Types Of Ergonomic Keyboards You Should Be Familiar With

Ergonomic keyboards are designed to reduce the risk of wrist strain

, fatigue and carpal tunnel syndrome, which is one of the repetitive motion injuries affecting tens of thousands of American typists each year. PC ergonomics is an emerging field that has picked up a lot of press in the new millennium because there are so many more people whose job consists of extensive computer work and, as a result, there are many more people who miss work due to computer-related wrist or back injuries. Bosses are looking at ways to improve productivity and reduce worker's comp payouts, which is really at the heart of ergonomic product designs.

One of the latest ergonomic tools developed by Peter McAlindon actually eliminates the finger and wrist motions needed to hit the keys. The "Keybowl" with its built-in mouse has the user's hands resting on two separate domes that slide into eight positions to select letters and numbers. Even though it's a very strange type of keyboard to get used to, McAlindon says, "The Keybowl is easy-to-use and may help temper the growing worldwide problem of typing-related injuries. This design and method have the potential to benefit all typists, including those with temporary or permanent physical disabilities." There are many other types of typing ergonomics products out there.

Split keyboards are one of the more popular designs because they reduce ulnar deviation, which is a hand position where the wrist is bent toward the little finger, contributing to the fatigue of muscles, thumb-area tendons and wrist nerves. A conventional keyboard requires users to strain to reach the space bar and vertical columns of keys like "Home" or "Page Up/Down." Split keyboards change the arrangement of the keys, separating the keys into two halves elbow-width apart. Sometimes the angle is slightly changed to reduce ulnar deviation further. After an initial drop-off in speed or accuracy, users generally get used to this product design within a day or two. Examples of split keyboards include The Kinesis FreestyleTM Adjustable Split and the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000.

Negative-slope ergonomic keyboards are another design to consider. Some designs include extendable leg supports in the front of the keyboard to give a flat or slightly backward slope that prevents wrist extension. Bending the wrist back has been shown to increase pressure on the median nerve and exacerbate the wrist muscles. A wrist rest prevents sagging and straightens the elbows to improve posture. Unfortunately, there is very little ergonomic evaluation or research published about this design, but negatively sloped keyboards have easy-to-read keys and many people say their wrist posture is better. In some cases, users may bend their hands up and over the front of the keyboard, which could hurt the wrist if used improperly. An example of a negative-slope keyboard is the Proformix system.

Choosing between the different types of ergonomic keyboards can be tricky since so much depends upon personal preference, but Consumer Reports rates the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 as the "Best Ergonomic Product Design" in the category. This design received positive reviews at consumer site www.amazon.com, as well as www.pcmag.com, www.maximumpc.com and www.everythingusb.com. In their report, they wrote, "The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is engineered to reduce hand and wrist stress, allowing users to type in a more natural position. The keys in the middle are elevated higher than the keys at the side, so your hands rest at a less stressful angle. The keyboard uses a QWERTY layout with easily visible keys. An interesting zoom feature lets you enlarge the text on parts of a page. Some other ergonomic keyboards range in price from $100 to $400, so the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is a relative bargain."

by: Keira Adams

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