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Das Keyboard 4 ProfessionalvsKinesis Advantage360 Professional

The 2014 Das Keyboard 4 Professional still averages higher than the 2022 Kinesis Advantage360 Professional, 7.8 to 6.9, on the back of Ease of use.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional

Das Keyboard

7.8

A full-size Cherry board that runs with no driver, no account, and nothing resident in the background.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Kinesis Advantage360 Professional

Kinesis

6.9

A split contoured board that fixes wrist posture and takes weeks of typing speed as payment.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Ease of use, Das Keyboard 4 Professional ahead 8.0 to 5.6. They come closest on Performance, 8.2 to 8.0. Left of center is Das Keyboard 4 Professional, right is Kinesis Advantage360 Professional.

Das Keyboard 4 Professional versus Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Das Keyboard 4 Professional run left from the axis labels, bars for Kinesis Advantage360 Professional run right. Das Keyboard 4 Professional: Performance 8.2, Value 6.4, Durability 8.9, Ease of use 8.0, Design 7.4. Kinesis Advantage360 Professional: Performance 8.0, Value 5.8, Durability 8.5, Ease of use 5.6, Design 6.8.Das Keyboard 4 Professional (left)Kinesis Advantage360 Professional (right)PerformanceDas Keyboard 4 Professional — Performance 8.2 out of 108.2Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0ValueDas Keyboard 4 Professional — Value 6.4 out of 106.4Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — Value 5.8 out of 105.8DurabilityDas Keyboard 4 Professional — Durability 8.9 out of 108.9Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — Durability 8.5 out of 108.5Ease of useDas Keyboard 4 Professional — Ease of use 8.0 out of 108.0Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — Ease of use 5.6 out of 105.6DesignDas Keyboard 4 Professional — Design 7.4 out of 107.4Kinesis Advantage360 Professional — Design 6.8 out of 106.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Das Keyboard 4 Professional

Leads on Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design.

  • A locked-down work machine where you cannot install anything
  • You want genuine Cherry switches and nothing added on top
  • A volume knob and a media row you can hit without looking

Take the Kinesis Advantage360 Professional

  • Your wrists already hurt and posture is the problem you are solving
  • You can absorb a slow few weeks while your hands relearn the layout
  • Firmware that belongs to you matters more than a familiar layout

What each one gets wrong

Das Keyboard 4 Professional

  • You expect to remap keys — this board does not do it at all
  • You want backlighting; this model has none
  • Glossy plastic that holds every fingerprint will bother you

Kinesis Advantage360 Professional

  • You move between this and a laptop keyboard all day
  • You need full typing speed from the first morning
  • Two large objects with palm rests will not fit the desk you have

Specs, side by side

SpecDas Keyboard 4 ProfessionalKinesis Advantage360 Professional
LayoutFull size, 104 keysSplit contoured keywells with thumb clusters
SwitchesCherry MX Brown or Blue, solderedGateron Brown 45g or Kailh Box Pink 35g
Top panelAnodized aluminum—
ExtrasVolume knob, 2-port USB 3.0 hub, magnetic footbar—
Firmware—ZMK, open source
Connection—Bluetooth LE, up to five devices, or USB-C

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

The Kinesis Advantage360 Professional is 8 years newer. Why does it score lower?
Because the axes didn't move the way the release dates suggest. The 2014 model takes Performance, Value, Durability, Ease of use and Design, widest on Ease of use at 8.0 to 5.6. The 2022 model doesn't lead a single axis.
What did the 2022 model improve?
Nothing that shows up in the 5 axes. Its own listed weakness reads: You move between this and a laptop keyboard all day.
Which one ranks higher in "Three things retire a mechanical keyboard"?
Das Keyboard 4 Professional sits at #2 in "Three things retire a mechanical keyboard", Kinesis Advantage360 Professional at #4.