Best Keyboard Trays UK 2026

A keyboard tray is the cheapest way to fix typing height without replacing your desk. It clamps under the surface and drops the keyboard closer to elbow level, which is roughly where the HSE guidance on display screen equipment wants your hands to sit. The parts that decide whether a tray actually works are the clamp span and the tray width, not the price. We compared eight under-desk trays sold in the UK, from £23.85 to £59.99, and the one we would pick for most desks is the TECLUK 26.77 inch tray with drawer at £31.44.

Quick comparison

1. TECLUK Keyboard Tray with Drawer, £31.44

The TECLUK is the tray we would order first for a normal home desk. The platform measures 26.77 inches by 11.81 inches, which is enough for a full size keyboard with a wrist rest parked in front of it, and the C-clamp mount slides onto a top without any drilling. The drawer underneath is the detail that earns its place: it takes cables, a spare mouse or a notebook you would otherwise be shuffling around at 9am.

The clamp is the weak point on cheap trays, and this one grips a standard 25 mm desk top without rocking. It will not work on a desk with a deep apron or a drawer box running under the front edge, because the clamp needs clear timber to bite on.

Verdict: the one we would pick for most desks, and the best balance of tray width and tidy storage at £31.44 on Amazon.

2. ERGOMAKER Keyboard Tray, 65 x 30 cm, £35.99

This is the tray to look at if your desk is white or pale oak and you care what the hardware looks like. The platform is 65 cm by 30 cm and the total span including the clamps is 76 cm, so you need that much clear width under the top. The finish is the reason to pay the extra few pounds over the TECLUK, and the pull out action is on the smooth side for the money.

Because the tray is wide, it suits a full size keyboard with a separate number pad, or a keyboard and a mouse mat side by side. On a 100 cm desk it eats most of the knee space, so measure before you commit.

Verdict: best for a pale desk where the tray will be visible, at £35.99.

3. Overpassing Under-Desk Tray with 360 Mouse Platform, £26.85

The Overpassing tray is 19.7 inches long and 10 inches deep, so it is a compact platform for a tenkeyless keyboard rather than a full size board. The selling point is the mouse platform on a 360 degree pivot: it swings out to the side while you work and tucks back under when you stop, which keeps the desk surface clear without a second shelf.

Steel construction at this price is unusual, and the pivot is the sort of joint that either feels solid or wobbles. The listing is clear that it is a clamp on fitting, so the same rule applies as every other tray here: check your desk edge for a crossbar.

Verdict: our value pick if you use a mouse at the same level as the keyboard, at £26.85.

4. CMYKZONE Sliding Keyboard Tray with Mouse Pad, £23.85

The CMYKZONE is the cheapest tray in this group that still does the job properly. It is a sliding platform with an integrated mouse pad, so you get the keyboard and the mouse on one surface without buying a separate mat. The tray is compact, which makes it a good fit for a narrow desk or a laptop set up where you only need to drop the keys a few inches.

At this price the platform is thinner and the runners are simpler than the trays above it. It is fine for a light membrane keyboard and a standard mouse, and it is not the one to buy if you rest your forearms hard on the front edge.

Verdict: the cheapest sensible way to try a tray, at £23.85.

5. Duronic Keyboard Platform DKTPX1, £39.99

Duronic sells this as an under-desk drawer for a keyboard and mouse, and that framing is accurate. The platform retracts fully under the desk, so when you finish work the desk top is empty apart from your screen. That matters in a small flat where the desk doubles as a table.

The clamp on mount fixes to the desk edge rather than the underside, which makes fitting a one person job with a screwdriver. Duronic is a brand with a long record in desk mounts in the UK, and the steel gauge is heavier than the budget trays. You are paying for the mechanism, not the size.

Verdict: the pick if the goal is a clear desk when you finish work, at £39.99.

6. ETHU Small Under-Desk Tray, Walnut, £49.99

Most trays are black steel or grey plastic, which is why the ETHU stands out. It is a 500 mm by 300 mm sliding platform in walnut, and the wood makes it look like part of the desk rather than a bolt on. It suits a solid timber top or a desk in a room where the furniture is on show.

The size is the trade off. At 50 cm it takes a compact keyboard comfortably and a full size one with the edges hanging over, so check the width of what you type on. The C-clamp fitting is standard, and the runners are rated for a platform this size rather than a loaded drawer.

Verdict: best for a wooden desk where looks count, at £49.99.

7. EUREKA ERGONOMIC Adjustable Tray, £57.99

The EUREKA tray is 28 inches by 11 inches, which makes it the largest keyboard and mouse platform here. If you work with a full size keyboard and a mouse side by side, this is the tray that gives both of them room without a separate mouse platform hanging off the edge. The platform slides out and the height is adjustable within the bracket.

EUREKA builds desk gear for gaming set ups, and the build reflects that: heavier steel, a bigger clamp, and a footprint that needs a desk at least 120 cm wide to feel right. It is more tray than a small desk needs.

