The Logitech Lift is the third vertical mouse I’ve ever used, and I’m in no hurry to run out of it and try another mouse. Like communism or attending a Coldplay concert, the vertical rat is one of those ideas that is better in theory than in practice.
While it’s true that these weird peripherals can ease wrist pain for some users, vertical mice don’t offer any real benefits over a traditional mouse for others.
Unless your job involves reviewing mice (as mine does), you might not realize just how many different designs there are. From $20 work units you can find at an office supply store to premium gaming models for $150 or more, there really is a mouse style for nearly every shape and use case.
Logitech is one of the best mouse manufacturers on the market and has been instrumental in making high-end versions of some of the niche designs. from the little one Logitech Bob Mousebackwards Logitech MX Ergo (complete with trackball) To the innovative Logitech G502 Lightspeed, Logitech delivers input devices for every productivity, gaming or everyday application you can imagine.
A few years ago, the company released the Logitech MX Vertical, which I reviewed for a sister site. I enjoyed the device’s smooth performance and extensive software options, but was mostly baffled by what it looked like. I’ve reviewed dozens of mice over the years, and I’ve never encountered a vertical formation before.
If you haven’t tried the vertical mouse, the concept is pretty straightforward. To use most mice, you can place your palm on top of the device, then manipulate the buttons with your fingers pointing down. The vertical mouse essentially rotates the entire setup about 90 degrees, which means you’re holding the device as you would a coffee cup, with your fingers on the side. The buttons are on the right side of the mouse, and a wide base keeps your hand elevated above your desk.
Outwardly, vertical mice have a significant advantage over conventional mice: they do not put much pressure on the metatarsal ligament. Office workers and PC gamers alike are in a state of panic carpal tunnel syndromeThis is a painful condition that can occur when constant pressure compresses a sensitive nerve in your wrist. Vertical mice offer one potential solution to this problem, since the lower part of your wrist will never contact your desk while using one of these devices.
It’s a brilliant idea, though strictly fair, There isn’t a lot of empirical research to back it up. In fact, one of the only resources I could find to balance the pros and cons of vertical mice came from Logitech’s website.
1 week with elevator
After I reviewed the MX Vertical, I was ready to go back to a normal mouse, especially since I didn’t find the vertical configuration all that useful for gaming. However, my biggest issue had nothing to do with the performance of the mouse. Instead, I didn’t like the fact that the MX Vertical actually felt less comfortable than a good gaming mouse (in my case, Logitech G500s).
To give credit where it’s due, Logitech’s claim is 100% correct: using a vertical mouse puts no pressure on the lower part of your wrist. The only problem is that the pressure has to go somewhere else, and where it goes depends entirely on how you hold the mouse.
In the promotional photos on Logitech’s website, users hold the MX Vertical and Lift laterally, resting the flat part of their hand on the mouse pad. This makes sense, because your hand has a lot of muscle to spread out the weight. But whenever I carried the MX Vertical, I always rested the side of my wrist on the mousepad instead. After just a few minutes, this started to hurt. If your wrist is touching your desk or mouse pad, there isn’t a lot of muscle to wrap around. It is actually more painful than distributing the weight to the metatarsal ligament.
When I first bought the lift, a Logitech representative told me that it’s still worth giving the vertical design another try. He argued that because my hands are small, the MX Vertical might be too big, forcing my wrist into an uncomfortable position to compensate.
I spent about a week testing the elevator, in part because I stumbled on other projects, and it was just a mouse on my desk at the time. While the smaller size fits my hand better, I found that the problems I had with the MX Vertical still remained. The unusual design didn’t make any of my daily tasks easier or faster, while a single point on my wrist still took all the pressure off.
As I found when testing the elevator, this is not a matter of learning how to use the device; It simply depends on how you hold the mouse. It’s not something you can consciously train yourself to change, at least not in a week.
I don’t doubt that some users will find vertical mice easier to use, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it actually reduced wrist pain for some of them. However, it is wise to remember that vertical mice, such as gaming mice or trackball mice, are merely design decisions and not medical devices. If you want to reduce wrist pain, it may be best for you to use a brace – or simply stay away from the computer as much as you can.
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