Best Vertical Mouse

What is common between ‘Computer Back’, ‘Mouse Shoulder’, and ‘Tennis Elbow’?

Your beloved mouse.

Traditional mice require us to make small, pointed movements with our hand, fingers, and wrist. Prolonged exposure to such movements puts pressure on our shoulders and neck, hence the diseases mentioned in the first line.

But surely we can prevent them, can we?

Yup, we can, and switching to the best vertical mouse might be a good starting point. In contrast to the standard mouse – which forces our shoulders into an internally rotated position, a vertical mouse turns rotates them externally. This slight change in posture frees up our shoulders, reduces back pain, and decreases tension in our joints.

Our Top 10 Choices

Evoluent VerticalMouse 4

The Physical design of the Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 follows the example of its predecessor, the Vertical Mouse 3. While the mouse buttons and thumb rest are plastic, the back portion – which you’d hold is made of soft rubber, hence helping you in gripping.

Behind the scroll wheel and sandwiched between the left and double click button, is the automatic dpi switching button. You can use this button to increase or decrease the pointer speed, which, in turn, is indicated by lights marked L, LO, MD, HI.

The VerticalMouse 4 allows plug and play experience, meaning you just plug it in and start working. However, for those of you who want a better navigating experience, Evoluent lets you download software from their website as well.

Inside the software, you can do various functions such as adjusting pointer speed, button assignments, and some other smaller properties. Hence, while Evoluent would let us believe otherwise, the software is pretty basic.

User Critique

As a mere glance at the customizable user interface would confirm, it looks way too cluttered. It means you may not find it easy to navigate through it.

Anker Ergonomic Wireless Mouse

Rated at 1million clicks, one would expect the left and right buttons to be best, even for a productivity mouse. What impressed us, instead, were the browsing buttons located on just above your thumb’s rest space. Such precise location of the browsing buttons makes their usage a breeze.

Another important feature is the DPI Button whose position on top of the mouse gives it benefits. Positioned out of the way, you wouldn’t experience the problem of accidentally clicking it while busy in your other tasks. That is, the risk of accidentally increasing or decreasing your pointer’s speed is very low.

Since it is a wireless mouse, questions about its connectivity are inevitable. In our review, however, we found the 2.4GHz frequency of this mouse spotless. Some connectivity issues did arise when we took it 5 to 6 foot away from the computer, but keep it close to the source, and you’d experience no such problems.

One final feature which we found useful about this mouse was its plug and play compatibility. It was a pleasant surprise for us as other wireless mice require the installation of a software or driver to get going. With the Anker 2.4G, just plug in the mouse and start working.

User Critique

Unsurprisingly for a wireless mouse, the Anker 2.4G has problems with its battery. The first among them is that batteries do not come in the package, so you need to purchase them separately. Second, the Anker doesn’t support recharging, so if you decide to use rechargeable batteries, you would have to take them out of the mouse for charging.

J-Tech Digital V628 (Gen2)Scroll Endurance Mouse

For those of you who work late on their desktops, you might experience problems with your hand – and the mouse – getting sweaty. J-Tech has resolved this matter once and for all by supplying this mouse with a detachable palm rest, which you can detach or install according to your comfort.

DPI switching button is also there, but its location hit me as curious. For, instead of positioning it at the top of the mouse – which is the most favored option for other vertical mice, J-Tech has located it underneath it. Further inspection revealed its benefits as being located out of the way shields the button from accidental clicks.

Lastly, if you are just switching from a traditional mouse, the J-Tech would make you feel comfortable with the positioning of its buttons. No fancy buttons are at play here, just the right-click, scroll wheel, and right-click buttons underneath your fingers, and the last page/next page buttons underneath your thumb. So you won’t feel odd while using this mouse.

User Critique

Some of the users who have tried this mouse weren’t overly impressed with its weight, as they feel J-Tech could have done better in this aspect.

Autley Wired Vertical Mouse

Despite coming at an affordable price, the Autley Wired Vertical Mouse goes one step ahead of its counterparts by offering four DPI Levels. Such high range of sensitivity levels means you can use it for photo design, graphic and gaming purposes, a rare feature-set for a vertical mouse.

Though not as rare as four DPI levels, its anti-sliding coating, rubber surface is equally useful. Regardless of how much time for which you have grabbed the mouse – or how sweaty your hand is, this rubber finish would prevent it from slipping.

Similar ease is on offer with the blue LED light which, despite being bright enough to show its presence in daylight, won’t be a distraction in the dark. Still, if you think otherwise, an extended press of the DPI button will switch it off.

