{"id":24403,"date":"2022-12-19T13:22:04","date_gmt":"2022-12-19T13:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/19\/this-is-the-secret-to-picking-the-right-size-keyboard\/"},"modified":"2022-12-19T13:22:04","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T13:22:04","slug":"this-is-the-secret-to-picking-the-right-size-keyboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/12\/19\/this-is-the-secret-to-picking-the-right-size-keyboard\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is the Secret to Picking the Right Size Keyboard"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Many people don\u2019t realize that the size of their computer keyboard can cause significant ergonomic issues resulting in shoulder and arm pain. But there\u2019s a surprisingly simple way to pick the right keyboard for your desk.<\/p>\n

Hold It Up to Your Chest<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re shopping for a new keyboard and curious if it\u2019ll be comfortable long term. Hold it up to your chest.<\/p>\n

No really. This isn\u2019t some elementary school-grade prank where you hold a keyboard up to your chest and get punched while somebody yells something mildly insulting. It\u2019s a really simple way to compare the size of the keyboard to the width of your shoulders.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s how I cured my shoulder pain with a new keyboard<\/a> without even realizing the ratio of the keyboard to my body. The issue I had was mechanically simple, even if it took me a bit to figure it out. My keyboard was too wide, so I had to cock my arm out at a more severe angle to use the mouse. I did it for years, and millions of people with too-big keyboards are still doing it.<\/p>\n

My shoulder pain disappeared almost instantly when I replaced my massive full-size 100% keyboard with a more compact 80% tenkeyless keyboard<\/a>. But it wasn\u2019t until I was on a conference call with some of my fellow writers here at How-To Geek\u2014 who were talking about that issue and how to pick out the right keyboard\u2014that I realized there was a ratio at play.<\/p>\n

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My old pain-inducing keyboard was wide enough that, when held up to my chest, it covered my entire chest and a good portion of the front of my arms. No wonder I always had to move my arm out a weird angle to use the mouse, the keyboard was almost as wide as I was. But the new tenkeyless keyboard that solved my shoulder pain? It fits neatly between my arms.<\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re struggling with shoulder and arm pain related to your computer use, before you run out and buy a premium \u201cergonomic\u201d keyboard (many of which are absolutely massive) or dabble with really niche designs like split-keyboards, consider simply upgrading to a keyboard that lines up, quite literally, with your body.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n