Verdict: the pick for a full size keyboard plus mouse on one platform, at £57.99.

8. VIVO Large Height Adjustable Tray, £59.99

The VIVO is 27 inches wide and 33 inches across including the clamps, and the height adjusts through the bracket rather than by packing shims under the platform. That adjustment is the reason to choose it over the cheaper trays: if two people use the same desk, or if you swap between a laptop and a monitor, you can move the tray without tools.

The C-clamp system is the most substantial in this group, which helps on a thicker top. It is also the tray most likely to foul an under-desk drawer unit, so measure the gap between the desk edge and anything fixed below it.

Verdict: best for a shared desk or a top that needs a wide clamp, at £59.99.

Measure your desk before you order anything

Almost every failed keyboard tray purchase is a measurement problem rather than a quality problem. Four numbers decide it.

Desk thickness. Clamp on trays grip a top between roughly 20 mm and 50 mm, and the wider the clamp, the more tolerant it is. A hollow core desk with a honeycomb centre can crush under a clamp, so press the edge with your thumb before buying.

Clear edge. Run your hand under the front edge of the desk. A crossbar, a cable tray or a drawer box within 15 cm of the edge will block the clamp, and no amount of adjusting fixes that. This is the single most common reason a tray gets returned.

Knee clearance. A tray hangs about 25 to 30 cm below the desk top once fitted. If you cross your legs while you work, check that the tray plus your thigh still fits under the desk.

Width. Measure the keyboard, then add 5 cm either side. A 44 cm keyboard needs a tray of at least 54 cm to sit on without overhang.

What height adjustment actually buys you

The HSE display screen equipment guidance is blunt about typing posture: forearms roughly level, wrists straight, shoulders relaxed. A fixed tray gets most people closer to that than a keyboard sitting on a 75 cm desk, because it drops the keys by 25 to 30 cm.

Height adjustable trays matter in two situations. The first is a shared desk where two people of different heights use the same screen. The second is a desk that cannot go lower, such as a fixed kitchen counter doubling as a workspace. Outside those cases a fixed tray at the right height is money better spent on tray width.

Clamp or screw fitting

Every tray in this list is a clamp fit, which means no holes in your desk and no rebuilding it when you move. The trade off is that a clamp concentrates load on a small area of the desk edge. On a solid wood or 25 mm melamine top that is fine. On a thin veneered top or a rental desk with a hollow core, put a small offcut of timber between the clamp and the underside to spread the pressure.

Screw fitting trays are more rigid and sit lower, but they are a permanent change to the desk and they need a pilot hole in exactly the right place. For a home office you will move or replace within a few years, the clamp is the sensible choice.

Does a tray replace a monitor riser?

No, and the two usually work best together. A tray drops your hands, and a monitor riser lifts the screen so you are not looking down at it. If you fit a tray and leave the monitor on its factory stand, your neck ends up worse than before, because your hands are lower and the screen is still low. Our guide to monitor risers covers the height maths, and if you are going the whole way, a standing desk converter moves the screen and the keyboard together.

Frequently asked questions

Do keyboard trays fit any desk?

Most clamp on trays fit desk tops between about 20 mm and 50 mm thick, as long as the front edge is clear. A crossbar, a fixed drawer or a cable tray within 15 cm of the edge stops the clamp fitting, and that is the most common reason a tray cannot be used.

What height should a keyboard tray be?

The keys should sit at roughly elbow height with your shoulders relaxed and your wrists straight, which is what the HSE guidance describes for display screen work. On a standard 75 cm desk that usually means a tray that hangs 25 to 30 cm below the top.

Is a keyboard tray better than a wrist rest?

They solve different problems. A wrist rest supports the hand while you pause, and a tray changes the height of the keyboard itself. If your wrists bend backwards to reach the keys, a tray does more for you than any cushion.

Will a tray fit above a desk drawer?

Only if there is clear space under the front edge. Measure from the desk edge back to the front of the drawer box, and compare that with the depth of the clamp on the tray you want. Below about 10 cm of clear edge most clamps will not seat.

Can I use a keyboard tray with a laptop?

You can, and it helps if the laptop is on a stand at eye level with a separate keyboard on the tray. Typing on a laptop that sits on the tray itself puts the screen below your eyeline, which is the posture you were trying to fix.

How much should a keyboard tray cost?

A basic clamp on tray starts around £23 and a large height adjustable platform runs to about £60. The price ladder in this guide is driven by tray size and clamp quality rather than brand, so the £31 tray here outperforms several dearer ones for a normal desk.

Our verdict

Buy the TECLUK tray with drawer at £31.44 if you want one sensible answer. It is wide enough for a full keyboard, the drawer takes the clutter, and the clamp suits a normal home desk.

Spend more only for a reason: the VIVO at £59.99 if two people share the desk, the ETHU walnut at £49.99 if the desk is on show, or the CMYKZONE at £23.85 if you just want to test whether a tray suits you before spending more.

For more small kit that fixes a desk, see our guide to monitor risers and the latest home office reviews.