In the mouse buying guide, we previously looked at what was important to consider in buying a mouse. One thing we did not look at was a vertical ergonomic mouse. I used my first mouse for a PC in 1984, and almost 40 years later, I tried using it on its side. This article will take the Logitech LIFT vertical ergonomic mouse for a spin and give you our impressions.
What is a Vertical Ergonomic Mouse?
This mouse is designed to have a more natural position for your arm and wrist by turning the mouse buttons to a 57-degree angle or more simply on its side. According to Logi’s head of its ergo series of products Olessia Hageman, “Ergonomics and comfort play a vital role in overall workspace wellbeing. Building on our philosophy of when we feel better, we do better, we have created Lift to help people work in comfort for hours and feel better at the end of a long day at the desk.”
Reading the side of the box, leading American ergonomic institutions also think so.
What’s in the LIFT Box?
The mouse comes with a preinstalled AA battery and an internally housed USB receiver (so you know where it is when you need it). It has an RRP of $129.95 and is available in 3 colours Graphite, Off white, and Rose. The product is recommended for those with small to medium hands.
Connection to your PC, Mac, or Google device is by Bluetooth® Low Energy or the secure Logi Bolt USB Receiver. The included disposable battery is quoted at up to 2 years before replacement is required.
Setup is a breeze by pulling the disposable plastic battery isolator that allows the mouse to power on. My PC immediately saw the mouse and asked if I wanted to install it. Thus one click with my old mouse, and I was away.
The LIFT mouse also supports up to 3 multi-OS computers connected to it. Control is swapped by a button under the mouse.
Customisation
Not a word you really think about with a mouse beyond switching the buttons around. The LIFT allows the smart magnetic wheel to scroll quickly or slowly by pressing a button below the wheel.
By downloading the Logi Options+ app, you can further customise the various buttons on the mouse by multiple applications, including Microsoft, Adobe and collaboration applications (like Zoom). This allows you to create shortcuts to your most-used features. A handy button remapping option we liked was the ability to use a mouse button to mute your Mic.
Impressions
We like that the mouse is partly made of recycled plastic.
From a usability perspective, a mouse-like this is so much better than the cheap mouse that ships standard with a PC. The LIFT is comfortable to grip with a reassuring clicking mechanism when the key two buttons are pressed. The shift wheel is very responsive, and the ability to quickly change its speed is handy. However, you probably won’t change speeds once you are happy with either the fast or slow. Designers may, however, find this feature very useful. The ability to customise the mouse is great but will most people go to the trouble? You should as it will save a lot of time.
My verdict on the vertical ergonomic mouse that is the mouse turned on its side. Note this is a very personal experience. After almost 40 years of mouse usage, I did not like the orientation change, and I found it unnatural. However, my wife loved it from the minute I asked her to trial it. Another friend has a vertical mouse and said she loves it but took a while to get used to it.
It’s unlikely you can try one before you buy. Chances are, this mouse will be far better than the one you are using today and may even be good for your health.
Further information can be found on the Logitech website.