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What is the best keyboard for arthritic hands?

Best ergonomic keyboards Kinesis Freestyle2 Ergonomic Keyboard for PC (9” Standard Separation) ... Dell ML-Ergosecure 2.0 Keyboard. ... Logitech ERGO K860 Ergonomic Split Bluetooth or USB Keyboard. ... Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001) ... Microsoft LXM-00001 Ergonomic Keyboard. More items... •

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If you spend most of the workday staring at a screen, chances are you’ve developed tech neck or, even worse, a bad back. And the constant clacking on a keyboard or clicking on a mouse doesn’t help matters much, either. In fact, Dr. Scott Weiss, a physical therapist and board-certified athletic trainer, says, “The wrong mouse-and-keyboard setup can wreak physical havoc on your hand, wrist, and forearm.” There are plenty of potentially severe side effects to the wrong wrist position. Take, for example, carpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause tingling in the side of your hand, explains Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon. Or a weak grip, which “is tied to shoulder stability, or lack thereof, in turn leading to tightness in the upper traps and neck,” according to chiropractor Dr. Emily Kiberd of the Urban Wellness Clinic. “Too much wrist flexion” — a fancy way of saying bending — “can undoubtedly cause pain and nerve compression,” Weiss says, adding that a movement as simple as reaching your pinky too far out over your keyboard or mouse can, over time, damage cartilage in your wrist. The good news is that these long-term office injuries from typing can be prevented, especially with the right ergonomic desk setup. Still, you should probably understand the proper position for your wrists in the first place. Many of us using laptops tend to hover our hands over the keyboard, wrists extended, says physiotherapist Lyndsay Hirst, but the best way is to rest them instead. Hirst adds that this isn’t always possible with the way most mouses on laptops are set up, however. That’s why a wireless keyboard or Bluetooth mouse (or both) might be a necessary work-from-home accessory. “Your keyboard should be positioned in a way that keeps the wrist pointed straight and does not make the wrists face duck-footed outward or pigeon-toed inward,” Okubadejo recommends. Joseph Santillo, director of industrial medicine at ReLive Physical Therapy, thinks finding a mouse that you can use with either hand can help take off some of the strain. With a new keyboard or mouse, consider the advice of Carrie Schmitz, a wellness-and-ergonomic research manager at Ergotron: “What you need to do is position the equipment in relation to your body in such a way that you’re not in some sort of an awkward posture.” While there are a lot of products on the market that are branded as ergonomic — promising to maintain your posture while you type away — not all of them are that effective. So we spoke to all sorts of experts — ranging from physical therapists to trainers and ergonomists to help you find supportive office gear to prevent wrist pain (and avoid carpal tunnel) including ergonomic keyboards, vertical mouses, and more.

Best ergonomic keyboards

Kinesis Freestyle2 Ergonomic Keyboard for PC (9” Standard Separation) $89 It’s a little strange-looking, but Weiss says a split keyboard helps maintain your natural alignment. Because you want to keep your shoulder in line with your wrists, this keyboard lets you adjust your hand position according to the width of your shoulders. “The last thing you want is to have your shoulders curled inward for extended periods of time, as that can cause many issues and lead to chronic pain,” he says. [Editor’s note: While this keyboard has limited availability on Amazon right now, you can find it for slightly more at Office Depot.] $89 at Amazon Buy $89 at Amazon Buy Dell ML-Ergosecure 2.0 Keyboard $119 $119 Here’s another slightly strange-looking one: Okubadejo praises this keyboard for its ability to change configurations both vertically and horizontally, which can help reduce discomfort during the day. “The V-shape of the keyboard always places less stress on the wrists,” Okubadejo says. He recommends you find a keyboard that has an adjustable angle, suggesting that the best ergonomic ones will have a split keyboard design, which “allows for a more natural position for the arms.” $119 at Dell Buy

