The 5 Best Mouse Wrist Rests for Gaming and General Use – Voltcave (2024)

Wrist strain is a sad reality for many people, especially those who spend extended periods in front of a computer. But as common as it is, it isn’t something you have to live with. Adding one of the best mouse wrist rests to your setup can help a lot by reducing pressure on your wrist.

Wrist rests help by elevating your wrist and keeping it in a neutral position. The gel or memory foam material also provides a softer, more comfortable, surface to rest on. While we won’t claim that these products are a solution for carpal tunnel syndrome, they can help make your wrists more comfortable and provide a better day-to-day experience. Let’s get started.

Our Favorite Mouse Wrist Rests

1. DeltaHub Carpio 2.0

Best Mouse Wrist Rest Overall

DeltaHub’s Carpio 2.0 wrist rest is likely the priciest option out there at around $40, so it won’t be for everyone. However, its smart design touches and unique features make it a brilliant option for those after a high-quality mouse rest.

It starts with the design. The winged design supports your palm under the two fleshiest sections at the bottom instead of at the wrist. It’s essentially a “palm rest” rather than a wrist rest, with a floating wrist that doesn’t come into contact with any cushions. This reduces contact with the carpal tunnel area of your wrist.

If you regularly find your wrists sore when using your mouse, the Carpio 2.0 may help reduce some of that discomfort. Is it a magic bullet? No, not quite. But it definitely stops you from putting too much pressure on your wrist, which is always a good thing.

The DeltaHub Carpio 2.0 also stands out because it isn’t fixed in place like almost all other wrist rests. The Carpio 2.0 has PTFE feet, like those on high-quality gaming mice. These feet mean that the Carpio 2.0 glides across your mousepad as you move your mouse, supporting you no matter how far your flick or move your mouse.

Low-sensitivity gamers will find this a godsend. Having a wrist rest that moves with you means that it’s actually a viable option for gaming, compared to traditional static wrist rests that limit your movement. It’s also small enough to fit in your pocket, so you can take it anywhere, whether working from a cafe or fragging at a LAN party.

Overall, DeltaHub’s Carpio 2.0 is an excellent mouse rest that stands out for its design, comfort, and freedom of movement. It’s not cheap, but we believe the benefits justify the price here.

The DeltaHub Carpio 2.0 is available in left- and right-handed versions, each offering two sizes and three colors (black, grey, and white) to choose from.

2. Kensington ErgoSoft Wrist Rest

Best Gel Mouse Wrist Rest

Kensington’s ErgoSoft Wrist Rest is a simple but effective wrist rest that offers the firmer support of gel padding combined with higher-end materials for a more premium feel.

The ErgoSoft wrist rest’s standout feature is likely its material. It uses a leather-effect outer covering that feels classy and elevates it slightly above many competitors. The material also has a soft touch and won’t stick to your skin, improving comfort.

Unfortunately, the material isn’t as breathable as the typical fabric cover, so it may not be as suitable for those in hot climates or those who sweat a lot. However, it does wipe clean easily and is durable enough to endure even the sweatiest wrists, so it may still be a good option even then.

The ErgoSoft also has a noticeably curved top surface, which differs from the flat surfaces of many foam wrist rests. The company claims this curve helps protect your wrist, although it doesn’t specify how. Either way, it also minimizes the contact between your wrist and the wrist rest, reducing sweat and ensuring your wrist doesn’t get too hot.

Kensington’s ErgoSoft wrist rest isn’t nearly as fancy as our top pick, but it’s an excellent choice if you want something more traditional. It’s also affordable, only costing around $10. Sure, you can find cheaper, but we think $10 is a fair price for its durable materials and high-quality gel.

The Kensington ErgoSoft wrist rest is available in black and grey. Kensington also makes a slim version designed for low-profile mice and trackpads.

3. Innerneed Gel Wrist Rest

Best Gel Mouse Wrist Rest Alternative

The Innerneed gel wrist rest won’t win any awards for premium feel or classy aesthetics. But it ticks all the key boxes for a gel wrist rest, making it a great choice for someone shopping on a tight budget.

