Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
ErgoDox 76 Hot Dox V2 review
The ErgoDox Hot Dox is another reinterpretation of a classic design by Alpaca Keyboards. What was once the go-to DIY split kit with a hallmark thumb cluster, comes now pre-built, in a refreshed hotswap version and in a stunning acrylic case.
Published April 11, 2024
Designed by Alpaca Keyboards and sold by Apos, the ErgoDox 76 "Hot Dox" V2, this new take on the classic ErgoDox layout and PCB is a gorgeous pre-built split keyboard coming in a nice layered acrylic case and with hotswap sockets, per-key RGB, backlight, and a lot more – bringing the characteristic DIY charm of the original ErgoDox project to a whole new level.
If you think the name is starting to get out of hand, resembling a Spanish aristocrat, think again. Each part of the rather long name carries significant meaning.
The Hot Dox V2 is more than a typical ErgoDox — the hot swap switches allow you to easily swap in all your favorite switches, no soldering required. The V2 has independently swappable halves, uses the VIA configurator, and is RGB backlit – Alpaca.
While there are literally hundreds of split layouts out there, with numerous ErgoDox variants among them, many of these PCBs are DIY projects requiring soldering or placing an order at PCB manufacturers, laser cutters, etc. In contrast, the protagonist of this review is a fully built split keyboard, ready to rock right out of the box, bringing ergo splits to the masses.
The Hot Dox V2 is a successor of the historic ErgoDox, a project introduced by Dominic Beauchamp (aka Dox) and PCB designer Fredrik Atmer (aka bpiphany) as early as 2011, now a part of mechanical keyboard history. Alpaca's Hot Dox V2 is its refined and updated descendant.
Disclaimer
The review unit in the photos, a fully built model with switches and caps installed, was sent to me by Apos. Seasoned kbd.news readers should be familiar with this store by now, but in case you've missed my Whitefox Eclipse review: despite their main focus being audio, Apos is expanding to mechanical keyboards and already offers an impressive selection of keyboards, keycaps and related accessories.
I'm not being paid to write this review, but as always, getting a free sample may result in all kinds of bias, both positive and negative in my experience. Take everything I write with a grain of salt.
First impressions
While the original ErgoDox was a bit chunky for my taste, the ErgoDox "Hot Dox" V2 looks stunning despite the same form factor. Part of this is the gorgeous layered acrylic case with aluminum switch plate (pretty impossible to shoot proper photos of it because the sandwich of layers acts like a mirror):
Nestled between layers of durable acrylic, the aluminum switch plate of the Hot Dox V2 is allowed to shine. This design choice is not just for looks – it enhances your keyboard's feel while providing a window into its mechanical heart – Alpaca.
You know I have a penchant for splits and have used various split models for ages, so I felt right at home with the Hot Dox. To be honest, after all these years it's hard to imagine what a newcomer to splits would feel, but based on the relatively large number of keys, subtle columnar stagger and larger caps of the outer columns, the transition from a standard keyboard should be relatively easy compared to more minimal splits or those with an extreme stagger.
Hot Dox V2 features
- pre-assembled
- ErgoDox layout, 38 keys per half (with 1.5U outer column)
- hotswap, MX
- on-board Atmega32U4 MCU
- OLED screen (layer indicator)
- per-key RGB + backlighting
- independent halves (they can be used separately)
- all USB Type C
- VIA support
Origin story
With its inception going back to 2011/2012, preceding even the Whitefox, the ErgoDox is another piece of keyboard history.
We are talking about an open-source project. If you are looking for production files, the original ergodox.org site is now ergodox.io – saved for future generations by Max Whittingham (robotmaxtron) and the community. However, the story began in 2011 with this interest check on Geekhack.
Developed by Dox (Dominic Beauchamp), the printed circuit board of the ErgoDox was designed by bpiphany (Fredrik Atmer), a popular layered acrylic case by litster, and the original firmware by Ben Blazak.
