Mechanical keyboards are better for your Fingers

So I talked a couple of weeks ago about my decision to go with wired devices for my office instead of wireless. The reason that I didn’t mention in that article about my decision was that because the wired keyboard in question was a mechanical one. Mechanical keyboards were something that I’d not heard of, but they have been a thing for quite a while.

How keyboards work

When you’re using a keyboard, it’s a relatively simple process. Every key has a specific signal programmed in it that when you press it sends a message to the central processor of the computer that tells it to put a letter, number or symbol on the screen. It sounds complicated, but it also happens so fast that no one thinks about it. Here’s the bit that you, as the end-user, should be thinking about. What you should be thinking about is the impact that your keyboard is having on you. Every time you hit a key, you are making an impact on your fingers. For most standard keyboards, when you are typing, you are effectively hitting your fingers against a wall. Most keys, when you press them, tend to depress enough to make the signal connection and then go back into their original position, waiting to be hit again.

Mechanical Keyboards are different

The way that mechanical keyboards work is that there is a tiny mechanism within each of the keys on a mechanical keyboard which causes a bit of resistance, essentially bouncing your finger back. What this does is create a cushion for your fingers. The thing that people typically use mechanical keyboards is for heavy writing (or blogging) and gaming. What these two things have in common is the amount of usage. Writers and gamers tend to use their keyboards way more than normal people, so they need to have a keyboard which will make it so that they A) will last longer and B) will not damage the fingers of the user long term. Mechanical keyboards do that, and that’s why I like using mine.

Why the impact of keyboards over time can be damaging

It sounds crazy, but there is a long term effect if you don’t use a mechanical keyboard. Think about it this way, when you write an e-mail and say that e-mail has around 200 words in it. Depending on the size of the words, you could be hitting your keyboard around two to three thousand times. We all write so many e-mails, tweets, and texts a day, and all of those impacts add up. It’s essential to be able to do something that will help reduce the amount of stress that is put on the keyboard and fingers of the person using the keyboard.

Try something for me; Right now, start tapping your fingers on any hard surface that’s near you. If you’re at a desk, that works, if you’re travelling on a bus or train, use your armrest or a nearby window. After a while, you will start to realize that your fingers are beginning to hurt. It’s precisely the same thing as using a standard keyboard. Most standard keyboards don’t have any cushioning from impacts so that the damage long term can be very detrimental. Mechanical keyboards, with the spring effect that they have, can provide enough resistance that makes your hands hurt way less when you are using them. As a side note, I have also found that they have made my typing a little bit faster, which means that while I’m hitting the keys just as much, I’m not doing it for as long.

Are you still tapping your fingers? Do they hurt yet?

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