Are you looking for some helpful tools for writers? When you spend all day typing, an ergonomic keyboard is a must-have. They take some getting used to, but your wrists and shoulders will thank you!
Benefits of Ergonomic Keyboards
These keyboards aim to position your hands in a way that is more comfortable and puts less strain on your hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders.
1. Ergonomic keyboards keep your hands in a neutral, slightly angled position, increasing blood flow and relaxing your muscles.
2. They put your hands in an ideal vertical position and often include palm rests to relax your wrists.
3. They require less force to press the keys, resulting in less strain.
4. They have contoured layouts, which allow your arms to sit at shoulder width, perpendicular to your body—again, reducing strain.
Features to Look for in an Ergonomic Keyboard
Here are a few features you should keep an eye out for in these great tools for writers:
1. Split Keyboard
Many of these keyboards are split down the middle, meaning you can adjust the distance between these pieces to the ideal width for your shoulders.
2. Curved Design
Other ergonomic keyboards are curved instead of split, to take away the threat of repetitive strain and allow your wrists to rest on the curve. This also means you don't have to reach as far to hit all the keys because the keyboard is curved.
3. Tenting
Tenting is the elevation in the middle of the keyboard, and all ergonomic keyboards have it. This elevation raises your thumbs above the rest of your fingers, relaxing your forearms and increasing blood flow. The amount of tenting varies among keyboards.
4. Adjustable
Many keyboards allow you to adjust the space between the split halves or adjust the tenting. That is especially nice if you're not sure what will work best for you, but the adjustable keyboards are often more expensive.
Tools for Writers: Some Great Ergonomic Keyboards
Here are some great ergonomic keyboards to help you in your quest to find the perfect one for you.
Microsoft Sculpt
This ergonomic keyboard is fairly inexpensive for a good ergonomic keyboard. It's a curved design and has a separate number pad, which can save space if you type on a pull-out keyboard drawer or shelf. Plus it's wireless! This works for both PC and Mac. (At the time of this posting, the above link is fabulous deal and includes a wireless mouse.)
Kinesis Freestyle2 VIP3 for PC or Mac
This is a split keyboard with adjustable tenting. Of all the keyboards mentioned here, this one is the most adjustable. At least in terms of the space between the two sections of the keyboard. But some may find the complete separation difficult to use.
The Kinesis Maxim
This is an adjustable split keyboard: the two halves are still connected, but you can adjust the distance between them. You can also close them completely to make a standard keyboard, which is a good option if you sometimes share a computer with someone who isn't familiar with ergonomic keyboards or sometimes use the keyboard in situations where you have less room. The tenting slope has two settings to choose from. This works for both PC and Mac. One of our partners at Book Cave uses this exact keyboard and she recommends not using the optional pads that stick on the bottom of the keyboard because they eventually start to show dirt and oils. But if you love using the pads, they are replaceable from the manufacturer's website, as are the adjustable hand rests themselves.
Matias Ergo Pro
This attractive keyboard is more expensive than the others but has a lot of neat features, like dedicated keys for copy, paste, and undo, which save you time and stress on your wrists. It is a split keyboard with removable palm rests, nice tenting, and mechanical keys. It even has a USB hub, which can come in very handy.
Additional tips for wrist safety
Also try lifting your chair and using a pull-out keyboard drawer or shelf. The right position can drastically ease pain and in many instances can prevent carpal tunnel surgery. Using a mouse that you scroll using a ball with your thumb instead of with your hand takes a day or so to get use to but it can greatly reduce stress. We use this Logitech mouse. A mouse pad with a wrist support is also a great stress reliever.
Happy writing!
We hope this post on helpful tools for writers helps you find the perfect keyboard. Do you already have an ergonomic keyboard? We'd love to hear what you have in the comments below!
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