All but guaranteeing the longevity of this mouse are the two features with which we are going to conclude its review. First is the 1-year long warranty which ensures that you have nothing to lose on purchasing this mouse. Second, the keystrokes are rated at 10million clicks.

User Critique

For people with small hands, they might find this mouse too big for a comfortable grip.

Adesso Vertical Ergonomic Mouse

Adesso’s Vertical Ergonomic mouse may be a little pricey, but once you look at its ergonomic design, the horizontal scroll wheel, programmable buttons and precision tracking, all these features make it worth every penny.

Take, for instance, the programmable buttons where even the gentlest press would work. Similar is the case with scroll wheel which – thanks to DPI switching – would switch between normal and super-fast scrolling in no time.

Some people might take offense from the fact that no plug and play feature is on offer here, but what they have to agree with is the usefulness of this mouse’s software. Depending on how you work, the software lets you program each button to your needs, hence helping you perform repetitive tasks with ease.

Looking at the patterned-thumb-rest area? It is more than just for looks. The back and forward browser buttons are located in this area so that you can control your internet browser with minimal hand movement.

User Critique

It doesn’t matter how good the software of this mouse is – and it is pretty decent, to be honest – some people would still yearn for the plug and play option unavailable in this mouse.

Anker AK-98ANWVM-UBA 2.4G Wireless

When looking at the features of this mouse, most people confuse it with its abovementioned counterpart from the same manufacturer. However, while there are similarities, there are discernible differences between the duo as well. The most important of which is that this one costs more.

And what’s the reason this mouse being relatively expensive? While Anker won’t tell, we would (since we have been using both) that this one is easy to grip. While the former Anker gave away a plastic feel, this one’s grip is of solid rubber, meaning it won’t slip away with ease.

Another notable feature of the Amker AK – one which its predecessor lacks – is the power saving mode. It will automatically turn off after eight minutes of sitting idle so that you don’t have to change its batteries too often.

The Anker AK supports every platform from Mac OS to Windows XP and Linux to Windows Vista. One platform which it doesn’t support – and which Anker Ergonomic Mouse does – is that of DOS. Hence, if only in the realm of compatibility, the Anker ergonomic mouse leads the race.

User Critique

If you are constantly using the DPI switch button – which you might, when using the mouse initially, you might find it hard to reach as it is positioned underneath the mouse.

HAVIT Ergonomic Wireless Mouse

Some people, especially those who like streaming movies on the internet, want their keyboard and mouse with a nice range so that they can make necessary changes while sitting on the couch.

Luckily, this mouse – thanks to its huge 10m range in all directions, would grant you that luxury so that you don’t have to go near your computer after every few minutes.

Another luxury which is on offer with the Havit Ergonomic Wireless Mouse is that of plug and play. Software, although they give added functionality to a mouse, aren’t liked by the majority because they take time before getting the mouse going. This mouse, thanks to its plug-and-play capability, however, would be a cinch to get up and running.

While its 3 adjustable DPI levels do not make it a gaming mouse, what they do is to add precision to its works. Add to it the back/forward buttons for your browser, and what you have is a serious product in your hands.

User Critique

Though it may not be a noticeable feature for some people, the fact that clicking is loud with this mouse wasn’t liked by some of its users,

Wolf War Ergonomic Mouse

Apart from the name of its manufacturer, we could vouch that nothing else is weird about this mouse, not least its price tag which makes it one of the most inexpensive ones available in the market. And if you are thinking that a low price tag would automatically translate into fewer features, think again.

For, while the majority of vertical mice in this review had three DPI levels, the Wolf War – despite its low price tag, has four of them. That is, if you are looking for a vertical mouse which can be used for gaming purposes, the Wolf War might be your best bet.

Making sure that the mouse is easy to grip is the depth which Wolf War have added to the mouse’s grip area. The area where your thumb would rest is significantly contoured to make sure that your grip of this mouse is firm.

Lastly, if you have grown fed up with installing new software on your computer with each new hardware you attach to it, rest assured as this mouse offers plug and play. So there is no need to install any drivers.

User Critique

Look closely, and you may notice an LED light blinking just around the thumb-rest area. While it may look good in the picture, the fact that there is NO WAY that you could turn it off didn’t please many of the users of this mouse.

J-Tech Digital Scroll Endurance

Despite costing way over the odds when you compare it with other vertical mice mentioned in this review, there were a few significant shortcomings – and a few benefits – which we judged in this mouse during our review.

