Keyboard Builders' Digest / Review
Ergohaven Velvet v3 review
The Velvet v3 by Ergohaven is a beautiful prebuilt split with classy contours, keywell, hotswappable switches, and Vial support.
Published December 12, 2024

As a regular user of the Planeta, I'm always excited to see new designs from Ergohaven. The Velvet v3 – a complete rework of the previous Velvet release – was no exception. After a few days of testing, here are my thoughts on this versatile and stylish split keyboard.
TLDR; The Velvet v3 is a 3D-printed true split, available as a barebone kit, pre-built keyboard, but also as an open-source project. With its keywell and contours reminiscent of the Cygnus, this board is more than a simple redesign of the previous Velvet – it's an entirely new model. Sleek case with a more universal three-key thumb cluster, slightly offset and curved. Sitting a bit high, so you may resort to lower profile caps or even switches. The XDA caps are not the best choice for keywells or my thumbs, so I'd suggest to go with the barebone kit or the medium switches on offer. Otherwise, the Velvet is MX-compatible, hotswap, supports Vial, so very versatile – making it an excellent choice for your first split or a stylish addition to your collection. ;)
Disclaimer
Evgeny of Ergohaven sent me this keyboard for free, the Galaxy Black Edition with the fancy filament. As always, getting a free keyboard may result in all kinds of subconscious biases – both positive and negative in my experience –, so take everything I write with a grain of salt.
Other than that, while it ships from Kazakhstan, Ergohaven is based in Russia. Before making any purchase, you may consider if this is in line with your actual view of the world.
Unboxing
The Velvet V3 comes in a blank white cardboard box, again. The K:03 came with some printing already, and the box of the Planeta V2 was straight overwhelming by Ergohaven's standards. :) Now we’re back to basics. That's totally fine – I might even prefer the simplicity and lower packaging costs.
Additionally, the box is compact enough to double as a travel case. Just toss the whole thing into your backpack like I did. That said, there’s also an optional travel bag available.
I got the fully built version in black, featuring tactile Gateron Brown Pro switches and the signature blank white XDA keycap set with two accented thumb keys. (More on this later.) The box included cables, a basic keycap remover tool, and that’s it.
Concept
A no-frills split in a fancy case. No encoders, no displays, not even indicator LEDs: clean and simple. The sleek case is a significant visual upgrade, making it the most elegant keyboard from the team yet, vastly different from the blocky original.
Minimalist, compact, elegant - there is nothing superfluous in it, only the necessary set of elements to know yourself and the harmony of your own world… – Ergohaven.
I had to put it next to my previous Velvet – not really to find the differences but the few specs and similarities they share. :)
The most striking difference is undoubtedly the redesigned, contoured case. While the main key array remains largely unchanged, the case's new shape transforms the device, giving it a fresh vibe and distinct personality.
This keyboard was made with FDM printing in mind, the goal was to make a perfect curved case that can be easily printed and looks aesthetically pleasing with minimal amount of so called "steps" that plague similar 3D keyboards like Dactyl Manuform. This is mostly inspired by the Cygnus, Smudge and Chonky Bois keyboards, we wanted to make a similar "organic" shaped keyboard but much more optimized for FDM printing, easy assembly and looking good not only on a photo but also in real life 😎 – Ergohaven.
Specs
- Compact ergo split: 46 keys, 6x3+3 per half (+2).
- MX-compatible, hotswap.
- RP2040 Zero (Dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor)
- Type-C connection, cables included.
- Firmware: QMK/Vial.
- 3D-printed PLA case
- Dimensions: 157x140x34mm
- 3 years warranty and service support.
Build quality
This is a 3D-printed case with flexible PCB strips inside.
Over the years, printing quality and tolerances have improved significantly. However, it's important to note that a 3D-printed board still can't compare to the precision, finish, and overall feel of a milled aluminum case. The printing layers are particularly noticeable on the black Velvet case, while they tend to be less visible on the white one.
