Why I paid $$$ for the ZSA Voyager Keyboard | Review | Ergonomic, Split, & Ortholinear

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Correction:
(Dec-2024) ZSA Voyager is a columnar, not an ortholinear keyboard. Thanks to the viewers for the correction.
Chapters:
00:10 Why a new keyboard
01:34 The search for a new keyboard
02:50 ZSA Voyager
04:13 Typing speed progress
05:39 posture improvement
06:41 Likes
08:00 Dislikes
11:35 Useful Accessory
12:26 Conclusion
I've spent years typing on basic keyboards-but the neck pain and shoulder stiffness finally got me searching for something better. Enter the ZSA Voyager, a split, ortholinear keyboard designed to improve posture and comfort. Was it worth the $365? Here’s why I made the switch, my thoughts on the unique design, and tips for adapting to an ergonomic setup.
Keywords: ergonomic keyboard, ZSA Voyager review, split keyboard, ortholinear layout, posture improvement, typing habits, keyboard for neck pain

[@michaelwithouta]

Do you have a split keyboard or thought of getting one? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences Unboxing video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nafGoKaMgMyUiKM

[@Runedwx]

I have 2 different spilt keyboards. A mistel dm770 and the zsa moonlander. At work people found it weird but i personally choose less wrist pains over weird looks/comments

[@michaelwithouta]

100%. Split, ergonomic keyboards tend to have more 'unusual'. I liked the ZSA Voyager for its more minimalistic and understated design.

[@antepetrovic4054]

I've started with the voyager, then I figured I don't need as much keys, so I've built myself a ferris sweep which is a 34 key keyboard. Then I've decided to go wireless and built myself an urchin, which is just a wireless ferris sweep. Also got a temper (36 keys) which is also great. Going with a split keyboard is one of the best decisions I've done, since I work as a programmer. Also, I've learned soldering while building the other keyboards, which is a good skill.

[@michaelwithouta]

That is great. I had a suspicion that the voyager will eventually get me into the rabbit hole that is custom keyboards. for now, i am very happy with it. thank you for watching.

[@AnimeFan-wd5pq]

I assume you have already done the research on the type of ergonomic keyboards you want, but I still want to mention that Alice style keyboards have gotten real cheap nowadays, with full metal cnc like the neo ergo only being $200+ instead of $300. Something to look into if you want to become another keyboard KZbinr lol.

[@The3Dsmash]

I really appreciate this detailed and entertaining review, Michael. I also love your dry sense of humor. I was wondering if the Voyager would be a good fit for me and you answered my concerns with your video. I hope you'll keep going with your channel. You deserve a much larger viewership.

[@michaelwithouta]

Thanks for watching, I really appreciate the feedback. I hope the Voyager will work for you as well (or even better) as it does me.

[@robertsimmons9563]

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to type on other keyboards”… I had the exact same thought. What I found was that I just don’t WANT to type on other keyboards.

[@michaelwithouta]

haha. Yes, I agree. I prefer to type on the voyager, too. But I still have to type on my laptop's keyboard at least from time to time.

[@yurenju]

If you've been typing for over 20 years, I think switching to a height-adjustable desk is more important than changing your keyboard, as the main issue lies in the height difference between your wrists and shoulders, which can impact your health.

[@michaelwithouta]

thank you for your comment. I agree. A height-adjustable desk is high on list of things to invest in. The ZSA is solvig the issue of having my hands in front of my body, which in my case leads to rounded shoulders.

