Looking for an ergonomic mouse

February 6, 2017 9:12 AM

I've bought the both Anker and Shark vertical mice, and both have not worked. Both mice skip - inconsistently - which is maddening. There are plenty of ergonomic mice out there at a higher price point, but very few vertical mice. Unless I'm missing something?

I've tried different USB ports, new batteries, different mouse pads, all to no avail. The price point for both was around $20 USD, which is really cheap, but I can't seem to find a vertical mouse at a higher price/better quality.

I'm looking for a vertical mouse specifically because it relieves RSI pain in my wrist.

Are there other vertical mice that I don't know about, and if so, can you recommend one?

posted by onecircleaday to Technology (13 answers total)

Did you install the drivers for those mice from the manufacturer websites? The built-in Windows drivers may not work well with those mice. You may also have to tweak the settings to get the mice working properly.

I occasionally have had trouble with mousepads that have multiple colors. You might try using the mouse on your desk surface to eliminate that issue. If it skips more on some surfaces, it's likely the surface that's the issue.

If it's a wireless mouse, you may be getting interference from nearby speakers, cell phones, microwaves, etc.

The issue may also be with your computer - that it's doing something else that takes up all of the CPU, causing the mouse to skip. You can use Task Manager, by right-clicking Taskbar and then clicking Task Manager. You may need to click the More Details button to see the graphs. If your CPU graph is really high, something is likely going on with your computer and not your mouse.
posted by cnc at 9:23 AM on February 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

I had a bit of an issue with RSI, and used a Penguin mouse which worked really well for me. This was about 5 years ago, and I'm back to using a normal mouse again now, because it's seemingly sorted, and things may have moved on since then.
posted by thingonaspring at 9:29 AM on February 6, 2017

I've got two Evoluent vertical mice, one for each hand, depending on how my right wrist feels. No skipping, customisable button layouts. I've had them for around five years, I think.
posted by Kreiger at 10:13 AM on February 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

Seconding Evoluent. I've used one for a few months. It is expensive, but I haven't had any computer-related wrist pain since I started using it.

I originally tried out the Anker mouse for a while and I'm pretty sure it's the exact same item as the Shark mouse with a different brand name.
posted by henuani at 10:52 AM on February 6, 2017

I have the DXT mouse 2 (wireless version), which I chose over the Evoluent because it has a button that allows switching between left and right handed operation - something I do often when my RSI flares up, and I didn't want to buy two separate mice.

I've had it for about 6 months and I'm very happy with it. No skipping problems, and it's light and small enough that I can easily bring it with me when traveling.
posted by medusa at 11:22 AM on February 6, 2017

I've also been happy with an Evoluent vertical mouse. I've been using mine full-time at work for about 3 years now, no complaints.
posted by ripley_ at 12:34 PM on February 6, 2017

I'm also happy with my Evoluent vertical mouse. It pretty much eliminated my mouse hand carpal tunnel. They're expensive, and I'm on my second one because the buttons on the first one died after about 10 months.

I tried an Anker, but hated it because it moved whenever I pressed the buttons, unless held in a death grip.
posted by monotreme at 1:10 PM on February 6, 2017

Nthing Evoluent here. I've used mine full time at work for about 4-5 years with no problems.
posted by partylarry at 1:43 PM on February 6, 2017

I have two Evoluent vertical mice, one at home and one at work and have been using them since the early 2000's. I can't even use the traditional style-mice now because of the pain they engender in my wrists. Evoluent is so very worth the extra $$.
posted by Lynsey at 3:29 PM on February 6, 2017

Another Evoluent Customer here. Have been using it for 2+ years now, the only thing that works for me. Saves me hundreds of dollars in potential visits and surgery.

Here is the search on amazon:
https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=evoluent+vertical+mouse+4
posted by iNfo.Pump at 6:14 PM on February 6, 2017

Yet another very happy Evoluent user. I've been looking for a mouse/tablet/etc. that fits my hands so well for about a decade.

While it may not fit your hands as well as mine, I've never had issues with it skipping.
posted by silentbicycle at 6:36 PM on February 6, 2017

I clicked on this question just to recommend Evoluent, as well. It saved my hands & wrists from severe pain. I bought my small right-hand one in July 2011 & still use it to this day. The casing has started to show a little wear, & I plan to upgrade to the wireless at some point, but I don't like the current color combo for the small one & my original one still works beautifully.
posted by katemcd at 8:16 PM on February 6, 2017

I have a J-Tech vertical mouse and it's worked out well for me. It's about $20 and I've never had any issues with skipping/sensitivity/button responsiveness/etc. There's a wireless version for about $3 more, if I'm not mistaken.
posted by Verba Volant at 9:00 AM on February 7, 2017