Latest news with #verticalmouse
Forbes
5 days ago
- Forbes
These Ergonomic Mice From ProtoArc Are Designed To Counter RSI And Reduce Injury?
Recently, I wrote about some high-end ergonomic mice from Unimouse, but those specialist mice aren't particularly affordable. What are your options if you need an ergonomic mouse that will help with conditions like RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome without breaking the bank? In this hands-on feature, I look at two new ergonomic and affordable mice that could help provide a better way of pushing your cursor across the screen with less risk of pain or injury. ProtoArc is a brand that's perhaps best known for making a range of folding keyboards and travel mice. However, the company also makes a series of ergonomic mice and input devices that can help people who find using a regular mouse painful or difficult. The brand also produces left-handed mice for the 10% of the population who veer to the left. A Vertical Mouse First up from ProtoArc is the EM11 NL vertical wireless mouse that has an extended wrist rest that fits the palm snugly while promoting a more natural and relaxed position of the forearm and wrist. The vertical design helps minimize the risk of injury from RSI and reduces muscle tension in the arm for more comfort throughout the working day. With a choice of connectivity between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless, the EM11 NL can connect with up to three different host devices simultaneously. The user can switch between paired devices by clicking on the mode button. The mouse also has left and right buttons, a scroll wheel, a third button, plus forward and backward buttons for when you are browsing the web. Unlike most mice powered by alkaline batteries, the EM11 NL has a built-in rechargeable 500mAh Li-ion battery that can be charged with a USB Type-C cable. After 30 minutes of inactivity, the mouse enters sleep mode to save energy but will wake up when moved. There's a low battery LED to signify when it's time to recharge the mouse. Adjustable Resolution A useful feature on this mouse is the adjustable resolution setting. The optical sensor on the EM11 NL can be set to 1,000, 1,600 and 2,400 DPI, which provides different levels of sensitivity and can be useful when working on precise image editing or when using a design package like Adobe Illustrator or CAD. The buttons on the EM11 NL are designed to be quiet and programmable, although not with macOS. The mouse works perfectly with a Mac but its buttons can only be customized with a Windows computer. For example, the forward and backward buttons don't work when browsing the web with a Mac. Windows users can extensively customize the buttons and actions without any difficulty. If you are a Mac user, you simply can't customize the mouse buttons, which is a shame. If you want a fully programmable mouse for your Mac, then look at what Logitech has to offer because it has Logi Options+ software, arguably one of the best mouse and keyboard software packages on the market. Keeping Track The second ergonomic mouse option launched by ProtoArc is the EM01 NL, a mouse that's also a trackball. I've been using a Logitech trackball for years now after getting a nasty case of RSI and I wouldn't go back to using a regular mouse. A trackball suits my way of working and it could suit yours too, especially if you find you have a sore arm and shoulders after hours spent working at your computer. The ProtoArc EM01 NL has the usual left and right mouse buttons, a scroll wheel, third button, forward and backward buttons, plus two more programmable buttons. Once again, the EM01 NL works fine with a Mac, but the buttons can't be customized. That's a shame as this trackball mouse is a clone of Logitech's excellent MX Ergo S trackball. As with the vertical mouse, the EM01 NL offers a choice of two Bluetooth pairings but also comes with a USB-A wireless dongle for connecting via 2.4GHz. Using the third button behind the scroll wheel you can switch between any connected devices such as a computer, tablet or laptop. An unusual feature with this mouse trackball is its clickable base plate, which can place the mouse at a 20-degree angle, turning it on its side slightly to make it a little bit closer to a vertical mouse. It's a useful feature and worth experimenting with to see if it helps should you have a problem like RSI. The EM01 NL includes a built-in 900mAh lithium battery and a full charge will last for a month of average use. The resolution of the EM01 NL's sensor can also be altered adn there is a choice of five resolutions: 200, 400, 800, 1,200 and 1,600 DPI for adjusting the cursor's sensitivity. A trackball mouse can be particularly useful if, like me, you have a cramped desk and don't have enough room to push your mouse all over the place. A trackball lets the user leave the mouse in one place and the cursor is then manipulated by moving the trackball with the thumb. One small note for those opting to use a trackball: every now and again, you need to pop out the tracking ball and clean fluff and dust off the tracking sensors inside the mouse. You'll know when it's time to de-fluff as the cursor won't be as responsive and may start juddering across the screen. The ProtoArc EN11 NL vertical mouse is available now from ProtoArc and Amazon and costs $26.99 / £34.42 / €17,27. The ProtoArc EM01 NL Trackball Mouse is also shipping now and available from Amazon priced at $44.99 / £46.99 / €54,99.
