Some people think of living in harmony with nature in terms of taking an ax and a loincloth into the wilderness and never looking back. Most of us, though, prefer a more one-step-at-a-time approach.
One part of this can be changing your working environment into something that looks a little less bleak than typical paint-and-plastic office décor. There are a few opportunities to do this, but in terms of uniqueness and daily visibility, you’d struggle to do better than a keyboard made of bamboo.
The internal parts are, of course, still plastic and metal, as there’s no way around this. Everything visible, however, is handcrafted bamboo with a smooth finish. It feels very nice and warm on your fingertips, the keys are quiet and easy to press, and it’s capable of keeping up with the most demanding typist.
You can choose between three different models; these differ in size, extra function buttons (open email, adjust sound, etc.), and whether they offer wireless connectivity or not. Each comes with a mouse.
The writing on the keys consists of grooves cut into the surface, which makes it a bit difficult to read. If you’re not the best typist, this will be inconvenient, though you could try gently applying wood stain or something similar to make it more visible. The wireless receiver will also probably not work with your mobile device or TV, though almost all versions of MAC OS and Windows are supported.
These are this keyboard/mouse combination’s only real flaws, though. Apart from looking gorgeous, it works well and should last you for years unless you spill something on it.
Some people will, of course, be worried about the hygiene aspect of using organic materials. As it turns out, bamboo and wood are actually more sanitary in this case. With plastic, germs simply sit on the surface until they’re cleaned off or destroyed, which doesn’t happen too frequently on most keyboards. Bamboo is porous, so bacteria naturally migrate to the interior, making it much less likely that you’ll contract the flu from someone using your keyboard.
