Ask HN: Any programmers with long arms? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Any programmers with long arms?

16 pointsjulesnew14 comments

Responding to an old thread by @tboyd47 on May 1, 2017: Yes, I have long arms and most desk/keyboard setups don'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's better not to have them at all. I've solved the issue of "parallel arms" by making sure that I have a sliding keyboard tray mounted under my desk that nearly sits my lap. I'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 "long arm" issues?

View on HN

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.

> 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/

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

https://images.globalindustrial.com/images/275x275/NOS_B1691...

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).

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.

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.

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

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.)

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.

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?

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...) 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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com