Three Month ZSA Moonlander Review

I said I would review the ZSA Moonlander after I spent some time using it. My initial review was four months ago, so I figured it was about time to post back my thoughts. I have what I think are the big questions that most would probably want to know, so I will do my best to cover those. The TLDR is that I am still using it daily and still enjoy it. Let’s dig in

Are you still using it?

The short answer is yes, and I use it every day, all day. After about a week of keeping my other keyboard around, I went all in, and I am still using it. My typing speed quickly recovered, and I would argue at this point that it is probably faster than it was before. My shoulders and hands feel great, and any discomfort or pain that I felt by the end of the day with a traditional keyboard doesn’t exist. It feels very natural at this point, and I don’t even notice it.

Do you struggle switching keyboards?

I struggled for the first month or so, switching between keyboards. I would use a regular keyboard with my home lab set up, and I would use laptops and the Moonlander all day. I initially struggled, now I don’t even notice. It has become so routine now that I seamlessly move between them.

How about your layout?

Honestly, after the few changes I mentioned in my initial post, I haven’t made a single tweak. I am still using the home row mods, which boosted my productivity. I had to focus on using the modifiers on both sides of the keyboard. So now, I instinctively use the side opposite if I need to use the regular key with the modifier. The hold modifiers for cut, copy, paste, and undo also boosted productivity as a developer. The interesting item is that I am still not leveraging the multiple layers. I honestly don’t feel the need to use them as the columnar layout and extra keys make everything I need readily available. If I didn’t use the home row mods, I would use layers more.

How do you have the keyboard tented or titled?

This question is an easy one; I don’t. I have found that having it flat as ZSA suggests for getting started is perfect. In the flat position, my hand can reach all keys, and my thumbs can fully use the thumb clusters. I have tried other configurations, and they aren’t nearly as comfortable. If you have one or an Ergodox and haven’t tried it flat, I would suggest giving it a try.

How about the build quality?

I have no complaints. I have the white version, and it hasn’t picked up any grime or wear. There isn’t any visible wear so far, and it doesn’t seem to absorb oils from my hands. All the Cherry switches are still working great, and none of the keys have any looseness.

Would you purchase it again?

Another easy one, yes I would purchase it again. I am curious about the ErgoDox EZ, but it took me over ten years before switching out my perfectly good Das Keyboard.

Final thoughts

If there are any other questions that you would like answered, please feel free to ask me. I think these are the questions that I often get asked. If you decide to get one, you have to commit to using it and not switching back and forth. That hurt me the first few days until I refused to give up. Printing out your layout and keeping it visible helped reduce some frustration. It will be slow, but your speed will quickly recover if you take your time while learning it.

Thanks for reading,

Jamie

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