My essential list of inexpensive ergonomic office tools that will prevent wrist and neck injuries

I spend most of my work day at a keyboard. I have RSI. I have tried every kind of ergonomic solution, from standing desks to crazy keyboards to unconventional solutions like working from an armchair.

I have found, though, that the best cure is prevention. And that means building a well-designed, ergonomic workspace and good habits.

I get up frequently, walk when I’m talking on the phone, go for walks, and move from my desk to a big leather armchair — and my phone or a notebook — whenever possible.

Working, even for an hour, on a laptop with a glide pad or any poor ergonomic setup will destroy my hands for days. So I have an ergonomic office chair, an adjustable keyboard, an adjustable monitor, and more.

Here are my favorite affordable ergonomic office tools for creating a home office that protects you from hurting yourself.

An Adjustable Monitor Mount

I have two big monitors. This allows me to see without squinting and to work on several things at once. More important than the actual monitor size, though, is that it is at the perfect height. To make that happen easily, I mount both of mine to an adjustable arm so I can alter the angle and height as I change my sitting position.

Setting the monitor at exactly the right height for each task means I don’t hurt my neck looking up or down. It also means I can push it out of the way to use my desk. This VIVO single monitor mount is perfect for this and affordable. I love mine. There are sizes available for larger monitors, too. It moves easily, installs easily – and it’s $40!

The Best Inexpensive Ergonomic Office Chair

The most important of the inexpensive ergonomic office tools on your list should be a chair. It is an absolute essential. I have bought The Alera Elusion chair twice. (I moved. Sold one. Bought another.) It is an excellent, completely adjustable office chair at an affordable price. I have worked in the fancy and often-hailed-as-the-best Herman Miller Aeron chair that costs nearly $2000. This inexpensive one works just as well for me.

It comes in a low-back version, too. That’s a lot of coin to save on a single purchase! Granted, the Alera requires assembly. But consider what you are getting paid per hour to do it!

An Inexpensive Ergonomic Keyboard To Prevent Pronation

Pronation. That’s the problem with keyboards. They make you hold your hands horizontally while you type. This is awkward for the tiny nerves that go down your arm, through the carpal tunnel. They don’t like to make that twist while those muscles are hard at work. A keyboard that allows for even a slight inward horizontal turn of your wrist makes those nerves happier. I’ve used a lot of keyboards that do this.

My favorite keyboard is the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard. Microsoft has outsourced it to Incase, which makes beautiful bags and cases. You can get an entire desktop kit, in this line, from their site for a very reasonable $179. That includes the keyboard, an excellent ergonomic mouse, and a numeric keyboard. They are all wireless and connect to your computer via a USB receiver.

An Adjustable, Ergonomic Keyboard Tray

The keyboard placement is very important to an ergonomic setup. It needs to be at exactly the right height for your body. And a desk is very rarely that height. So, an adjustable keyboard is a necessary piece of equipment for anyone who types. It took me a long time to find one I liked that didn’t cost an arm and a leg and that didn’t require me to hire someone to install it.

This Kensington ($71) is it. It has room for both the mouse and the numeric keypad, pushes under the desk so I can get it out of the way, adjusts, and doesn’t require an engineer to attach it to the underside of the desk.

A footrest

Elevating your feet can correct a lot of ills in an office rig. That urge to put your feet up on the desk or rest them on a trash can is your body asking for help. Give your feet somewhere soft to rest, such as this inexpensive, soft, and perfectly sized foot rest ($14) for under your desk.

An Ergonomic Office Mouse

A good, vertical mouse will prevent a lot of hand, wrist, and thumb pain. And the investment is small. This ProtoArc Ergonomic Vertical mouse puts your hand in a handshake position as you work. It is easy to reast your hand on, doesn’t pronate your hand, and puts a plethora of controls literally at your fingertips. I highly recommend it, especially for the ~$20 investment.

The Wrist Brace I Wear When I’m Not Typing

I work all day, every day, typing at a keyboard. And despite all my efforts not to do damage, that’s hard on my RSI. When I’m overworked, I wear this wrist brace ($18) while I sleep (and sometimes when I do yoga.)

It is like a safe place for my hands, providing instant comfort. And my wrists feel rested and well again in the morning. (Wearing a brace while typing is, in my experience, very bad. I never do that.)

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