The Innerneed is as basic as gel wrist rests come: it’s an unadorned, kidney/heart-shaped blob of silicone gel designed to support your mouse hand. The shape works fine, with a slight dip in the middle to minimize pressure on your wrist and offer more cradle-like support.

Most users will find the shape perfectly acceptable. However, the lack of fabric covering may be more of an issue. It makes the Innerneed easy to keep clean, but uncovered gel wrist rests tend to feel sticky and clammy to the touch. Most manufacturers cover their gel wrist rests to avoid this, but that’s one of the corners Innerneed cut to hit the sub-$10 price point.

If you want cheap wrist support and aren’t too concerned with materials or aesthetics, then the Innerneed gel wrist rest is a strong option. It gets the core tasks of a wrist rest right, which may be enough.

4. HyperX Wrist Rest

Best Memory Foam Mouse Wrist Rest

HyperX’s wrist rest is a straightforward product that’ll work perfectly for anyone who prefers memory foam over gel. But while it might seem plain, it has one great feature that may prove to be a godsend for some users out there.

The most obvious characteristic of the HyperX Wrist Rest is its size. At just under 9 inches wide and 3.4 inches deep, it’s noticeably larger than many other wrist rests. The extra size might make it less portable, but it also means that it’s perfect for gamers, especially low-sensitivity gamers who tend to make larger movements in-game.

Is it as good as wrist supports that move with your mouse hand, such as our top pick? Likely not. But if you can’t afford the DeltaHub, then this larger wrist rest size is a great alternative to consider. The anti-slip rubber base helps keep the HyperX in place, too, so you won’t have to worry about it moving around during heated gaming.

Size isn’t the HyperX’s only standout feature, however. Unlike many memory foam wrist rests, HyperX wraps its memory foam core in a gel material that minimizes memory foam’s tendency to absorb body heat and warm up. That means you get memory foam’s contoured support and gel’s ability to stay cool even after extended periods, making for an incredibly comfortable gaming experience.

The HyperX Wrist Rest is also notable for its high-quality construction. HyperX uses durable anti-fray stitching with eye-catching red thread to hold the mousepad together. This stitching adds visual flair to the wrist rest while ensuring that it’ll endure many hours spent under your wrist while gaming or working.

Overall, the HyperX Wrist Rest is a great mouse rest and likely the best wrist rest for gamers. The cool gel material minimizes memory foam’s temperature issues, while the size means it’ll stay supportive even during large movements.

5. Brila Memory Foam Wrist Rest

Best Memory Foam Mouse Wrist Rest Alternative

Brila’s memory foam wrist rest combines an affordable price with some interesting design touches, making it a strong option for those after a mouse rest for work.

The most immediate feature you’ll notice is the dimpled design. Brila calls the dimples “massage holes,” claiming that you can use the undulating surface to massage your wrist and palm. The dimpled surface also reduces the surface area that contacts your wrist, which may help mitigate the stuffiness and heat many users feel with memory foam.

But there’s more to the Brila than the dimples. The Brila’s shape has more in common with our top pick, with a lower middle section designed to minimize contact with the carpal tunnel area. This can prove beneficial if you’re dealing with soreness in the center of your wrist and palm.

The Brila doesn’t have any fancy material combos, however, sticking with traditional memory foam covered in breathable smooth Lycra fabric. It’s a tried-and-tested combo; a safe bet if you’re used to memory foam wrist rests, but not one for those who don’t like them.

Overall, the Brila memory foam wrist rest is a solid choice if the dimensions and material work for you. Gamers will want to look elsewhere, but professionals and office workers will find this one of the best wrist rest options out there.

6. Gimars Keyboard and Mouse Wrist Rest

Best Keyboard and Mouse Wrist Rest Combo

If you’re buying a standalone mouse wrist rest, then you might as well grab a keyboard wrist rest along with it to really improve your setup’s ergonomics. This Gimars keyboard and mouse wrist rest combo is a quick way to get both in an affordable, good-quality package.

