If you find yourself at the computer for long periods of time you may have noticed either your wrist or your shoulders start hurting after a while. A big part of this is improper ergonomics. There exist these weird-looking keyboards called “ergonomic keyboards” that claim to help with this, but I’m not talking about that in this article.
In this article, I’m talking about a simple and cheap, or even a DIY solution.
I am talking about a keyboard wrist rest. The nice part about this item is You can easily make one of these at home. However, if you’re okay with spending some money, you can buy one pretty cheap and they look nice.
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What is a Keyboard Wrist Rest?
A keyboard wrist rest is a simple device that goes under your wrist in front of your keyboard. This makes sitting in front of your computer a lot more comfortable.
Resting your hands on the table and keyboard in a bent position is not recommended. Though, this is what a lot of people do.
So, Is a keyboard wrist rest necessary? The answer is it depends. You won’t really have any problems using the computer for short bursts of time. However, people that sit at a computer all day long for work, or have a really extensive gaming session, may start to have pains in their wrist or their shoulders. If this is the case then a keyboard wrist rest could really be the solution to your problems.
Should I Use a Keyboard Wrist Rest?
You should use a wrist rest if you are worried about hurting yourself. for most people, it probably won’t really be that big of a deal especially if you only use your computer a few times a week or less than a couple hours a day.
People with full-time jobs that revolve around working at a computer should probably invest in a keyboard wrist rest. I think they will really benefit you in the long term. Using your keyboard with improper hand positions could potentially, over time, cause undesired discomfort. So if you want to avoid that then yes you should use a keyboard wrist rest. That’s for you to decide and whether or not you want to use a keyboard wrist rest is your choice. But you really have more to lose not using one.
A side note:
One thing to know about keyboard wrist rests is people think that you’re supposed to rest your wrist on it the whole time. However, that is not the case. They are really only meant to be used when you are not using your keyboard. For example, when reading a blog post or watching a video. However, when you are typing you should have your wrist hovering over the keyboard in a flat position. Bending your wrist will only cause problems later.
Different Types of Wrist Rests
Memory foam:
Memory foam wrist rest might be the more comfortable option. The material will bend and flex around your wrist for a nice supportive structure. However, these usually take some time to break in and also if your wrist tends to sweat a lot you may have to clean or even replace your wrist rest often.
Wooden wrist rest:
These wrist rests aren’t as comfortable however they are much easier to clean. I also think the wooden wrist rest is a lot better-looking. If you prefer looks over comfort then you may prefer the wooden wrist wraps. However, that’s not to say that the wooden wrist rest isn’t comfortable. I think that they are pretty comfortable and a lot better than nothing at all. They just aren’t as comfortable as the memory foam option. At least not in my personal opinion.
Get Both!
If money isn’t an issue, you could even get both. You could use the memory foam wrist rest while you’re working and then switch to the wooden wrist rest when you’re done. Place the memory foam into a cabinet on your computer desk and it will be there when you’re ready to work again.
Make Your Own!
If money is an issue you may prefer none of these options. But you may still want the benefit of the wrist rest and you can easily make one at home with a shirt or any cloth material at home. Or even a towel. Just roll it up and put it under your wrist.
Conclusion:
After using a wrist rest for a while you will really notice a difference. You will reduce the strain on your shoulder from an improper posture and also reduce any pain in your wrist that may result from the unnecessary strain caused by resting your wrist on the table and keyboard in an angled position.
