Typing Posture and Ergonomics: Type Comfortably for Hours

Good posture makes you faster and keeps you comfortable. Poor posture causes tension, fatigue and, over time, wrist, neck and back pain. Here's how to set up your workspace and your body.

Your chair and body

Sit all the way back in your chair with your back supported.
Keep your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.
Your thighs should be roughly parallel to the floor.
Relax your shoulders - they shouldn't rise toward your ears.

Your keyboard

Place the keyboard directly in front of you, with the B key roughly in line with your belly button.
Your elbows should be bent at about 90 degrees and close to your sides.
Keep the keyboard flat or slightly tilted away from you. Raised keyboard feet often bend your wrists upward.
Leave enough space in front of the keyboard to rest your palms between typing sessions.

Your wrists and hands

Keep your wrists straight - not bent up, down or to the side.
Let your wrists float slightly above the desk while you type. Wrist rests are for pauses, not for typing.
Curve your fingers and type with your fingertips using a light touch.
Don't hammer the keys. Most keyboards register a key long before it bottoms out.

Your screen

Put the top of your screen at or slightly below eye level.
Sit about an arm's length away from the screen.
If you use a laptop for long periods, an external keyboard or laptop stand makes a big difference.

Take breaks

Follow the 20-20-20 rule for your eyes: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Stand up, stretch your hands and roll your shoulders every 30-60 minutes.

A one-minute hand stretch

Make a gentle fist, then spread your fingers wide. Repeat five times.
Hold one arm out, palm up, and gently pull the fingers back with your other hand for ten seconds. Switch hands.
Shake your hands loosely for a few seconds.

Posture and speed

Relaxed muscles move faster. Many typists see a small but immediate WPM boost after fixing their posture. Take a 1 minute typing test before and after adjusting your setup to see the difference, then read our tips on how to type faster.

If you experience persistent pain, numbness or tingling in your hands or wrists, stop and talk to a medical professional.

Your keyboard

Place the keyboard directly in front of you, with the B key roughly in line with your belly button.

Your elbows should be bent at about 90 degrees and close to your sides.

Keep the keyboard flat or slightly tilted away from you. Raised keyboard feet often bend your wrists upward.

Leave enough space in front of the keyboard to rest your palms between typing sessions.

Your wrists and hands

Keep your wrists straight - not bent up, down or to the side.

Let your wrists float slightly above the desk while you type. Wrist rests are for pauses, not for typing.

Curve your fingers and type with your fingertips using a light touch.

Don't hammer the keys. Most keyboards register a key long before it bottoms out.

Take breaks

Follow the 20-20-20 rule for your eyes: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Stand up, stretch your hands and roll your shoulders every 30-60 minutes.

A one-minute hand stretch

Make a gentle fist, then spread your fingers wide. Repeat five times.

Hold one arm out, palm up, and gently pull the fingers back with your other hand for ten seconds. Switch hands.

Shake your hands loosely for a few seconds.

Posture and speed

If you experience persistent pain, numbness or tingling in your hands or wrists, stop and talk to a medical professional.