[@MeltraNS]

Yea just think about how many medical bills might stack up over the years caused by a non ergonomic desk while a standing desk might seem expensive in the moment, it's a long term investment

[@michaelwithouta]

I absolutely agree

[@hkwanl360]

The one thing that absolutely helped me was the kinesis advantage 2. After owning over 15 keyboards, some split, some custom mechanical ones, moonlander, ortholinear you name it. The kinesis was the ugliest but the one that ABSOLUTELY worked for me and all my pain has gone away. The ortholinear and concave design really helped with reaching the keys where my fingers should. The split and slightly tilted design made typing long time very comfortable as my hand is in a more natural position. The best part for me was the palm rest. Resting on your write is a big nono as it can create nerve pain and damage but the way the kinesis is designed is that they have two palm pads where your hand sit neatly on. The voyager has a few downsides that I see. 1. it's very thin and your arm has to be either floating or it's going to be very tiring long term using it. Putting your wrist on the table is not recommended as you're hitting the nerve on your hand which causes carpal tunnel. 2. it's not tented which causes your hand to not be typing in a natural position. Our hands naturally are tilted a bit outwards but these type of keyboards forces your hands to type in a straight position which isn't ideal

[@PeterSteele111]

Ive had mine for quite a while now. Love it. People complain about price, but buy once cry once. These arent even that expensive compared to other boards like a fully decked out dygma defy lol. Great review, as im a work from home software dev, ive got mine chair mounted so i can kick back, relax, and code away all day lol

[@michaelwithouta]

hahaha. i love it: "buy once, cry once". so true, after paying my credit card bill, I haven't thought about the price much anymore, despite using it every day. thanks for watching and commenting.

[@alexdoessudokus]

Technically the Voyager's not Ortholinear but Columnar. Ortholinear the keyboards that are like a grid with no column staggers.

[@michaelwithouta]

Ohhhhhh. Thanks for the clarification. Learned something new. Thank you for watching.

[@pembrokejones3969]

I started using a standing desk in 2009 and it changed my life. Now you can get a good adjustable standing desk for a little over $100 !

[@michaelwithouta]

Thank you for watching. A standing desk is very high on my priority list. Great that they are now more affordable.

[@CrazyKnows]

I did this, ZSA as well. You can program it with QMK also fyi! I ended up going this route to macro some common scripts I use. If you want full ergo even on your fingers, consider giving COLEMAK-DH a try for your layout :)

[@michaelwithouta]

very nice. i have only dabbled a little bit with macros, yet. I want to make use of them more and more. Are you using COLEMAK? and can you still type with a QWERTY keyboard? thank you for watching and commenting.

[@antepetrovic4054]

@@michaelwithouta Not comment op, but went into a layout rabbithole. QWERTY > Colemak DH > ISRT > Hands Down Gold Colemak DH is awesome, feels way better than QWERTY (from what I gather, basically anything is better than QWERTY), so I definitely recommend it. It's also relatively easy to learn coming from QWERTY. Though, since you want to make your typing experience even better, try out some layouts that aren't restricted by being similar to QWERTY. I hear good stuff about Graphite for example. Currently I'm using Hands Down Gold, which I like pretty much, so maybe look into that or try some other Hands Down variations. Regarding typing on a QWERTY keyboard after learning other layout, I don't have any issues with that. Both on a laptop keyboard and a phone keyboard.

[@CrazyKnows]

@ it took about a two montha for me to get decent on Colemak, I havent tried going on Qwerty with my ZSA but on my macbook I can still trype fine

[@Zshazz]

@@michaelwithouta I'm not the guy you're responding to, but I used to type with Dvorak on a Kinesis Advantage keyboard and switch with a qwerty layout every once in awhile (laptop was qwerty). Because of the big difference in feel between the ergo keyboard, it seems like my muscle memory could be different for the two keyboards. I would say that I was slower with qwerty, but it was perfectly serviceable to switch between the two after learning it. The only reason I ended up switching to qwerty all the time was because playing on games with a Dvorak layout was a huge problem (I worked around it for a long time by using one of those gaming 'numpad' like things, but I just don't like having so much on my desk). I bought a ZSA Voyager (still waiting for it) and I plan on switching to a different layout (e.g. maybe Graphene), but if I play a game I'm going to use a layer to temporarily switch back to qwerty to use keybindings in the game. I can't be certain it'd be the same for you, but I've heard of many people in similar situations where they can comfortably juggle two sets of muscle memories for keyboard layouts, and having different physical keyboards does seem to help.

