I use a foldable phone as my main PC, and I thought a foldable Bluetooth keyboard would be an awesome addition to my mobile workstation. Sadly, it was not. Allow me to unfold this for you.

1

​Hinges Make Button Placement Awkward​

Foldable keyboards are like other Bluetooth keyboards. They quickly pair to your computer or phone, and they allow you to type without bothering with cables or USB adapters. Some have touchpads (like mine), eliminating the need to carry around a separate Bluetooth mouse.

The difference with foldable ones is that they’re awkward. Since they have to fold, they usually have one or two hinges. I bought one with two hinges, which allows it to fold down compact enough to fit in the pocket of my pea coat.

Due to these hinges, buttons aren’t placed or shaped quite like how they are on normal keyboards. Certain keys have been moved around. Others are weirdly tiny. This is not the keyboard you learned to type on at school.

2

I Make More Typos As a Result​

Most of the time, I don’t give much thought to where my fingers are on a keyboard. After decades of typing, my fingers just know where to press. Am I using the “right” fingers to press each key? I don’t know, and I don’t particularly care. My fingers know what they’re doing.

Switching to a foldable keyboard is like pulling the rug out from under them. Time and time again, my fingers go to press a button only to find that it isn’t there. I make more typos than I usually do, then I spend a bunch of time having to reach for the backspace key.

To make matters worse, the backspace key is one that has shrunken significantly. The key is so small that the word “backspace” won’t even fit on it. Since my fingers keep missing this tiny button, I have to consciously look down whenever I need to fix a typo. Ugh!

3

It’s Weird Going Back and Forth Between Keyboards

If you have a mechanical keyboard for your desktop but use a MacBook the rest of the time, you know that switching back and forth between PCs can mess with your typing. These keyboards are wildly different in how they feel, and your fingers may need a moment to adjust.

With a foldable keyboard, that adjustment just feels taken up to a whole new level. I’m accustomed to Bluetooth keyboards. I keep one at my desk, and I find them more comfortable than mechanical keys. Yet I still find myself aggravated whenever I switch from my usual Bluetooth keyboard to a foldable one. They may be similar in overall size and key travel, but the buttons are way too inconsistent.

This is the same reason I didn’t stick around with a digital typewriter like the Pomero DM30. That foldable E Ink digital typewriter is a great concept, but the wildly different keyboard meant I was actually writing more slowly than I was on a laptop, even with all the distractions that come with the latter.

4

​If I Committed to Just This Keyboard…

A foldable keyboard isn’t inherently bad. If I fully committed to using just this one keyboard, both at home and on the go, then I could make it work. My fingers would perhaps be ruined for anyone else’s computer, but I could make it work.

Still, that’s quite the commitment. After all, these keyboards arguably provide an inferior experience. They’re smaller, even compared to small lightweight keyboards like my Keychron B1 Pro.

I may be outside the norm by ditching my PC for a foldable phone, but that feels like a pragmatic decision. In having one device that allows me to work from anywhere, I’m gaining more than I’m missing out on, even if some of the apps aren’t quite as capable as their desktop counterparts.

With a foldable keyboard, I just don’t feel like I’m gaining all that much. Yes, the keyboard takes up less space in my bag, but for the most part, I still need to carry it in a bag.

Foldable keyboards aren’t expensive, so it won’t set you back much to give one a try for yourself. Just keep all the packaging. You may end up wanting to return it. I wish I returned mine.