Keyboard Tray Ergonomics

SteadyType Exo ergonomic keyboard tray

Placing your keyboard directly on your desk causes two big issues. You need to fix both to have correct keyboard tray ergonomics.

The first issue is height. Without a keyboard tray, most desktops are too high to type without strain. Essentially all under-desk keyboard trays will solve this issue.

The second issue is tilt. For your wrists to be correctly aligned, your keyboard should be at a negative tilt of around 15° when you’re sitting, up to 30° when standing, and even more when walking at a treadmill desk.

Keyboard trays are also vital for wrist health. The wrist is one of the most commonly stressed joints in office workers, often manifesting as carpal tunnel syndrome. All of the tendons that move the fingers run through the carpal tunnel, which is covered with the transverse carpal ligament.

When the wrist is straight with the forearm, these tendons run smoothly through the tunnel and function perfectly. However, if the wrist is put in an angled position to the forearm (too much flexion, extension or deviation) these tendons are stressed and can push up against the median nerve, causing pain and discomfort.

The traditional keyboard tray’s limitation of -15° (or at most -20°) of tilt is suboptimal for standing users, and severely so for treadmill desk users. Typing angles of -30° to -45° are far more neutral from a musculoskeletal standpoint, and not problematic since the tray cannot run into the user’s lap when they aren’t sitting in a chair.

Look for keyboard trays that have SteadyType (e.g. the iMovR SteadyType Exo) for ideal ergodynamics.

Check out these articles by our staff experts on keyboard tray ergonomics to make sure you understand what an ergonomic keyboard tray can, and should, do for you.

What to do when you want to take a conventional keyboard tray off your old fixed-height desk and transfer it to your new standing desk instead? A common issue that people have when installing keyboard trays on standing desks is being incompatible with the crossbar under adjustable-height desks. iMovR’s Keyboard Tray Standing Desk Adapter Kit offers an easy workaround to this problem without sacrificing any adjustability or stability

treadmill desk

How To Install A Keyboard Tray On A Treadmill Desk

In this primer we cover everything you need to know about how to install a SteadyType keyboard tray on a treadmill desk.

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installing keyboard tray on standing desk

How To Install A Keyboard Tray On A Standing Desk

Adding a keyboard tray to a standing desk can be challenging, but we lay out multiple options for you to try in this primer.

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Stand Steady Clamp-On Ergonomic Keyboard Tray

Stand Steady Clamp-On Ergonomic Keyboard Tray Review

The Stand Steady Clamp-On Ergonomic Keyboard Tray clamps onto your desk for an easy installation that will work with most standing desks.

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StandUpDeskStore Clamp-On

Stand Up Desk Store Clamp-On Keyboard Tray Review

The Stand Up Desk Store Clamp-On Keyboard Tray is a bargain option with a quick assembly, poor quality and no ability to reach negative tilt.

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slide-out keyboard tray for standing desk

Ergonomists Rate The Best Keyboard Trays

Ergonomic keyboard trays overcome the innate inadequacy of desks, allowing you to type in a way that’s more neutral for your upper body.

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Humanscale Float Keyboard Tray Review

Humanscale Float Keyboard Tray Review

The HumanScale Float Keyboard Tray is purpose-built for standing desks, but users may miss some features lost in the name of space-saving.

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Humanscale Keyboard Tray System Review

Humanscale Keyboard Tray System Review

Other desks in this category might be “ergonomic” or “adequate," there’s really only one way to describe this Humanscale offering: “luxurious.”

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Understanding the Humanscale Keyboard Tray Configurator

Spoiled for Choice: Making Sense of the Humanscale Keyboard Tray Configurator

WorkWhileWalking's graphic guide to the options for the Humanscale Keyboard Tray. Pick and choose mechanism, keyboard tray, mouse tray, and palm rests.

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3M AKT150LE adjustable keyboard tray show mounted under desk.

3M AKT150LE Adjustable Keyboard Tray Review

You can find nicer trays, or most of the AKT150LE’s features in a lower-priced tray, but this is a solid product that covers the basics.

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Fellowes Office Suites Underdesk Keyboard Drawer Reviews

Fellowes Office Suites Underdesk Keyboard Drawer Reviews

If you can’t afford a tray with tilt, then this Fellowes Keyboard Tray is a fine accessory for your workstation that helps to prevent strain on your elbows.

