Ergonomic Keyboards and Mice

Sliced Bread

BBC

Health & Fitness

4.6 • 695 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2026

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Do ergonomic devices like split keyboards and vertical mice help with comfort and health?

If you're a heavy computer user there are an increasing variety of weird and wonderful options to help improve your comfort and reduce the risk of aches and pains associated with 'Repetitive Strain Injury' (RSI).

Listener Tim is curious whether ergonomic tools—such as split keyboards, alternative layouts, or vertical mice—could optimise his professional setup as a software engineer.

To find out, presenter Greg Foot does a deep-dive into the evidence alongside Nichola Adams, from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors; and Ben Vallack, who runs a YouTube channel all about workflow and design.

And if you're interested in this topic, we have a companion episode on Standing Desks - available along with all our other episodes on BBC Sounds.

All of our episodes start with YOUR suggestions. If you’ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at sliced.bread@bbc.co.uk OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.

RESEARCHER: PHIL SANSOM PRODUCERS: SIMON HOBAN AND GREG FOOT

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:07.3	On BBC Sounds, there are podcasts to help you look after your body and your mind.
0:12.7	From increasing your immunity to feeling more confident.
0:16.6	Or tips on how to focus.
0:18.5	Sorry, what will you say?
0:19.7	If it matters to you, it matters to us.
0:22.6	Feel good inside of them.
0:24.3	With What's Up Docs.
0:25.9	And Complex with Kimberly Wilson.
0:27.9	Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:34.3	Hello, I'm Greg Foote and welcome to slice bread,
0:37.1	the show that investigates the wonder products promising to make you happier, healthier or greener.
0:41.9	Each episode, we follow the crumbs of evidence to find out if one of your suggested wonder products is indeed the best thing since sliced bread or marketing BS.
0:52.1	And today's suggestion comes from Tim Crothers from West Bromwich. Welcome, Tim. Hello. You're not in West Bromwich today, though, are you, Tim? You are in Spain on holiday. Yeah, I mean, the weather is much better than it is back home. Good on you. Well, we appreciate you joining us. And it is quite apt, isn't it, that we are connecting remotely by computer, because today's Wonder product is
1:12.2	ergonomic keyboards and mice as well.
1:15.7	Ergonomic.
1:16.2	I'm going to do my best Susie Dent impression here.
1:19.1	Egonomic relating to or designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment.
1:25.4	Show us your keyboard?
1:26.6	Yeah, so here it is for all this. Did you bring this on holiday, especially for the recording? I did, yeah. But no T-shirt to my hand luggage, but I've got a keyboard. Good man, good man. You actually held up two halves of a keyboard there. Yeah, it's called a split keyboard. So half the keys, follow on the right hand, are on one module. and then there's a little cable between them so you can basically have the bits wherever you need for your hands. It looks like there's some extra keys. There's some kind of chunky keys in the middle. Yeah, it's all a bit strange, but I fell down the rabbit hole. So how many hours a day do you spend at a computer, Tim? I work as a software engineer, so yeah, I'm desk-based like a lot of people.
2:04.3	I feel this is going to be a companion episode to our previous slice bread on standing desks.
2:09.5	Obligatory mention, you can find that, as well as all our other slice bread episodes over on BBC Sound.
	...

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