No Room for a Keyboard Tray? Here’s a Choose Your Tray Adventure

Based on a True Customer Story

Let's say that one day you decide to move your home business work space up to the loft where there’s a desk conveniently built into the wall. It seems like the perfect setup. But once you settle in, you notice a few problems.

First, you have to sit far back from your desk because a low-hanging drawer prevents you from scooting forward to a comfortable position. The drawer also stops you from hanging a keyboard tray. There’s a wall to the left and a cabinet to the right, preventing lateral movement. It is a nightmare of obstruction.

It is a difficult work space, but not impossible to manage. However, you remember a friend who once mentioned something about how comfortable, ergonomically sound working spaces contribute to lifelong health. Conversely, cramped and uncomfortable spaces can make you wrench out of place, causing musculoskeletal pain and fatigue.

With all this knowledge floating in your brain, do you (a) Accept your work space as-is and learn to live with it, (b) Search for a solution that makes the situation manageable but not perfect, or (c) Talk with an ergo expert who can help you customize your work space?

(a) You spend the next year of your life twisting and contorting in your work area, grumbling in misery. Eventually you are forced to either (b) Look for a quick fix, or (c) Get in gear and deal with the problem once and for all.

(b) You place a wooden plank across the armrests on your chair, closing yourself in like a baby in a high seat. It works for five minutes before you decide to scoot forward, slamming your knees into the desk and knocking the plank onto the floor along with the keyboard.

(c) You call up an ergonomic specialist, and they tell you this:

Keyboard trays are wonderful. They can drop over your lap or even rise higher than the desktop, depending on your personal needs. But what happens when you have a pesky knee-killing drawer under the desk that eliminates the possibility of a bottom-mounted keyboard tray?

Say hello to the 3M Adjustable Desktop Keyboard Drawer.

It looks like a simple device. So what is its secret? Unlike trays that mount exclusively on the underside of desks, like the excellent Humanscale keyboard trays and our UPLIFT keyboard tray, the 3M Adjustable Keyboard Tray Drawer sits on the top of the desk. The tray arms allow the keyboard to drop about 3.75 inches below desktop level. It doesn’t sound like a big reach, but it's paired with the outward stretch of the tray, which ultimately keeps you from leaning forward at uncomfortable and unhealthy angles. The 3M drawer is a simple solution that will save your neck, back and knees.

Keep in mind that this solution comes at the cost of some desk space. So those who need to conserve every inch of available desk area need not apply. However, the drawer is a great space-saver that will keep the keyboard and mouse tucked neatly out of the way when not in use. It's a smart affordable fix that's easy to implement.

So what are you waiting for?

Tired of banging your knees against the desk? Visit Human Solution and speak with one of our experts about your knee-knocking needs.

Related Reads:

• Keyboard Tray Solutions for a Desk That’s Giving You Lip
• Get Ergonomic to Find ‘The Perfect Workspace’