Gizmodo
6 days ago
- Gizmodo
Anker's Vertical Ergonomic Mouse Is Basically a Back-to-School Giveaway, Now at Its Lowest Price
Are you still using some ten-year old mouse you picked up from the Staples checkout line? Or maybe worse, you're just using whatever cheap crappy mouse came free bundled with a laptop you bought way back during the president's first term. A computer mouse may not be something you put a lot of thought into when shopping for, but it might be one of the most frequent things you come in contact with across your day. It's up there with the keyboard right next to it and perhaps a steering wheel if you drive to work. So why shouldn't you make you you have something high quality? Anker has this vertical ergonomic wireless mouse and it's pretty affordable too. It's normally just $30 but right now, it's ever lower at just $24 for a limited time. Save yourself 20% and a ton of wrist pain over the coming years. See at Amazon So a standard mouse has your hand laying with the ball of your thumb turned down toward your desk. This actually compresses your nerves and can lead to pain and discomfort. When you place your arm out in front of you, it naturally wants to lay on outer part of your palm opposite your thumb. Anker's vertical mouse is designed with this in mind, reducing pressure on your wrist joints and minimizing the risk of cramping. Anker's vertical mouse has the key components you'd expect from any mouse. It's got it's right click button along with its perhaps even more important right click button. It's got a scroll wheel. This we expect. Though on top of that, it's also got a back button and forward button. This makes browsing the web even more versatile having those shortcuts right at your thumb. You can customize the speed with the DPI control button along the side. Choose between sensitivity options of 800 DPI, 1200 DPI, and 1600 DPI for a smooth and precise control over a range of different surfaces. The mouse is wireless, powered by two AAA batteries. You can connect to your laptop or other computer over 2.4G wireless. Just plug in the included USB receiver. It does not have the option to connect using Bluetooth. It's time to take your wrist health seriously. For a limited time, you can save 20% on the Anker wireless vertical mouse. Typically priced at $30, you can now grab it for $6 off. That brings the price you pay down to just $24. See at Amazon
WIRED
26-07-2025
- WIRED
Razer's Pro Click V2 Vertical Is the Ergonomic Gaming Mouse You're Looking For
Switching to a vertical mouse is a hard sell. Having to change how you use a mouse completely can be an intimidating task, especially with how unnatural the new hand position feels at first—you're going entirely against the muscle memory you've spent years building up. One of the largest challenges to the switch is the initial loss of pointer accuracy. If you're in an office setting, you may find yourself wandering around a bit or struggling to move your new mouse as quickly as you did before. But in a slow-paced setting like that, all you struggle with is a few mis-clicks or slightly slower navigation. If you try to make this transition with gaming, it's far more jarring, and the consequences are much more immediately noticeable. But even if it's difficult to adapt to, could vertical mice be the future of gaming? Razer's new Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition is a hybrid productivity and gaming vertical mouse. Vertical mice typically cater to office workers, but the focus on gaming performance makes the $120 Pro Click V2 one of a kind. Desk Presence The Pro Click V2 Vertical looks, more than anything else, like a modern gaming mouse. It has the textured exterior, metallic highlights, and slightly organic, H.R. Giger-esque curvature typical of Razer's design language. But everything has been shifted around. The curved, cutting thumb rest sits on top of the mouse instead of on the side. A flare juts out from the right side as a place to rest the underside of your hand. The gunmetal highlight sits at the peak of the mouse rather than between the two buttons. Even the USB port is vertical, a humorous attention to detail. It's intentionally designed as a gaming mouse that just happens to be vertical . Aesthetically, the only downside is the minimal RGB lighting. With only one section of lighting that runs along the bottom of the mouse, RGB lighting fans