19 ways the world is designed for right-handed people

By: Caroline Praderio，Talia Lakritz，Jenny McGrath

15 January 2025 at 14:39

Keanu Reeves signing a red hat reading Firestone with a pen in his left hand — Keanu Reeves signs a fan's hat with his left hand.
Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images

About 10% of people in the world are left-handed.
Lefties have to endure lots of little daily struggles righties might not think about.
Swiping credit cards and cutting with scissors are just two harder tasks.

The world isn't always easy for left-handed people. While they may have the advantage in some sports, many everyday tools were designed for their right-handed counterparts.

Because only around 10% of the population is left-handed, most notebooks, scissors, and tape measures are made for righties. The placement of objects like pens and gearshifts is also typically geared toward those with a dominant right hand.

Here are 19 simple, daily tasks or experiences that can be a hassle for left-handed people.

Zipper flaps on pants block easy access from the left side.

The top part of a pair of jeans mostly unzipped — The flap can get in the way of the zipper for left-handed people.
Somrakjendee/Getty Images

Lefties have to reach around the flap and zip up from the other side.

If you hold a glass measuring cup in your left hand, you have to know the metric system.

A glass measuring cup sits on a counter in front of a blue bowl near some measuring spoons — Measuring is tougher for lefties who don't use the metric system.
LifestyleVisuals/Getty Images

Measurements in cups and ounces face right-handed users. Frequent bakers might want to invest in a left-handed version.

Writing in spiral notebooks and three-ring binders is pretty annoying.

A woman sits in front of a three-ring binder. — Binders have nowhere for left-handers to comfortably rest their hands.
Julia Ar/Shutterstock

The rings make it impossible for left-handed people to lay their hands flat on the page and write normally. Notebooks with spirals on the top or right side are much easier to use.

In general, writing on paper is tough for lefties because they tend to smear pen ink or pencil graphite as their hands move across the page.

Desks with chairs attached are very uncomfortable.

Several students sit in a classroom with their desks in a circle — Classroom lecture chairs aren't made for lefties.
Jonny Long/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Right-handers get to rest their arms on the surface, but lefties have to keep their elbows hovering in midair.

Pens at the bank are attached on the right side.

A right hand holds a pen near a banking slip with a bowl of suckers nearby on a wooden desk — It's tougher to write when the pen is on the wrong side.
Connect Images/Getty Images

When you pull the pen over to the left side, the cord gets in the way of what you're trying to write.

Other parts of banking are awkward, too.

Credit card machines are designed for right-handed people.

A hand swipes a credit card in a card reader — Swiping a credit card can be a struggle.
PeopleImages/Getty Images

Holding a credit card in your left hand and swiping it downward in a machine feels weird, but so does switching to your right hand if you're a leftie. Luckily, many machines are tap-to-pay now.

The pen on credit card terminals is also attached on the right side.

A man in a green shirt signs a red credit card machine — The pen is often attached on the right.
Juanmonino/Getty Images

The cord may not be long enough to comfortably write with your left hand. If you use your right hand, your signature is probably going to be less legible.

Old-school can openers only work well in the right hand.

Lefties have to reach across the can and turn the crank at an awkward angle, which is difficult. There are left-handed can openers to avoid this issue.

US drivers almost never have cup holders on the left of their cars.

A hand holds a yellow coffee cup with a black top as it rests in a car's cupholder — Left-hand people have to grab drinks with their right hand.
Felix Kästle/picture alliance via Getty Images

Grabbing a piping hot coffee with your non-dominant hand can be a recipe for spillage.

The number pads on keyboards are on the right.

A computer keyboard lights up in rainbow colors while two hands rest on a desk, one using a mouse, with a pink light glowing from behind the monitor — Frequent number-pushers might prefer a different keyboard setup.
Westend61/Getty Images

A few companies do make left-handed keyboards for those who like to hit the number keys with their dominant hands.

If you're using a public computer, there's a good chance it's set up for right-handed users.

man using computer — Some left-handers have gotten used to using a computer mouse in their right hand.
gilaxia/Getty Images

The mouse is probably on the right side, for example.

A typical pair of scissors presents problems for people who use their left hands.

A hand holds red-handled scissors cutting bright pink paper — Lefty scissors are hard to come by.
Neydtstock/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Left-handers have to angle the blade to make an accurate cut and then squeeze the two handles together in an uncomfortable way.

Lefties need special guitars.

Some, like Jimi Hendrix, simply play a typical guitar upside down.

Some vegetable peelers don't work for lefties.

A hand with a thumb ring holds a potato and the other hand uses a black peeler to peel the potato — Peeling vegetables can be tougher if you're left-handed.
Glenn Asakawa/The Denver Post via Getty Images

If a vegetable peeler only has one sharp side, left-handed cooks may find it difficult to position the blade and get a smooth peeling motion.

Many important camera buttons and controls are always on the right.

A blond woman holds a camera to her eye, seen from above — Photographers often use their right index finger to shoot photos.
Phillip Suddick/Getty Images

It may take left-handers a bit to adjust to a camera's setup.

When lefties draw along a ruler, their hands cover the numbers.

The numbers on left-handed rulers move from right to left so lefties can see them clearly as they move their pens.

When you hold a tape measure in your left hand, the numbers are upside down.

Two people stand near each other, with one person's handing a tape measure with the yellow tape exposed. The other holds a black notebook — Using a tape measure left-handed is just a little trickier.
Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images

It's still readable, but it's a little more inconvenient.

Power tools typically have safety and shut-off switches on the right side.

a person holding a power tool with their right hand — Power tools were designed for right-handed handy people.
ferrantraite/Getty Images

Righties have an easier time using these switches for safety and better control whereas lefties should be extra cautious.

Rectangular dining tables can be a nuisance.

family eating dinner at a rectangular dining table — It will be a lot of elbow bumping during dinner if lefties choose the wrong seat.
Compassionate Eye Foundation/Gary Burchell/Getty Images

Lefties are the odd person out at rectangular dining tables. To avoid bumping elbows with the person next to them, they need to be selective about where they sit. This is less of a problem at circular tables.

This article was originally published on November 16, 2016, and was last updated on January 15, 2025.

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