One of the best things you can do with your 3D printer is create items that improve spaces, tools, and pastimes. The best prints don’t just make life easier; they make it more comfortable too.
Here are some things you can make to make things feel a little more ergonomic.
Keyboard and mouse wrist rests
Choose from squishy and firm designs
I love my mechanical keyboard, but I do regret not ordering the accompanying wrist rest at the time of purchase. Thankfully, I don’t need to buy anything when I can 3D print my own at home—and there are quite a lot of options out there to choose from.
Arguably the most plush of the bunch is a cushioned wrist rest made from squishy TPU. This requires a flexible filament (plus a printer and enough patience to work with it), but it arguably looks like a retail product. Alternatively, you can generate your own and print from PLA, PETG, or whatever else you like with the parametric wrist rest generator.
Mouse wrist rests are a little different, but they follow the same principle of supporting your wrist to avoid strain from an unnatural hand position. The sliding wrist rest support glides along the desk with your mouse (for best results, give it a light sand on the desk side).
Laptop or monitor risers and stands
Reduce neck pain caused by craning
The laptop stand I bought a few years ago was an absolute game changer. I can’t believe I waited so long to correct my posture, but neck pain finally forced me to change my ways. If you haven’t yet seen the light, consider printing yourself something like the ergonomic laptop riser or simple laptop stand.
These are just two examples of the hundreds that are available. Just remember that once your laptop has been raised up, you won’t be able to type comfortably on the built-in laptop keyboard, so you will need to invest in a set of external peripherals too.
You can even print portable laptop stands that you can stick in a bag, and make your own monitor risers too. The goal is to keep your head looking forward in the neutral position while you work.
Elevated feet are happy feet
Raising your feet while working at a desk isn’t just about comfort, though that’s a big part of the appeal. Using a footrest can help avoid back pain by enabling better seating positions, promoting better circulation, and allowing shorter people to rest their feet on a solid surface.
If you don’t have one, you can just make your own. My favorite solution is to use a mixture of 3D-printed supports and other materials to make up the bulk of the print. Wood reduces filament cost and looks better while being stronger in the direction that matters. You can customize your own footrest with a parametric footrest generator.
There are many more models to choose from which do a similar thing but leave the precise measurements up to someone else, like this modern footrest design.
Rotating page holder ring for reading
Holds open your current page and reduces strain
The rotating page holder is a tiny and simple print that you’ll wonder how you lived without. It works by holding a book open without making you strain to keep the pages pushed down, making it easier to move around and hold the book in a manner that’s more comfortable for you.
This is one of those designs that has been around forever, and I’ve given up on finding out where the original design came from. There are many remixes and different versions to choose from, like this simpler version with a larger hole and no rotating ring.
Handheld console grips
Make your consoles and controllers more comfortable to use
I recently covered my experience printing some game-changing Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con grips, but Nintendo’s console is far from the only one to suffer from sub-par ergonomics. I prefer the heft of a Steam Deck to the slim-fit of a Switch, but these grips fill up my palms to a degree that holding the console for extended periods is finally comfortable.
If you’re having a similar problem, I’d recommend these Switch 2 grips in a heartbeat. You’ll also find similar designs available for the original Switch, one-handed Joy-Con connectors, and madcap ideas like the Nintendo DS Lite joypad grip.
Whatever hardware you’re using, there are options out there for you including dedicated grips for the Aya Odin 2, ROG Alley Z1E, and Anbernic’s RG35XX retro handheld (to name just a few).
Some of these prints make working at a desk significantly more pleasant, as do these ESP32-powered desktop gadgets.