Originally published at: https://tidbits.com/2018/12/07/ankers-vertical-mouse-provides-cheap-rsi-relief/
Is your mouse making your wrist or forearm hurt? The $15 Anker Ergonomic Optical USB Wired Vertical Mouse may be able to ease your pain.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the majority of computer mice are smaller than my hand, so I’ve been looking at possibly getting a larger mouse. Sadly, that seems to rule out Anker’s offerings.
I’d call this mouse a bit on the larger side if you’re interested in the concept. But it’s hard to say how it compares to a regular mouse due to the funky wedge shape.
I bought this mouse, under a different “brand” and it worked almost immediately to relieve my rsi. I got a wireless BT version. I do have ocassional issues with it stalling and it seems to require frequent battery changes (2x AAA). i might look for a higher quality unit.
Regards, Chuck Crawford.
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I have used the wireless version of this mouse for several years. It works great. I have a large hand with long fingers, and the mouse is comfortable in my hand.
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I purchased the Sharkk wireless version of this vertical mouse about two years ago. In addition to the complaints in the article about having to rest one’s pinky finger on the desk surface and the awkwardness of the location of the wrist on the desk, I have two other observations.
The first is that certain operations on the computer can pretty much disable the wireless connection. I notice with some frequency (no pun intended) a horrible lag when using the mouse while in YouTube editing titles and descriptions while uploading videos. The problem seems to get worse when the batteries are low so I’ve taken to changing them out once my patience wears thin. [This is an argument for a wired vertical mouse, which I had previously.]
The second observation I have is that some versions of the vertical mouse have glossier surfaces than others. In my view, the Sharkk was too hard to hold as it came out of the box. If you’ve got a wrist problem, you don’t want to be actively gripping the mouse instead of just holding it, as causing the hand to grip will simply aggravate any issues. I solved that problem by putting black hockey tape on the surfaces where my fingers touch the device. Not high tech, but it worked!
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Seems no left hand version?
That’s correct. As Josh wrote:
Also note that this is very much a right-handed mouse. Anker doesn’t offer a left-handed model, but searching for “left-handed vertical mouse” on Amazon or AliExpress will bring up left-handed versions of the same device.
We have been using Evoluent’s models, wireless on my desk and wired on my wife’s. They’re more expensive but come with software and work a treat. They are available in two sizes and left-handed.
Ah, thanks Curtis! I guess I skimmed the article too quickly and missed precisely that part.
Edit: Added name because reply was not displayed beneath text I replied to.
After a lot of research, I ended up going for an R-Go HE vertical mouse. I’m still getting used to it, but I’m already noticing a lot less strain on my wrist when using it compared to my previous mouse. I just wish the LED inside wasn’t so bright.
I bought the Anker Vertical mouse as a replacement for my old Evoluent vertical mouse. I had occasional tracking problems that were increasingly annoying. I had immediate chronic tracking problems with the new Anker mouse. Could not even move the cursor across the screen without skipping. I tried using a mouse pad and then a magazine. Same problem. It was so bad, I thought it may be a defective model so I replaced it with the same model. Same problem.
Going to return that one also. I guess I’m sticking with the Evoluent for now.