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Fellowes Professional Series Sit / Stand Keyboard Tray Review

Fellowes Professional Series Sit / Stand Keyboard Tray Review

The Fellowes Professional Series Sit / Stand Keyboard Tray claims to be a standing desk converter in addition to a traditional tray—it might be, but only...

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Ergotron Neo-Flex 97-582-009 Mounting Arm for Keyboard ERG97582009 Ergotron Neo-Flex Underdesk Keyboard Arm Review

Ergotron Neo-Flex Underdesk Keyboard Arm Review

The Ergotron Neo-Flex a relatively stripped down keyboard arm from an excellent manufacturer, lacking some amenities of more expensive alternatives.

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3M AKT60LE Adjustable Keyboard Tray Review

3M AKT60LE Adjustable Keyboard Tray Review

With height adjustment, horizontal swivel and tilt, the AKT60LE is about as basic as functional adjustable keyboard trays get.

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Seville Airlift 360 keyboard tray tray review

Seville Airlift 360 Keyboard Tray Review

From dimensions to features, the Seville Airlift 360 has numerous issues of consistency between what is advertised and what is sold.

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steadytype slide keyboard tray

iMovR SteadyType Slide Ergodynamic Keyboard Tray Review

The pinnacle of ergonomic keyboard tray design for standing desks and treadmill desks, the new SteadyType Slide combines all of iMovR's best patented ergodynamic features into a single product.

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steadytype exo standing desk keyboard tray review

iMovR SteadyType Exo Ergodynamic Keyboard Tray Review

Among trays we've tested, the SteadyType Exo is the most stable, easiest to install, and the best at achieving “negative” ergonomic angles.

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ISE Workrite Leader 5 Keyboard Tray Review

The ISE Leader keyboard tray has all the perks we’ve seen with other systems, plus a couple extras. It also comes with a positional display.

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iMovR Trackless Keyboard Tray Review

iMovR's Trackless Keyboard Tray is an all-around solid option for an ergonomic keyboard tray, featuring 15 degrees of negative tilt and solid stability.

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Uncaged Ergonomics KT1 Keyboard Tray

Uncaged Ergonomics KT1 Keyboard Tray Review

Value comes at at cost. The KT1 from Uncaged Ergonomics delivers the most important traits of an ergonomic keyboard tray, but fails in other spots.

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iMovR Stowaway Keyboard Tray Review

iMovR Stowaway Keyboard Tray Review

The Stowaway keyboard tray is compatible with any standing desk, and is very adjustable to give users their ideal wrist ergonomics

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iMovR keyboard tray adapter kit for standing desks

iMovR Keyboard Tray Adapter Kit for Standing Desks Review

iMovR’s Keyboard Tray Standing Desk Adapter Kit offers an easy workaround to incompatibility between keyboard trays and standing desks.

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Source One keyboard tilt riser

Best Keyboard Tilt Risers

Keyboard tilt risers, like the pop-up tabs of yore, put the keyboard or laptop at a positive tilt angle, placing more strain on wrists and forearm muscles.

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Lenfech

Lenfech Compact Invisible Laptop Keyboard Tilt Riser Review

Instead of correcting for a bad typing angle that can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, the Lenfech keyboard riser exacerbates it.

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iMovR Elevon Standing Desk Keyboard Tray

iMovR Elevon Ergonomic Keyboard Tray Review

The most ergonomically sound keyboard tray we've tested, iMovR's Elevon allows you to add SteadyType technology to any standing desk or treadmill desk.

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Source One keyboard tilt riser

Source One Premium Keyboard Tilt Riser Review

Other than bad ergonomics, the Source One's poorly designed front lip will cut into your hands and prevent you from using the bottom row of your keyboard.

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ESC Flip keyboard stand

ESC Flip Keyboard Tilt Riser Review

By introducing extreme positive tilt angles, the ESC Flip Keyboard Stand does the exact opposite of what ergonomic keyboard trays are intended to do.

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ESC Keyboard stand

ESC Keyboard Tilt Riser Review

The ESC Keyboard Stand is only 6” wide, meaning essentially all keyboards will wobble and tip dramatically when you type anywhere but the middle.

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keyboard tray promo code

Keyboard Tray Promo Codes

Buying an ergonomic keyboard tray? Check our list to see if there's a promo code to save you money before your make your purchase.

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SteadyType Exo ergonomic keyboard tray

The Differences Between Ergonomics and Ergodynamics

Ergodynamics takes into account that everything about standing or walking while typing is different than when users were seated at a desk.

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