Dox was inspired by Nestor A. Diaz's Key64 keyboard, and also Maltron and Kinesis keyboards, obviously.
As already mentioned in the Whitefox review, given today's thriving keyboard scene it's really hard to imagine how difficult it was to get a custom keyboard manufactured or to source compatible keycaps for a unique layout. In those early days of mechanical keyboard renaissance these were almost insurmountable challenges. Almost. Because the ErgoDox came into existence – and have been with us for more than a decade now.
Apparently, even the unique keycap set required to populate the ErgoDox could not scare off users. Masses of people ordering it in pieces and soldering their own boards was a good sign for vendors, so DIY kits and pre-built options hit the market: from an early Teensy-based version on Massdrop to the Ergodox EZ, from the Infinity ErgoDox to unbranded alternatives on Aliexpress.
The Hot Dox V2 by Alpaca is the latest in a long line of predecessors.
Thanks to the open-source nature of the ErgoDox, it has inspired numerous other projects as well, e.g. Matt Adereth's Dactyl.
Unboxing & Contents
In the white cardboard box you have the prebuilt Hot Dox with switches and caps mounted (barebone version also available), along with two cables, tools, some bumpons and replacement screws.
Both cables are USB C, and of equal length (in contrast to the official photos renders at Apos with one of them being shorter).
ErgoDox layout
The original ErgoDox keyboard is split into two separate halves, each having a 7-column layout with a subtle columnar stagger. There are some alternative layouts, so each half can have 38-40 keys, 32 keys in the main area plus 6-8 keys in the thumb clusters (the 2U thumb keys can be used as 2x1U as well), totaling 76-80 keys on the whole board. There are variants out there that support 1U outer/inner keys too.
However, the ErgoDox 76 Hot Dox V2, as the name implies, has a fixed 76-key layout. This means 2U keys in the thumb cluster and 1.5U keys in the inner and outer columns.
Keycaps
The Hot Dox comes with dye-sublimated PBT DSA caps. Pretty thick, and there are two color options: white caps for the light version and dark grey/black caps for the dark colorway.
The homing keys have deeper dish.
Sourcing compatible keycaps is much easier now than it was back in 2012, but you have to make sure you know what you're doing when eyeing with a fancy keycap set. Even if there are 12x1.5U and 4x2U caps in a larger keycap set, profile incompatibility makes it tricky to populate the ErgoDox with most sets intended for standard(ish) layouts.
Switches
The PCB of the Hot Dox comes with hotswap sockets, so you can easily mount your favorite MX-compatible switches or replace the stock switches the board comes with if you prefer something else.
That said, there's a barebone option without any switches, and Kailh Speed Coppers or Rose Reds if you'd like a fully pre-assembled build.
Funnily and unexpectedly, my prebuilt board came with none of these but what looks like Kailh Burgundy switches. I sense a disturbance in the Force here. Will update this article if I learn more about this.
Build quality, structure
No gaskets, this ErgoDox is sandwich mounted, just like in the good old days. No surprise given the stacked structure.
The standoffs are really nice and thick, not the basic ones you usually see in DIY kits. (The bundle comes with some extra replacement screws and standoffs.)
The switch plate is matte black aluminum, but the transparent acrylic layers above it make it behave like a mirror. It's really tricky to make proper photos of it without seeing yourself reflected in the images:
See the mysterious guy showing the V sign here? How handsome! (I swear the kbd.news T-shirt was accidental.)
PCB
As the full name implies, the PCB of the ErgoDox 76 Hot Dox V2 supports only the 76-key layout variant, which means fixed 2U thumb keys and 1.5U inner/outer caps.
Beside the per-key RGB, the underglow makes a lot of sense in this case too, thanks to the transparent acrylic layers and bottom.
Displays
By default, the left display indicates the active layer, the right one the last characters you typed. I'm not sure how serious of a security issue this may cause.
