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Most people I assess for wrist, forearm or shoulder pain don't need a new chair. They need their hands lower. I scored the keyboard trays worth considering on the DEAS standard. These are the ones I'd install, then the full ranking.
Healthcare Ergonomic Assessment Specialist. Updated 21 May 2026. A 8-minute read.
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Here's the setup I see over and over: a 29-inch desk, someone who's 5'4", and every keystroke running through wrists bent slightly back and shoulders lifted slightly up, eight hours a day. It's the setup I find behind a lot of the wrist, elbow and tight-shoulder complaints that come through an assessment.
A keyboard tray fixes that geometry without replacing the desk. It brings the keyboard and mouse down below the desktop to elbow height, and the better ones tilt the back edge up a little so your wrists stay straight. OSHA's guidance agrees: a tray may be needed when the desk or chair can't be adjusted properly.1
The honest catch: if you switch all day between typing and writing, sorting paper or reaching for references, a tray makes you reach over it to get to the desk. For typing-and-mouse work it's close to a universal upgrade; for mixed work, a desk that lowers is usually the better answer. The nine below are the trays I'd install.
Best overall
Humanscale 6G Keyboard Tray SystemThe clinical reference: tilts away from you to –15° with a dial, on a 22-inch track, with a 15-year warranty.
Best value
VIVO Premium Keyboard Platform, 34-inch (MOUNT-KB34P-B)Height, tilt and a board wide enough for keyboard and mouse together, for a fraction of the Humanscale price.
Best clamp-on tray
VIVO Clamp-On Keyboard Tray (MOUNT-KB05-4D)No drilling: it clamps to the desk edge and drops the keyboard about 2 to 3 inches.
Best budget
BONTEC KMT01 Keyboard TrayTied for the best price score here, for a desk that is a little too high.
Not sure a tray is your fix? The assessment checks your desk height against your body in about 15 minutes.
Best to worst by DEAS score. Tap a row for its full score breakdown.
Humanscale 6G Keyboard Tray System Best overall 8.0 DEASClinical performance8.6
Product quality8.7
Market value3.0
VIVO Premium Keyboard Platform, 34-inch (MOUNT-KB34P-B) Best value 6.5 DEASClinical performance6.8
Product quality5.0
Market value6.0
Eureka Ergonomic Keyboard Tray (ERK-AKB-02) Best swivel tray 6.4 DEASClinical performance6.8
Product quality5.7
Market value4.5
VIVO Clamp-On Keyboard Tray (MOUNT-KB05-4D) Best clamp-on tray 6.0 DEASClinical performance5.6
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
HUANUO 360° Sliding Keyboard Tray (HNKB03) Most adjustment for the money 6.0 DEASClinical performance6.2
Product quality4.7
Market value6.5
Klearlook Above and Under Desk Keyboard Tray Above or below the desk 5.9 DEASClinical performance6.0
Product quality4.7
Market value6.0
VIVO Under Desk Keyboard Platform (MOUNT-KB04C) Big height range for less 5.7 DEASClinical performance5.2
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
Mount-It! Keyboard Drawer with Mouse Platform Best keyboard drawer 5.5 DEASClinical performance4.8
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
HUANUO Under Desk Keyboard Tray 5.4 DEASClinical performance4.8
Product quality4.3
Market value7.0
BONTEC KMT01 Keyboard Tray Best budget 5.4 DEASClinical performance4.6
Product quality4.7
Market value7.5
Klearlook Keyboard Tray with Wrist Rest 5.1 DEASClinical performance4.4
Product quality4.3
Market value6.5
Generic Clamp-On Keyboard Tray 4.5 DEASClinical performance3.6
Product quality3.7
Market value7.0
When the desk is above your elbows, you lift your hands to reach the keys and your wrists bend back to stay on them. OSHA's guidance is a keyboard at about elbow height, and it warns that a keyboard tipped up at the back can bend the wrist upward too.1
The bend matters. In healthy volunteers, about 33 degrees of wrist extension pushed carpal tunnel pressure over 30 mmHg, a common risk threshold, in a quarter of them.2 Tilting the keyboard away from you straightens it: in a typing study, a negative-slope keyboard support cut wrist extension from an average of 13 degrees to about –1, and the people using it chose a slope of about 12 degrees on their own.3
What that means when you shop
Buy a tray that drops far enough for your desk, tilts away from you, and has room for the mouse beside the keyboard. A flat tray at the right height is better than none; a tilted one is better still.
1 of 12. Best overall
DEAS 8.0 out of 10
Tilts away from you to –15° with a dial; 1.75 inches above to 5.25 inches below its 22-inch track. A 25-inch board with a foam palm rest.
