Computer mice are silent killers. For years I struggled with wrist pain, elbow pain, and shoulder pain, and I staved it off with stretches, exercises, ergonomic changes, and what have you—but it always kept coming back. Turns out, it was because of my mouse.
About a year ago, I was at my wit’s end, scrambling for web advice on why I’m hurting and what I could do about it. Reddit users talked about how switching to a trackball mouse made all the difference for them, and I was intrigued. Hopeful, even. Sure, I was reluctant because I didn’t want to waste my money or relearn how to work a mouse, but the pain was bad enough that I sucked it up and took a chance.
Joel Lee / Foundry
So, I spent $38 on a ProtoArc EM03, telling myself I could just return it if I didn’t like it. (The EM03 has since been discontinued, but the Nulea M505 is similar in design and price.) And you know what? I hated it for the first week or so. It was foreign, cumbersome, and weird. It had a learning curve, and it was frustrating, to say the least.
Then something magical happened: around the fourth week, I found myself zipping through my usual work without fumbling or struggling, without any of my usual pain. Wrist, elbow, shoulder—all gone. And using the trackball mouse? Second nature. I was having a good time with it, and I dare say I now prefer it to traditional mice.
I should note that my mouse is a finger trackball, not a thumb trackball. I’ve tried the thumb variant before, and I find it less precise and more prone to hand fatigue and repetitive strain. Being able to control the trackball with both index and middle fingers makes for a more pleasant experience with minimal wear on a single digit.
I love that there’s close to zero body movement when using a trackball mouse, meaning I can place it wherever I want with no regard for space or need of a mouse pad. I can put it on top of my desktop tower, under my monitor, or down on my lap, and it’s heavy enough to stay anchored while I’m using it. It doesn’t slide around.
Other things I love about it? The ergonomic shape conforms to my hand. The mouse buttons are large, tactile, and quiet. The “Soft Touch” material is gentle and cooling. I can connect it to three devices, two via Bluetooth pairings and one via wireless dongle. It lasts about 3 to 4 months on a full charge, and it recharges in an hour or so.
Joel Lee / Foundry
As far as I can tell, there are only three downsides to using a trackball mouse. First, they aren’t suitable for games with lots of mouse movement. Traditional mice still excel for FPSes and the like, so maybe keep a backup mouse just for gaming. Second, the socket that holds the trackball gets gunked up over time (like older mice used to do back before optical and laser tech) and needs occasional cleaning. Third, finding a left-handed version might be tougher than with traditional mice.
I can put up with all of that. As far as I’m concerned, the benefits outweigh the inconveniences, and the buy-in cost was absolutely worth it. The day my trackball mouse dies, you can bet I’m ordering a replacement right then and there—most likely the Nulea M505, but maybe the Kensington Expert if I want to try something more unusual.