The Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard remains an excellent and highly recommended split keyboard, even over a decade after its initial release.
Microsoft was well known for producing a line up of solid, affordable split ergonomic keyboards. They’ve been iterating on them since 1994, and with over 30 years of experience, their products have pretty much reached perfection, which is why people were distressed when Microsoft suddenly announced in 2023 that they would stop manufacturing keyboards (among other accessories).
The last iteration of their split keyboard is the Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard, which was originally released in August 2013, and now manufactured by Incase (who took over Microsoft's accessory business). Some of you might be here trying to figure out whether it still makes sense to buy a keyboard which, by now, is over a decade old. The answer is an unequivocal yes. The Sculpt is still an excellent desktop keyboard and comes highly recommended, given it is comfortable, does a terrific job of improving ergonomics, and is a beautifully designed piece of equipment.
If you're not looking for a desktop split keyboard, but rather a portable, travel friendly, split ergonomic keyboard - one which you can throw into a backpack with a laptop - then have a look at our recommendations:
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- The Best Portable Ergonomic Split Keyboards: https://www.bulsuk.com/2025/01/best-split-portable-ergonomic-keyboard.html
Price: USD 120
Rating: ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤ 5.0/5.0 Outstanding
Typing experience
The Sculpt uses scissor switches with chiclet keys, and if you’ve used a laptop keyboard in the last 10 years, this will feel familiar. Microsoft’s choices means that typing is both quiet and comfortable. Your fingers feel cradled, and the material means fingers stay where they are, and don’t slip off onto adjacent keys. In terms of speed, I normally hit 83 WPM, with 98% accuracy.
The Sculpt offers 2.3 mm of key travel, which is more than what laptops offer nowadays: the MacBook offers 1 mm, while Lenovo’s X1 Carbon is 1.3 mm. The Sculpt’s key travel is luxurious in comparison, offering good feedback when typing. If you're an old school typist addicted to the old thunk and key travel associated with spring loaded keyboards (such as those from IBM), the Sculpt won't offer the same sensation, and you may want to consider a mechanical split keyboard instead.
Design and ergonomics
Microsoft consulted with ergonomic experts during development, resulting in a supremely comfortable keyboard. The Sculpt uses a split layout, with both halves placed at a gentle curve to help avoid contorting wrists in unnatural positions.
Unlike standard keyboards, the keys nearest to the centre of the split are slightly larger, which helps to ensure a user does not need to overextend fingers to reach the keys. It has a cushioned palm rest which is firm but comfortable, and will stand the test of time (I've had my unit for over 10 years).
Despite its compact size, the Sculpt retains virtually all the buttons you’d expect on a full sized keyboard. The Home, End, Page Up and Down keys are all put vertically on top of each other, helping to save space, but somehow it still makes sense and will become second nature every quickly.
The number pad is a separate device, and uses the same type of keys as the main keyboard. This is great as a split off number pad also means you can centre the keyboard in front of the computer, and not have to reach too far to use the mouse.
One of the best things about the Sculpt is the inclusion of a negative riser. This helps you to maintain a neutral wrist posture by maintaining a downward slope. This slope plays a big part to avoid wrist extension (bending the wrists upwards), helping to mitigate wrist pain, and potentially carpel tunnel. Many other keyboards sold as "ergonomic" tend to get this wrong, by providing feet at the back to raise the back of the keyboard upwards.
Thanks to its curves, shiny black plastic, and a sculpted hole between both halves, this wouldn’t look out of place on the Starship Enterprise. It is an understated piece of art which looks elegant, yet blends into an office space.
Portability
This really is a desktop keyboard. While you can fit it into a backpack for travel (and I have done so in the past), it’s relatively large and bulky. If you’re looking for something more portable, have a look at my recommendations for portable, travel-friendly split ergonomic keyboards to find something that suits your needs.
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- The Best Portable Ergonomic Split Keyboards: https://www.bulsuk.com/2025/01/best-split-portable-ergonomic-keyboard.html
Connectivity
The only way to connect the keyboard to your PC is to use the included USB A dongle. Incase’s re-release has not changed this, and there is no Bluetooth, nor wired connectivity. Do note that the keyboard, number pad, and mouse (if you bought the desktop set) are all permanently paired to the dongle at the factory: if you lose the dongle, then your keyboard becomes useless. This was a source of criticism when it first came out, and it remains a weakness.
Another problem with the dongle is that it is subject to interference to other devices. It works best when plugged in directly to your laptop. If you are plugging the dongle into a dock, you’ll likely need to buy a short USB extender cable to physically move the dongle away from the dock. The interference results in dropped keystrokes, or sometimes a few seconds of unresponsiveness. This is common with USB receivers, and it is not a Sculpt keyboard specific issue.
Battery life
The keyboard uses two AAA batteries, while the number pad uses a CR2430 coin-cell battery, rated at 3 years for the keyboard, and 6 years for the number pad. I can validate these battery lifespans are accurate: they seem to last forever. The use of standard batteries is a big plus given built-in, rechargeable batteries are only convenient until they fail. Replacing them usually requires the sourcing of an (often) expensive, difficult-to-find proprietary battery, followed by extensive disassembly and reassembly of the device.
Use on Macs
I have tested this on Macs, and on iPads, and I can confirm that the Sculpt works. Given it is a Microsoft keyboard, the keys are Windows centric, and this may cause a bit of confusion when pressing short cuts on macOS. In any case, you'll need a USB C to A dongle, or an external dock to plug in the wireless dongle.
Availability
The Sculpt is available for purchase from Incase, who took over manufacturing from Microsoft. However, it seems they are not keeping up with demand, and the Sculpt sometimes goes out-of-stock. Incase also doesn’t offer shipping to every country either, nor is it available on every Amazon store. It seems they may not have the same logistics and retail capability as Microsoft, which is unfortunate. For countries without direct sales, you will need to rely on importers, who may charge higher prices.
Incase currently offer two bundle choices: the Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard (USD 120), or the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop (USD 180). The Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard simply contains the keyboard and number pad. The Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop also comes with the Sculpt Ergonomic Mouse. If you have a choice between the two, I suggest buying the keyboard only, and then using the money left over to buy a Logitech MX Vertical mouse, which is far superior in comfort to the Sculpt Mouse.
Some minor issues
Having used this keyboard for more than 10 years, there are some small problems which you may encounter. One of them is that the function keys sometimes get stuck without realising it, and the keyboard becomes unresponsive when that happens. This is because the function keys are more akin to a small button, and the side plastic bit may stick at the corner, resulting in a continual pressing of that function key. It’s not hard to unstick by jigging the button, but this may cause frustration to those who do not understand how to fix it. As an example, in the photo below, the F9 key is stuck in this manner.
The palm rest fabric may also come unstuck at the corners. This is a purely aesthetic problem, and in my experience it does not spread to the rest of the palm rest.
Is the Sculpt keyboard still worth buying today?
Absolutely. It is a very comfortable, well designed keyboard which can help to manage, if not eliminate pain associated with poor typing ergonomics. It's high quality build will last you a decade or more, while its modern design will ensure it won't look outdated throughout that time. Its wireless connectivity options and reliance on a USB A receiver does show its vintage, but even today many devices, Logitech included, still include USB A dongles with their devices.
Overall
If you can find the Microsoft/Incase Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard at a reasonable price, jump and buy it. Maybe even buy two just in case. There’s a reason these keyboards have been well loved for 30+ years, and why until recently, Microsoft has been a leader in the field. The Sculpt is an amazing investment to help prevent wrist pain and improve your ergonomic setup.
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