Most included palm rests are junk - a piece of inclined plastic. Your best option is to buy a good keyboard and get a palm/wrist rest separately if needed. The gel pads that come with the X8/X9 can be found on Amazon or in the US at places like Office Max, Office Depot, Staples - even Target (I think). If decent quality, those are OK. I bought an IMAK "Ergobead" wrist rest rather than a get because some of the cheaper gel rests break down after a short while and I figured it would be easier to wash this. Plus, you can move the beads around which gives you a bit of height adjustment. I've had it for 9 months and so far so good, but I can't say it's "the best" type of rest. You may prefer a good gel pad.
Ergonomically correct posture is the most important thing. Proper keyboard ergonomics include:
- Lower the height of the chair so that your back touches the back of the chair and you are comfortable.
- Sit up straight - don't slouch
- Your feet should rest firmly on the floor slightly in front of you.
- Center your keyboard in front of your monitor.
- Keyboard and mouse should be positioned so your arms fall naturally at your sides with your your elbow bends at a 90 degree angle.
- keep your wrists straight, so that the tendons in your wrist are unencumbered through the carpal tunnel. Thus don't use the keyboard legs to put it up at an angle!
I've also seen recommendations that rather than have your elbows bent at 90 degrees, bend them slightly less so that your hands (wrist remain straight) are a little lower than your elbows. That's supposed to improve blood flow.
Lastly, recommended use of palm/wrist pads is not universal. Some ergonomic sites say it's best to have your hands "hover" over the keyboard without support at the back of the palm (wrist support is not recommended as it may cause you to bend your wrists). Personally, I find that tiring after long sessions at the PC so I use a wrist pad. lightly lower than your elbows - wrist still straight to improve blood flow rather than keeping them straight out (elbow bent at 90 degrees). Some advocate using a wrist pad, others state not rest your palm (or wrist) on anything. It's better to rest the back of your palm on something rather than your wrist since that might cause your wrist to bend. I use a "wrist" pad to keep my wrist straight as it's tiring after a while otherwise.
