Which is the better keyboard for typing for extended periods of time? 55g or 45g

[FlareonTheFalse]

Long story short: I just received a Realforce 55g in the mail yesterday. Now transitioning from a cheap rubber dome keyboard, I've noticed that this board is very fatiguing to type on, so I started searching around the forums to see what other member's opinions of the board were. Generally speaking, I've found that some people have noted the Realforce 55g to be unsuitable for typing for long periods of time. Is this true?


I am currently enrolled in programming classes. I need a board that I can type on for hours on end with little to no fatigue if possible.

[rowdy]

Unless you have strong fingers, a lighter keyboard is probably better.

I have fairly strong fingers, and find MX blue and red and 45g Topre a bit light.

I seem to prefer MX black and green.

I am now curious to try 55g Topre ...

[Flyersfan1]

I would give your fingers at least a week or two to fully adjust to the 55g gram switches.  The slight fatigue you're feeling is pretty normal, they are a bit heavier than your standard rubber dome. They were a bit of a shock to me too once I first got my 87u, but I eventually learned to love them once I got used to weight.  If you still can't adjust to the weight, you could always sell it in the classifieds and maybe try a 45g or variable next! Good luck!

[Macsmasher]

I am a programmer. I also have an 87U 55g, an 87U variable and an HHKB Pro2 (45g).

My 55g is my primary board. As a coder, you're not typing constantly, and I prefer the heavier switch. If I'm typing a ton of documents and plain text, the 55g can get a bit fatiguing at times, which is why I have the other boards. You'll find most guys that make their living on a keyboard have several of them and switch off depending on the work at hand. Obviously, it boils down to personal preference. Nobody can tell you whether a 55g is too heavy for you and your typing style. With all that said, I think you did right getting the 55g 87U. It's the finest board I've ever used.

The above advice to stay with it for a week or two is good advice. Give your fingers, muscle memory and typing style time to adjust and adapt.

In addition, I don't think anybody has mentioned this, but Topre switches need some break-in time. After a couple of weeks of daily use, they will lighten up some.

If I had to choose only one board to keep, it would be my 55g. Stay with it and report back in a couple of weeks. You may just find yourself a 55g convert. 

[jameslr]

If I made my judgment on first impressions alone - my 55g Realforce would have been shelved and collecting dust. I was used to the springy effect of MX switches (blues and browns). I stuck with it and after about 3 weeks I couldn't stand typing on MX Brown (even though I'm faster on them). I am getting hooked on my HHKB Pro 2 though (45g switches). It's currently the keyboard that I use with my laptop due to space constraints where my laptop sits. I don't type for hours on end at least not constantly but I work remote and a good bit of the communication I do is via email / IM which is a lot of typing.
I haven't found myself getting fatigued while typing on either my 55g or the 45 HHKB switches. I do, however, like the feel of my plate-based Realforce over the plate-free HHKB.

[Findecanor]

I have used a variable-force keyboard where the index finger keys were 55g at work for programming, and I started to experience fatigue in my index fingers first after a few months.

[Grim Fandango]

This is something that is probably different for everyone. For me however, lighter is better without a doubt. It just feels easier to work with. I first started using a lighter switch not just because I wanted to know what it would feel like, but also because I thought that with the amount I type, it might just be more comfortable in the long run (using blacks for example literally gets painful for me, especially the pinkies). I was right. Reds gave me too many accidental keypresses though, so I eventually settled for browns.

[daerid]

It all depends. I had problems with the 45g Topre as it was too light for my fingers and I would bottom out too hard, making my first knuckle's ache after a long day. The 55g relieved me of that problem (also a reason I like stock clears as opposed to Ergo clears).

[Novus]

Just based on this. I would assume you'd like MX reds or brown and 45g topre