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Logitech ERGO K860 Ergonomic Split Bluetooth or USB Keyboard $130 Okubadejo, Kiberd, and Hirst recommend this Logitech keyboard, which our tech writer Jordan Bowman previously called “a great budget pick for a high-end keyboard.” So what makes it special? Okubadejo points out that its curved keyframe can help improve your typing posture since your forearms, fingers, and wrists would be in a much more natural position. “There is also a wrist rest that provides wrist support and it contains asymmetrical keys that make it easier to find your way around the keyboard,” he says. $130 at Best Buy Buy Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard for Business (5KV-00001) $81 now 26% off $60 If you’re using an external keyboard and mouse, you may run into the issue of having to move your mouse farther out to the right (assuming you’re using your right hand on the mouse) to accommodate the keyboard’s number pad, which forces you to extend your right elbow. “What happens with mouse use, for many of us, is that over minutes and hours and days and weeks and years, we can have quite a lot of injury happening to the right arm because we’ve thrown our right arm farther over to the side,” says Schmitz. “The farther away from the waist your arm is, the more risk that you’re going to be exposed to.” While not all keyboards have number pads these days, if you regularly use one for work, Schmitz recommends looking for a keyboard with a separate number pad, like this one. $60 at Amazon Buy $59 at Walmart Buy Microsoft LXM-00001 Ergonomic Keyboard $60 Santillo’s advice? The right keyboard will keep your wrists straight and in a neutral position — and allow you to raise or lower it in order to keep that stance. This keyboard fits the bill, plus it features a cushioned palm rest. $60 at Best Buy Buy

Best ergonomic mouses

Kinesis DXT2 Ergonomic Vertical Mouse $99 $110 now 10% off $99 This is Okubadejo’s pick for the best ergonomic mouse. Okubadejo recommends searching for a mouse that doesn’t actually fit your entire hand, saying that you want to avoid ones that force you to push your shoulders forward (thus, creating much more pressure on them). He agrees with Santillo’s earlier point that a mouse that allows you to switch between your right and left hands is probably better. This mouse does just that. “It’s small enough that it will spread the load of the moving to the hand and arm, which will reduce loading on the shoulder,” Okubadejo says. $99 at Amazon Buy $99 at Amazon Buy Logitech MX Master 3 $100 Okay, we did say that Logitech was popular. This pick was recommended by four experts as the best overall wireless mouse. One feature that particularly earned praise is the customizable (and comfortable) thumb Scroll Wheel. “Having that horizontal scroll to move throughout a video timeline is huge for me, but for the average person who is in Excel spreadsheets or editing web pages, it’s actually extremely helpful. It’s a big mouse that doesn’t feel cramped, like an Apple Magic Mouse,” says tech YouTuber and video creator Sara Dietschy. $100 at Best Buy Buy $100 at Amazon Buy VictSing MM057 2.4G Wireless Mouse $10 This budget-friendly mouse is popular among gamers, but it’d be a good pick for anyone looking for a comfortable, affordable mouse. As one reviewer writes, “It is super comfortable in the hand, it’s large enough to provide good support to help prevent hand fatigue, and has grooves for [resting] your thumb and ring and pinky fingers.” [Editor’s note: This mouse is currently sold out on Amazon and you can only buy it through a third-party seller at Walmart.] $10 at Walmart Buy

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Best ergonomic keyboard and mouse accessories

Nex Mouse Pad With Keyboard Wrist Rest Pad Kit $26 $26 For a cheap way to boost the comfort of whichever mouse and keyboard you’re using, Holland recommends supportive memory-foam wrist pads. She says she bought this set “for my husband, who was complaining of carpal tunnel syndrome,” and it “works great.” $26 at Walmart Buy Vivo Adjustable Computer Keyboard & Mouse Platform Tray $100 now 10% off $90 When it comes to ergonomics, the position of your mouse and keyboard matters just as much as, if not more than, the specific equipment you use. “Your elbows need to be about the same height as your keyboard, and your arms should be hanging comfortably from the side of your body,” says Schmitz. “Your shoulders should be relaxed. Your wrists should not bend up or down or on either side during keyboard use.” She says you may need a keyboard tray to achieve this alignment and bring your wrists in line with your elbows. This one has built-in wrist padding and allows you to adjust the angle for perfect positioning. $90 at Amazon Buy $90 at Amazon Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

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