examine – There are very few options for a truly wireless ergonomic keyboard with keywell. If you want something pre-assembled, you have even fewer options, and if you don’t want a 3D printed case, your choices are even narrower. MoErgo felt the need to improve the limited consumer options available in this space, and has spent nearly a decade refining what was introduced with the Glove80. Born out of necessity and refined through design iteration, the Glove80 offers the best keyboard platform I’ve ever experienced. Read on, and I’ll explain.
What is it?
The Glove80 is a wireless 80-key full-split ergonomic keyboard with contoured keywells from MoErgo. It is available in soldered or non-soldered versions, with a choice of red (linear), red pro (linear), white (clicky), or brown (tactile) choc v1 switches, and in white or gray.
New Zealand-based MoErgo founders Steven Chiang and Chris Andeae began building the Glove80 in 2014, and the production model we have today is the result of over 500 design iterations. MoErgo launched the Glove80 on Kickstarter in 2022, and the keyboard is readily available for purchase on their website today.
MoErgo has created a group on Discord full of people passionate about ergo, and the founders are actively involved in the community.
What’s included?
- 1x Black Glove80 Travel Case
- 1 x USB-C Cable
- 1 x Keycap Puller
- 12 additional feet for high angle mounting and custom mounting
- 12 additional silicone foot pads for high angle mounting and custom mounting
- 1 set of additional screws and nuts for high angle mounting and custom mounting
- 1 x M4 spanner
- 4 x Additional Blank MCC Keycaps
- Two blank MBK keycaps that serve as home keys
- 12 x O-ring OD 5.5mm ID 3.5mm
- 12 x O-ring OD 6.5mm ID 3.5mm
Technical specifications
Click to expand
| ergonomics | |
| Concave key well | yes |
| Thumb cluster | 6-key 2-row curved (patent pending) |
| Divide | Wireless Full Split |
| Neutral slope | yes |
| Tenting | Built-in and continuously adjustable |
| Low profile design | 20mm from the desk to the top surface of the lowest keycap |
| low travel switch | yes |
| Palm Rest | 3D sculptural and separable |
| Keys and layout | |
| Number of keys | 80 |
| Keyswitch family | Low-profile mechanical Kailh Choc v1 switches rated for over 70 million presses |
| Select Key Switch | Linear (red), tactile (brown) and clicky (white) |
| Keycaps | Premium POM translucent MCC profile keycap labeling |
| Standard keycap language | Us |
| You can rearrange the keycaps to suit your layout. | All keys share the same keycap profile. |
| Cholemac & Dvorak | yes |
| Connectivity | |
| wireless interface | Bluetooth LE 5.0 |
| USB interface | USB 2.0 over USB C |
| Multi-device support | 4 BLE + 1 USB |
| Firmware and Configurator | |
| Firmware | Open Source ZMK |
| Supported OS | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, ChromeOS, iOS, iPadOS |
| Configurator | Web based |
| hardware | |
| Microcontroller | 2 x Nordic nRF52840 with 256kB RAM and 1MB Flash |
| Battery life (estimated) | If you turn off the LED, it will take 2-4 weeks for the left hand and more than 2 months for the right hand. Test conditions: Disable ZMK power saving function, keep power on 24/7, turn off RGB. |
| LED per key | 80 individually addressable RGB LEDs |
| Customization possibilities | |
| Custom mount support | yes |
| Hardware expansion support | 6 digital GPIOs |
| size | |
| width | 372mm(14.6 inches) |
| Depth (excluding wrist rest) | 168mm(6.6 inches) |
| Depth (including wrist rest) | 206mm(8.1 inches) |
| key | 60mm(2.36 inches) |
| weight | About 600g (1 pound 5 ounces) |
Design and Function
MoErgo spent nearly a decade iterating on the Glove80 design, and it shows in the details of the board. While other implementations of keywells use keycaps or a “perfect circle” approach to create the keywell arc, the Glove80 uses a different arc shape. Ten per. In an orthogonal layout, this means that each column is adjusted to minimize the travel distance to reach each key from the home row, adjusting to the fingers performing the task. This design is built into the Glove80’s case and doesn’t rely on sculpted keycaps to create keywells, so you can rearrange the keycaps as needed without losing any ergonomic benefits.
Regarding the thumb cluster, this is also unique in a way that is different from what you usually find on other pre-made ergo keyboards of this type. There is another arc here, but for a different reason. If you make a fist and then spread your fingers apart, you will see that your thumb moves in an arc. This is the same way that the thumb cluster is placed.
The Glove80 uses low-profile Kailh Choc V1 switches and supports soldered PCBs only (no hot swapping). The low-profile switches allow the glove to sit as low as possible on your desk, promoting a neutral wrist position along with proper horizontal arm position.
As with everything on the Glove80, each design choice is there for a reason. And you may have noticed the unique keycap profile. It’s exclusive and is called the MoErgo Choc Cylindrical profile. The decision to create a custom keycap profile was driven by the need for a low-profile, smooth-edged keycap for the thumb cluster. There are other profiles designed to work with the Glove as well, and can be purchased separately from MoErgo. The material chosen for the Glove80 keycaps is POM, which is strong and resilient, but thin enough to allow the LEDs per key to shine through.
