Our Verdict
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a satisfactory gaming keyboard. It features Cherry MX Brown switches with low actuation force and pre-travel distance. It feels rather responsive, but the keycaps might disappoint a few people. You can also only use the left half of the keyboard, giving you more room for your mouse. Unfortunately, it has no backlighting and might not be ideal for gaming in a dark room.
- Good ergonomic design.
- Many keybinding options.
- Can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Cheap plastic build.
- No backlighting.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro isn't designed to work with mobile devices and tablets.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a good office keyboard thanks to its ergonomic design. You can set it up the way you prefer and it provides a great typing quality, although it might take you some time to get used to the split keyboard design. Although it has good ergonomics, it doesn't come with some accessories like wrist rests and incline settings, which need to be purchased separately, at extra cost.
- Good ergonomic design.
- Many keybinding options.
- Can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Cheap plastic build.
- No backlighting.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a decent programming keyboard but might take some time getting used to due to its split design. Its Cherry MX Brown switches provide good feedback without being too noisy, which offers an overall great typing quality. However, its keycaps feel a bit cheap and it also doesn't have any backlight. On the upside, it's fully compatible on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Good ergonomic design.
- Many keybinding options.
- Can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Cheap plastic build.
- No backlighting.
- Good ergonomic design.
- Many keybinding options.
- Can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Cheap plastic build.
- No backlighting.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 06, 2024: We've added details to the Ergonomics section of this review about the tenting kit and palm rest accessories that Kinesis sells for this keyboard separately.
- Updated Nov 01, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jan 20, 2020: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There's also a model variant that has MX Silent Red switches, but we tested the one with Cherry MX Brown switches, which provides a tactile bump, but without the clicky noise of blue switches.
Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The Kinesis FreeStyle Pro is a good mechanical keyboard with a split design. However, its ergonomics aren't as good as other similar keyboards like the ErgoDox EZ, as it lacks incline settings and doesn't come with a wrist rest. For more options, check out our recommendations for the best gaming keyboards, the best ergonomic keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a very different ergonomic keyboard than the Logitech ERGO K860. The Logitech features a curved board design, while the Kinesis is a fully split keyboard. The Logitech features scissor switches, while the Kinesis has Cherry MX Brown mechanical switches. Also, the Logitech is a full-size board, while the Kinesis is a TKL 80%. The Logitech is wireless, and the Kinesis is wired-only.
The MoErgo Glove80 and the Kinesis Freestyle Pro are split ergonomic keyboards. The MoErgo is a wireless model that connects via Bluetooth and can pair with up to four devices simultaneously. It has more comprehensive ergonomic features, including a concave key well design and tenting angle adjustments. Additionally, it has considerably lower latency, is much more lightweight, and has full RGB backlighting, which the Kinesis lacks. On the other hand, the Kinesis is a wired-only model. By default, it doesn't provide tenting angle adjustment like the MoErgo Glove80, but Kinesis does sell a 'lift kit' separately.
The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is significantly better than the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. The Freestyle Pro has a much better build quality, typing experience, and better software support. It also has better compatibility with different operating systems, but the Sculpt Ergonomic is much more comfortable to type on due to its dome design and its reverse incline that relieves pressure on the wrists.
The Logitech K350 and the Kinesis Freestyle Pro are very different ergonomic keyboards. The Logitech has a slightly curved design, while the Kinesis features two halves that you can place however you prefer. On the other hand, the Logitech has rubber dome switches that feel very heavy and provide a much less satisfactory typing experience than the mechanical switches of the Kinesis.
Test Results
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