Click Clique: Best Vertical Mouses (Or Is It Mice?) of 2022

Why You Can Trust Us

Despite our mostly fitness/construction/outdoor-laden backgrounds, we the people of Gear Hungry are a bunch of nerds. As contributors and editors for online publications, we work face-to-screen, tips-to-keyboard, hand-to-mouse.

Personally speaking, I spent the first 8 years of my adulthood wheeling and dealing in Excel spreadsheets and futzing with databases. That’s 40 to 65 hours, on average, per week at a desk, tip-tapping and mousing away. I learned fairly early on that the quality, position, and means by which I interacted with work equipment really really mattered.

Who This is For

You, duh. Real talk, though, this guide is meant for any genre of computer user looking to improve the ergonomic quality of their computer setup.

You may be a gamer, freelancer, editor, photographer, designer, road warrior, influencer, vlogger, casual click artist, TikTok-er — the point is, this guide is for all.

Curious about how a vertical mouse fits into the picture? Good on ya, and welcome. Looking to retire your current vertical mouse? Come on in, fam.

How We Chose

Lots of personal experience informed the selection of vertical and trackball mice that you’ll find in this guide. For instance, one of our testers recommended a trackball-style mouse because it’s been his unequivocal favorite since the late ‘90s.

From there we researched various types of vertical mice: vertical mice for gamers, travelers, beginners, desk jobbers.

Then we culled those subcategories for the cream make and model of each crop. We hounded the verified buyer reviews, scoped out what various pc-peripheral authorities had to say, and tested a few upright mice ourselves. What made the cut made our list.

How We Tested

This was the easy part – testing consisted of swapping out my traditional wireless mouse with an upright mouse for everyday use. Since I spend most of my weekdays editing, researching, and writing content for you, my beautiful geeks, I was able to see how the mouse performed in a litany of arenas: clicking, scrolling, switching between windows.

I tried out each of its DPI settings. It was a grueling task on the mouse’s lower modes; I want my cursor to be everything I’m not – fast and responsive.

Features to Look for in Vertical Mouses

Size - The whole point of buying a vertical and ergonomically designed mouse is that it fits better and provides enhanced comfort and usability. So, make sure that it’s the right size for you to improve your overall experience. Vertical mice are not always one size fits all; many brands do offer them in at least two sizes.

Comfort & Ergonomics - Explicitly designed to reduce overall wrist pain, forearm torsion, and hand fatigue, vertical mice should be more comfortable and easier to handle. There’s less potential to develop carpal tunnel syndrome over time if you switch to using a vertical designed mouse.

Connectivity - You might be one of the people that just prefer the security and old-fashioned reassurance of a wired mouse. They work every time, and there’s no need to worry about recharging them. For those of you that prefer a world of wireless connections, there are plenty of options available for powering your vertical mouse via wireless USB or Bluetooth, so consider which is most important to you.

Buttons - Think about how you prefer to operate your mouse and the number of buttons you require. Do you prefer centrally positioned buttons located by the side of the scroll wheel or side ones? It’s pretty much a case of personal preference, but if you are buying a mouse for gaming, you will probably want more versatile and easily accessible controls.

DPI Switch – DPI is the speed at which the on-screen cursor responds to physical movement of the mouse. Adjusting it is mostly a matter of taste.

Some vertical mice come without a DPI switch, and therefore operate at one speed only. But I think you’ll find that most vertical mice out there come with a DPI switch.

The switch is typically found somewhere in the button array atop a mouse (all four of my wireless mice feature it between the scroll wheel and the palm rest).

Adjusting the DPI typically requires just tapping the switch until you find your desired speed setting. Most mice have three to four speeds, usually ranging from 1200 to 2400 DPI. There are some high-end, precision gaming mice with as many as 10 different DPI settings. The fastest settings reach into the 10,000 DPI range. If  you’re at that level of mousing, just know that I stand perennially in awe of you. Also, wtf are you doing here?

Left-Handed or Right-Handed - Since vertical mice are ergonomic, they come in right- and left-handed styles.  While handedness is generally a matter of preference, it is a much more prominent and important factor to consider when looking at vertical mice specifically. Why? Vertical mice are sort of like shoes — you can’t really make a left shoe fit you right foot, obviously. The principle is the same with vertical mice.

The bad news? If you’re a lefty, there are fewer lefthanded mice to choose from than there are righthanded mice.

The good news? There are still loads of lefthanded vertical mice to choose from. And, as the time/tech continuum grows ever greater, more and more companies are bringing equitably priced, lefty-conscious mice to the commons. Because inclusionary thinking is hot right now. And it’s about damn time.  

