Your Keyboard Isn’t Just Straining Your Wrists, It’s Making You Worse at Your Job

Most keyboards have a problem: they don’t position your hands, wrists and arms in their natural positions. This results in unnecessary pressure or stress — what’s commonly referred to as “pronation” in ergonomics.

If kept to short intervals, using a flat traditional keyboard isn’t a big deal. But that’s not how people work, and hours of undue pressure can lead to chronic wrist pain and, ultimately, a lack of overall productivity.

The good news is that there are myriad ways to improve the ergonomics of your workspace: you can adjust the height of your screen and chair to improve your posture; you can adjust the lighting; or you can use a keyboard specifically designed to combat pronation.

Here’s why you should consider the latter.

Why are ergonomic keyboards better?

An ergonomic keyboard has a more spread-out and concave design than a traditional flat keyboard. It allows your wrists to rest outward, instead of forcing you to turn them inward like a traditional keyboard.

Amazon

Best Overall Ergonomic Keyboard

Logitech Ergo K860

• $127.99 at Amazon

For most people, their biggest apprehension to getting an ergonomic keyboard is that it’s going to feel unnatural, when actually the opposite is true.

Are there cons to using an ergonomic keyboard?

If you’ve never used an ergonomic keyboard, there will be a learning curve. After all, you’ve probably spent your entire life — or at least the last few decades — typing on a traditional flat keyboard.

But there’s another reason that may get in the way … literally. Ergonomic keyboards tend to be big, taking up more desk space than a compact keyboard.

What features should I look for in an ergonomic keyboard?

Style

There are several different styles of ergonomic keyboards. Most are constructed into a single piece — what’s called a “unibody “design.

The other style is an ergonomic keyboard with a split design, which essentially divides the keyboard into two pieces — a left and a right. This allows for greater flexibility in where you want your hands but isn’t essential to improved ergonomics.

Connection

Just like traditional keyboards, ergonomic keyboards come in wired and wireless options. Wired options are generally cheaper and more straightforward to connect, while wireless options are more expensive but don’t have a wire that clutters your desk.

The other thing to consider is that most wireless options give you the option to wirelessly connect over Bluetooth or use a USB transmitter; the latter of which typically brings more customization (via software) options.

Compatibility

You want to make sure that the ergonomic keyboard you get is supported by your current desktop or laptop. Not every option works with both Mac and PC. There are some manufacturers who make specific versions of a certain ergonomic keyboard for either Mac or PC.

Which ergonomic keyboard should I buy?

Amazon

Best Overall Ergonomic Keyboard

Logitech Ergo K860

• $127.99 at Amazon

I’ve spent years testing ergonomic keyboards. I generally prefer unibody keyboards, even though they lack the flexibility of split designs, because the learning curve isn’t as steep.

In my professional opinion, the Logitech Ergo K860 is best all-around economic keyboard you buy. It has a curved design with a full row of function keys, a number pad and an extra-large wrist rest.

Photo by Tucker Bowe

The Ergo K860 also has a negative tilt, meaning there are only feet at the front of the keyboard. This forces your hands and wrists into a more upward and natural position.

Additionally, it works with both Mac or PC, and it supports the exact same software as Logitech’s Master Series of keyboards so you can customize and remap the keyboard to fit your needs.

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