The improved comfort of ergonomic keyboards often comes with a learning curve, which can turn workers off and steer them away. Adapting to a split keyboard layout can initially feel awkward enough to outweigh the benefits. That demand to separate your hands and type in a completely new position can make typing feel alien for a little while. For most people, that’s too much work to spare the wrist, arm, and back muscles they don’t always feel like they’re aching.

Having only made the switch in the last year, I’ve found that it helps if you can start with a transitional keyboard that introduces smaller changes to the keyboard, rather than diving in the deep end. I eased into using an ergo keyboard with the Logitech Wave Keys, which offers a gently curved layout, integrated palm rest, and optional tilting.

The Wave Keys felt very approachable, which was perfect for me: I’d been typing on laptops and basic office keyboards my whole life. I didn’t have to rethink years of typing habits, so I was able to focus on other important ergonomic components like my posture and hand positioning. Even after trying more aggressively ergonomic designs with steeper learning curves, the Wave Keys is still the one I’d recommend to folks who are curious about ergonomic keyboards, but aren’t ready to make a dramatic change in their desk setup.

Quick to Learn and Easy to Use

At a glance, you might not be able to easily tell that the Wave Keys has any kind of specialized ergonomic features. The design is more subtle than even “soft split” keyboards like the Logitech Ergo K860, which has an obvious gap in the middle of the keyboard. The Wave Keys dips a toe in the ergonomic support pool with a gentle slope that creates a dome shape and tilted keys, both of which encourage your hands into a more natural typing position.

It helps that the keyboard features a built-in wrist rest that allows you to lay your arms down, rather than holding them above your desk. The rest, while padded, isn’t exactly a pillow: It’s there for support, with just enough give to take most of the pressure off your wrists and palms. But it works wonders: I found that I didn’t need to take as many breaks from typing to stretch.

Between the more natural typing position and extra support from the wrist rest, I found that my wrists sat in a more comfortable resting place, and the layout of the keys seemed to better follow the varying lengths of my fingers.

More importantly, the gentle adjustment to the shape didn’t really impact my typing. Split designs often require you to relearn finger placement and break years of muscle memory, which can temporarily slow your typing speed. But typing on the Wave Keys didn’t feel all that different from other keyboards. I had to make a few minor tweaks at first—like adjusting where my fingers rested on the keys and moving my hands closer together—but it wasn’t long at all before I was typing just as quickly and naturally as I would on my laptop.

That said, it’s worth pointing out that the Wave Keys’ subtle ergonomic implementation doesn’t impart every possible ergonomic benefit. It’s very easy to use right away and has a layout that supports better positioning, but split keyboards exist for a reason: They allow you to adjust the positioning of the keyboard and find the most natural typing position for your body. That’s especially important if you’re searching for an ergonomic keyboard because you’ve started to experience pain while typing.

Finding Flaws (and Fixes) for Better Posture

Case in point, my biggest point of friction was the keyboard’s compact shape. This is a 97-key board, just shy of full size, with a number pad, but measures 7.9 by 5.9 by 3.9 inches, which isn’t all that much larger than a laptop keyboard. Most ergonomic keyboards are designed to widen your typing position, so you don’t pull your arms and shoulder blades together: The tight spacing of the Wave Keys doesn’t alleviate that type of strain. Instead, it optimizes for an accessible layout that’s compact enough to fit into smaller workstations, while reducing finger extension. That makes a lot of sense for a keyboard that’s designed to help people get comfortable in a more natural typing position, but it also means you may find yourself looking to upgrade when you want or need more support.

Since this was my first ergonomic keyboard test, I was simultaneously experimenting with ways to optimize my setup to improve my posture, which can also help alleviate the stress of prolonged office work on the body. I found that moving the keyboard halfway between my monitor and my midsection—as recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)—was the most comfortable approach. It allowed me to keep my elbows tucked in close to my body, so I wouldn’t lean forward or overextend. Rather than forcing my hands into an unfamiliar position, the curved keyboard worked with a more ergonomic setup to make longer typing sessions feel less strenuous.

Don’t Forget About the Tech

The Wave Keys skips a lot of the ergonomic extras found in many advanced keyboards, but Logitech compensates with some very useful quality-of-life tech that’s standard among its modern peripherals. First and foremost, while shape and support are our top priorities with an ergonomic keyboard, it’s important to think about typing feel, as well. The Wave Keys features fairly standard-for-the-office rubber dome switches that generate a soft, low-travel typing experience. This is not a keyboard for enthusiasts who prefer mechanical keys, but the quiet operation feels at home in the office.

It supports two connectivity options, Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz via a USB receiver. Logitech’s easy-switch feature also allows you to pair with up to three devices and swap from one to another with the press of a button. (I found it very helpful when I needed to switch between my work laptop and my desktop while working from home.)

Last but not least, battery life is barely a concern with the Wave Keys. With two AA batteries, the keyboard should run for up to three years, according to an estimate from Logitech.

Who Should Buy the Logitech Wave Keys?

The Logitech Wave Keys sets a good introductory baseline for folks who are interested in (or may even need) an ergonomic keyboard, without any of the intimidation that comes with the alternative split shape. It isn’t going to transform the way you work overnight or provide long-term relief if you deal with pain or strain injuries.

What it does offer is a keyboard that feels familiar enough to use immediately while quietly making your long workdays a little more bearable. That’s still valuable to a lot of people, I think, whether they’re working their way up to a split keyboard, or are simply in need of a little relief.