Choose an under-desk tray that places your keyboard and mouse within easy reach at a workable typing height. A drawer with a nearby mouse platform may suit a fixed desk if its available positions fit you; an articulated system offers more height and tilt adjustment but requires careful configuration and mounting checks. Measure the space beneath the desk, including knee clearance, before choosing either.
If you repeatedly switch between a full-size keyboard or numeric keypad and a mouse, keeping both devices close matters. The Health and Safety Executive advises placing the mouse within easy reach; check that a tray can accommodate your actual keyboard and pointing device together.
An under-desk drawer may help when the desktop is too high for your preferred keyboard position, provided its mounting position works with your chair and the desk has clear space for the hardware.
If a drawer's limited positions cannot place the keyboard where you need it, consider a mechanism with height and tilt adjustment. Check its full configuration and whether it leaves enough room for your knees.
For repeated spreadsheet entry, start with the position of both input devices, then check whether the tray and its mounting hardware will fit your desk.
Consider it when: You use a keyboard and mouse together and an available below-desk position suits your setup.
Trade-off: Drawer positions may be limited, and the mouse platform and rails need unobstructed space.
Consider it when: You need a wider choice of keyboard heights or tilt angles than a drawer provides.
Trade-off: The track, keyboard platform and mouse platform may need to be selected separately; check how the complete assembly fits beneath your desk.
Consider it when: You mainly want to move the keyboard off the desktop and a modest fixed drop already suits you.
Trade-off: It may do little to change mouse reach or accommodate a different working height.
| Concern | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Typing position | Check the available height and tilt settings, and whether the extended tray leaves knee room. | If my desk puts the keyboard at an awkward height during long entry sessions, I need a position I can adjust to my workstation. Around 33% of consumers put typing position first. |
| Keyboard and mouse together | Check the usable platform size against your keyboard and numeric keypad, and confirm the mouse platform's side and whether it is included. | When I alternate between entering figures and selecting cells, I want the mouse close rather than reaching back to the desktop. For around 27% of consumers, that shared keyboard-and-mouse workflow is the primary concern. |
| Desk fit and clearance | Measure clear mounting width and depth, desk thickness, obstructions and knee space with your chair in position. | A crossbar, drawer or cable hardware could prevent me fitting a tray where I can use it. Desk fit is the first priority for around 27% of consumers. |
| Desktop space | Check whether the keyboard stows fully and whether the drawer's available working position suits your setup. | I want the keyboard accessible for data entry but out of the way between tasks; substantial adjustment matters less to me. Around 13% of consumers chiefly prioritise recovering desktop space. |
Crossbars, drawers or cable hardware can obstruct installation, while a tray that mounts successfully may still interfere with your knees.
Measure the clear underside and check the proposed mounting position with your chair at its working height. Tray dimensions alone do not establish that the rails and screws will fit.
Repeated movement between spreadsheet cells and the keyboard can still involve stretching if the mouse remains far away. The Health and Safety Executive advises keeping it within easy reach.
Check that the tray holds both devices or has a mouse platform on the side you need, with a stable surface when extended.
A tray's adjustment range does not establish that its position will work with your chair, monitor, mouse and working routine.
Set up the complete workstation before deciding on a working position. For applicable workplace display screen equipment users, raise unresolved discomfort through the employer's workstation assessment process.
Kensington marks its referenced basic drawer as discontinued, while 3M's referenced product range appears in a US catalogue. Neither establishes current UK availability for a particular configuration.
Before choosing an exact model, confirm its current product listing, supplied track and platforms, and applicable warranty terms.
Fellowes offers conventional under-desk drawers, including the 93804 and Office Suites Deluxe models.
Humanscale makes configurable keyboard systems for workstations needing more adjustment than a conventional drawer.
Kensington's basic under-desk drawer illustrates a simpler, modestly lowered keyboard position.
3M's keyboard-tray range provides examples of differing track lengths and platform combinations.
Keep the mouse within easy reach when switching between typing and selecting cells. The Health and Safety Executive advises positioning it so you can use it without stretching; a side-mounted platform can help if it fits your desk and keeps the mouse stable.
Measure the clear underside width and depth, desktop thickness, distance to crossbars or drawers, and knee clearance at your normal chair position. Compare those measurements with the tray, track and mounting hardware, as well as the footprint of your keyboard and mouse.
No single tilt setting suits every workstation. Humanscale specifies 0° to -15° tilt for its 6G mechanism, but your choice must also leave the keyboard and mouse easy to reach and the platform clear of your knees.
No. For workers covered by workplace display screen equipment requirements, the Health and Safety Executive says employers must assess the workstation; a tray is only one part of that setup. Its position should be considered alongside the other equipment, furniture, work and individual needs.