Number pads are a holdover fromthe era of massive desktop calculators.

You might be better off without one – at least, one permanently fixed to your keyboard.

Why Does My Wrist Hurt?

MacTigr volume wheel and numpad

Marcus Mears III / How-To Geek

However, they do usually come with a trade-off: ergonomics.

That might be less of a problem if I used a mouse with my left hand.

There areother choicesthat use mechanical key switches.

Angled view of the Keychron Q1

Erik Schoon / How-To Geek