[@m1erze]

i went to a voyager for the same reasons last month, i had huge regrets. wish i did this 10 years ago!

[@michaelwithouta]

Thanks for watching. I agree, I also waited too long before getting the Voyager.

[@randomnico6250]

I wouldnt interpret "smoother sound profile" as more silent. You can always replace de switches tho. Good silent switches feel great imo :)

[@michaelwithouta]

Thank you for watching. Do you have an recommendation for more silent switches for the ZSA Voyager?

[@randomnico6250]

@@michaelwithouta I use the regular kailh deep sea silent linear switches for my office keyboard and I'm convinced they are some of the best out there. Not sure about the low profile version because I haven't tried them, but they do exist

[@michaelwithouta]

oh nice. thank you for the recommendation. I will look into them.

[@sebastianbergman7810]

​@@michaelwithoutaI have also heard very good things about the Ambients Silent Twilight switches, as well as the Ambients Silent Nocturnal. They seem to be quite popular among Voyager users! They are what I am planning to look at, if I finally manage to pull the trigger on the Voyager or any other choc keyboard. 😅

[@PeterSteele111]

Sunsets or nocturnals with a tape mod on the voyager currenty give the absolute quietest results. I'm running the red pros but have seen many videos with the nocturnals and the sound difference is wild

[@Phrish]

Good taste in keyboards (and headphones). I have a Voyager too. I used to have an ErgoDox EZ (still do), but I could just not get used to it. I like the Voyager for the same reasons as you, though, primarily for the very low profile overall, the split design, and the programmability. I'd be interested in how you customized your layouts for the most efficient typing. For example, I have my right small thumb key as the space, the right large thumb key as backspace, the left small thumb key as tab, and the left large thumb key as return/enter. Control is still the lowest row far left and right keys. One of my biggest game-changing moments is when I set up a bunch of press and hold shortcut keys for my most common commands: * Press C types C, hold C copies (control C) * Press V types V, hold V pastes text only (control shift V) * Press A types A, hold A selects all (control A) * Press F types F, hold F sends the find command (control F) * Press D types D, hold D sends control D... useful for duplicating cells in Excel * Etc. That has made my daily work so much more efficient and much faster! So far I've played around with the thumb keys to see what works best for me, but the layout above seems to work best for now. I'm still working on making it into muscle memory (e.g. I need to remember to press the left small thumb key for tab instead of the caps lock key which is where the traditional tab would be). I haven't yet really gotten into layers, but I'm working up to that. I can't really manage 10-key on a columnar keyboard, so I still use a separate number pad for number entry as well as cursor keys, page up/down, home/end, etc. Every time I try to move my 10-key to the Voyager, it ends horribly... usually with fatalities and a demon or two escaping the third circle of hell. Overall though I love the Voyager. I'd love to see ZedSA come out with a Voyager 2 with three thumb buttons. I think that might just be the perfect keyboard, but that's a tale for another time. Thanks for the video!!

[@michaelwithouta]

Thanks for watching and your comment. I have a fairly similar set up for the thumb keys: - small left: backspace - large left: return / enter - small right: space - large right: tab (command if long press) This is just how I would hit the keys on a regular keyboard. For hold press, additionally I have: * hold T: CMD+T (new browser tab) * hold X: CMD+OPTION+V (MacOS for CUT) I am also a bit intimidated by layers. So far I have one layer for mouse movement and arrows that I use regularly. I will take some time over the holidays to look into more ways to utilize layers. I want look into layer for editing with DaVinci Resolve. Thanks for sharing your setup. I found it very interesting.

[@DepressedCookie]

I'm not going to buy this but this is a fantastic video that is well balanced and informative.

