Keyboard Talk of the Day (KTOD) - Does keyboard height affect you?

[dante]

I'm a bit of a keyboard height/profile snob - I wanted to see if I am forever alone!

So...

Does keyboard height effect you?

[CPTBadAss]

Not in the least bit. I've literally never considered it when typing.

[mashby]

Since I don't rest my wrists on my desk, no.

[davkol]

Yes, it does. In fact, awfully lot. Unfortunately, I can't afford an adjustable keyboard tray (like the Ergotron ones on an arm) currently.

Why? I have a properly planned standing setup, but it isn't adjustable and I've found out I'm very sensitive to tray height and angle. I prefer the keyboard lower and with a slight negative slope, but pointing devices a bit higher (so that I can rest my wrist on a mousepad without bending the wrist). It's nearly impossible to configure though, especially when I rotate more keyboards of different heights and angles.

[maatmouse]

I cannot have my keyboard with the legs standing up. Its uncomfortable. I prefer the feet flat down.

[dorkvader]

I was just imagining a custom KB with the lowest possible front height (for cherry MX). The switches would be just about resting on the desk, and it'd have a minimal slope to account for the PCB (which would end shorter so that the lowest row of switches is showing) PCB spacebar would have to be plate mount. It'd be awesome.

That said, I've never really needed one for myself. I just thought it'd be cool to design.

[rowdy]

I haven't really noticed.  I went from an Apple aluminium keyboard (about the lowest you can get) to a Ducky Shine about two years ago.

I don't recall any problems adjusting to the different height.

[Puddsy]

not at all

[remdell]

I had real problems with keyboard height when I had unorthodoxed finger positioning (I didn't used my pinkies nor my right ring finger).  Before using mechanical keyboards, I always used low-profile laptop-like keys.  When I needed to reach for a key, I would slide my fingers gently across the surface of the keys and feel for the key I'm looking for.  You can imagine how this would be a big problem when using mechanical keyboards because sliding my fingers on most standard-profile mechanical keyboards would mean I'd be hitting the edges of the keys and accidentally pressing those keys.  This was my exact problem.  I had to use heavier keys to reduce the typos caused by my bad typing habits.

I practiced for a year adding my right ring finger into my typing.  I was able to type significantly better on lighter keys, but I still wasn't able to type well on keyboards with odd layouts or really high profiles (Realforce 104UG Hi-Pro).  I've been practicing using all my fingers for a little more than a week now, and already I see less typos.  Utilizing all my fingers when typing also has made every keyboard I type on feel better.  For example, Topre keyboards just feel way better now.  It feels like I'm getting a longer and spread-out massage on my fingers because all my fingers typing away as opposed to just a select few.

[terrpn]

unfortunately i'm a disabled vet................angle is better for me

[Lastpilot]

Even though I really like low profile cases, I don't have a problem using ones with higher height. I mean you can always make your chair higher or your desk lower. I think the angle of the board matters more.

[osi]

My most comfortable position is so that my hands 'fall' on top of my keyboard and my elbows are ~90 degrees give or take. Luckily my chair raises plenty to accommodate my board on top of the desk instead of the keyboard tray.

[dustinhxc]

Yes! Have to have low profile cases!

[blackbox]

For me Angle is ,uch more important than the height of the keyboard itself.

[IvanIvanovich]

Yes. I hate really thick (tall) keyboard and steep angle. Anything with same height and angle of plastic Poker case and with Cherry profile keycap is perfect.

[snoopy]

I think this height would affect me a bit... 

[osi]

Ahh height as in angled/overall.

Up until recently -- legs were always extended. Lately I've been finding the flat position to be more comfortable.

Putting DSA caps on 10 key was odd at first. The keypad was begging to be flat and I obliged--feels very natural to me atleast

[Demetrium]

I cannot have my keyboard with the legs standing up. Its uncomfortable. I prefer the feet flat down.

Opposite here!

On another note I have a tendency to rest the base of my left palm on the bottom-left corner of the keyboard. I do this constantly on my DasKeyboard at work.

When I first got a CMStorm Trigger at home this really plagued me cause there was now a row of macro keys on the left. Everything for my left hand was shifted over and it took me quite a long time to adjust (I have crap hands).

[inanis]

The height of the caps I don't care about one way or the other, but I do like the board at an angle. On the case that does not have little feet to angle the board for me, I stick something under it to give it the right angle. Luckily what I'm using has some nice rubberized plastic on it so it doesn't cause it to side around, and you can't see it all at when looking at the setup. If anything it anchors it more, and makes it look like it is floating.

[Acknown3]

I need to keep my keyboard as flat as possible, since having the feet up makes me bend my wrist slightly upward and it feels uncomfortable.

I keep my wrist elevated while typing and on a wrist rest while gaming, but I should probably break that habit.

[sakai4eva]

Not really. I like them either very tall or very flat. That's why I hate OEM profiles.

[Oobly]

Yup, my chair can only be raised so far, my desk height isn't adjustable and I need to rest my palms when I'm not typing. With a low board I can rest my palms on the desk, with almost all mechanicals I need a raised palm rest and with some, my chair doesn't go high enough to allow the best elbow angle and I get fatigued.