Ergonomic Keyboards and Mice in Australia: How to Choose

The best ergonomic keyboard and mouse for most Australians starting out is the Logitech Wave Keys and Lift Combo: a compact wave keyboard with a number pad and a vertical mouse, on one receiver, sold by Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi and Amazon AU. If you want a clearer split, buy the Logitech ERGO K860 and pair it with whichever mouse fits your hand.

We have not tested these products; the figures come from Logitech's product pages, linked under Sources. If the keyboard is your main concern, our best ergonomic keyboards guide compares four designs sold here, including a fully split Kinesis and a mechanical one.

The short version

• First step for most people: the Wave Keys and Lift Combo.
• Keyboard: decide how far you want to move from a flat keyboard: a gentle wave, a curved split in one piece, or two separate halves.
• Mouse: pick standard, vertical or trackball, then go by the hand size Logitech gives and your handedness.
• Measure first: the K860 is 456 mm wide before you add a mouse.
• Check the listing: each model comes in several colours and versions, each with its own part number.

What "ergonomic" means here

On a keyboard or mouse, "ergonomic" describes a shape rather than meeting any standard. Keyboards angle, curve or split the keys and usually add a padded rest and adjustable legs. Mice stand on their side, or swap the moving body for a ball you roll with your thumb. This guide compares them on those physical points: shape, size, tilt and fit.

Plan the desk

Ergonomic keyboards are bigger than the flat ones they replace. The K860 is 456 mm wide and has its rest built in, which also makes it deeper. A compact keyboard with a number pad, like the Wave Keys at about 376 mm, frees up room for the mouse. If space is tight, a trackball stays in one spot. Working on a laptop? A separate keyboard and mouse also let you raise the laptop on a stand or plug in a monitor.

How to choose an ergonomic keyboard

Number pad or not

If you key in numbers all day, keep the number pad: the K860 and Wave Keys both have one, and the Wave Keys fits it into a body about 80 mm shorter. If you rarely use it, a tenkeyless keyboard lets the mouse sit closer to the keys.

The main shapes

• Wave. The rows rise and fall in a gentle curve. The Wave Keys is the least different from a normal keyboard.
• Curved split. The keys split down the middle in one curved body, as on the K860. Nothing to set up.
• Fully split. Two halves you place yourself, like the Kinesis Freestyle2 Blue in our keyboards guide (sold here by Ergoport). The most adjustable, with the most to set up.
• Tented. The middle is raised so the halves slope down to the sides; the Kinesis mWave has this built in.

Expect a few days of typos on any new shape.

Tilt and rests

Standard keyboards are raised at the back. Negative tilt lifts the front edge instead, and the K860's legs give 0°, -4° or -7°. The Wave Keys only tilts the usual way.

On both Logitech keyboards the palm rest is part of the frame and can't be taken off. If you'd rather use your own rest, the Freestyle2 Blue in our keyboards guide treats palm supports as an optional extra.

Layout and receivers

Australia uses the US English layout, so there is no layout trap here: Logitech's Australian site lists the K860 as 920-010111 and the Wave Keys as 920-012281 (Graphite), both English US. Receivers are the catch instead. The K860 uses Logitech's older Unifying receiver; the Wave Keys, Lift and MX Ergo S use Logi Bolt. The two don't mix, so a K860 with a Lift needs Bluetooth or two receivers.

How to choose an ergonomic mouse

Standard, vertical or trackball

• Standard. The usual shape, in plenty of sizes.
• Vertical. Stands on its side for a handshake grip; you still move the whole mouse. The Lift sits at 57°.
• Trackball. The body doesn't move; your thumb or fingers turn a ball. The MX Ergo S is a thumb trackball.

Our vertical mouse vs trackball comparison covers the trade-offs in more detail.

Hand size and handedness

Go by the maker's hand-size guidance. Logitech makes the Lift for small to medium hands and the MX Ergo S for medium to large hands. Left-handers have one option here, the left-handed Lift; the MX Ergo S is right-handed only.

Buttons and speed

Both mice have programmable buttons through Logitech's free Logi Options+ app. The MX Ergo S has a precision button that slows the cursor while held, and the Lift's sensor goes up to 4000 DPI.

Combo or separate?

The combo means one box, one receiver and nothing to match. The downside is the mouse: if the Lift is too small for your hand, buy a keyboard and an MX Ergo S separately. The K860 works with any mouse.

Our four picks compared

All four are Logitech, because these are the models we could match to Australian retailers with clear specifications. Compare other brands too; our keyboards guide adds two from Kinesis.

Which setup is right for you

• One simple first step: the Wave Keys and Lift Combo.
• A clear split and a number pad: the K860, with the mouse of your choice.
• A vertical mouse, left or right hand: the Lift, for small to medium hands.
• Large hands or very little desk space: the MX Ergo S, if you are right-handed.
• Still deciding: change the keyboard first and keep your mouse, or the reverse, so you can tell which change you like.

Buying in Australia

The Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply on top of any maker's warranty: goods must be of acceptable quality, fit for purpose and match their description, and if they fail you are entitled to a repair, replacement or refund depending on the problem. The ACCC explains how they work. Before you order, check the colour, handedness and part number on the listing: each Logitech model comes in several versions, each with its own part number.

How we chose

We have not tested these products. We picked one example of each main design, a combo, a curved split keyboard, a vertical mouse and a trackball, and kept only models sold by at least one Australian retailer. Specifications come from Logitech's Australian product pages, and from its US page for the combo, which has no Australian page.

Related guides

• Best Ergonomic Keyboards for Long Workdays in Australia: four keyboards compared.
• Vertical Mouse vs Trackball
• Logitech MX Keys S vs MX Mechanical: two flat keyboards for comparison.