[pabloescobyte]

They can be but they are only a small part of the overall setup. You still need to have proper posture and pay particular attention to your habits.

Different switches can also help depending on your typing habits and usecase.

For me personally having less keys means less movement leading to significantly reduced possibility of RSI. With just 42 keys on my keyboard literally everything is one key away from each finger on home row so I can spend more time typing and mousing around than a traditional full size keyboard+mouse setup.

[blackeyeblitzar]

I’ve invested in a good table and chair. I’m now looking to figure out my keyboard and mouse. I’ve not tried the small keyboards because I thought the cramped space may be worse. But maybe that’s wrong? Any specific recommendations for a keyboard or mouse?

[snozolli]

It's all very personal. Partly because you will like certain key switches and layouts, and partly because any problems you may be having may not be solved by the same things that fixed my problems.

Personally, having tried a wide variety of keyboards and layouts (both key pattern and physical keyboard design), I think the biggest improvement is switching to any mechanical keyboard. Anything with Cherry MX switches will be a huge improvement over some cheap, sliding plastic keyboard from an OEM. After that, the particular type of switch might matter to you. Cherry Red, for example, only requires really light pressure. Topre switches are buttery smooth.

For physical configuration, I personally like either an 87 key, or I go all out with a Kinesis Advantage. The Kinesis saved my early career when I developed bilateral De Quervain's syndrome, which is tendinitis in the wrist that starts with the thumb. After years of this, I finally returned to traditional QWERTY 87 key configurations and haven't had a flare-up. I still think the Kinesis configuration (arrow keys accessible without moving the hands, thumbs are used for delete, enter, home/end and PgUp/PgDn) is ergonomically superior, but it's nice being able to jump on any normal QWERTY keyboard without fighting muscle memory.

My personal favorite mouse is the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer. I've heard good things about vertical mice for carpal tunnel.

[Symbiote]

From my experience and going from most to least important, I use:

The Dvorak keyboard layout,

A split keyboard (two separate halves)

A tented keyboard (center raised up)

A vertical mouse

I haven't tried a tiny keyboard, I didn't like the idea - I want to press F5 or PgDn with one hand, for example.

[christophilus]

I had a bit of wrist pain a few years (5?) ago, and my solution was a small 10kl mechanical keyboard (from Vermillo) with a good wrist pad (a wooden one) and a vertical mouse. Haven’t had a problem since. Everyone is different.

[kstrauser]

BTW, every ergonomics person I’ve talked to suggested I ditch all wrist pads because they but more pressure on an already inflamed wrist.

I also got a vertical mouse a while back on a friend’s recommendation and couldn’t believe the different it made. My wrist was starting to hurt a lot. After a few days with the mouse, I was complete pain free. For me it was an instant and complete relief. I never would’ve believed it.

[argentinian]

Vertical mouses. Like Logitech MX vertical.