Where to Put a Mouse or Trackpad

Published on March 23, 2025, filed under Everything Else (RSS feed for all categories).

A mouse or trackpad, I learned 18 years ago, belongs in front of the keyboard:

Figure: Where a mouse or a trackpad may feel most comfortable. (Copyright Roger Johansson.)

Placing it there reduces distance and therefore work needed to switch from keyboard to mouse or trackpad, and vice versa. It also promotes a more balanced posture: both arms angled similarly, instead of one pointing inwards, the other ahead.

Roger, who had inspired me to adopt this setup, wrote about this in the context of RSI (repetitive strain injury). I’m not a doctor, so my experience is no medical advice: For the nearly 20 years I’ve gone from mouse/trackpad to-the-side to mouse/trackpad in-front, I’ve never had any problems with my hands or wrists. ^*

Why am I sharing this? Just to point to this option. For me, arranging mouse/trackpad and keyboard this way always made sense and quickly felt natural. ^† Maybe it will be similar for you.

^* …or any other problems, though I should add that for more than 10 years, I’ve also largely been working while standing, which feels good and healthy as well.

^† Has there ever been an exception? Yes! When playing certain games like first-person shooters (as I did with Counter-Strike), where you constantly use both keyboard and mouse simultaneously, it justifies, even necessitates, using both next to each other.

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m a web developer, manager, and author. I’ve worked as a technical lead and engineering manager for small and large enterprises, I’m an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for O’Reilly and Frontend Dogma.

I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also in other areas like philosophy. Here on meiert.com I share some of my experiences and views. (I value you being critical, interpreting charitably, and giving feedback.)