Why is a good keyboard even more important in 2021

At the time of writing this article, the world has been living with a global pandemic for over a year now. COVID-19 needs no introduction, but as we all know, life has changed for most, if not, all of us.

Many, like myself who had enjoyed working at an office, have had to adapt by working from home; not only for the safety of ourselves, but also for the safety of others. It kind of forces us to really look at our day-to-day habits. This includes our home office ergonomics, and home office setups.

Thinking about how much time I spend in front of a computer which can range anywhere from 7–12 hours, and potentially 5–7 days a week (Family chatting, games, browsing can be a contributor to the 6th and 7th day), it really shows how important using a proper keyboard really is.

Considering that to many of us, a keyboard is now one of the main tools that we use to do work and to reach out to friends, family, and colleagues. A keyboard is literally the connection between our minds through our fingers, to our computers, and finally out to the world. Regardless of whether you are on a phone, or a computer, it is usually a keyboard that stands between us and communicating out to the world. This is especially true when a camera or a phone call is not possible or favorable at the time of communicating.

So now the big question is, why is a GOOD keyboard so important?

Well, considering how much time we spend in front of a keyboard, it really boils down to us developing good or bad habits, as well as making the typing experience be the best experience we can have.

If you look at the most common keyboards available, which are the rubber-dome type keyboards, they tend to wear out and die after a couple of years. It really starts to get annoying if you have ever kept one of these keyboards for more than a few years. Some of the keys tend to get stiff and get hard to press, and you tend to develop a harder smack with your finger on those type of keys. If this starts to happen, I would really recommend replacing your keyboard. If it is on an old laptop, and it just isn’t worth replacing, then buy an external keyboard.

Another annoyance is when the key mechanism fails and requires you to press the key many times to get an input in. It’s a huge waste of time. Time that you don’t waste if you have a proper keyboard. And that time really does build up, not to mention all the annoyance it brings up when you are put on the spot and trying to chat with someone like your boss or business partner.

One of the more important things to note is that, the more exerted pressure you give to the keyboard due to the issues I mentioned above, the more pressure you are giving to your own hands and wrists. Years and years of developing bad typing habits because of these stiff keys tend to show later on in forms of joint pain.

With all that said, and for the main reason I am writing this article. Please go and get a proper keyboard. Get a keyboard that will last, and one that you are comfortable using on a day-to-day basis. It’s 2021, and good mechanical keyboards aren’t expensive anymore, and there’s no reason you should be settling for inferior products.

I use a bluetooth mechanical keyboard (which only cost me 90 bucks). It has proven to be reliable for me, and works just as good as the day I bought it 5 years ago. I won’t recommend a brand, the purpose of this article is to make you think about your daily interaction with your computer, and not to sell you a specific keyboard. But aside from your keyboard, look at all your other things you have at your office, because now is the time to optimize.

To put things into perspective, most professionals and enthusiasts don’t use generic bikes for 100k bike rides. They use the lightest and most comfortable bike that’s customized for their size, and they’ll add the fancy bells and whistles if they can afford it too. If you do try to use a generic bike, yeah you’ll probably finish, but you’ll be beat up and tired, take twice as long to get the end, and you probably won’t want to do that again.