These Gimars wrist rests use the typical combination of memory foam and breathable fabric covering you’ll find in most wrist rests. It’s nothing exciting, sure, but this means they’ll be easy to get used to if you’ve never used wrist rests before.

The mouse wrist pad is in the relatively popular kidney shape, with a curved section designed to accommodate the extra flesh of your lower palm. The keyboard rest has a matching curve on the outside, with the same intention. These are basic features, but worth pointing out in case you’re more familiar with slab-type designs with no cutouts or curves.

The primary highlight of this Gimars set is the variety of colors they come in. You get the standard unobtrusive black option if you want to play it safe, of course. But Gimars also sells them in colors such as turquoise and pink, as well as eye-catching designs including kaleidoscope and flower patterns.

Overall, the Gimars wrist rest combo is a quick and keenly-priced way to improve ergonomics for mousing and typing in one go. If you don’t want to spend time shopping around for individual products, this combo will do a good job with little fuss.

Before You Buy

Wrist rests are relatively straightforward products, as there aren’t really that many features or specs to worry about. Despite that, there are still a couple of topics worth discussing before you head out and buy one, including the all-important choice of gel vs. memory foam.

Dedicated Wrist Rests vs. Ergonomic Mousepads

Those looking for wrist support have two options: dedicated wrist rests, like those on this list, and ergonomic mousepads with attached wrist rests. Both do a great job, but which is right for you depends on your preferences and desk setup.

Dedicated wrist rests excel when you already have a mousepad that you like and want to keep using. Gamers will likely go for standalone wrist rests, as they’re a simple add-on to a high-end gaming mousepad.

Wrist rests also work great for those who move their mouse a lot, whether in-game or during work. You can pair a wrist rest with a large mousepad, ensuring you won’t run out of space during your daily tasks.

Ergonomic mousepads with built-in wrist rests have convenience on their side, especially if you don’t have any specific needs for your mousing surface. If you only do office work, the simplicity of an ergonomic mouse pad might be the better option.

The main issue with these mousepads is that they’re usually small and have unexceptional mouse surfaces. They’re fine for office work or internet browsing, but they’re nowhere near good (or large) enough for any serious gamer. But they’re usually very cheap and kill two birds with one stone. If that sounds appealing to you, check out our roundup review of the best mousepads with wrist support.

Gel vs. Memory Foam Wrist Rests

Almost all the wrist rests you’ll find on the market will use either gel or memory foam in their construction. Both are great materials, but both have strengths and weaknesses that you should be aware of before choosing one or the other.

Gel wrist rests are squishy and bouncy, offering slightly softer support than memory foam wrist rests. Gel stays cool to the touch and is generally easy to clean as it won’t absorb sweat or fluids. A quick wipe is usually all you’ll need.

Unfortunately, gel wrist rests can puncture and leak. If you get a gel wrist rest, check it periodically to ensure it’s still in good condition. If it’s leaking, throw it away and get a new one.

Memory foam wrist rests are softer, with foam that molds to the shape of your wrist and palm. They tend to feel more supportive, but some users may find them a bit too soft.

The main downside of memory foam is its tendency to absorb body heat and warm up with extended use. Memory foam may also cause excessive sweating, which can be uncomfortable. Excessive sweat can also lead to your memory foam wrist rest absorbing the sweat smell, so you’ll have to clean it regularly.

There’s no “best” material, as it boils down to personal preference. We suggest buying one of each type and trying them out for a couple of weeks to see which works best for you.

Closing Thoughts

Wrist pain is a sign that all those long hours spent using your PC have started to catch up with you, and it’s time to change things for the better. A wrist rest is a great, affordable way to try and overcome the issue before you try more significant changes, such as a vertical mouse.

If you have the cash to splash, the DeltaHub Carpio 2.0 is the right wrist rest for you. Its excellent design and freedom of movement make it a perfect choice for work and play. But the Kensington ErgoSoft Wrist Rest and HyperX Wrist Rest are great gel and memory foam options for those on a tighter budget.

Just remember that these won’t cure your carpal tunnel syndrome, and you’re set. All the best!