Any home office desktop setup needs, at least, a monitor, CPU, mouse, and keyboard. For many people, there is a lot of brainstorming put into the type of monitor and CPU. We want the sleekest monitor and a CPU with a good processor. However, when it comes to choosing the mouse and keyboard, we begin to cut costs and go for the bare minimum. What we don’t know or realize is that going for ergonomic mice and keyboards can make a whole lot of difference in making us comfortable and productive in our various workspaces. In this article, the focus will be on ergonomic keyboards and why they are worth it. So Let us know more detail about ‘Are Ergo Keyboards Worth It?’.
Are Ergo Keyboards Worth It?
The word “ergonomic” has been used a lot today as a top-selling product characteristic. We’ve seen a huge number of those on the market; ergonomic this, ergonomic that, here and there, but what exactly does the word “ergonomic” mean? If something is described as ergonomic, it was made with comfortability and efficiency as a priority. Better put, it was designed to endure a long time of use without causing the user serious discomfort.
Ergonomic keyboards endeavor to reduce the tension and strain that usually come from long periods of typing. They do these using features that allow the hands and wrists to rest in a natural position. But really, is any of this true or it’s all just hogwash and this is all just a con to get more customers? In this article, we’ll get to see whether getting an ergonomic keyboard is good and whether they are worth all the hype about them.
Are Ergo Keyboards Worth It?
Yes, yes, and yes. When compared to the traditional model, the ergo models have a lot of benefits that make them superior to the standard ones. They are better designed, and have an improved level of comfortability, along with portability, to name a few benefits. These effects make them quite worth it.
However, the fact of the matter is that, regardless of what anyone says about a keyboard being ergonomic and all that, there is no assurance to the fact that an ergonomic keyboard will be better for a particular person than the standard one. We are all different, and it would be folly to think what works for one person would also work for another. However, there are still beneficial effects, as seen above, that can be gotten from using an ergonomic keyboard that makes using them worth it. Let us discuss some of them.
1. Comfort
There might be some questions as to the reason standard keyboard models don’t provide us the same level of comfort the ergonomic models do. The answer to that would be the shape these keyboard models are designed in. The ergonomic keyboards are usually very well built and come in various models and shapes to select from, based on personal liking and ease of posture.
When typing with a standard keyboard, after a while, the body, especially the upper half develops a lot of tension. The arms hold an abnormal position as soon as they are rested on the standard keyboard. Cramps begin to develop in the forearms. The fingers have to stretch awkwardly. Some sort of shockwave passes through the fingers to the wrist as the keys are struck. Anyone having arthritis wouldn’t even be able to bend their fingers. And the moment we try to relax the shoulders and arms, they shift out of the position of the standard keyboard.
This is where ergonomic keyboards shine and take the spotlight. They are made in different designs that can suit your best body posture. The split model, for example, enables the user to modify the angle and position the keyboard rests, paving the way for a smooth typing experience.
2. Avoidance of Injuries When Typing
Continually using the standard keyboard, despite the awkward movements it causes eventually leads to progressive damage to the skeletal structure of the fingers, especially to the carpal nerve. There is a passageway in our wrists called the carpal tunnel. It is bound by a ligament and bones combine to create the carpal arch above it. All these parts are there to secure what is called the carpal nerve. These parts are bound tightly and when we type repeatedly with our fingers in unnatural positions, we cause carpal tunnel syndrome and other injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome is what happens when we feel pain, loss of sensation, or weakness in our hands, especially in the wrist area.
On the contrary, using the ergonomic keyboard allows your hands and wrists to be at a very relaxed angle, thereby decreasing the probability of injuries and tunnel syndrome. The plush make of these keyboards also improves the ease of wrist movements, which in turn drastically reduces the chance of injuries.
3. Increase in Efficiency And Typing Speed
Ergonomic keyboards also help to improve the efficiency and speed of typing of the user by a wide margin.
When typing on a standard keyboard, our hands and arms quickly and frequently get strained from the awkward angles they are put in. This means we also get tired quickly, and hence we have to take breaks frequently to unwind and release body tension. These breaks mean we are not fully productive and efficient at a task.
On an ergonomic keyboard, however, the reverse is the case. Sure, we would have to take some time to adapt to the keyboard and get a grip on it, but once we’ve come to master it, our work efficiency and typing speed spike up. Now, we can type and execute tasks faster than before because our hands are held in a very free position. Also, since your body is in a relaxed position while typing, there is less chance of tiredness creeping in, therefore increasing our efficiency and working hours. What can be a better gamble than getting a boost to your efficiency because of the purchase of an ergonomic keyboard?
4. Better Design And Additional Functionality
Compared to the standard keyboard, an ergonomic one is not just designed better, it also has additional functions. For example, there are additional keys called hotkeys on these keyboards that reduce the need to use a mouse to move around a computer. They also have programmable keys that serve as shortcuts to opening programs by just clicking on them.
Also, these keyboards come in different designs and make that were specifically constructed to conform to the body’s most comfortable position. Examples of these designs include split, handheld, contoured, and so on.
5. Portable And Have A Wireless Connection
Perhaps your work makes you travel a lot and spend a lot of time outdoors, then an ergonomic keyboard fits you best. The different styles these keyboards come in make them easy to carry about.
And not just that, they are wireless. This removes the stress of having to plug and unplug wires, further increasing our ease.
These benefits and more are what make getting an ergonomic keyboard worth it.
The Other Side Of The Story
While there are a lot of goodies to get from using an ergo keyboard, it is also wise that we see the cons also.
1. Price
Yes, these keyboards are very helpful to our bodies and productivity than the standard ones, but they are also costlier than the standard ones. A standard keyboard might cost less than $100, but an ergonomic one begins at about $200. So be sure you can afford it. If so, go for it, it will be beneficial in the long run.
Some reasons ergo keyboards are costlier may include the fact that they are less popular, a lot of time and research goes into making them, and so on.
2. Adaptation Time
Moving to an ergonomic keyboard from the standard version takes a lot of transition time. Some time is needed to get to know the features and also get used to them. But with time, we can move over this obstacle.
Conclusion
Now We’ve learnt about ‘Are Ergo Keyboards Worth It?’, Getting an ergonomic keyboard is worth it because they give better body positioning, effectively reducing the risks of wrist and hand injuries. Therefore, they increase users’ productivity and typing speed. Of course, they are not a hard fix to every wrist problem caused by typing on the standard keyboard depending on the severity, they at least provide a lot of benefits. And even with their expensiveness, it’s safe to say that they are worth the investment.
So, don’t wait, switch over to using an ergonomic keyboard today and have a happy typing.
Frequently Answered Questions
- What is the most common type of ergonomic keyboard?
That would be the split keyboard. In this design, the keyboard has two halves, that can be adjusted to allow the arms to rest at the best angle.
- What factors do we look out for in choosing an ergo keyboard?
Yes, while ergonomic keyboards give so many benefits, we simply can’t just go choose any kind. Some factors to consider would be your field of work, the adjustability of the keyboard, the presence or absence of wrist rests, keys layout, and so on.
- What if one can’t get an ergonomic keyboard?
If it is possible to get an ergonomic keyboard, learning to sit and position our bodies rightly while typing would be the best thing to do. We must learn this to prevent bodily problems.