This is the tray I install in clinical workstations. The board tilts away from you as far as –15°, set with a dial, and glides in and out on its track. If your wrist pain is real and the budget allows, nothing else here comes close on the clinical scores.
Good: the top score and the best clinical scores here; tilts to –15°; the only strong certification score here; a 15-year warranty. Less good: priced further above the category benchmark than any tray here; keyboard and mouse share the 25-inch board, with no separate mouse platform; the track needs about 22 inches of depth under the desk.
Clinical performance8.6
Product quality8.7
Market value3.0
Composite 8.0 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
2 of 12. Best value
DEAS 6.5 out of 10
A 33.9 by 11.2-inch board with wrist pads; 6.3 inches of height adjustment; tilts and rotates 360°. Steel frame.
The tray I recommend when someone needs the wrist fix but can't justify a Humanscale. It gets the important parts right: real height adjustment, tilt, and a board wide enough for the keyboard and mouse side by side. Set the tilt so the back edge sits higher than the front.
Good: strong clinical scores for the price; a board wide enough for keyboard and mouse; a 3-year warranty. Less good: a low certification score; the 34-inch board needs a desk with room to match.
Clinical performance6.8
Product quality5.0
Market value6.0
Composite 6.5 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
3 of 12. Best swivel tray
DEAS 6.4 out of 10
A 28.35 by 10.24-inch board for keyboard and mouse; swivels 360° and tilts 15°. Carbon steel frame.
A solid tray with a board long enough for a full-size keyboard and mouse, and a swivel that lets you push it aside when you stand up or shift seats. When you install it, check the tilt: you want the back edge higher than the front, not the other way round.
Good: strong clinical scores; swivels out of the way; room for a full-size keyboard and mouse. Less good: a low certification score; priced above the category benchmark.
Clinical performance6.8
Product quality5.7
Market value4.5
Composite 6.4 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
4 of 12. Best clamp-on tray
DEAS 6.0 out of 10
Clamps to the desk edge, no drilling; sits 2 to 2.75 inches below the desktop. A 26.8 by 11-inch tray with a pencil drawer.
If you can't drill into your desk, this clamps on and drops your keyboard about 2 to 3 inches. That drop is fixed, so it only suits a desk that's a little too high. If yours is, it's the simplest fix here.
Good: the top-scoring clamp-on tray; no drilling; a 3-year warranty; a strong price score. Less good: a fixed 2- to 2.75-inch drop, with no height or tilt adjustment; fits desks 0.5 to 1.25 inches thick.
Clinical performance5.6
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
Composite 6.0 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
5 of 12. Most adjustment for the money
DEAS 6.0 out of 10
6.3 inches of height travel; tilts 22° down and 6° up; swivels 180° each way. A 25 by 9.84-inch tray with a wrist rest.
A lot of adjustment for the money: real downward tilt, a good range of height, and a swivel that lets you push the keyboard aside when you stand up. The keyboard and mouse share one tray, and it needs a clear space under the desk a little over 35 inches wide to swing.
Good: tilts well past flat, to 22° down; 6.3 inches of height travel; a good price score. Less good: keyboard and mouse share one tray; needs more than 35 inches of clear width to swivel; a 1-year warranty.
Clinical performance6.2
Product quality4.7
Market value6.5
Composite 6.0 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
6 of 12. Above or below the desk
DEAS 5.9 out of 10
Clamps to the desk edge and holds the keyboard above or below it; tilts and rotates. A 24.4 by 10-inch tray with a wrist rest, mouse pad and drawer.
A clamp-on arm that can hold the keyboard below the desk or above it, which helps if you share the desk or switch between setups. Keep the tilt angled away from you, and use the wrist rest for pauses, not while you type.
Good: clamps on with no drilling; works above or below the desktop; comes with a wrist rest, mouse pad and drawer. Less good: a low certification score; mid-pack clinical scores.
Clinical performance6.0
Product quality4.7
Market value6.0
Composite 5.9 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
7 of 12. Big height range for less
DEAS 5.7 out of 10
6.7 inches of height adjustment and 30° of tilt. One 26.5 by 10-inch tray for keyboard and mouse.
Plenty of height range at a low price, which matters most when the desk is a lot too high for you. The build is simpler than the trays above it.
Good: 6.7 inches of height adjustment; a 3-year warranty; a strong price score. Less good: keyboard and mouse share one tray; lower clinical scores than the trays above it.
Clinical performance5.2
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
Composite 5.7 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
8 of 12. Best keyboard drawer
DEAS 5.5 out of 10
A 21 by 11.75-inch drawer on steel ball-bearing slides, with an 8 by 7.5-inch mouse platform for either side. Up to 1.25 inches of height adjustment.
