Many of us collapse our wrists between different blocks of typing and lean them against the corner of our desks. That’s not good for your tendons. Wrist rests help prevent additional damage and reduce fatigue during long work days.
These wrist rests have a blend of comfort and utility. Some prefer wooden, and some prefer memory foam. It all depends on what your desired outcome is. Let’s take a look at the best options we found.
Gimars large gel memory pad
A gel material is the most common type of wrist rest that exists. It acts as a cushion, and Gimar’s gel feels more soft and forgiving than any other gel wrist rest we had the opportunity to try.
It also includes a mouse wrist rest. So if you use your PC for a lot of design work or gaming that requires your mouse, this will help.
With an anti-slip base, this wrist rest won’t glide across your desk even if you plop your wrists/arms down on it with a bit of force. Choose from nearly a dozen unique colors to complement your setup and add some flair to your battle station.
HyperX wrist rest
HyperX is a brand that specializes in accessories for PC gaming. It understands that professional players are the most prone to carpal tunnel syndrome and long-term injuries, especially when you see how some use their keyboard and mouse.
This wrist rest includes a thick layer of gel to keep it cool to the touch, while a layer of memory foam offers support below the gel’s surface. Including anti-fray stitching and a solid base, this wrist rest is meant to stay put and strong on your desk.
Choose from four different designs, including a mouse rest and a version for 10 keyless keyboards, all with the same great features and comfort.
Gimars convex dot rest
Gimars is back, and this wrist rest is a unique upgrade to its most popular model. Fitted with a silk-like lycra top layer material, it feels cool to the touch and smooth on your skin.
On the top, you have mini massaging dots. These are built from memory foam, which continues under the lycra surface.
Beyond being wildly ergonomic, it’s one of the most inexpensive, high-quality wrist rests we could find. Choose from two different colors, though sadly, there are no additional sizes to choose from.
TKL onyx wooden wrist rest
As crazy as it sounds, memory foam, gel and lycra covers aren’t comfortable for many people. Wrist rests are built for support over comfort, so GPC Gaming made this onyx wrist rest with an ergonomic slope.
Lean your wrists on the top half, and let your arms gently lean down as the angle puts you into a natural resting position. Choose from four different sizes, including a mouse rest, and see if wood’s support beats memory foam for you.
Remember that wooden wrist rests are a little more pricey than memory foam and gel, no matter where you look.
Aothia mechanical keyboard wrist rest
Mechanical keyboards are great, but depending on which switches you have, they require more actuation force than membrane keys. This can lead to a little more straining in your wrist.
Aothia uses beech wood for a nice light finish and anti-skid stickers on the bottom of the body. The slope begins halfway up the board, giving you a great position to type.
We’ll discuss later why you shouldn’t lean on a wrist rest while you type. For now, suffice to say that some mechanical keyboard users naturally fall into a pattern where they don’t do this. This wrist rest acts as a guide to ensure your wrists are elevated properly while typing.
i-Rocks IRC41 ergonomic keyboard
Earlier, we saw dots on the outside. Now we’re seeing them push inside. This ergonomic wrist rest is all about support. With a soft cover and strict memory foam insert, you get immediate relief when you lay your wrists down on it.
With an anti-skid bottom and full width for large keyboards, i-Rocks is just about everything you need. However, there’s no bottom half to this rest, so the depth is off. This is the way to go if you want a wrist rest, but the others look too bulky.
Wrist rest FAQs and buying guide
You know you need one, but if you aren’t sure how to use a wrist rest. We’re about to answer that for you. Find out how, when and why you need to add a wrist rest to your PC setup today.
How do you properly use a wrist rest?
Use a wrist rest to lean your wrists on between blocks of typing. Let’s say you’re writing a post, and the first 100 words flow out, but then you must read an article to fact-check something. You can keep your wrists on the rest. This keeps your hands in the typing position and doesn’t break your concentration on typing.
When should you use a wrist rest?
In between typing sessions. If you’re viewing media (such as watching Netflix or YouTube), you can simply place your hands on your lap if you’re at your PC. Wrist rests are helpful and aid in arm/wrist fatigue but do not need to be used nearly as often as you might assume.
Should I use a wrist rest while typing?
No, your wrists should be floating while typing. Wrist rests, as the title implies, rest your wrists in between typing sprints. Leaning your wrists on the rest while you type can actually result in long-term discomfort or short-term numbness. Your hands need to float above the keyboard while typing.
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