Posted on 7th Oct 2011 @ 1:14 PM

Sure, laptops, tablets and other portable devices are great for doing work at Starbucks, but they’re not so hot when it comes to protecting your aching hands from repetitive stress injuries.

The small keyboard size cramps your hands, small monitors cause eyestrain, and the fixed position of the keyboard and monitor make for poor posture.

Luckily, there are several portable and ergonomic accessories you can travel with to make sure your laptop doesn’t end up being a pain in the neck.

1. Gold Touch Go! Travel Keyboard

This portable keyboard’s tenting and splitting action decrease the pressure on your wrists while typing. Plus, its extra-soft key touch means you’re not putting as much pressure on your fingers. It’s lightweight and portable, comes with a key cover to protect it from potential damage during travel, and can fit over your existing laptop keyboard. What more do you need? Oh yeah, it’s compatible with both Macs and PCs. ($99, TheHumanSolution.com)

2. Cricket Laptop Stand

Sitting in front of a laptop means you’re probably hunched over in some neck-straining position that makes work more of a pain than it needs to be. Cue the Cricket Laptop Stand (works great with iPads, too), which can be adjusted to keep your laptop screen at a comfortable viewing position. It’s strong enough to hold laptops of all widths and that weigh up to 12 pounds. When folded, it's small enough to fit in your pocket. ($38.94, TheHumanSolution.com) 

3. Aviator Laptop Stand

This stand is another great option for properly positioning your laptop while on the go. It was designed specifically for airplane tray tables. It complies with OSHA standards for an ergonomic workstation by allowing users to recline more and move easily, and allows air to flow under your laptop, which helps cool it off. All that, and it comes in a variety of colors (including pink), weighs only 8 ounces, and can be disassembled easily for storage. ($19.99, Keynamics.com) 

4. CODi CT3 Tri-Pak Backpack

If you’re using a laptop for work, chances are you carry it around a lot. Ditch the one-shoulder laptop case that strains your neck and shoulder and opt for this backpack, designed to safely tote your laptop. It also makes getting through airport security a snap: no more removing the laptop from the case to go through the X-ray machine. The Tri-Pak lies completely flat, making it easy to grab and go, and its breathable, padded shoulder straps make it comfortable to carry. Extra pockets mean you can store everything from water bottles to Business cards. ($160, askergoworks.com) 

5. Whirl Mini Laser Mouse

The Whirl offers an “ErgoMotion pivot system” which makes your mouse feel like it’s floating on air. The award-winning portable mouse will save both left and right handers a lot of aches and pains by adapting to their hand motions, rather than the other way around. It also offers wireless connectivity, a long battery life, an extra-sensitive laser, and a variety of colors. ($49.95, GetSmartfish.com).