Our Verdict
The Microsoft Sculpt is mediocre for gaming. The scissor switches feel a bit mushy and unresponsive, and the pad-printed key legends can fade quickly if you always use the same keys. The keyboard doesn't have backlighting for dark room gaming, and it doesn't have any dedicated macro keys for MMO games.
- Good typing experience.
- Oustanding ergonomics.
- Sub-par software support.
- Uses disposable batteries.
The Microsoft Sculpt can't be used with mobile devices running on Android, iOS, or iPadOS. Although it can be used with Windows tablets that have a USB port, its large size makes it difficult to carry around.
- Good typing experience.
- Oustanding ergonomics.
- Sub-par software support.
- Uses disposable batteries.
The Microsoft Sculpt is great for office use. Its ergonomic design lets you type all day and shouldn't cause any fatigue. However, the split keyboard design takes some time to get used to, and some may find the keys a bit mushy. Typing noise is very minimal and shouldn't be bothersome to your colleagues. The keyboard's overall build quality is decent, but the pad-printed key legends may fade over time.
- Good typing experience.
- Oustanding ergonomics.
- Sub-par software support.
- Uses disposable batteries.
The Microsoft Sculpt is sub-par for programming. It provides a good typing experience and its ergonomic design is comfortable, but the keys feel a bit mushy and there are no dedicated macro keys. Some keys don't work on macOS and Linux, and its customization software is only available for Windows.
- Good typing experience.
- Oustanding ergonomics.
- Sub-par software support.
- Uses disposable batteries.
- Good typing experience.
- Oustanding ergonomics.
- Sub-par software support.
- Uses disposable batteries.
Changelog
- Updated Jun 21, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update introduces new Backlight Features and Backlight Clarity test boxes. We've also added a new Switches test box, added additional test comparisons to our Hardware Customizability test box that we introduced with our last Test Bench. For an in-depth look at our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated May 26, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update adds several new tests addressing Hardware Customization, Macro Keys And Programming, and Wireless Mobile Compatibility. We've also added new objective evaluations to the Typing Noise test, and we've simplified several tests and removed several others that were no longer relevant. For an in-depth look at all our changes, you can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Mar 29, 2022: Despite attempts to retest, the latency test results were unobtainable due to a damaged keyboard. The review has now been updated to include a note explaining the lack of results and the expected performance of this keyboard.
- Updated Mar 30, 2021: Tried to run the keystrokes test for Test Bench 1.0, but couldn't due to connectivity issues.
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Popular Keyboard Comparisons
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard is designed to help prevent repetitive strain injuries. It isn't unique, as there are quite a few of them on the market, and even Microsoft has released a newer version called the Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard. Compared to a keyboard like the Logitech ERGO K860, this one feels rather outdated, as it lacks Bluetooth capabilities, multi-device pairing, and was optimized for Windows 8.
For other options, check out our recommendations for the best keyboards, the best wireless keyboards, and the best mechanical keyboards.
The Logitech ERGO K860 is much better than the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard. The Logitech is more comfortable and provides a significantly better typing experience, and it has a much better build quality and can be paired to multiple devices simultaneously. Also, the Logitech has Bluetooth capabilities and better compatibility with other operating systems, but like the Microsoft, it uses disposable batteries.
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 Microsoft Surface Keyboard and the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard are very different keyboards. The Sculpt has an ergonomic design with a very specific purpose, while the Surface is more of a stylish minimalistic keyboard. Build quality and typing experience are much better on the Surface, but the Sculpt Ergonomic is more comfortable and has software support, which the Surface lacks.
The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard is a better ergonomic keyboard than the Logitech K350. Its switches require less total travel and don't feel as heavy. Also, it has better ergonomics overall and even comes with a separate NumPad that you can move around. The typing quality is noticeably more satisfactory on the Microsoft than the Logitech. Other than price, there's no reason to get the Logitech over the Microsoft.
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