Beyond that, the quality of the printing continues to follow the trend of recent improvements. There are no more huge gaps – in fact, there are no gaps at all, to be precise. Tolerances have reached an entirely new level yet again. This improvement is partly due to the fact that earlier cases were assembled from up to four separate pieces. Additionally, even the most recent models featured screwless designs.
The Velvet v3, however, has a one-piece top case with integrated plate, and the bottom cover is held by four screws (threaded inserts).
Layout
46 keys, 6x3 halves with two extra keys and three-key thumb clusters. The number of keys should be more than enough for most languages using some derivative of the Latin alphabet. No number row, but I prefer using numbers on a layer anyway.
The pinky offset is more aggressive, just a little bit. I prefer even more offset, but this is already a step in the right direction. :)
Keycaps
The blank set is optional, and beside the hallmark white XDA caps there is now DSA and a low(er but still MX) option too. It's called low profile but maybe mid profile would make more sense since they are for the Outemu Medium switches.
Additionally, the board comes with XDA homing keys, this is new I guess – and useful!
As mentioned in earlier reviews, I'm not a big fan of XDA-like profiles on flat plates—mainly due to their uniformity and sharp edges. That said, they work quite well with the Planeta, leaving me with no reason to replace them. However, for some reason, I find the same keycaps less appealing on the Velvet, especially on the thumb cluster. This likely stems from the new angle of the thumb clusters: your thumb tends to rest on the edge of the keycap, which feels uncomfortable.
And I have the impression that the relatively large top surface of the XDA profile makes it a bit crowded for keywells too.
I ended up replacing the keycaps, starting with the thumb keys, and used some low-profile MX caps I had lying around. The THT samples I received from Tai-Hao worked great, as did the scavenged stock caps from the Israfel. But even some reversed caps from the lowest row of a Cherry set would be a good fit.
Other than that, obviously, blank caps are for touch typers, so you may need to consider this when placing your order. Go with the barebone kit and use your own caps if you rely on legends.
Switches
Since the board is hotswappable, you can go with the barebone kit and use your favorite switches. FYI, here are the actual top200 community-favorite switches if you need some inspiration. Otherwise you can choose from some Gaterons or Outemus offered by Ergohaven. The selection is pretty diverse: linear, tactile, silent tactile, and normal or medium MX.
I'm glad I received the Gateron Brown G Pro V3s. They are not the greatest tactile switches, but at least now I have a point of reference. :) Given the light diffusers, they would work great on something with per-key RGB, but I can barely feel the tactile bump. They feel almost like linears to me, so I replaced them with some community-favorite tactile alternatives – out of curiosity.
These Gat Browns are ranked twentieth among tactiles on the switch top list, but I had laying around silent Akko Penguins (1st), Gateron Quinns (4th), and also Akko Cream Blue Pros (6th). (Unfortunately, I have only a handful of samples from Baby Kangaroos (2th) and Chosfox Voyagers (3th)).
The Velvet handled the wear and tear well, the abuse of replacing all the switches several times didn't faze it at all despite not supporting the hotswap sockets. The verdict? I liked the Quinns, but concluded that the popularity of Penguins is well-deserved too. Everything after using the silent Penguins is too noisy. The Gateron Browns and especially the Akko Cream Blues were downright formidable in terms of sound, at least combined with these hollow 3D-printed cases. If the general mushiness of silent switches would turn me off, I would go with the Quinns.
Thumb cluster
Here is a comparison shot of the Velvet v3 vs v2. The difference is night and day.
The third thumb key is a game-changer on its own, but the arrangement and the angles are better too. However, this is personal preference, and depends on your hand size and finger lengths. Maybe I'd like it a bit closer to the main key area, there's some wiggle room in the design for this.
That said, the thumb cluster is a bit high for my taste, so replacing the caps with something lower profile may be worth trying.
If I had some Choc V2s or something else with MX footprint, I went with those I guess.
Simplicity
No display or speaker – in contrast to the latest Planeta –, no encoders or indicator LEDs.
