Introducing the Toucan2 Keyboard

Background

When the original Toucan launched last year, the goal was simple: eliminating the cables required by the Piantor. I needed a lightweight, portable split keyboard I could easily bring alone with me for work and travel.

The resulting compact, wireless board with an integrated touchpad was a huge success. Seeing how much you love using the Toucan keyboard has been incredibly rewarding.

As I listened to your feedback, one request stood out above the rest: a multi-touch touchpad. Today, I am so excited to introduce the Toucan2.

Introduction

The name “Toucan2” actually has a double meaning: it’s the second generation of the Toucan, but it also stands for the 2-finger gesture.

The Toucan2 is now equipped with a multi-touch trackpad. This means we can use natural multi-touch gestures, like swiping up with two fingers to scroll through a page, without pressing an additional key to switch to the scroll layer.

Design of Toucan2

We kept the minimalist, low-profile design that makes the Toucan perfect for travel. A custom glass cover now sits over the trackpad, providing a smooth glide while keeping everything incredibly thin. As before, it is available in 36-key and 42-key layouts.

During prototyping, we tested two different touchpad placements. We discovered that angling the trackpad to match the thumb key created a more comfortable trackpad usage. Switching between typing and using the touchpad felt better in the thumb angled design, and it reduced the stress on my wrist. Because it felt better during our testing, we are making this “Thumb Angle” design the default case.

(Note: If you happen to prefer the “Column Angle” design, or if you want to experiment with both options, the column angle case is also available as a standalone item on this page.)

Converting Toucan to Toucan2

If you already own the original Toucan, please do not buy the Toucan2 unless you want two keyboards, like one for the office and one for home! The original Toucan can be converted to Toucan2. All the necessary material kit, including the new trackpad, the custom glass cover, the breakout board, and the case, is available here.

No soldering or desoldering is required for this conversion. Whether you originally built the Toucan from a DIY kit or purchased a pre-soldered keyboard from us, you will be able to convert it. I will create a video and guide on how to complete the conversion soon.

Toucan Upgrade Kit: https://shop.beekeeb.com/products/toucan-upgrade-kit

New Status Screen Options

We are also bringing some fun updates to the firmware. Alongside the original status screen, 2 new display options will be added. One features a clean WPM pixel graph, and the other showcases our 1-bit pixel art Toucan icon to give your board a bit more personality.

You can simply select the layout you prefer when compiling your firmware.

Other Minor Improvements in Toucan2

Hard & Compact Travelling Case

In additional to the original soft keeb bag, we have designed a custom, perfectly fitted hard travel case for the Toucan2. It features an internal divider to safely store each side of the keyboard separately. A common downside of hard shell cases is that they are usually bulky and take up precious luggage space. The custom case - Keeb Guard Bag is tailor-made to fit the Toucan, meaning minimized wasted space while providing better protection than the soft bag.

Improved Materials

As we mentioned in our 6-month Toucan update, we have upgraded the case materials and are now offering even more options to choose from.

Lightweight & Compact Tenting Stand

A portable tenting stand that is compatible with both the original Toucan and the Toucan2, is available here.

Charging while Typing

We have changed the design of the included rubber feet. The new rubber feet provides just enough clearance to allow you to comfortably plug in and charge the keyboard while you are actively using it, without needing to attach any extra risers.

BETA Testing and Pre-orders

We are currently preparing to send the Toucan2 out to a small group of beta testers. In the meantime, the Toucan2 is officially available for pre-order!

You can reserve both the DIY kit and the fully pre-soldered version over at https://s.beekeeb.com/toucan2, with shipments planned to begin in late July 2026.

A Special Thank You

The absolute best part of this journey has been the connections made within this community. Meeting so many incredible ergonomic keyboard enthusiasts and brilliant firmware developers has been incredibly rewarding. I want to give a massive, special thank you to u/geeksville for his invaluable help in solving so many of the tricky issues related to the new trackpad driver.

Check out more photos of the Toucan2 here: https://s.beekeeb.com/toucan2