FAQ

SIZE

How do I determine which size to get?

To make sure your Carpio will fit perfectly, please measure your palm - it's easy and fast.

Small < or exactly 9 cm (3,54 '')

Large > 9 cm (3,54 '')

Take a ruler and measure your palm's width, as shown in the picture below.

If the width is below or exactly 9 cm, choose Carpio S, otherwise choose Carpio L.

MATERIAL

How soft is the Carpio?

Just enough to be comfortable and stable at the same time. The pads are rubber-like: flexible and soft to the touch but not as soft as memory foam for example because the softness isn’t as essential for ergonomics as Carpio’s shape.

ERGONOMICS

Was it really designed with physicians?

Yes, there were different medical specialists involved in the development process throughout the whole year. The main one was Marko Mikša, MD, who worked with us part-time for a year. He has experience in Plastic, Reconstructive, Aesthetic Surgery, and Burns (including Carpal Tunnel surgeries). You can check his LinkedIn profile here. Other consultants were several physicians trained in occupational medicine.

Are there any studies to support your claims?

One of the studies that we took into account was conducted by Harvard School of Public Health, Kettering University and Northeastern University and showed that raised palm support was associated with less wrist extension and lower applied forces to the mouse pad. Participants also reported less musculoskeletal discomfort when using a support. You can read more here.

We’re preparing to conduct our own study but please beware that this is a long and costly process.

How is Carpio different from other wrist rests out there?

Now this is an important one - significantly. In most cases, other wrist rests like gel pads don’t provide any significant ergonomic benefit and usually increase the risk by:

  1. applying the pressure to the underside of the wrist, or carpal tunnel to be more precise, and compressing the tissues, slowing down blood supply...
  2. fixing your wrist position, which causes additional stress for your wrist as you are forced to move the mouse by rotating/flexing your wrist instead of using your whole arm and shoulder (larger, stronger muscles)

And that's why Carpio reinforces that pressure from the wrist to the lower palm (thenar and hypothenar part), so actually, it's a palm rest rather than a wrist rest, and lifts your wrist for about a centimeter to reduce the harmful extension. Also, it moves/glides together with your hand and enables the arm and shoulder motion.

Is there any sort of certification for it?

Carpio was designed with physicians and is based on findings of different studies (see answers above) but isn’t a medical device as the certification process is long, rigorous and requires a clinical study and costs around 500.000€ which isn’t feasible. That doesn’t mean Carpio doesn’t help but only that your doctor can’t prescribe it to you.

FRICTION

Is there an added amount of friction with these or do they glide relatively well?

Relatively well? Yes. But it depends on the surface. Some customers say it's perfectly fine while others would prefer smoother gliding. We're already working on improving that and will try to give existing customers (like you, potentially) the option to get the new feet later, for free. Sign up on our mailing list and stay tuned!

Does it work on a mouse pad?

Of course, it works on all kinds of surfaces.

MOUSE COMPATIBILITY

I have a Logitech MX Vertical mouse, so my hand position is different. Would it work with it? 

We don’t really recommend using Carpio with a vertical mouse but some of our customers do use it - and enjoy it. Here’s a picture from one of them:

User with a Logitech vertical mouse

Would Carpio be beneficial for touchpad users?

Sure, because of a similar wrist extension as with using a computer mouse. Carpio lifts your wrist and reduces the angle.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

What are the symptoms of CTS?

  • Numbness, tingling, and pain in your thumb and the first three fingers of your hand.

  • Wrist pain and burning that travels up your arm.

  • Weakness in the muscles of the hand

  • Dropping things

GAMING

Can I game with it?

In general, yes. However, if you’re playing fast paced games that require a lot of precision, beware - it might bother you until you get used to it. 

OTHER

How can I make the rubber top pieces stay connected to the bottom?  Why does this need to be in 3 pieces?  I love it but I don’t understand the lack of glue or something.  What do you recommend?

Carpio consists of three pieces so you’ll be able to replace the pads or the base easily once we introduce new versions/colors. However, you can easily glue them to the base if you want to.

Which award did it win?

Carpio won the Rector’s Award for the Best Innovation at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and Silver Award for the Best Young Enterprise from the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

Do you have any plans to make a keyboard wrist rest in the future?

We are planning on making a keyboard version in the upcoming months.

How about the left-handed version?

We’re already working on that and plan to launch it by the end of 2020.