Home Treatment for Repetitive Stress Injury

 [Update: 1/28/09]

Many alternative, ergonomic keyboards have been on the market for years and have helped countless people avoid or heal from arm pain. Some look like normal keyboards, while others look more like space ship controls from a sci-fi movie. You won’t find them all at Fry’s or your corner computer retailer, but plenty of online retailers offer good images and descriptors, and can help you evaluate the right product and make an educated purchase. The variety of keyboards on the market right now are inspiring and dizzying — so take some time and look around before deciding what you need.

And, as of January 2009, we have added our own store so you can do some of your comparison shopping right here. We’ve added only the products to our store that we think might help you, and found some pretty good deals too! So let us know if you have hands-on experience with the products and what you think of them–email me to contribute a review or post a comment below.

The Guide to Alternative Keyboards

I’ve broken the keyboards into categories based on their styles, and compiled a comprehensive list for you to review.

Many are listed with us at the RSIHealer shop, but since I tried to make a comprehensive list as possible, I have also linked to other vendors. This isn’t necessarily an endorsement for those vendors, so please let me know if you have any experience purchasing from them and what you think!

If I’ve missed any good, interesting or useful products, please let me know by posting a comment below.

Split or “Ergonomic” Keyboards

Most people who talk about getting an ergonomic keyboard are thinking specifically of a split or so-called “natural” keyboard, like the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard. Most people have seen these keyboards and they’re not uncommon.

Before you buy, consider that some physical therapists warn that some of these keyboards aren’t as ergonomic as they are branded to be. When I had a consultation with Kitty Waldo, the staff ergonomist at UC Santa Cruz, in 2006, she told me that these keyboards cause some users to hunch their shoulders forward, which can give you elbow and shoulder pain.

Most of these models also have a wide footprint, meaning you still have to reach far to the right side of the keyboard–beyond the number pad–to use the mouse, causing you to twisting your elbows out at strange angles.

They are more economical than the more advanced ergonomic solutions, though, so if you’re just in a little pain or want a change, you may want to try some out. Many office and computer stores offer them, and let you touch and try them before you buy. For an online comparison, here are a few to look at:

• The Kensington Comfort Type – at about $13 on amazon this is a very affordable alternative. It doesn’t offer a split in the middle, but keys are slanted so may match your posture better.
• Microsoft’s Natural Elite — the first split keyboard Microsoft offered. Pretty basic, with a raised profile and split in the middle. Back in the day I paid $50 for one, but now they are much cheaper.
• Microsoft Natural Desktop 7000 — the latest version offered by Microsoft, this one looks like it has some improvements from the original. For one thing the keys are more slanted to match your hand. This model has a mouse attached too. A bit pricey, though.
• Smartfish Motorized Keyboard – Here is a new prototype for a keyboard that adjusts itself on a motorized platform every so often, allowing you to keep typing in new positions and therefore avoid the problems caused by staying in one bad position for so long.  Not yet on the market for sale, but has already received press and reviews.  

Small-imprint, aka Mini, Compact and Mouse-Friendly Keyboards

These keyboards get rid of the number pad, Home/End keys and extra stuff on the right side of the keyboard, so you don’t have to reach clear across the desk for your mouse. In stores and online I have seen them for around $70-100, but we have been able to find some models for much cheaper, starting at $9! Yippee, I may have to get one for myself.

• The A4 Tech Mini Slim keyboard integrates arrow keys but gets rid of the number pad.
• This Compact keyboard is smaller than a regular keyboard and only $9 here in the RSI Shop.
• With a mouse trackpad and embedded number pad — the Adesso Mini Keyboard comes with a trackpad like on a laptop, and the number pad is embedded, so with a simple shift key you can access the number pad, without it taking up extra space on the desktop.
• Wireless Mini Keyboard with Trackball — A mini keyboard by Ergoguys and another one by Adesso
• With a detachable number pad — the Kensington Slimblade set is wireless and comes with a mouse.
• Left handed number pad — the Evoluent Mouse-Friendly Keyboard has the number pad on the left hand side
• Illuminated Mini Keyboard — This Zippy keyboard is a pretty looking one, whose keys light up underneath.
• For others, check out listings at Ergonomics Made Easy, or the Typematrix that has a slightly altered key layout

Tactile Keyboards

Some preliminary research from Lawrence Berkeley Labs suggests that typing on springier keys may reduce the risk of injury or pain. These keyboards look like standard keyboards but are softer to the touch, so may help reduce RSI symptoms, if you usually press very hard on the keys. 

