
Ask HN: Any programmers with long arms? - julesnew
Responding to an old thread by @tboyd47 on May 1, 2017: Yes, I have long arms and most desk&#x2F;keyboard setups don&#x27;t work for me because my elbows are nearly at my hips.  In regards to armrests, I recieved an ergonomic assessment through my employer and found out that it&#x27;s better not to have them at all. I&#x27;ve solved the issue of &quot;parallel arms&quot; by making sure that I have a sliding keyboard tray mounted under my desk that nearly sits my lap. I&#x27;ve also gotten a standing desk, and but have to move my keyboard into the lower tray when I transition to sitting. Anyone else out there with &quot;long arm&quot; issues?
======
tboyd47
Wow, I can't believe you took the time to reply to a question of mine from
_two years ago_!

Ultimately I ended up with the same solution. The keyboard tray under the desk
made a huge difference. You have to sit as if you're riding on horseback to
really make that work.

~~~
SenHeng
> You have to sit as if you're riding on horseback to really make that work

Well then, we have JUST the thing for you here in Japan, a rodeo dieting
machine!

[https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B073QGLP1F/](https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B073QGLP1F/)

~~~
tboyd47
That looks funny, but really you'll want something like this drafting stool:

[https://images.globalindustrial.com/images/275x275/NOS_B1691...](https://images.globalindustrial.com/images/275x275/NOS_B1691-CS.jpg)

Notice the height and the circular foot bar around the base. Hooking your feet
underneath the seat pushes your center of gravity under your trunk, allowing
you to sit in a balanced, relaxed posture with a straight back at the edge of
your seat (important to prevent your legs from falling asleep).

------
sethammons
I got a desk where the table surface is about 24 inches off the ground. I
thought I'd have to build one, but found an electronic standing desk that
would go low enough. I keep the table as near to my knees height as possible.
The desk can raise if wanted for standing. I also remove arm rests or, with my
current chair, flip them up.

Edit: oh, also I use the classic Microsoft ergonomic keyboard.

------
wmf
I have slightly long arms and I ended up with similar solutions. Now instead
of a tray I just lower my desk to almost touch my legs. These days I don't use
armrests although at IBM they gave me an ergonomic chair and I pivoted the
armrests outward and lowered them so that only my elbows rested on them; this
looked strange but it was comfortable.

~~~
julesnew
I envy that you have a desk that can go lower!

------
cimmanom
If you also have long legs, have you tried raising both your chair and your
monitor so you’re sitting higher relative to the desk? (I’m short, so I have
the not quite opposite problem of desks being too high when sitting with the
chair low enough for feet to be flat on the floor. The solution was a sit-
stand desk with a very low minimum height.)

~~~
julesnew
I don't have particularly long legs. I usually need a higher chair to have the
correct desk height, and then also need a foot rest, lol.

~~~
cimmanom
yup, then you don't have long arms, it's just that most desks are too high for
computer work unless you're super tall. Can you get a lower desk?

~~~
julesnew
Proportionately they are -- my wingspan is a little longer than my height (my
physical therpapist calls this my "ape index", ha!). If you look at the
typical ergnomic desk setup (like this one: [https://airawear.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/12/1-desk-heigh...](https://airawear.com/wp-
content/uploads/2016/12/1-desk-height-v2.png)) my desk would basically have to
be in my lap to be elbow height, which is why I need the hanging keyboard
tray. I would love a lower desk, or one that lowers! But not possible right
now...

------
nicolashahn
Try a split keyboard. For me the problem is that my arms come in at a high
angle horizontally to meet at the keyboard, and my wrists try to correct.
Split the keyboard and you no longer have that constraint.

~~~
julesnew
That's actually a good call! I just inherited something that's not quite a
split keyboard -- it's one of those "ergonomic" keyboards from a colleague who
left, and it basically forces my elbows out so that I can still keep my traps
relaxed & wrists straight, even when my keyboard is higher than I would
typically have it.

------
heyjudy
Look into Marfans related and CTDs.

My elbows nearly reach my hips and I cannot use chairs with arms or desks that
are "normal" height.

~~~
julesnew
Interesting...! I have some "hints" of some of these symptoms (including
fatigue), but believe I still fall within the normal range. I'm 5'5", and I
think my wingspan is slightly over 5'6". Thanks for the awareness.

