Portable folding split keyboard with laptop‑style scissor keys, great typing feel, affordable price, and ideal for travel.
The JOMAA Portable Folding Split Keyboard is unbelievably cheap, coming in at only between US$22-30 on AliExpress. It is a surprisingly good keyboard despite its low price, offering a full laptop keyboard experience with standard chiclet key travel, and without omitting keys to keep it compact.
Given the price, it’s not perfect, and its main drawbacks come from the fact it doesn’t just automatically switch off when folded – you need to actually switch it on and off. It you don’t, when folded the keys will mash against each other, and if your laptop or tablet is still on, it’ll immediately type junk into your Word document or email.
Despite that, it remains a solid contender for super compact and portable keyboard. It is more suited to short to medium bursts of activity, such as emails. While you can certainly write pages and pages of documents, I would steer you towards more substantial keyboards such as the Keychron K11 Max which will provide a more comfortable experience during extensive typing sessions.
Price: US$ 22-30
Rating: ●●●●○ 4.0/5.0 Excellent
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Cons:
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- See unboxing and original thoughts: https://www.bulsuk.com/2025/11/jomaa-portable-folding-split-keyboard.html
Typing experience
Typing on the JOMAA portable split folding keyboard feels like any typical laptop. It uses scissor switches, and is responsive and bouncy.
Like all keyboards, it takes a while to get used to. The keys are slightly smaller than the ones on my ThinkPad, and its direct competitor, the ProtoArc XK03 (our review), so initially the JOMAA felt a bit cramped. It took a few typing sessions to adapt to it, after which typing speed increased. I took four typing tests over the course of two months, and saw speeds of 78 WPM, 68 WPM, 87 WPM, and finally 87 WPM, all at 98% accuracy.
As a comparison, I hit between 85-98 WPM when using the Microsoft/Incase Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard, but as that is a full desktop keyboard, the JOMAA shows that it can hold its own.
Design and ergonomics
This is an Alice layout (unibody) keyboard, with the two halves split at an angle to help prevent you from bending your wrists at an unnatural angle. As it sits flat on the table to keep the package compact, it really does benefit from having an ergonomic chair with good armrests to help keep hands hovering above the keyboard, and helping to avoid bending your wrists upwards, as opposed bending them upwards (pronation). In this set up, it provides a decent amount of comfort.
The challenge with ergonomics is that the whole set up provides the comfort, with the keyboard being only one component. Keeping your hands and wrists in an ergonomically optimal position without armrests can cause strain after a while, since the keyboard’s flat form factor (and lack of a negative riser) offers no additional support.
From a layout perspective, the keyboard sits between a 65% and 75% layout, possessing a function row, but omitting keys such as page up and end. This is a good compromise, as it gives you most of what you need, without increasing the size of the package.
The key layout is optimal, with the keys at the middle next to the hinge (the T, G, B, Y, H, N keys) being physically longer. This design choice helps you to hit the key, as opposed to just empty plastic space.
The scissor switches means you get a decent amount of bounce and feedback. It feels like a laptop keyboard (the ThinkPad variety, not the MacBook), and I estimate it offers around 1.8mm key travel.
As the name alludes to, the keyboard uses a clamshell design and can fold shut, and is kept closed by magnets. There is an on and off switch on the side, as the keyboard doesn’t automatically turn off when you fold it closed. This does mean that the keys can and do press against one another when closed, so it’s important to remember to turn the unit off before packing it up. I was a bit surprised at its omission, but given the price range, gave it a bit more leeway.
There is a lock at the back to prevent the keyboard from folding, which is useful if using it on a lap or other unstable surfaces.
The unit is made of plastic and it feels a bit hollow. Although this helps to keep the weight down, it does feel cheap (which makes sense given its low price). The hinge itself also appears to be plastic, and it feels like a weak point in the structure – if a user were to accidently apply too much force, it feels like it could just snap.
Also given the plastic build, it’s not the grippiest thing around, and it can slip around on a table when typing. This wasn’t a significant issue in my tests though, and people can easily stick a couple of rubber dots on the back to give more traction.
There are five small LED lights on the left of the keyboard, to indicate Bluetooth connection, caps lock, and low battery respectively.
Portability
This is a small keyboard, coming in at 36 x 13 x 0.85 cm (14.1 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches) when unfolded, or 18 x 13 x 1.7 cm (7.1 x 5.1 x 0.67 inches) when folded, (length width height) weighting only 253g (0.56 lbs). It will easily fit into a folder or a backpack, making it perfect for working on the plane or train.
Customisation
The JOMAA’s keys cannot be customised.
Connectivity
The JOMAA uses Bluetooth to connect to up to three devices. Although the keyboard has a USB C port, it is used only for charging.
There is another version of this keyboard which also offers a USB A dongle, but it offers the same typing experience. It is also priced slightly higher.
Battery life
JOMAA claims that it can be used up to 31 hours, with 30 days of standby battery life. In real-life use, I managed to get about 10-15 days before having to recharge via USB C. If switched off, the keyboard keeps its charge for many months.
Conclusion
Usually you get what you pay for, but the JOMAA Portable Folding Split Keyboard punches way above its weight. Despite the price, it offers a solid and comfortable typing experience, with bouncy keys and satisfying key travel. Its foldable form factor makes it an excellent travel keyboard, although I would recommend it more for more targeted writing, such as emails, rather than for writing a thesis. For more serious writing, I’d steer you towards options such as the Keychron K11 Max for portability, or the Microsoft/Incase Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard if you want a desktop option.
The plastic build does leave one curious about its long-term durability, but at US$22, it is a fair trade off.
Overall, given its superb and affordable price point, and good typing experience, the JOMAA is easy to recommend.
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