Why I Went Back to Full-Size Keyboards

Like every young guy who receives his first paycheck as a developer, I decided to invest in my setup. Everyone wants to have a nice place to work, and I’m no different.

The main problem is that most things that make up a nice setup are very expensive (especially in Brazil). To be honest, this is a shit.

For example, my mechanical keyboard cost me around $108 (R$530). That’s a lot of money in Brazil, and honestly, it just doesn’t make sense.

Spending almost half of a minimum wage on a keyboard feels crazy when you stop to think about it.

On top of that, mechanical keyboards have chronic issues with switches. Double typing, failing keys, random problems sooner or later, they appear.

But the biggest problem for me was usability. At some point, it started to feel like I needed a course just to use my keyboard properly, especially with 60% keyboards.

Layers, shortcuts, missing keys, custom layouts… everything looked cool at first, but over time it became exhausting for daily work.

Going back to a full-size keyboard felt like peace. No layers. No complicated shortcuts. No missing keys. Everything is exactly where it’s supposed to be. I don’t need to think before pressing a key anymore. I can just focus on my work.

The funny thing is that, after all the hype around compact mechanical keyboards, I realized that comfort and practicality matter much more to me than aesthetics.

Maybe full-size keyboards are not as cool or minimalist, but they are reliable, simple, and stress-free.

And honestly? That’s exactly what I want from a keyboard now.