A slide-out drawer rather than an arm: it tucks the keyboard under the desk and pulls out when you need it. It doesn't tilt and only adjusts a little, so it suits a desk that's just slightly too high.
Good: a lifetime warranty; smooth ball-bearing slides; a mouse platform for either hand; a strong price score. Less good: no tilt; up to 1.25 inches of height adjustment; lower clinical scores than the trays above it.
Clinical performance4.8
Product quality4.7
Market value7.0
Composite 5.5 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
10 of 12. Best budget
DEAS 5.4 out of 10
Clamps to the desk edge, no drilling. A 25.6 by 11.8-inch slide-out tray for keyboard and mouse.
The tray I suggest when money is tight and the desk is a bit too high. It clamps on and slides out from under the desk. There's no tilt or height adjustment, so it fixes one thing, the height, and only if its drop suits you.
Good: tied for the best price score here; clamps on with no drilling; room for keyboard and mouse; slides away under the desk. Less good: no tilt; no height adjustment; lower clinical scores than the trays above it.
Clinical performance4.6
Product quality4.7
Market value7.5
Composite 5.4 on the DEAS (Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score). How we score
Sit back with your feet supported. Feet flat on the floor or a footrest, back against the backrest. The chair has to be right before the tray can be.
Find your hand height. Shoulders relaxed, elbows at your sides and bent about 90 degrees or a little more. Where your hands land is where the keys go.4
Set the tray there. Most people are off by an inch the first time, so expect to adjust it once.
Tilt the back edge up slightly. Flat is fine; tipped toward you bends the wrists back. A slight negative tilt keeps them straight.3
Mouse beside the keyboard, on the tray. At the same height as the keys. A mouse left up on the desk keeps your shoulder hitched all day.
Give it two weeks. If your hands still hurt after that, recheck the height before you blame the tray.
Before you buy
If your desk is height-adjustable, lower the desk and skip the tray. A tray is the fix for a desk you can't lower.
Feels like
Worse at night; the hand feels asleep after typing.
What helps
Keyboard at elbow height with a slight negative tilt, so the wrist stays straight. If it wakes you at night, see a clinician.
Feels like
Worse the more you type or use the mouse; the top of the forearm feels tight and tender.
What helps
Lower the keyboard so your wrists aren't bent back all day.
Feels like
Knots along the tops of the shoulders, sometimes a headache at the base of the skull.
What helps
A keyboard that sits too high makes you lift your arms from the shoulders. Lower it and let them drop.
Either can work. Raise the chair until your elbows meet the desk and put a footrest under your feet, or keep your feet on the floor and bring the keyboard down with a tray. OSHA's guidance covers both: feet flat on the floor or a footrest, and a tray when the desk or chair can't be adjusted properly.1,5 The free assessment offers both and lets you pick. If your desk is height-adjustable, lower it and skip both.
Four things. Enough drop for your desk: the finder on our keyboard tray ranking works out how far yours needs to go. Tilt that goes past flat, so the back edge can sit higher than the front. Room for the mouse beside the keyboard. And a mount that suits your desk: screwed underneath, or clamped to the edge if you can't drill. OSHA's checklist adds leg room under the tray.1
Probably not. Anything left on the desk, a notebook, papers, the phone, means reaching over the tray to get it, and you'll do that hundreds of times a day. If your work is mostly typing and mousing, a tray is the right call. If you switch constantly, a desk that lowers, or a converter, brings the whole surface down with you.
Sit back with your feet flat and your shoulders relaxed, forearms level. If the desk is above your forearms, so your wrists bend up to reach the keys, it's too high. In normal shoes, the assessment's numbers put a seated desk at about 22 to 26 inches for someone 5'4", and 25 to 29 inches at 6'0".
Two more are in the ranking. The Klearlook Keyboard Tray with Wrist Rest scores 5.1; its wrist rest invites you to rest on it while you type, and OSHA's advice is that your hands should move freely above a rest while you work.6 The generic clamp-on tray scores 4.5, with the lowest adjustment and tilt scores here. None of the trays has enough user reviews yet for a reliability score.
The Desk Ergonomics Assessment Score, our rating out of 10. It weighs clinical performance, product quality and value; for keyboard trays, the category-specific part is negative tilt and a straight wrist: how far the tray tilts away from you, and whether it gets your wrists straight without extra accessories. Tap any row in the ranking for the full breakdown. How we score.
This article is general education, not medical advice. If you have wrist, elbow or shoulder pain, numbness or tingling that lasts, see a licensed clinician.
Healthcare Ergonomic Assessment Specialist. Conducts over a thousand workstation assessments a year across a multi-campus health system, and authored the DEAS standard used to rank every product on this site.
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