The Stand Up Desk Store Compact Clamp-On Retractable Adjustable Keyboard Tray/Under Desk Keyboard Tray
If you’ve been reading my posts lately you know that I’ve become a bit obsessed with optimizing my remote teaching workspace. From external monitors to using my iPad Pro as a 3rd screen to figuring out which pen tablet can help me with certain parts of the instructional day, I’ve really put a lot of time, effort, and monetary investment in this ongoing project. That project continues this week with yet more experimentation. This week I decided to think more about the overall health of my body, specifically; my wrists as well as getting back some much needed space on an otherwise crowded desk. My sit/stand desk affords me the opportunity to adjust it so that my wrists are comfortable while typing but I wondered, was there anything “out there” that might help even more? As I have accumulated more things to optimize my set up, each has taken up a bit more space on my desk. My loss of space too got me wondering if there was something I could do to regain some of that space back. Both questions led me to start searching for clamp-on retractable/adjustable keyboard trays. After looking at and reading reviews of several options, keeping in mind that I am not made of money, I settled on giving the Stand Up Desk Store Compact Clamp-On Retractable Adjustable Keyboard Tray/Under Desk Keyboard Tray a try.
In this post I will…
Talk about why I got it.
Talk about how I am using it.
Talk about what I like about it.
Share my closing thoughts.
Why I got it?
I own a pretty nice sit/stand desk that I got when we were setting up our rooms in this house. My desk, from ikea, is the bezant. As I’ve continued to optimize my desk for remote teaching my set up has come to include…
A stand for my laptop
A stand for my external monitor
A stand for my iPad Pro
Space for my new pen tablet
As I mentioned above, as things have accumulated, I’ve started to run out of room on my desk.
I’ve got a lot going on on my desk…the keyboard tray has given me back some space to use.
Also, I found that I wasn’t always doing a good job of adjusting my sit/stand desk to that my keyboard felt good to work with and not cause irritation on my wrists.
How I’m using it?
Almost a week in with this keyboard tray I have found that I have been using it just as much while standing as when I’m sitting. That may sound a little weird to say but I could, if I chose to, not use the keyboard tray in either situation and just put the keyboard back on my desk. The fact that I’m using it in both situations shows that the tray is functional in either situation and, to me, isn’t “better” in either situation.
What I like about it?
As I indicated in the previous section, I think it’s safe to say that I am enjoying this keyboard tray while standing as much as I do while I’m sitting. Specific reasons center around how easy it was to set up; it took about 10 minutes to assemble…including the time it took to get out of the box, get the screws and screwdriver out of the packaging, screwing the 4 screws that were needed for the position I wanted the tray to be in to the clamps, then tightening the clamps to the desk. I’m still playing around with the level that the desk needs to be while standing and sitting but I can report that my wrists do feel better while using the keyboard on this tray. And…the tray has afforded me the precious gift of space on the actual desk; space I’m using to give my latest experiment, the Veikk A30 Pen Tablet dedicated space directly in front of me on the desk.
Closing thoughts…
Overall I’m really glad that I got this clamp—on keyboard tray. It’s given me space back on my sit/stand desk and, as I get more and more used to adjusting my desk when I’m sitting or standing, it is helping keep my wrists healthier. One thing I have yet to mention is how I prepared for this purchase. There are different sizes of clamp-on keyboard trays. My tray is small compared to others I could have ordered. How did I know which one was right for me? I measured my desk; both the length and its thickness. I strongly encourage you to do the same before you decide on which one will best suit your needs.
