmed on the spot, you’ll find it much easier to do so with the SmartSet app. The first big plus that caught my eye is that there are versions for Windows and MacOS, plus the source code is available on Github, allowing you to compile it for the operating system of your choice.
Although it has a very simple appearance, it is very easy to use; It will get easier if you read the manual and follow all the instructions. Of course I didn’t do that.
The first thing that surprised me was that the program could not recognize that I was plugging in the keyboard. I spent half an hour messing around, trying different USB ports, restarting the computer, and doing a lot of head scratching. All of this could have been avoided if I had bothered to look at what to do in the first place.
To change anything via the app you first need to enable ‘v-Drive’ by pressing the SmartSet key + F8. Doing this opens the onboard memory as a small USB memory stick from the operating system’s perspective, and once it’s done, you can play with things as you wish.
After making all the necessary changes, you remove the v-Drive as you would any removable USB device. It’s a bit confusing why Kinesis designed it to work this way, as I’ve yet to encounter a programmable keyboard that puts such an obstacle in my way.
At least it prevents others from messing with your settings, but it still seems like an unnecessary step since you can program the keyboard without using the app.
It’s probably the closest thing to perfection I’ve experienced in a gaming-focused ergonomic keyboard
But this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, and I’ve found that this also applies to all the aspects I don’t particularly like, such as the stiff, hard-wired cables and the lack of bending. None of these were deal breakers for me, and the sheer pleasure of using the Freestyle Edge RGB pushed them into the background.
It’s probably the closest thing to perfection I’ve experienced in a gaming-focused ergonomic keyboard, it’s incredibly comfortable to use and a pleasure to type and play. Would I buy one myself? Absolutely, but maybe with one reservation.
It’s not cheap at all, and I don’t mean that in the sense that it feels like extremely high-quality kit because it feels like other well-made keyboards. The point of hesitation for many people will be the price: the standard cost of the Freestyle Edge RGB is $219 at the Kinesis Gaming store, and it’s currently on sale for $199, but that’s still a lot of money to spend on a keyboard.
Since Kinesis is a US-based company, purchasing it from another part of the world increases the price even more. UK shoppers will need to pay £230 on Amazon, around €238 in the EU, and Australian players will need to pay $371. Shipping is sometimes very painful.
Then there’s the fact that you really need the lift kit for the full ergo experience, so that’s an additional $30. If you don’t need to pitch a tent, then of course you can save that much money, but there are also cheaper split keyboards on the market.
However, the overall product is excellent despite the $229 total price tag. Yes, you’re paying a hefty amount of money for such perfection, but it’s not hard to see why Kinesis has made ergonomic keyboards so good and has been around for so long.