Eight Mice and a Giant

First things first: I'm a programmer in my early 30s, I've probably spent most of my awake time in front of a computer, and it looks like I will continue to do so for the next 35 years. I'm already starting to feel the results, so I'm trying to make sure things don't get worse.

There are a lot of options for ergonomical office equipment: office chairs and weird alternatives, standing desks, ergonomically shaped or split keyboards, and a wide variety of mice. However if you're like me, have larger hands than the average person (22cm long, 10cm wide) and prefer a palm grip, you're going to have a bad time finding the perfect mouse.

source: https://www.whatmouse.com/grip-design-explained/

This is my quest to find one anyways.

No more Logitech

I used to love Logitech. From G700s, over the Performance MX (which I bought twice) to MX Master 2S, I've been a fan a long time. They are relatively wide and match my natural and relaxed hand position very well, while giving good palm support. I did grip the MX versions at the left outer edge, which is probably not intended, but worked well for me.

However, quality became a problem. My Performance MXs both had problems with unresponsive/bouncing switches after a while, which seems to be a frequent problem with them. This could be fixed by disassembling them and manually tensioning the springs in the switches every now and then. The MX Master 2S quickly had issues with the gesture button, which eventually led me to looking for a replacement. Having these kinds of quality issues with expensive mice is unacceptable, so Logitech was out of the question (also the thumb buttons are terrible to reach).

Razer Mamba Elite to the rescue?

I eventually settled on the Razer Mamba Elite, which is one of the larger mice on the market. Its a good mouse, but it forces me to turn my wrist a bit too much - to the point that it started hurting recently.

So now I'm looking for a replacement, which turns out to be very difficult. To find the (hopefully) perfect one, I've bought and tested eight different mice. Here are the results.

Microsoft Sculpt Ergo Mouse

This one is surprisingly bulky for a "normal" mouse, resulting in a very comfortable wrist angle. It is much too small for me though:

My ring and little finger don't have a good spot on this mouse and feel smushed together. Nonetheless, even though it is not optimal, after using this for an hour, I couldn't go back to the Razer. The wrist angle alone changes a lot.

pros:

• cheap
• surprisingly bulky
• better wrist angle

cons:

• back button is hard to reach
• no forward button, Windows key can be remapped with AutoHotKey. Even harder to reach
• too tiny

Verdict: Better, but not for me. Might be a good and affordable alternative for people with smaller hands.

Microsoft Pro IntelliMouse

Probably one of the larger "normal" mouses I've had so far. Pretty high arc, slightly angled wrist.

But unfortunately it is too narrow for me, forcing me to clamp it between thumb and little finger, without a good spot for the ring finger:

Also it could be a little longer:

The side buttons are really easy to reach though and have a good feel.

pros:

• very big for a "normal" mouse
• cheap
• forward/backward buttons easy to reach

cons:

• too narrow
• still a bit too short
• no good spot for my ring and little finger

Verdict: I'd probably use this if my hands were a bit smaller. Sadly, not the one for me.

DreamMachine DM2 Comfy S

This one is relatively wide and even has supports for thumb, ring and little fingers:

It could be a bit longer, but feels pretty good. Unfortunately, it is a little too flat for an optimal wrist angle:

pros:

• Supports for thumb, ring and little finger
• relatively wide
• forward/backward buttons easy to reach

cons:

• too flat
• mouse wheel has low grip

Verdict: Let's see. I've been using it for the most time while writing this article (up to here).

Logitech MX Vertical

Yeah, I said "no more Logitech"... But my partner has one, so I could easily test it. It is definitely not for me, since it feels like mimicking a duckbill with my hand - a problem with many vertical mice.

pros:

• my partner likes it 🤷🏻‍♂️

cons:

• pretty expensive
• Logitech
• uncomfortable

Verdict: Nope

DeLUX 618G DB

Looks pretty decent, and has a comfortable wrist angle:

But there is one problem...

It is too small. I could chop off half of each finger and maybe use it then.

pros:

• removable wrist support is nice
• good angle

cons:

• feels really cheap, rubber has a bad grip
• MUCH too small

Verdict: If only my hands were half as large

DeLUX M618Plus

Feels less cheap than the 618G, but suffers from the same problem:

How am I supposed to use this scrollwheel?

pros:

• removable wrist support is nice
• good angle

cons:

• MUCH too small

Verdict: Maybe if my hands were half as large

Evoluent VerticalMouse D Large

It is pretty bulky and has a good wrist angle:

Still a bit on the short side, but not too terrible:

pros:

• large
• good wrist angle

cons:

• pricey (> 100€)
• 3+2 buttons and a mouse wheel
• what's up with that glossy finish?

Update: My replacement unit works and is very comfortable. The smooth surface takes some getting used to but quickly gets grippy when using it for a minute or two. Holding my hand vertically still feels a bit strange though...

Summary

There is no perfect solution yet. I'll be sticking with the DreamMachine and the Evoluent for now, which seem like my best options so far. Open for suggestions though.