We weren’t particularly happy to note that J-Tech failed in providing this mouse with an adequate grip. Instead of the mouse supporting your hand – as it should be – it would be your hand doing all the work. That is, you’d have to steady your hand time and again to have proper control over this mouse. Not good enough!

Similarly, while there was nothing wrong with the three DPI levels on offer – they were a cinch to operate, they didn’t complement the lofty price in which this mouse comes. Other vertical mice in this review, despite costing less, offer more DPI levels.

Therefore, when you compare it with its competition, three J-Tech could have done better than providing this mouse with three DPI levels, especially at this price.

User Critique

Where do I start? Lofty price tag, relatively fewer DPI levels and the grip isn’t too good either.

Cyber Cart 2.4G Wireless Mouse

Versatility is undeniably the leading feature when we talk about the Cyber Cart 2.4G. While some vertical mouse allows wireless connectivity – and others rely on Bluetooth to do the same, the Cyber Cart 2.4G uses both to equally good effect.

And before you ask the question about the Bluetooth connection, the mere mention that this wireless mouse uses Bluetooth 4.0 should assuage your concerns. As experts tell us, Bluetooth 4.0 is not only energy efficient – which directly translates to a better battery timing, but it is also faster and more data intensive.

If you are one of those people who like to work in pin-drop silence, this mouse – with its silent click design, won’t disturb you. What’s more, no matter where you go, you can take this mouse with you thanks to its pocket size.

To conserve battery life, the Cyber Cart has two equally important features. The first of those features is the on/off switch using which you can manually turn off the mouse when not in use. And what if you forget? Well, in that case, the second feature – also known as the smart sleep mode, will kick into auto-shutdown the mouse after a specific time period.

User Critique

The fact that this mouse supports Bluetooth 4.0 is a double-edged sword. For, if you have a device which doesn’t support Bluetooth 4.0, you might not take advantage of the dual-connection mode of this mouse.

How does it Work?

At first, using a vertical mouse would be a unique experience for anyone. For, in contrast to the traditional mouse – which lets you operate it with two fingers while your thumb rests in the air, you get thumb support from the vertical mouse.

Due to this thumb support, you’d be holding the vertical mouse in the same way as you hold a glass – four fingers on one side, a thumb on the other. This increased contact with the mouse will allow you to move it with the pivot of your elbow, and NOT by bending your wrist.

As a result, your arm would remain in what experts call as the arm-neutral position, a position which is famed for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome. It does the same by relieving your tendons and muscles of the excessive pressure which the ‘arm twisting’ position of the standard mouse might have caused.

Best Vertical Mouse Buying Guide

Some of you might have selected a mouse for your needs from the abovementioned list. Still, this buying guide would let you make an informed decision.

Features that Are Important

Pointer Speed Adjustment

In contrast to the traditional mice – where you have to go to your Computer’s Control Panel to adjust the pointer speed, the best vertical mice let you do the same with the mouse.

That is, these mice have an automatic DPI switching button using which you can adjust the pointer speed. In this way, while operating the mouse, you could try various pointer speeds to gauge which one suits you the best.

Rubber Grip

As stated at the start of this article, you’d be holding a vertical mouse as you’d grab a glass – four fingers on one side with a thumb on the other.

Therefore, you need solid grip otherwise the entire purpose of swapping a traditional mouse for a vertical one would get lost.

It is for this purpose that you might want a rubber grip. Without making your hands sweaty even after extended usage, a rubber grip helps with gripping.

User Intuitive Software

The best vertical mice come with a customization software that, despite being feature-rich, is fairly basic. It lets you adjust pointer speed, assignments of each button, and other small properties.

Programmable Buttons

Just because vertical mice look weird doesn’t mean they are devoid of any functionality. In fact, as proved by the Evoluent Vertical Mouse 4 – which has six programmable buttons, they are more programmable.

For instance, some vertical mice have a ‘’back’’ button for your internet browser. Others have a dpi switching button – which lets you increase or decreases your pointer’s speed.

Dual Connection

Though not available in the majority, dual connection – both wireless and Bluetooth, has a direct bearing on your mouse’s compatibility. That is, if your mouse offers dual connection – as the above mentioned Wolf Ware does, it would support more devices and hence be more useful.

Thanks For Coming!

Your search for the best vertical mouse ends here. Not only have we underlined the best products available in the market, but we have also given you a lowdown on each of them. Consequently, now you are in a position to make an informed decision.

Still, if you want our advice, we’d point towards one particular mouse: Evoluent VerticalMouse 4.Not only does it come from a reputable manufacturer, but it has a unique feature set, wide-ranging compatibility and is easy to use.