What is a keyboard wrist rest?
An arm rest for a keyboard is called a wrist rest. It means "wrist rest," and some products are called arm rests or palm rests, but all items are basically of the same type.
The role of a wrist rest is to provide a cushion to support the wrist when typing on a keyboard.
When typing, the wrists are either placed on the desk or laptop chassis, or they are floated, both of which put strain on the wrists and can lead to tendonitis, stiff shoulders, and other pains for some people.
Wrist rests reduce the burden on the wrist, and typing with the wrist resting on the wrist rest not only allows typing with a natural form, but also reduces wrist pain and finger pain.
Advantages of using a keyboard wrist rest
Ergonomic wrist rests are a must-have item
The keyword "ergonomic" has been gaining attention in the keyboard genre over the past few years. By designing a keyboard to fit naturally to the human body according to the structure of the human body, it enables more comfortable typing.
The benefits of wrist rests from an ergonomic point of view include the following advantages
- allows the wrist to be placed in the correct position
- reduce wrist and arm tension
- promotion of blood circulation
- prevention of carp tunnel syndrome
All of these can lead to reduced fatigue and pain.
Especially in the case of mechanical keyboards, the keyboard itself is often high due to its structure. When typing without a wrist rest, the wrist is lowered and the fingers are in a position to type with their fingers pointing upward.
When this happens, the wrist is forced to twist, and if you move your fingers a lot in that state, you put extra strain on the tendons, which can lead to tendonitis.
By using a wrist rest, you can force your wrist to a height slightly above the base plate of the mechanical keyboard, allowing you to type in an extended wrist style.
Can improve productivity and typing speed.
Typing speed is an important aspect of using a keyboard. The faster you type, the more productive you will be.
By using a wrist rest, you can place your wrists in the correct position and reduce the load on your body, which will improve your typing speed and enable you to type stably for a longer period of time.
You may not feel much benefit when you first start using it, but after using it for a long time, you will notice that your wrists and shoulders are less fatigued.
Types of keyboard wrist rests
Keyboard wrist rests can be divided into two main types.
- material
- shape
Wrist rest material
Wrist rests vary greatly in "feel" depending on the material they are made of. There are two main types: soft type and hard type.
The hard type is characterized by a snug fit and has the advantage of holding the wrist firmly in place. They are popular among users who want to hold their wrists firmly in place while typing. Hard type wrist rests are made of wood or metal, and have the advantage of being easy to clean even when covered with sweat or sebum.
On the other hand, most of the wrist rests on the market are soft types, which change shape to conform to the shape of the wrist. Elastic materials such as urethane foam or gel are used as the material of choice. Because they conform to the user's wrist shape and posture, they are easy for anyone to use and soft to the touch.
The disadvantage of the soft type is that it is susceptible to dirt, and it is disposable rather than washable and cleanable.
Shape of the wrist rest
The shape of the wrist rest is as important as the material.
The following three are the major wrist rest shapes. 1.
- long type (covers the entire keyboard) Short type (covers only the wrist)
- ergonomic type
The long type has the advantage of covering the entire lower portion of the keyboard, rather than adjusting to the user's wrist position, thus covering the user's wrist no matter where it is located,
Short type covers only the user's wrist and cannot accommodate subtle shifts in position when typing. The short type is not inferior to the ergonomic type, because with proper form, the user's wrist rarely moves while typing.
The last type, ergonomics, is the shape that each manufacturer considers optimal from an ergonomic point of view, and is generally curved to fit the body.
How to choose a keyboard wrist rest
Based on the characteristics of the keyboard wrist rests explained so far, let's take a look at what to look for when actually purchasing one.
First, choose the material.
The most important factor to consider when using a wrist rest is the material it is made of. This is because the comfort of using a wrist rest is completely different depending on whether it is a hard type such as wood or a soft type such as gel.
If you are new to wrist rests, the soft type is recommended. Users who want it to click into place when typing would recommend the hard type, but if you want to reduce wrist pain, the gel type, which conforms to the shape of your wrist, is a good choice.
Determine the size according to the actual keyboard you will use.
The next important factors are the width and height of the wrist rest.
Check whether the width of the wrist rest covers the width of the keyboard for the long type or your wrist for the short type.
Surprisingly, the height of the wrist rest is often overlooked. The key to choosing the right one is to select a product that is "as high as the bottom of the keycap of the keyboard." If it is low, your wrist will be lowered, and if it is high, your shoulder will be raised.
Finally, choose a long or short type.
Once you have decided on the material and size, the last thing to decide is whether to choose a long or short type.
This depends on your preference, but the long type is often chosen for mechanical keyboards because it looks more elegant.
However, if you choose the short type, you can fine-tune it to fit your wrist position, so the short type is recommended if this is your first time using a wrist rest.
Users who have difficulty typing or have sore fingers and arms should try a wrist rest
Some people who work or play games that require long hours of typing may experience pain in their fingers, wrists, or arms due to excessive typing.
Such people may have problems not only with excessive typing but also with their posture while typing, which can be alleviated by using a wrist rest.
To tell you the truth, I myself have serious tendonitis, typing tens of thousands of words every day for work and programming, and I used to have to apply a salon pass almost every day to sleep. However, the use of a wrist rest has reduced it considerably, to the point where I occasionally have to apply a salon pass to take the pain away. (It has not completely healed.)
Although tendonitis from typing can be caused not only by the wrist rest, but also by typing form, typing habits, desk height, chair height, etc., I think it is worth trying the wrist rest as an affordable countermeasure.