This article is part of our series. battle of the brandswhere we compare category-leading products against their peers to determine which ones are truly worth your money.
Ergonomic mice have gained popularity thanks to their health benefits. By promoting proper wrist alignment and reducing strain, these mice can help prevent problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. Additionally, ergonomic mice can potentially increase productivity by reducing discomfort and fatigue during long hours of computer use.
We decided to test two of the most popular “vertical” ergonomic mice (mice? mouse devices?): the Logitech Lift and the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo Vertical Wireless Mouse. Both of these mice (let’s just say that) say their design will improve comfort, and therefore productivity. Both feature a design that places the hand in a more natural position, like a handshake. Whether this increases comfort or not is another story.
Design and Comfort
First, the Kensington. It has a textured grip that feels properly grippy but doesn’t make my hands sweat with a rubberized finish so that was nice. Left and right button clicks are smooth but don’t feel mushy. The center button is fine, but some users may find it too small to use effectively. The forward and back buttons, located on the side of the mouse, were a little out of place for my thumb to rest comfortably on. People with bigger hands may have a better time.
I liked that the Kensington has a little “lip” on the side for the little finger. It adds a ton of comfort that I didn’t realize I was missing. There’s also a small overhang on the left side of the mouse that cradles your thumb and makes it easier to grip and move. He felt great.
On the other hand (heh), the Logitech Lift offers none of these little design touches. It feels like you’re trying to grasp a small pyramid, which wasn’t so conducive to my hands. There is no pinky finger lift or anything for the thumb to get into and I had to grip it quite tightly to lift it up. And yes, I know you’re not supposed to lift your mouse, but we all do when we hit the edge of the desk and need to reposition it. I was constantly reminded of this strange feeling when using the Logitech mouse.
I wasn’t all that pleased with the Logitech mouse stuff, either. He felt less grippy and still made my fingers feel a little sweaty. However, the scroll wheel (which doubles as a middle mouse button on both mice) felt more responsive than the Kensington’s.
Both mice have six programmable buttons, which you can customize with each company’s software (see below).
Logitech comes in right-handed and left-handed designs, while Kensington omits lefties. And Logitech comes in black and white, while Kensington can be had in black, white, or pink.
TL; DR: Comfort is subjective and everyone’s hands are different. But when it comes to overall comfort and careful design, Kensington wins here. She just felt better in my hand. However, the lack of left-handed options is a major problem.
Personalization and Software
As mentioned, both mice offer six buttons, most of which can be programmed to the users needs.
KensingtonWorks seems a bit basic compared to Logi+ Options, Logitech’s offering, but all the functionality is there. You can program the Kensington buttons and adjust the pointer and scroll speed. Most of the programming ability comes in the middle mouse button, as most people don’t want to mess with the left-click-right-click paradigm (although you can if you want). The options for the middle button are too numerous to list here, but they cover all the general categories: basic mouse and keyboard shortcuts, video conferencing shortcuts, media control, editing shortcuts like cut, copy, paste, and undo, and file management. windows.
In the Mac version of the software, you can also access Mission Control features to organize your desktops. I don’t have a Windows machine to test it on, but the software seems to work almost identically. You can also customize the software on a per-application basis, so you can make the middle button drag in Photoshop and “select all” when you’re working in Microsoft Word.
The sixth button on the Kensington mouse, behind the scroll wheel, controls the scroll wheel speed setting and is not programmable.
Logitech’s software is even more customizable. All buttons, including the sixth one behind the scroll wheel, can be programmed. And the Logi+ Options app comes with preloaded customizations for common apps like Word, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Powerpoint, and more. Its nicer interface makes it easy to find the customization you want through friendly graphics. In general, while both apps do the same thing, customizing your mouse, Logitech’s offering is easier to use and offers a bit more options.
Both apps allow you to back up your settings to the cloud, and both allow you to set up more than one device.
TL; DR: Logitech wins in this category. Their software is easier to use and a bit more robust.
Both mice are wireless, but they take very different approaches. The Kensington is based on 2.4GHz WiFi and requires a small USB receiver that plugs into your computer. If you don’t have a spare USB port, well, you’re out of luck. And if you lose that receiver, they’ll be happy to sell you a new one for $16 or so.
Logitech uses Bluetooth and Logi Bolt (which is the same USB receiver technology as Kensington). You can use whichever you choose, giving you more flexibility if you prefer Bluetooth.
The Logitech Lift also has a clear advantage when it comes to multi-device compatibility. With Logi Options+ software, users can connect to up to three devices, such as a desktop, laptop and tablet, simultaneously, making it easy to switch between computers and tablets during the workday. Logitech even has something called Flow, which allows you to move your mouse cursor between two or more side-by-side devices and even copy and paste content from one device to another. You may want to use this when you have a laptop or tablet on the side of your desk and work on both simultaneously.
The Kensington mouse does not offer multi-device compatibility.
TL; DR: Logitech is better for connectivity. It has more options, and the Stream functionality could be useful.
Both mice are powered by a single AA battery, which is great since they are so common. The Kensington says it will last up to a year on a battery, while Logitech boasts two years. I couldn’t test this for obvious reasons.
TL;DR: It’s a wash. While Logitech claims two years vs. Kensington’s year, it’s an AA battery. You already have a dozen of them hanging around in your junk drawer.
He Kensington Pro Fit Ergo Vertical Wireless Mouse it currently costs $40, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious users. He logitech elevator It’s more expensive, at $70, but its added features like multi-device compatibility and left- and right-handed options may justify the higher cost.
The Kensington Pro Fit Ergo Vertical Wireless Mouse and the Logitech Lift are solid ergonomic mouse options for those looking to relieve wrist and arm strain. But I would have to recommend Logitech, even though it doesn’t feel as good (to me) as Kensington. The lack of a left-handed option and reliance on a USB dongle to connect might make the Kensington not a good start for many people. Logitech’s extra cost is justified by its added features and increased flexibility.