• Matias Tactile Pro — standard layout with a tactile feel
• Avant Prime and Avant Stellar — standard layout keyboard with tactile feel (see PC World Review)
• Addesso Tactile Mini Keyboard — small compact keyboard with integrated mouse track pad

Vertical and Adjustable Keyboards

Vertical and adjustable keyboards help correct your posture, by restoring your wrists to a neutral position rather than twisting your palms to face the desk. By widening the space between your hands, they also help prevent you from hunching forward. There’s a wide variation in these.

• Kinesis Freestyle — Flat mini keyboard with a break in the middle, but you can get an accessory kit to raise it to a 10 degree angle.
• Ergo Flex (flat) and Ergo Magic (slight vertical tilt) - Separable sections attached by a cord
• Goldtouch Ergonomic Keyboard — Vertical keyboard, this attaches at the top and slant is adjustable (A friend of mine recommends the Goldtouch)
• Kinesis Maxim Keyboard — Slight vertical tilt or lies flat, compact layout aka mini footprint
• Safe Type Ergonomic Keyboard — entirely vertical layout, with a center number pad.  (Manufacturer site and a rather amusing but snarky review I just found on google 2/09)

Contoured Keyboards

The contoured keyboards slope down around your fingers, to help match the normal slope of your hand. Many of them also incorporate other ergonomic improvements, such as splitting the keyboard into sections and spreading them out to better match the natural width of your shoulders.

• Logitech Wave Set — Almost a standard keyboard but combines a more natural slope for your hands to fit in. Like a standard keyboard it includes a number pad built into the right hand side. It also has a lot of hot keys that work as shortcuts in Windows Vista.
• The Kinesis Essential, Classic, and Advantage — These spread your hands out to get a more natural posture, have a dramatic slope to accommodate your hands, and a compact footprint so you don’t have to reach for the mouse. They embed a number pad under the right hand keys, so you don’t need a separate one. Some models are programmable, and also are compatible with Kinesis foot switches that are programmable. I used the Advantage with my mac for years and loved it. The Essential and Classic are for PCs and a bit less expensive than the Mac version. They also comes with a manual to help you adjust to the unusual layout.
• Maltron contoured — this one is like the Kinesis models but has a number pad in the middle and is somehow twice the cost.

Unique Keyboards

As far as I know, there’s nothing else like this one: the Datahand is a very revolutionary version of a keyboard, for severe sufferers of RSI. 

• The Datahand — A separate version is made for small hands too. You can attach these pieces to your chair if you like, and it requires minimal finger movement. They keyboard was discontinued by original manufacturers and then re-introduced later on.

Portable Keyboards

From roll-up rubber to holographic light, these little innovations can come with you to the coffee shop when you’re otherwise just typing on your laptop.

They’re pretty much spill proof too, so if you have kids or pets they might save you some worry.

• A Roll-Up Portable Keyboard — Your yoga mat of a keyboard –this is flexible, rubber, and spill-proof full size keyboard, for those of you carrying a laptop around to work, coffee shops or other places.
• Bendi Light-Up Keyboard. Similar to the previous, but it lights up blue and the keys are a little more defined.
• Make your own roll up — If you don’t want to buy one, you could try this instructable for making your own.
• Portable Holographic Light Keyboard — This is just cool. A small device that projects a keyboard in light and senses where you touch it. The keys aren’t tactile, just a hologram.

Warm Heated Keyboards

If you’re having constant cold spells or a freezing office, and gloves don’t do it for you, you could try one of these heated computer keyboards. They may help loosen stiff joints and keep your fingers flexible while you type.

• V8 tools heated keyboard 
• Heated Warmkeyboard 

Do You Have Insight?

Please do let me know if I’ve missed anything worth noting. Also, if you have used any of these, please post your impressions of how easy and comfortable it was for you, and whether it helped relieve your pain.

You may also be interested in our other comprehensive product guides:

• alternative mice
• pointing devices. 

And keep in mind you may be able to avoid pain without spending a dime, for example by using free software that reminds you to take breaks from working on the computer!  Happy typing!

Possibly Related Articles:

• Alternative Ergonomic Mice–the Comprehensive Guide
• Guide to Non-Mice: Alternative Pointing Devices
• Apple Revisits Ergonomics with a New Compact Keyboard
• Mini-notebooks Substitute for SmartPhones, Not Laptops
• Improve Your Mousing Style: How to Click and Point More Comfortably