If there's one thing that separates me from the rest of the PC Gamer Hardware team, it's that I really don't like small keyboards. I like having one key for a specific thing, rather than having to do weird gangsta-style finger contortions to just delete something.
So amid the sea of tiny gaming keyboard Black Friday deals doing the rounds right now, here's one that I'd snap up in a flash: It's full-sized and it's ergonomic. Ah, perfection.
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I reviewed the tenkeyless version of the Cloud Nine C959 earlier this year and I liked its solid build quality, the surfeit of keys (especially for macros), and all-day typing comfort. With a split keyboard layout and permanent seven-degree tent, it's a proper ergonomic keyboard—not some cheap imitation that's just a little bit wavey.
With this Amazon Prime members-only deal, you can choose between Kailh Linear Red or Tactile Brown switches. The latter has a bit more of a 'click' than the former, but they're both lovely to use, being fast and accurate. I personally prefer the Reds, due to their near-silent action, but the Browns are pretty low in noise.
There are just a couple of things to consider before you make the plunge. Firstly, that split layout will take a while to adapt to, though the C959 is one of the easiest ergonomic keyboards to get used to I've tested. How rapid that process is will depend on the second thing to consider and that it's the size of it.
I don't mean the fact that it's a full-size keyboard, in terms of the number of keys, it's just that it's big. I have rather small hands and found hitting certain keys to be a bit of a stretch. If you have relatively large mitts, then you'll have no such concerns.
That control wheel in the middle is great to use but the backlight can't be turned off unlike those for the keys (or at the very least, it couldn't in my review sample), so if you want a totally lightless keyboard, then the wheel's LEDs will soon get on your nerves.
Grumbles aside, this is a really great keyboard and I wish more gamers would make the switch to an ergonomic layout. Your wrists and shoulders will thank you in time.
👉 Check out all the best Black Friday gaming keyboard deals right here 👈
