Dygma Defy review

The best ergonomic keyboards all have some common features, such as a split keyboard, built-in tents, and a key layout that minimizes strain on your fingers and wrists. They are also usually very exorbitant because they are custom-made products and sold in diminutive quantities to a niche market. But when Dygma Defy commands a starting price of $609 for a fully loaded model, expectations will inevitably be extremely high.

I try not to be biased when reviewing modern gear, but the full price of the Defy is strenuous to ignore. While it’s certainly not the most exorbitant keyboard I’ve ever seen, it’s significantly more than any other I’ve tested recently — over $180 more than the current price of the MoErgo Glove80, for example.

It didn’t aid that some of my first impressions weren’t particularly positive. The sample Dygma sent us has all the optional extras (wireless, tent, RGBW lighting, and replacement keys), and when everything lights up, it screams luxury, but some parts feel extremely budget-friendly. The wireless adapter, which also serves as a hub to connect both sections to your PC via USB cables, is very budget-friendly and more than a little flimsy.

But let’s leave all that aside for a moment and focus on what Dygma Defy does Is. It is a fully split, ergonomic keyboard with each section constructed from an aluminum keyplate and a plastic casing.

The build quality seems very solid, and I especially like the fact that Dygma sells the Defy with three different switches to choose from (our sample is the Kailh Silent Brown, and another six are available at an additional cost). Getting the right writing experience shouldn’t be a problem.

In the same way that all split, columnar (aka ortholinear) ergonomic keyboards require dedication and persistence to adapt to, the Dygma Defy has grown on me over time. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is potentially the best ergonomic keyboard I’ve ever used. However, I say potentially because, as things stand, I cannot ignore the negative aspects of Defy, despite its genuine positives.

I’m already looking into the future, so let’s start with the basics. Dygma Defy uses a column layout for the home keys and a thumb group for frequently used keys to reduce finger movement.

The latter takes some getting used to, and the fact that there are eight keys in each set makes them very fiddly to employ, especially compared to the MoErgo Glove80 and ZSA Moonlander.

However, one nice aspect of Defy comes to the rescue here. The laser-etched ABS keycaps on the thumb assemblies feature “sight holes” that allow each key’s RGBW lighting to shine through, and once you get used to the feel of each key, it’s very straightforward to see where your thumbs should be aiming.

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By default, the thumb keys are illuminated in different colors and compared to, for example, the Glove80, the Dygma Defy is easier to grip and employ. That said, if you’ve never typed on a split column keyboard before, you’re in for a learning curve, especially if you’ve been touch typing on a standard layout for years.

When it comes to pure typing comfort, you can’t beat a fully ergonomic layout – but it’s certainly not for everyone.

The key element of such ergonomics is the ability to position the keys. This involves elevating the innermost keys so that the wrists can remain in a more natural, relaxed position. While the Glove80 and Moonlander have a built-in, near-stepless tent, Dygma offers it as an optional add-on for $80, and I have to say it’s not the best system I’ve ever experienced.

His very straightforward to throw out and set up at one of eight different angles (from 5° to 60°), but I have never felt 100% comfortable with it and I always employ a tent wherever I can. Without the luxurious wrist rests, the sections are not completely stable, even at diminutive tilt angles. This is because resting your wrists on the keyboard causes the top to rise very slightly, and the tent legs require weight to keep them in place.

This problem disappears with the addition of magnetic wrist rests, but the fact that the tent system can’t lock in place not only reduces stability, but also means that if you move the keyboard around, there’s a risk that the whole thing will come loose. For $80 I would like something much more solid.

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And speaking of solid, a dongle that works as Bluetooth and RF receiveras well as the USB splitter, they seem very feeble, as I already mentioned. Wireless connectivity is another optional extra ($90 for this one), and like the tent system, it’s a rather clunky affair.

To employ Defy in Bluetooth mode, insert the dongle into the left keyboard and turn on the wireless mode switch on both parts. However, if you want to employ the low-latency RF connection, the dongle must be connected to your computer using the included (and rather stiff) USB Type-C cable (a Type-C to A adapter is also included). box).

Almost every other wireless keyboard handles all this with a basic and diminutive USB dongle for the RF connection, and everything Bluetooth is managed by an internal component. Dygma’s solution seems like too onerous a way to do all this, and at $90 it should be much simpler.

During my time with Defy, I experienced several glitches when connecting to my computer using USB Type-C cables. More than once it refused to recognize that it was connected and the only way to get around this was to connect the Defy via Bluetooth or RF and then connect the cables.

But that’s not all. For configuring keys, macros and lighting, Bazecor Dygma the open source software is really good – feature-rich and refreshingly straightforward to employ; Within minutes I had Defy set up exactly the way I wanted.

Other keyboard vendors should take a close look at the Dygma app and take furious notes. What’s particularly impressive is the fact that Dygma describes it as still in beta.

For all its strengths and weaknesses, the Defy wouldn’t be a very good keyboard if it wasn’t pleasant to employ, especially as a daily driver. After spending a few weeks with it, I have to say that while it’s really nice to employ, it’s not quite as good for writing as the ZSA Moonlander, but only because it’s not particularly suitable for smaller hands like mine.

The goal of an ergonomic keyboard is to minimize finger and hand movement, but I had to reach a little too far for my taste.

However, I find them to be much better to play than the Glove80 and Moonlander, and this is due to the excess number of keys on the thumb groups. Having too many of them means your thumb gets more exercise than it would like, but it makes it easier to reassign them to make them more accessible in games.

You’ll still play better with a customary layout or something like the Kinesis Gaming FreeStyle Edge, but this will make the Defy more suitable for gaming.

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Dygma makes a terrible point when it comes to the Defy – magnetically attached wrist rests, lighting system, travel case, and software, to name a few – but if I had $370 to spend on a boutique ergonomic keyboard, I don’t think I’d choose one that didn’t have a tent or wireless connectivity. The idea of ​​having to spend an extra $170 just for these things really shines on the Defy’s strengths.

And if you want the Defy to come with very nice RGBW LEDs, that’s another $70. Add it all up and you have a dollar value of change of $610. At this price, you’ll want near-perfection, and the Defy isn’t there, although I don’t know what keyboard will ever be worth that amount of money.

However, it has the potential to be one of the best ergonomic keyboards, and if Dygma plans to make the Defy 2 with integrated wireless and a tent, both as solid as the rest of the keyboard, then it could be a real winner. As things stand, you’re spending an awful lot of money on something that’s risky – Dygma Defy might be the ergo for you, but it can also be a costly mistake.