might feel disappointed. Still, it's bright, reactive, and has great color accuracy. It's more than enough for me, especially with how customizable it is with Razer's Chroma software. The Pro Click V2 Vertical has the same specs as the standard Pro Click V2, with a 1,000-Hz polling rate, a 2.4-GHz dongle that can be stored on the underside, Bluetooth multi-device connectivity, and a reprogrammable button on top. The only features lost are the mouse wheel's horizontal scrolling and toggleable non-ratcheted rotation. This mouse includes two major productivity features: app-specific profiles and multi-device connectivity, and both work effortlessly. Razer Synapse immediately detected different software and changed the active profile in response, and pressing the button on the underside of the mouse swapped between paired devices instantaneously. Beyond that, Razer Synapse is as impressive as always. I consistently find the software to be one of the best and most intuitive on the market, and that's the case here. All of the menus are simple and efficient, the settings can be changed in real time, and the adjustments all have tooltips and explanations to tell you exactly what you're changing. Annoyingly, Razer Synapse has advertisements on the homepage, something I've complained about when reviewing SteelSeries products in the past. However, unlike Steelseries GG, these 'recommendations' can be permanently disabled in the app's settings. Performance and Practice The overall hand position of the Pro Click V2 Vertical is natural, but incredibly upright. While some vertical mice, like those from Logitech or Hansker, find a middle ground between a standard and truly 'vertical' hand position, Razer opted for a nearly perpendicular shape. While this is technically an ideal ergonomic shape, it will be harder to adapt if you're moving directly from a standard mouse, and might not be as comfortable during the adjustment period. It felt unnatural for the first week or so, and required practice to use comfortably and confidently. Once I had acclimated, my speed and accuracy were nearly at the same level as a standard mouse, although consistent use still felt clunky and unfamiliar compared to the horizontal mice I'd been using for most of my life.
WIRED
12-05-2025
- Business
- WIRED
The Hansker Productivity Is a Simple and Refined Vertical Mouse
I've never been a vertical mouse person. These mice have a vertical shape that puts your palm in a more neutral posture, reducing strain on the wrist. But every time I've used one in the past, it felt awkward, unnatural, or like I was making a trade-off in exchange for better ergonomics. They just never worked for me—until the Hansker Productivity Mouse came across my desk. It takes the standard vertical mouse formula, but sculpts the angles and curves for an incredibly natural feel. All that while still offering everything you'd want in a modern mouse, from speedy wireless connectivity, USB-C recharging, left- and right-clickers, a scroll wheel, two programmable thumb buttons, and multi-device connectivity via Bluetooth. Hansker's mouse comes in two flavors: Productivity and Performance. Both have a high 1,000-Hz polling rate, which is how fast the mouse sends its data to the PC. The Performance costs $140, weighs 90 grams, uses a higher-performance sensor, and is available in black. The Productivity costs $115, weighs 116 grams, uses a slower sensor, and comes in a warm off-white. Informed Design Photograph: Henri Robbins Hansker's founder, Alex Muñoz, tells me a lot of research went into the shape of the Productivity Mouse. Its design is heavily influenced by research on ergonomics published in the National Library of Medicine, which guided the ideal angle and shape for a vertical mouse to reduce wrist strain. Then Muñoz went through multiple prototypes to find a one-size-fits-all shape that worked for various hand sizes. 'The way we went about this was to find a shape, a form factor, and a size that fits as many people as possible with the knowledge that one size doesn't fit all,' Muñoz says. 'I realized that bigger forms are usually more comfortable for most people.' In my testing, I found this accurate as well. I had several people test this mouse, each with varying hand sizes, and nearly all of them said the Hankser Productivity was comfortable to hold and use, regardless of hand size. Photograph: Henri Robbins
