While the solar-charging line of ErgoDox Wireless products has been discontinued, a few round 1 and round 2 group buy extras with solar-charging remain available.
If you have questions about the products listed on this page, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Stock Information
- If a variant is listed and available for purchase, it is in stock and will ship 3-5 business days after the order is placed.
- If a variant is listed but "out of stock", it will be available for purchase at some point in the future but is currently awaiting the arrival of some additional parts. If you would like to preorder and reserve one of these units, please contact us for additional information such as the latest shipping estimate.
At the moment, solar-charging units can only be shipped to the continental United States. If you reside outside this region, please consider the non-solar Lite and Pro.
Round 1/2/3 Differences
The solar-charging keyboards listed on this page are extras for group buy round 1 and round 2.
These do not support RGB underglow. For comparison, round 3 ErgoDox Wireless Lite and Pro include hardware for RGB underglow.
Functionally there is no difference between a round 1 and round 2 keyboard. Internally there were minor hardware changes that made the latter more efficient logistically and slightly cheaper as a result.
Included with Solar
- Raytac USB Dongle (the keyboard halves must be used with a dongle for solar charging to be effective - read about why)
- Multiple layers of foam to improve keyboard acoustics
Dongle
A dongle such as the Raytac USB Dongle is recommended with your keyboard for maximizing the keyboard battery life (read about why).
You can add the dongle by choosing the appropriate product option above or separately adding the dongle to your cart (there is no difference).
Keyboard Addons
Keyboard Features
- No soldering required: PCB comes with hot swap sockets so there is no need to solder switches and you can change them as needed. Diodes and other electronics also come pre-soldered.
- Completely wireless: No wire between the keyboard halves, no wire to your computer.
- Designed to work with the ZMK firmware, which allows powerful keymap customization and seamlessly switching between multiple devices.
- Use with a dongle to maximize battery life or without a dongle for optimal portability/convenience (see details).
- Each keyboard half includes a USB C port for firmware flashing and battery charging.
- Give your keyboard a unique look with RGB underglow.
Included
- Keyboard case components
- Keyboard PCB with electronics
- LiPoly battery (400mAh)
- Rubber feet
Not Included
- MX Switches (more information)
- MX Keycaps (more information)
- Stabilizers (optional)
- Stabilizers are completely optional. Some users prefer using the keyboard without stabilizers. It is recommended that users first try the keyboard without stabilizers and add stabilizers later if desired.
Assembly
As is typical with keyboard kits, some assembly is required. In particular, you will need to install switches into the hot swap sockets and keycaps onto the switches (switches and keycaps are not included as mentioned above).
This is a very straightforward process and requires no soldering (see assembly video). If you prefer to receive a keyboard with switches/keycaps preinstalled, please consider using our assembly service.
More Information
Battery Life
Please check the ErgoDox Wireless FAQ for information on the expected battery life without solar charging (around 9 months with a dongle). The impact of solar charging on battery life depends on many factors such as the type of light and the amount of light available. For instance, natural sunlight is more effective than artificial indoor lighting. Do note that the keyboard does not need to be placed under direct sunlight (and doing so is not recommended); being in the vicinity of sunlight is general sufficient.
The keyboard automatically charges itself when there is enough light and fall back to using the battery when there is not. In the continued absence of sunlight, users can charge via USB if desired.
Whether solar charging is sufficient to not need manual charging depends on many factors such as the duration and intensity of light along with how much the keyboard is used. Based on our testing, solar charging can be sufficient in the right office environment.