Ergonomics
Let's make it clear: keyboard ergonomy is a complex issue, and very personal too. There is no single general solution for everyone, that would make no sense since our fingers and hands are different. Accordingly, don't expect wonders if you have already developed pain. However, the ErgoDox, just like most split keyboards, introduces some features which in many aspects make it superior compared to the standard keyboard and may or may not alleviate or prevent various symptoms. These are:
- Split, adjustable halves.
- Thumb clusters.
- Columnar stagger
What's missing from the full ergo arsenal: tenting, keywell and splay.
Split halves
The split halves may help your posture and their adjustable angle alleviate ulnar deviation. So if you have problems with your wrist when typing, a split like the ErgoDox or even a unibody angled board may help.
Thumb cluster
Even a split spacebar is capable of wonders, but a thumb cluster, when set up properly, can be a real boost to your performance.
To say the truth, I prefer a basic tree-key thumb arc, but the more keys of the hallmark ErgoDox thumb cluster, a legacy of Maltron and Kinesis keyboards, won't hurt you either. The upper keys are not in the way at all, so simply ignore them if you'd like to stick to three keys.
I like the thumb keys closer to the main area. This particular cluster is even a bit further than that of the Glove80 which is also too far for me. To avoid stretch, you can use the inner thumb key as your home position or reprogram the whole main area and bring it inwards by one column.
Columnar stagger
Going columnar simply makes sense. Just think about why would we stick to the horizontal staggering, a legacy of mechanical typewriters, when there has been no type bars inside keyboards for about six decades now.
I personally like more extreme stagger, but also accept that people coming from a standard keyboard may be scared off by my go-to offset of 1.5U on the pinkies. :D Again, the ErgoDox proves that it was designed with the average user in mind.
However, given the extra bottom row, you can reprogram your pinky column keys and offset the whole part with 1U. This is what I did (but haven't adjusted the caps).
Portability
As it is often the case with split keyboards, packing up and traveling with two pieces of hardware rather than one single slab (plus two cables if wired) is always more cumbersome. Not impossible of course, but I'd recommend the ErgoDox for stationary use.
Software
QMK and VIA compatibility. Great! No need to install anything. It's always nice if you have a familiar graphical interface to configure your board. Just head to usevia.app and start messing around with your keymap.
Reproducing my custom layout and setting up SpaceFN went like a breeze. Whether you are the type who set up things once or keep tweaking your logical layout on a daily basis, the capabilities of the VIA-compatible Hot Dox do not limit your options.
Conclusion
The ErgoDox "Hot Dox" is a very well build split keyboard. With a nice look, proven design and offering great customizability, I can recommend it to anyone who'd like to try out a split layout but doesn't feel like ordering all the parts for an open-source DIY project, soldering, or sending the production files to a PCB manufacturer. Seasoned split users who are ready to dirty their hands can find a plethora of open-source projects out there, but if you need a pre-assembled split working out of the box, the build quality and features of the Hot Dox V2 won't disappoint you.
Pros
- Split layout and features
- Build quality
- VIA support
Cons
- Portability is tricky, just like with most splits.
- Thumb cluster - a bit too far for my taste but may be perfect for others.
Availability
Feel free to use the KBDNEWS coupon code for 5% off, so the ErgoDox "Hot Dox" V2 is available from $185 (pre-assembled barebone) to $233 (full build with Kailh BOX(?) Rose Red switches and DSA keycaps):
- ErgoDox "Hot Dox" V2 product page at Apos
Other products in the photos
- Kyoto deskmat from qwertykey (5% off, use the KBDNEWS code)
- Purple-blue Yosemite deskmat provided by Kinetic Labs
- Stackable tray (tall) by keebwerk (10% off, code: KBDNEWS)
- Kemove P10 switch puller (Awesome tool! Here is my P10 review. The KBDNEWS code works in this case too.)
Resources
Published on Thu 11th Apr 2024. Featured in KBD #161.
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