Credit: Razer
By now you probably will have settled into working from home if your job allows for it. The coronavirus pandemic not only changed the daily working lives of many, it’ll likely permanently change the way we think and feel about working from home.
There are many things the modern work needs to make home working, well, work - but besides the computer, desk, mouse, keyboard, chair and strong sense of focus, there are a few extra things that are inexpensive but will massively improve your day-to-day productivity.
One of these things is a computer keyboard wrist rest. Unless you’re working on a very flat keyboard (or have arms of steel), you’ll soon find that your arms and wrists will get fatigued from typing all day long.
External keyboards are usually raised in their construction and the nature of keys. Mechanical keyboards have a lot of travel and are particularly high off the desk. Typing at one for several hours might require you to float your hands above the keys, unlike on a laptop where your wrists can rest on the laptop itself or on the desk.
Investing in a decent wrist rest should solve your aches and pains. They are essentially strips of padded, ergonomic material that you can place between yourself and your keyboard to support your wrists and the weight of your arms. You should soon find that the pain that meant you couldn’t type for long vanishes.
We’ve collected our three favourites below. Happy typing.
Logitech MX Palm Rest Premium
Credit: Logitech RRP: $29.95 @ The Logitech Website
We love Logitech kit and this simple but effective wrist and palm rest is no different. It’s the full length of a standard keyboard with number pad and has a soft memory foam that takes the strain off your arms while typing.
Its covering is easy to clean (because who hasn’t spilled a coffee at their desk?) and has a grippy underside that won’t move around even if your wrists do. It’s not the cheapest wrist rest out there, but we think it’s the best – simple and functional with good quality materials.
Razer Ergonomic Wrist Rest
Credit: Razer RRP: $34.95 @ The Razer Store
Razer is a gaming company, but it also makes several products that double as office peripherals, including its excellent full size wrist rest. As you can see from the picture it is especially suited to angled typing – so if you have a high mechanical keyboard it will angle your wrists and hands at the right angle to counter muscle fatigue.
There is a standard version that uses a leatherette covering over memory foam or a pro version that has the same dimensions but uses a cooling-gel infused memory foam that actively reducing heat and pressure on the wrists.
It’s got a premium price-tag but it’s the most fully featured a wrist rest can possibly be.
Goldtouch Ergonomic Wrist Rests
RRP: $38.50 @ Office Partners
Credit: Goldtouch These wrist rests are the best option if you’d prefer to position each wrist precisely and don’t want a wrist rest in a single strip that has to sit in line with your keyboard.
Everyone types differently, and these two separate rests will let you get the best, most comfortable position possible. They use gel cushioning to take away wrist stress and have a lycra finish that’s easy to clean, and they’re affordable to boot.
