Anecdote: I had serious wrist/hand pain after using a mechanical keyboard for years. I changed to a low profile keyboard, and I don't have pain anymore. Who knows, maybe it was coincidence.
Anecdote: I had the opposite, I switched to an ergo layout mechanical keyboard and a vertical mouse and was able to avoid near-certain surgery.
The difference tends to be whether you're a "hard typer" or not. Folks who are hard typers (I am one), do much better with mechanical keyboards because it subtlety teaches you not to bottom out due to tactile feedback, while low-travel keyboards you /always/ bottom out while using. Folks who are not hard typers don't bottom out hard enough for it to injure them, and because they type more softly experience more strain due to the higher actuation weights of mechanical key switches.
RSI is fun like that, there's no one true answer. You have to find what works for you. It's not a mistake though that one of the first and most respected ergonomic keyboards has always been mechanical, though [1].
That said, /most/ RSI issues actually start with how you sit while typing. If you get a proper chair and desk and adjust your typing stance (yes, this is a thing), you can reduce wrist pain from RSI even without changing anything about your keyboard. Also, using touchscreens and using mice are way worse than the keyboard for you anyway.
The reason I responded the way I did to the parent, is that people who are hard typers are basically guaranteed to end up with RSI at some point in their life simply due to the strain of being a hard typer. As near as I can gather at this point, there's nothing you can do to train yourself to not be a hard typer. I'll be this way my entire life, but I can get tools that reduce its negative impacts.
Funny, I always feel like I’m about to get injured using really low travel keyboards like the new apple magic keyboards. Hence I prefer mechanical ones.
Guess it varies from person to person. Good to find what works for you.
I have a theory that the RSI is mainly developed by the angle of the hands relative to the keyboard. Which is why the profile change is sufficient to mitigate the problem.
tristor|2 years ago
The difference tends to be whether you're a "hard typer" or not. Folks who are hard typers (I am one), do much better with mechanical keyboards because it subtlety teaches you not to bottom out due to tactile feedback, while low-travel keyboards you /always/ bottom out while using. Folks who are not hard typers don't bottom out hard enough for it to injure them, and because they type more softly experience more strain due to the higher actuation weights of mechanical key switches.
RSI is fun like that, there's no one true answer. You have to find what works for you. It's not a mistake though that one of the first and most respected ergonomic keyboards has always been mechanical, though [1].
That said, /most/ RSI issues actually start with how you sit while typing. If you get a proper chair and desk and adjust your typing stance (yes, this is a thing), you can reduce wrist pain from RSI even without changing anything about your keyboard. Also, using touchscreens and using mice are way worse than the keyboard for you anyway.
The reason I responded the way I did to the parent, is that people who are hard typers are basically guaranteed to end up with RSI at some point in their life simply due to the strain of being a hard typer. As near as I can gather at this point, there's nothing you can do to train yourself to not be a hard typer. I'll be this way my entire life, but I can get tools that reduce its negative impacts.
[1]: https://kinesis-ergo.com/keyboards/advantage2-keyboard/
mrbadguy|2 years ago
Guess it varies from person to person. Good to find what works for you.
worthless-trash|2 years ago
ilrwbwrkhv|2 years ago
reportgunner|2 years ago
I don't use clicky switches though, I don't think they are good.