Wrist Rests and Palm Pads - Comfort for Your Desk

Wrist rests and palm pads are some of the most common ergonomic accessories used at computer workstations, but in many cases, the support pads are being used incorrectly, so do not so they don’t provide any benefit to the user, or worse, may actually be causing harm. In order for the pads to be ergonomically effective, they must conform to the unique height and spacing measurements that everyone has at their own desks, which is why Grifiti’s vast category of bespoke wrist and palm pads ensure you will get effective support no matter what your desk looks like. 

OSHA notes the potential hazards of not using a wrist or palm rest at all, or from using them incorrectly. Typing without a wrist rest may increase the bending angle from the user’s wrist to hand, something called dorsiflexion. This extension creates more stress and strain on the tendons and ligaments that run through your forearms and it gets worse with longer and more frequent periods of improper typing. This can lead to a variety of repetitive stress injuries, the most common being carpal tunnel syndrome, whose symptoms include pain, numbness, and tingling in hands and fingers. Typing without a wrist or palm pad may also increase the contact stress between the typist’s body and abrasive keyboard components, like the sharp metal angles found on many laptops today.

Improperly using a resting pad while typing causes problems by inhibiting the range of motion the wrist needs, forcing the typist to adopt unusual and potentially harmful postures. This is especially true when typing for the higher key rows on a keyboard, causing the wrists to push against the support pad while reaching for farther away keys.

Correct typing position and use of resting pads means that the user’s hands should be able to move freely and do not come into contact with the pads while typing. Resting pads are really just designed for resting when not typing, not supporting the arms while typing. When resting, the pad should contact the base of your palm, but not pushing on the tendons of your wrist. Wrists should be kept straight or angled slightly downward and in line with your arms, which should not extend too far away from your body (try to keep elbows in line with your torso, bent at a 90 degree angle).

Given that every workstation and typist are unique, it is important not to choose generic resting pads, but those that are specially suited for your specific computer or keyboard and your body style. Grifiti wrist and palm rests have been specially designed in both thin and thicker form factors. The rests have also been sized for the most popular selling keyboards, laptops, and trackpads, ranging from Apple products through enthusiastic mechanical keyboard sizes. The rests are all made with washable nylon and the palm pads especially have a silicone base, ensuring they have a sticky grip to your laptop but do not leave any residue behind. 

The fact remains that most people who use wrist rests are not receiving any real benefit from them ergonomically, and in some cases may be even causing damage, due to improper sizing of the wrist or palm rest respective to the workstation. This is all the more reason you should not choose some generic one-size-fits-all wrist rest or palm pad; no matter what it is made out of, if it is not correctly suited for your specific height and distance from your keyboard, it will be useless or detrimental to your health. 

However, when a pad is correctly suited to the workstation, palm pads and wrist rests do provide support and comfort during periods of inactivity. Grifiti’s selection of numerous wrist and palm rests that come in various thicknesses and are all specially designed to be correctly sized to the most popular selling keyboards and laptops, whether they be for the generic typer or a hardcore gamer. Make a considerable upgrade to your workstation and health without taking a hit to your wallet by shopping the collection of wrist and palm pads available on Grifiti today.