With a product as simple as a wrist rest, it can be easy to assume any kind will do the job. A wrist rest that feels great to one user may not work for another. Maybe you prefer one made with supportive memory foam over a softer gel. Perhaps you feel better with a compact, low-profile design rather than a taller, cushier build. Here are our picks for the best keyboard wrist rests to suit various needs and preferences. The memory foam material provides plenty of cushion and support for your wrists, slowly bouncing back to its original shape when you lift your hands away. On the bottom, a textured anti-slip gel material keeps the wrist rest from sliding around on your desk, with small circular stickers included to help keep it even more secure. Adding to the product’s value is the matching mouse wrist rest it comes with. Made of the same soft, breathable material, it’s another valuable accessory if you use a mouse at your computer. Material: Memory foam | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 17x3.4x1 inches The keyboard wrist rest itself doesn’t compromise much on quality, either. It’s made of a lightweight memory foam that feels soft on the wrists and helps them maintain proper positioning when you type. All three parts of the set lie flat without curling up, with non-slip rubber on the base to keep them from shifting around while you use them. While durability issues after a certain amount of time may be an issue, most people will get plenty of use for minimal cost. Material: Memory foam | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 17x3.3x1 inches On the practical side, the split design creates a ventilation channel along the middle of the product, which serves to keep your hands dry and cool as you type away. Most importantly, for a wrist rest, the gel pillow material provides excellent support for your wrists, holding its shape better than memory foam alternatives that may flatten over time. Thanks to a plastic surface that you can more readily wipe off than fabric coverings, it’s also easier to clean. Material: Gel | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 19x3.7x1 inches Non-stick surfaces on the base of the WavePads help keep them in place (though you might experience some slipping). Without any adhesive materials, these wrist rests won’t leave residue on your laptop. They can be easily repositioned or picked up to take on the go, and you can use the provided elegant metal clip for carrying them neatly while traveling. The portable, versatile nature of the WavePads also makes them great wrist rests for any external keyboard or mouse, not just laptops. Material: Memory foam | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 3.5x3.5x0.625 inches (x2) Other features include an anti-slip silicone base that minimizes sliding, along with rows of “massage holes” along the top. This feature improves ventilation by allowing air to flow underneath your wrists and hands. The JEDIA wrist rests come in a large size for full-length keyboards. You can also get a shorter length that pairs well with tenkeyless keyboards that don’t include a dedicated number pad. Both versions come with a smaller wrist rest for use with a mouse. Material: Memory foam | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 17.24x2.68x0.59 inches Besides the soft memory foam cushioning, it also infuses in a cooling gel that helps keep your hands from getting too warm as you play. Fray-resistant stitching around the outside edges boosts its durability, while non-slip rubber on the bottom holds it in place on your desk. Plus, while gaming-specific gear often comes with flashy aesthetics and premium price tags, the HyperX wrist rest sports more of a minimalist design and a reasonable cost. These features combine to make it not just an exclusive gamer’s product but a solid, all-purpose choice for the office or general home use. Material: Memory foam + cooling gel | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 18x3.46x0.87 inches It also hits a nice balance with its cover material, which avoids the downsides of sticky plastic and absorbent fabric. The surface is smooth, satiny, and easy to wipe clean. Sizing is another aspect the 3M wrist rest gets right. Its 19-inch length works with just about any keyboard, while its narrow width and low profile make it easy to fit even on tight desk spaces. Material: Gel | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 19x1.9x0.60 inches The white ash wood material isn’t soft like foam or gel and won’t suit everyone, but it still provides the ergonomic positioning and comfort that wrist rests offer, especially for mechanical keyboards. A protective coating keeps the top surface smooth and resistant to sweat, and rubber pads underneath prevent slippage. The Glorious Gaming wooden rests come in a variety of lengths, designed to fit full-size keyboards in addition to smaller tenkeyless models (without a number pad) and even smaller compact sizes. There’s even a size meant for use with a mouse. Material: White Ash Hardwood | No-Slip: Yes | Dimensions: 17.5x4x0.75 inches
Size and Shape
Because a wrist rest should guide your body into a certain position, its size and shape are important on a functional level. A flatter wrist rest might put your hands at just the right height for your keyboard, or you may need a taller one to keep your wrists more elevated. If you use a compact keyboard or a tenkeyless one that doesn’t include a full number pad, you might want a shorter wrist rest that matches closer to that size. Most keyboard wrist rests also work for laptops, but some are specifically designed as a pair of square pads to be placed directly on the surface of your laptop.
Durability
It may be hard to gauge a wrist rest’s durability or how long it will last you, but generally, you’ll pay more for higher-quality construction and materials. Foam can flatten or deform, and gel pillows can be punctured. Some exterior surfaces are easier to clean and maintain than others, and some may have covers with reinforced stitching. Wooden wrist rests are as durable as they get, at the expense of softness.
About Our Trusted Experts
Anton Galang is a Lifewire writer and reviewer who first began covering tech hardware, gadgets, games, and accessories in 2007. He considered more than 20 keyboard wrist rest options for this list, factoring in user reviews, materials, design, sizing, and overall value. Covering a broad range of wrist rest types and uses was a priority for the final picks.