The board is made mostly of plastic, and combined with a minimalist design aesthetic, it’s fairly lightweight. On the top of each board is a single USB-C port and a push-button power switch, while the integrated palm rest is easily removable. Each half of the Glove80 includes six GPIO pins for modular expansion, opening the door to adding attachments to the board.
Finally, looking at the tenting mechanism, there is a threaded bolt design that allows the user to dial in the angle they need. This is deceptively simple, but means that the tenting system is completely out of the way if you don’t want or need it. You can also use the same bolts to attach the Glove80 to the base plate and secure it wherever you want from there. Here are some examples of this from MoErgo. One of the new projects on my list is to build my own captain’s chair!
Source: MoErgo
Source: MoErgo
Source: MoErgo
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The Glove80 comes in an included travel case and is ready to use right out of the box. A USB-C cable is included, but since it has two halves, I recommend purchasing a split USB-C cable to help with cable management and make charging easier (a full charge takes up to 4 hours). The manual walks you through the basic key combinations needed to pair Bluetooth to one of the four profiles, and the connection process is very straightforward.
I knew right away that the default keycap layout wasn’t going to work for me, so I headed to the configurator. MoErgo has a web-based firmware builder for the ZMK, and while it does require an account, setting up the layout is pretty intuitive. There are a ton of options and features, and they’re all well documented. Uploading the firmware to the board requires putting the board into bootloader mode and loading each half separately, so it takes a bit of effort.
I built my layout to be as close as possible to the OEM QWERTY keyboard, which has helped me a lot since I switch keyboards frequently. Interested in trying this layout on your Glove80? Give it a try!
Once the layout is set, pulling on the keycaps to swap their positions is the norm, but MoErgo recommends applying a bit of counterforce to the switches with the included spanner to keep them from lifting. I’ve generally been able to remember to do this, and I’m happy to report that even when I’ve failed to follow the suggested protocol, everything has been fine.
Performance
Typing with the Glove80 is an absolute pleasure. The POM switches have a unique feel that is ridiculously smooth, and the key actuation, along with the Red Pro switches, is very light and responsive. The case doesn’t offer a deep sound profile, but it’s a trade-off for being minimalistic, lightweight, and ergonomic.
Ergonomically, the Glove is the most comfortable keyboard I’ve ever used. Notable examples include the Ergodox, Sofle, Dygma Raise, and Kinesis Freestyle. The Ergodox comes closest to being an orthogonal keyboard, but the Glove80 is my first board with a keywell. I can feel how little my hands move when typing on the Glove80, which is very noticeable when using other keyboards. One of the most surprising things about typing on the Glove80 is how it encourages proper typing technique. I realized that I was used to using my pinky finger only on the far side of a regular keyboard. Even sitting on the home row, the Glove80 was using a claw-like hand position that was unbearable… MoErgo has helped me correct my typing mistakes for over 30 years.
The fully separate keyboard allows you to set the halves to shoulder width, which helps you maintain good posture and has helped me with recurring shoulder pain from an old sports injury. The fact that the keyboard halves are completely wireless means you can use as much space as you need without having to deal with a bridge cable. I’ve had no issues getting the halves to talk to each other.
As you may have noticed… the Glove80 is nothing like a standard keyboard. Jumping into the Glove requires some muscle memory retraining, and while it’s certainly subjective, this transition period can be significant. In fact, I’m actually the third Gadgeteer I’ve tried to review. Julie and Kenneth both tried it before I did, and discussing their experiences has led to a lot of adjusting to their typing style and workflow to fit the Glove80. Switching to a columnar layout alone can be a difficult transition, but add in the keywell and all of the 1u layout of the Glove80, and it’s a whole other beast. MoErgo recommends limiting your typing on the Glove80 to 30-60 minutes a day until you can get back up to 40wpm. At that point, you’ll be ready to make the full-time switch. It’s an investment of time and money, but if you’re suffering from RSI that no other keyboard can help with, this keyboard could be the solution.
What I like about the MoErgo Glove80
- Excellent ergonomic comfort and adaptability
- Pre-built plug-and-play experience
- The MoErgo team invests in the community
What needs to be improved?
- It would be nice if it was possible to flash firmware via web app
- An official sidecar mode like a trackball or touchpad would be awesome.
Final Thoughts
In a world full of heavy slap keyboards that prioritize sound over functionality, the Glove80 is a breath of fresh air. It offers an unparalleled ergonomic typing experience with little compromise. How do you know if it’s right for you? At $400, it’s definitely worth the investment, but it’s still a bargain compared to similar boards. If you’re on the fence, there’s a leasing service that lets you try out a Glove80 that’s specifically made for people in the US. It has all the switch types. It’s not affiliated with MoErgo, but it gives you a chance to see if what the Glove has to offer is worth the cost. For me, it’s endgame until an integrated trackball comes out.
price: $399 – $409 (depending on key switch)
Where to buy: Moergo
source: This product sample was provided free of charge by MoErgo. MoErgo had no final say in the review and did not preview the review before it was published.