Weight – As a stand-up millennial salt miner, I live in a tiny bubble. So, it’s difficult for me to imagine why the weight of a table-top mouse might matter that much (for more of my unsolicited thoughts on the matter, skip to the asterisked “*” sidebar below).

Now, if you are a prolific gamer or just a very intensive user, your vertical mouse’s weight might be worth factoring in. In that case lighter mouses will, theoretically, have fewer compounding effects on your wrist. But it’s nearly impossible to say exactly where that line between “light” and “not light” lingers, and just how much use it takes to see any adverse effects. It’s all just too damn subjective. I can tell you that most vertical mice will weigh somewhere between 2.75 and 5 ounces.

*Sidebar: If you’re all about that ultralight life then I gotta ask, why tf are you looking into computer peripherals? To that point, it might be time that you take pause, turn inward, and examine what you’re really about. We’re all for fostering a happy readership here — it’s a privilege, honor, and it really gets our proverbial rocks off, honestly. But realize who you’re dealing with: this is GearHungry, not GearNoAppetite.)

Wireless or Wired – Most vertical mice today are wireless. There are exceptions to that on both ends of the engineering spectrum.

For simpler models and very light use, you can still find wired vert mice, and at a price point that’s extremely affordable.

On the flip side, the most precisely engineered and competition-level vertical gaming mouse is still going to be wired. This is a matter response-timing: while wireless connectivity is vastly improved from just a few years ago, a wired mouse is as close to fail-proof as you can get. Not to mention, wired mice draw power from the computer, not batteries.

There’s a reason e-athletes and Twitch royals still use wired mice: the last thing you want getting in the way of your boomheadshot (/subsequent teaba-… victory dance) is a months-old, petered-out AAA or janky Bluetooth signal.

Q: What is a vertical mouse?

A: Simply put, a vertical mouse has been redesigned for a more natural fit, contouring better to the palm — rather like a handshake. This scientific, ergonomic-shaped design might look unusual at first, but it has been proven to decrease wrist pain and hand fatigue significantly.

Q: What are the benefits of using a vertical mouse?

A: You may not have previously known this fact, but the natural resting position of the wrist and forearm is in what is best described as a thumbs-up position. This is totally opposite to the position that the traditional computer mouse puts your arm into.

The ergonomics of a vertical mouse can actively prevent pronation. Pronation of the wrist/hand can lead to tightening of the joints, which increases pressure on the entire lower arm. All that tightening and pressure can result in painful carpal tunnel syndrome. Using a vertical mouse is particularly beneficial to workers using computers who carry out lengthy sessions operating a mouse and keyboard.

Q: Are vertical mice good for carpal tunnel?

A: Short answer: Sure they are!

Long answer: Owing to a vertical mouse’s ergonomic build, users of vertical mice are less likely to develop carpal tunnel. In cases of preexisting carpal tunnel, they're less likely to experience agitation of the condition. That said, established overuse of desktop-geared mice (and keyboards), regardless of how “ergonomically friendly” they are, can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

As previously stated, the ergonomics of a vertical mouse can actively prevent pronation. Pronation of the wrist/hand can lead to tightening of the joints, which increases pressure on the entire lower arm and can result in painful carpal tunnel syndrome.

For a more in-depth and medically qualified explanation of carpal tunnel symptoms, causes, and mitigatory methods, you can fall into the syndrome’s WebMD rabbit hole here.

Q: How do you use a vertical mouse?

A: Don’t be thrown off by nomenclature — most vertical mice work just like traditional mice. The difference between the two is the shape, not the function.

However, mice that feature a thumb-controlled trackball work a little differently from what most of us are accustomed to. There are several popular trackball-style models of vertical mice out there (Logitech makes several category-leading trackball mice, for instance). Rather than gliding the entire mouse assembly over an area to move the cursor, trackball mice are stationary, and users control the on-screen cursor by manipulating the mouse’s rollerball with their thumb. If you’re looking to make the switch to a trackball model, this write-up by Techwalla provides a great primer.

Q: Should you use a wrist rest with a vertical mouse?

A: Ergonomic + ergonomic = more ergonomic, right? Sure, probably. Obviously, this depends on the angle and quality of the rest.

As mentioned earlier, preventing unnatural positioning of the wrist/hand is a good idea, especially if you’re an avid mouse user.

Q: Is vertical mouse better for gaming?

A: Probably! As noted above in “What are the benefits” and “Are vertical mice good for the carpal tunnel”, intensive use of any peripheral computer equipment can strain the hands, wrists, and forearms. If you’re putting in some serious mouse time, it best to err on the side of ergonomics.

Sources:

1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - WebMD
2. How Does a Trackball Work? - Techwalla
3. The Benefits of a Vertical Mouse - Ergo Consulting
4. What is a Vertical Mouse? What are the Benefits? - PC Builds on a Budget