It's All In The Wrist

The Age

Thursday March 27, 2008

Dan Kaufman

Dan Kaufman puts a few ergonomic keyboards through their paces.

MOST people don't give ergonomics a second thought until they develop aches and pains and yet, regardless of whether or not you have an overuse injury (often referred to as repetitive strain injury), a well-designed keyboard can be far more comfortable and healthier than the standard versions.

There are several factors you should look for in a keyboard, the first being the amount of space it takes up on your desk. Ideally the keyboard should have proper-sized keys and yet be narrow enough to comfortably use a mouse on the side without your arm splaying away from at too great an angle. This means that integral number keypads are not a good idea. Instead, it's better to have a detachable number keypad so it's only there if you need it.

The second factor is key travel, which is often overlooked. This is the distance the keys move as you hit them, and the more travel the better, as it helps cushion your fingers and reduce stress.

A handy feature of the Kinesis keyboard (see panel) is that it has a lot of travel and lightly beeps when a key is pressed halfway so you don't subconsciously feel the need to press hard for it to go all the way down.

The most noticeable feature of most ergonomic keyboards is that they're usually split. Because our arms aren't parallel to each other while typing, but instead come in from our body at an angle, standard keyboards often cause our wrists to bend away from our forearms, which is not ideal. A split keyboard keeps hands, wrists and arms in line.

Since it also feels unnatural to have our palms parallel to the desk, most ergonomic keyboards are also angled (or tented) upwards in the middle so that both sides of the keyboard slope away rather than lying horizontally. This reduces the amount of wrist rotation or twist.

Just how much the keyboards split the left and right-hand sides in addition to reducing rotation can differ a lot: whereas the Kinesis keyboard is split and curved so much it looks like a science-fiction device, the Kensington is flat and looks like a normal keyboard until you realise the keys are angled on either side of the keyboard to encourage correct alignment of your wrists and arms.

Whether or not a keyboard should have a wrist rest is arguable. Some therapists claim it helps, while others say it's bad as it forces your fingers to do all the work when really, if your posture is correct, you should be using your shoulder and back muscles to move your arms and fingers. If this sounds confusing, try typing with your wrists anchored to the keyboard, then try sitting up straight without resting your wrists. Some companies say that just because their keyboards have a wrist rest doesn't mean you have to use them all the time. But a lot of keyboards have the rests angled in such a way that it's hard not to lean on them, which is why we believe it's better for a keyboard not to have a wrist rest.

Some people refuse to use an ergonomic keyboard because they believe the split sides will make it too hard to use, yet it usually only takes a few days before it feels natural. Given the long-term advantages of ergonomic keyboards, we strongly recommend considering one. Mac users also no longer have an excuse not to buy one as Goldtouch now has Mac and PC versions available, while the Kinesis lets you modify the keys for Macs or PCs.

The contenders

Goldtouch Ergonomic Posture Keyboard

$195

www.ergonomicoffice.com.au

5/5

This lets you adjust the size of the split in the keyboard and how high you want it to tilt vertically to reduce wrist rotation. Because there isn't a number pad (a standalone is available) and the keys that usually take up space on the right-hand side, such as insert and delete, have been relocated, the keyboard is narrow enough to make it easier to use a mouse on the side. Lastly, the keys have a decent amount of travel. This is a great ergonomic keyboard.

Kensington Comfort Type

$24.95

au.kensington.com

3/5

Instead of physically splitting the keyboard in two, the Kensington has keys that have an angular rather than a square shape to encourage your wrists to keep in line with your forearms. The keys also have a large degree of travel but there is a number pad on the right-hand side that makes the keyboard too wide. Overall, this isn't as ergonomic as the others but it is better than average.

Verdict

We believe the Goldtouch is the best keyboard, although some might prefer the Kinesis. Those scared of using a split keyboard may prefer the Kensington, however, especially with its bargain price.

Kinesis Advantage Pro

$495

effective-ergonomics.com.au

4/5

This requires your hands to be further apart than the other keyboards and curves so dramatically that it forms concave shapes for your hands to sit in. Some keys (including delete, enter and space) are placed underneath these concave areas for your thumbs to press, which is a good idea, and the key travel is better than the other keyboards. However, we didn't like the wrist rest or the way it anchored our hands into such a specific (and non-adjustable) position.

Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000

$79.95

microsoft.com.au

3.5/5

The main complaint with this is it's too wide, largely because of the number pad. On the plus side, however, the keyboard is curved so it tents up slightly in the middle to reduce wrist rotation and the split should be enough for most people. However, it could use more travel in the keys.

© 2008 The Age

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