What I was surprised about: no holes for tenting legs either, or the usual service hole on the bottom as pretty much all of Ergohaven's previous models had it.
While I personally don't find tenting essential, the holes came in handy when trying to remove the snap-fit bottom plate. It took me some time to figure out that the Velvet v3 has screws now, hidden beneath the bumpons.
This design consideration is apparently a move away from the DIY vibe, a step in the direction of a product aimed to the less tech-savvy customer who needs a fully pre-built keyboard, ready to rock right out of the box.
PCB
After removing the screws and bottom cover, the flexible PCB is revealed, which is open source by the way. MX hotswap sockets, RP2040 devboards on a daughterboard, USB Type-C connectors both between the halves and on the host side.
While I managed to replace the swithes without any issues, supporting the sockets from the bottom is a good idea in general.
Typing feel
Haha, the keywell feels very similar to that of my MoErgo Glove80, so at an early point – setting up the keymap of the Velvet while still typing on the Glove80 next to it – I was wondering why the huge travel suddenly? It was the Velvet of course, with a considerabe actuation travel compared to the Glove's Choc switches I was thinking I'm touch typing on. :)
Otherwise, non-silent switches were very noisy in my experience, the hollow case amplifies the sound, so I'd recommend one of the popular silent switches, as already mentioned.
Software
The pre-built Velvet works right out of the box. If you type in English and use QWERTY, all you have to do is plug it in and start typing.
Since I use a custom keymap, as a first step I headed to vial.rocks to recreate my good old layout. The device was recognized immediately, without any issues.
Vial is awesome and straightforward to use, I didn't have any difficulties while setting up my layout, including SpaceFN.
Portability
I'd say something like the one-piece Planeta, with its monoblock design, is always easier to carry around. However, a true split like the Velvet isn't impossible to travel with either. The original cardboard box was compact enough to slip into my backpack – that's how I typically transport boards between my home and office – and it keeps stray cables neatly contained.
Obviously, there are more compact alternatives with fewer keys and lower profile, but then you often have to compromise on usability.
Price and availability
The new Velvet v3 has become a bit more expensive, but it's still a relatively affordable ergo keyboard if you don't want to deal with ordering PCBs, soldering, and 3D printing. (However, if you're willing to give it a go, both the case Step/STL and PCB files are available.)
For keyboard enthusiasts who sit on piles of keycaps and switches, the white barebone kit starts at $190 (the old one cost $175). If you'd like a fully prebuilt keyboard working right out of the box, with caps and switches mounted, it will set you back about $230-265 (in contrast to the v2's $216-232). The fancy Galaxy Black Edition costs $10 more, so that's the priciest combo with silent tactiles and the extra travel pouch.
Are these prices justified? Numbers show that the $60 unibody angled KBDcraft Israfel is hard to beat as a first split nowadays, but the Velvet is a true split with columnar stagger, keywell and proper thumb cluster – more comparable to the $399 Glove80, although less keys, and a 3D-printed case without tenting and palm rest.
Conclusion
The new Velvet V3, with its elegant design available in both white and black, fits seamlessly into most working environments. The redesigned three-key thumb cluster is a major improvement over the previous version, though I find it a bit high for my personal preference. The board works right out of the box, offering versatility and ease of customization (Vial, hotswap, MX), and as a seasoned user of ergo splits, I adapted to it almost immediately. However, if this is your first ergo board, you should expect the usual learning curve. Overall, the Velvet is a well-built option for those seeking a contoured, true split with a comfortable keywell. If you prefer this layout (no number row!), you won’t be disappointed.
Resources
- Ergohaven Velvet v3 product page at ergohaven.xyz
- Ergohaven Velvet v3 – Galaxy Black Edition
- Ergohaven Velvet documentation
- Ergohaven Velvet v3 files on github.
- Ergohaven Velvet v3 PCB on EasyEDA.
Published on Thu 12th Dec 2024. Featured in KBD #181.