Razer Pro Type Ergo review: Comfortable typing, if you’re willing to learn it
I like it when things can go both ways. I like thin and light laptops that can play the latest videogames, I like a mouse that has high polling rates for gaming but also productivity keys, and I like a car that sips fuel but is able to zip through corners with ease.
Usually though, versatility comes at a premium, and while they can do a number of things, they won’t be the best at all of them.
That brings me to the Razer Pro Type Ergo keyboard. Priced at RM829, this is productivity-first keyboard from a brand most well known for their gaming accessories, and it shows. Having used the Pro Type Ergo for a couple of weeks now, the TLDR here is that this is a premium ergonomic keyboard that, while not absolutely perfect, could actually be great for gamers with a desk job.
Big and bulky, but with RGB
The first thing I noticed about the Razer Pro Type Ergo keyboard almost immediately is how gosh darn massive it is. Perhaps it’s because I’m usually clacking away on either a TKL or a 75% keyboard, but the Pro Type Ergo almost immediately took up my entire desk space at home. A lot of it is the keyboard itself of course, but the non-removable wrist rest definitely adds to the size.
Other than the size though, the more obvious thing the Pro Type Ergo has going for it is the split key layout and the ergonomic shape of the board itself. The split key layout works in tandem with the sloped, shaped board, giving my hands a pretty comfortable resting position, helped by the plush faux leather wrist rest.
As for the keys themselves, they’re unfortunately not Razer’s mechanical switches, but are instead scissor switches with low profile, concaved, fingertip-shaped keycaps. This is fitting with the whole productivity theme of course, but you still get hints that the manufacturer of this keyboard is a gaming brand; no regular office keyboard is going to come backlit with 19-zone Razer Chroma RGB.
Another couple great features right off the bat is the really nice adjustable tilt that this board has, with each corner offering forward and backward tilt options of 4 or 7 degrees. There’s the Razer Command Dial too, along with dedicated macro keys and a volume knob. I also really like the little cubby hole under one of the feet that perfectly hides the USB Razer HyperSpeed Wireless dongle. It supports both Windows and MacOS, and you can opt for 2.4GHz, Bluetooth or wired connections too.
You’ll need to give it a couple of hours
So what’s it like to actually use the Razer Pro Type Ergo? Well the first hour or so was horrible. It was Typo City, and I very nearly gave up. But I thought that’s no fun, so I gave it a couple more hours and turns out, the ergonomic keyboard is actually pretty comfortable. Who would’ve thought?
Okay, but in all seriousness, I did have to commit to learning the layout of the Pro Type Ergo, but once I did not only was I comfortable touch typing again but I was comfortable while typing too.
I did actually have to wear a wrist guard for tendonitis in my right hand for a couple of months last year (dangers of the job), and even now I do feel it act up from time to time, especially after a prolonged session at work. The sculpted shape of the Pro Type Ergo though means that my wrists are not as rotated as they would be on a regular keyboard.
But there’s a few extra tricks up this board’s sleeve that makes it more comfortable than other ergonomic keyboards I’ve tried before. For starters, the spacebar is split three ways rather than the usual two like on an Alice-style layout. That’s because the center spacebar actually doubles as backspace by default, which means that I spend less time moving my hand left to right and vice versa when typos happen, and instead spend more time in the comfortable home row.
Then there’s also the dual B keys, which is a usual thing you’d see on Alice layout keyboards. This is just another nice-to-have really, as it means either one of my thumbs can get to it as and when needed.
And while Razer might not call it a gaming keyboard, the Pro Type Ergo does actually work fine when gaming. Perhaps not the best option for the most competitive gamers out there, but the 1000Hz polling rate and N-key rollover does it give some reasonable gaming performance. If anything, the slope that the WASD keys are on fits the hand and is quite comfortable, and I’m sure there’s probably a World of Warcraft gamer out there who would appreciate the macro keys available.
Speaking of the macro keys, they’re fine, I guess. They come preset already but those along with the Command Dial on the left of the board can all be tweaked in Razer Synapse. The keys can also do different things in different apps, further boosting productivity. For example, while in Chrome the macros can open new tabs, cycle through your tabs, close and even reopen them, while in word they’re great for easy hyperlinking, removing formatting or indenting a new paragraph. Video editors in particular will appreciate the dial too and how it can fine tune your timelines.
Other great things about the Pro Type Ergo is its 5-way multi-device connectivity and the long battery life; Razer themselves claim a 3-month lifespan on a single charge, and if I’m being honest after fully charging it I have yet to need to charge it again.
There are a couple of nitpicks though, mostly about the fact that I need to install Razer Synapse. If you’ve read my previous review of the Razer Cobra HyperSpeed, then you’d know that I don’t really like having to get Synapse installed. I also don’t really know what’s the purpose of a dedicated key for the Razer AI Prompt Master. If you really need to talk to a chatbot that often I’d figure you’d have it bookmarked anyway on your browser. Instead, I wished that button could’ve been used for anything else, like more macro options, anything really.
Your wrists are worth giving it a try
There are plenty of ergonomic keyboards out there right now, ranging from simpler sculpted boards like the Logitech Wave Keys to the high end ones like ROG Falcata split mechanical keyboard. The Razer Pro Type Ergo though is certainly on the upper end of the spectrum, with its RM829 price tag not exactly cheap for what is ultimately a productivity-focused, office typing keyboard.
That being said though if like me, you suffer from tendonitis or carpal tunnel, getting an ergonomic board will help you out a lot in the long run. If you need just one keyboard for your home office that doubles as a casual gaming den after hours—and if you’re willing to relearn typing a little—the Razer Pro Type Ergo has been a surprisingly convincing choice.
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