[@flameKuchen]

I have the same shoulder and back issues. If it's really that good, I also think about purchasing it 👍

[@michaelwithouta]

I am thinking about doing a follow up video dedicated to the change of posture due to the split keyboard. Maybe it is just plecebo effect, who know? Stay tuned. Thanks for watching.

[@flameKuchen]

@ I would be also interested in your qmk layer setup? How do you use your layer or are there any predefined layouts for the voyager?😬

[@michaelwithouta]

I currently only use one additional layer for the arrow keys and to control the cursor. I want to make use of the layer more, but haven't found the time to get into it yet. The are many examples of layers and layouts by other users for you to look at and try: configure.zsa.io/voyager/search

[@amqndin]

thats called column staggered, ortholinear is when every key is in a perfect grid.

[@michaelwithouta]

thank you for the correction and for watching

[@MoncefVortex]

Thank you for the great video! I have the same Logitech and it's not comfortable or practical to type on. Also, may I ask which laptop stand you are using in this video? Thank you!

[@michaelwithouta]

The stand is called Nexstand K2. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be available on Amazon.com anymore. But on Amazon.co.uk. Alternatively, please check Nexstand's website for availability in your country. The Nexstand is more or less the same design as the pricier Rooster: amzn.to/4iV3Vuy Thank you for watching.

[@MoncefVortex]

@@michaelwithouta Thank you for the Nextand link! The Roost one is not available on Amazon in Spain, where I am.

[@otter2077]

Did you consider a Sofle, it has a similar layout to the Voyager but costs about 1/5 the price

[@michaelwithouta]

I have not. Thank you for watching and the recommendation. The Sofle looks interesting. Maybe it will be my next keyboard.

[@Max-wl5ll]

great video but a tiny thing is that the sound effects are only in the left ear

[@michaelwithouta]

thank you for watching and for the feedback. I will do better next time

[@NSkriabinDev]

try Ambient Twilight switches, these are really silent

[@michaelwithouta]

oh cool. thanks for the tip. and thank you for watching.

[@robertsimmons9563]

Ohh and for me tenting is a necessity. The thumb cluster doesn’t feel quite right to me when it’s just flat. Your surface finish looks kinda janky. Mine was a uniform gloss… I 3d printed some simple blocks and put some magnets in. The stands that you showed look cool but I always had a hard time getting similar things where I wanted and not slipping around. Nice video!

[@michaelwithouta]

I will give tenting a more extensive try. And pay attention to how the thumb clusters feel. When I got it new, the surface was also uniform and shiny (as can be seen in the unboxing of the ZSA kzbin.info/www/bejne/nafGoKaMgMyUiKM | 4:20), then I got my grubby fingers on it. ;) So far, I did not experience slipping. The stands are fairly heavy and have a anti-slip base. But depending on the angles, it can sometimes tip over. Thank you for watching!

[@sunsunh]

Could you provide a 3D model of this block?

[@jakebr-y1b]

Do you really need to look down at your keyboard so often anyways? I don't really ever look at mine while typing anything.

[@michaelwithouta]

most of the times, i can type without looking. sometimes I need to look. especially when it comes to typing symbols that I dont use too often. thank you for watching

[@realranger9876]

every time u do the whoosh its in my left ear and it sucks put that in stereo pls

[@realranger9876]

scratch that all effects are in my left ear

[@michaelwithouta]

Thank you for your comment. I will change it in the future. Appreciate your feedback

[@michaelwithouta]

Unboxing video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nafGoKaMgMyUiKM

[@nik4520]

The apple magic keyboard is absolute trash. Delusional.

[@accumulator4825]

Rediculous price, I'm out

[@michaelwithouta]

I wish there where more affordable options. So far, even with the self-build ones, once you add in the key switches and caps, they all end up in similar price ranges. I think I would be more than happy with a membrane split (fully separable) keyboard from a somewhat reputable manufacturer. Thank you for watching.