How would a low-profile keyboard with optical switches affect wrist fatigue?

[Justin.M]

I’ve been using the same mechanical keyboard for years, but lately I’ve been wondering if a low-profile optical switch keyboard would be better for my setup. The main thing I’m curious about is whether that different switch type and lower height would actually help with the wrist fatigue I get during long sessions, or if it’s just a different feel I’d have to get used to.

[ElizabethM]

i tried a low profile optical keyboard for a couple of weeks and the feel was different enough that my wrists remembered to relax a bit more between rows. the travel is shallower so i notice less chopping when i go soft with my wrists. the effect was not dramatic but it shifted some load to my forearms and shoulders, which means i still need breaks and stretches.

[SavannahKM]

my take is that posture and desk setup matter as much or more than the switch type. i added a nicer wrist rest and adjusted chair height and suddenly the ache was less predictable. switching to a different switch felt nice but the relief came after i fixed the habit of hunching.

[Mia52]

i swapped back to my old mech after a week. the optical felt fine but i kept hitting keys by accident and that extra tension plus a slower typing rhythm made the pain worse.

[Anthony.G]

one random thought i had is that i might be chasing a feel not a fix. i daydream about a totally quiet setup and then i realize the room lighting and screen glare are the irritants too. so maybe the keyboard is only part of a bigger pattern. still i am not sure.