Side by Side Comparison of: 3M vs J-Tech Digital vs Kinesis

I have used these mice for about 10 years. This is the only way I can use a mouse for more than an hour without a lot of pain.The only negative is reliability. I have a very old grey buttoned version that is still going (except right click is flaky). The newer versions I have bought (black button) have not lasted as long. Even considering the reliability issues, these mice are excellent in my opinion.To clarify what some people have asked in the comments - the grey buttoned versions are older and have a lower DPI (but seem really reliable). The newer version has a black button and higher DPI (but may not be as reliable). Amazon's pictures show both the old (grey) and new (black) versions. If you are wondering if Amazon will ship you a old or a new the answer is new (black button). The change came about 5 years ago so the old grey ones would not exist in new form from any supplier at this point.

I started using this mouse several years ago because I was having carpal tunnel type pain in my arm and wrist. The pain went away after a few weeks, and has not returned. Getting used to this mouse was easy; in fact, I don't even think about it anymore, and wonder why the IT guys stop before working at my computer. There are some products which just work. This is one of them.

I was having hand pains from using a mouse, and had previously been using a different erg mouse that was shaped like a regular mouse except rotated so that your thumb was facing up. Anyway, my friend was using a joystick mouse and raved about it so I thought I'd try it out.I was shocked to see that a lot of joystick mouses were $100+! But also glad to find this 3M one that was significantly lower priced. I purchased it and was glad I did. It initially takes a little time to get use to using and you may get a few inquiries from your co-workers, but the grip is significantly easier on your hand and since I've been using this mouse I do not get any hand pains.I have had this mouse for about 6 months now and have not had any issues with it. (which I cannot say the same about the prior erg mouse I bought, which I had to replace after a few months).If you're worried that the shape is a little strange, once you get use to it it feels a lot more natural than a standard mouse. Yes, it costs a little more than a standard mouse, but it is totally worth it. The only downside is that the scoll feature is a little finicky. Whereas in a standard mouse you can roll the wheel at the speed you want and stop it at precisely where you want, for this mouse you squeeze the "trigger" button and drag up and down. You can scroll faster or slower this way, but it's not as precise as a wheel.

I purchased this device - the large version - after flight-testing the small version. The latter had been given to me by my company ergo-expert to alleviate discomfort in my hand from mousing. I like the joystick design.The small version was just that: too small for my hand. The large version is ideal for me and the discomfort I was experiencing went away.One downside tot he device is that it does not have a scroll wheel. For me, this was not an issue, I simply use the page up/down keys on my keyboard. It works for me and allows me to move and grip differently. At the same time, I can see how some might find the absence of the scroll wheel annoying.

I bought one of these suckers back in 2012. It still works. I haven't had any abnormal double-click issues (unlike some other mice I've bought). To be fair, I use this mouse on and off over the course of a day, and some days don't touch it.The 3M ergo mouse doesn't take too long to get used to it and get to be adequately accurate. I've found, however, that even after all this time I'm still a little bit less precise with this compared to a "normal" mouse, and considering the speed at which I work this can annoy me. If I'm working with mouse-heavy applications that require precision (in my case, UE4's node-based scripting, or working on GUIs, or playing games for completely professional reasons), I switch to my 'normal' mouse. I also continue to use a 'normal' mouse at home. Still, this is great for most of my work. If I'm just clicking around an IDE or checking emails or whatnot it's perfectly adequate and comfortable.Previous to this I owned an Evoluent VerticalMouse. This is much more comfortable for extended periods of time that that mouse. I think it might be that it's less severely vertical, or perhaps that you can curl your fingers around it, but I experience no fatigue at all with this, while the VerticalMouse was only a minor improvement over a normal horizontal mouse.

Back in the 90's when I first got a computer I quickly developed carpal tunnel syndrome, after trying wrist supports I looked for a different type of mouse. I came upon the Anir ergonomic mouse, this was the original design before 3M acquired them. It had the rollerball and needed periodic cleaning. Touch time to adapt to movement of the cursor, not as precise as regular mouse, because its all arm and shoulder controlled. But the wrist pain was eliminated so I could spend long hours now on the computer. When i do on occasion use a regular mouse it doesn't take long before the old misery returns. I WILL NEVER GO BACK. When 3M came out with the EM500GPL optical version I got it and love it- no more cleaning out the gunk. I've had this one for +10 years of carefree use. When I switched to an iMac recently I hoped that it would work with it. It does but without the scroll feature. Too bad but having no pain is really the priority. The reason I am writing a review now is because I looked at the wireless model and was considering it but the reviews on it showed issues-mainly buttons stop working. Also it isn't bluetooth or laser so it must be old and not updated with the newer technologies- so I pass and will stick with what works. If 3M decides to come out a wireless bluetooth model I'd be interested then.

If you have any issues with your wrist or arm,this is the mouse for you! I started using it when with my stand up desk, but now I use it all the time, sitting or standing. Its great. Takes a bit to get used to, but I wouldn't do without it!

It takes about 1-2 weeks to get used to but after that it's the best feel on your hand. It uses the shoulder and some wrist extension and flexion (rather than side-to-side) movement to operate. I would recommend this to people who have a problem using the index and middle fingers on a standard mouse since most of the action on this mouse comes from the thumb, shoulder and wrist.

Without a definitive guide to selecting the correct size the FIRST time, you're likely going to have to take the Goldilocks approach to discovering which device fits best - unless you know you have small or very large hands.
I made the mistake of allowing one reviewer's opinion guide me to the wrong size: "...unless you have gorilla-sized hands, you should choose the small model."
Learn from my mistake...
The width across my fingers, where I grip the joystick, is around 3.75" - which happens to be 1/4 finger-width too large for the small model, and about 1/4 finger-width to small for the large model. In other words, 3.75 is about a tween size for these two models.
At 3.75" - I'm much better off with the large model:
I stack my pinkie, ring and index fingers on the base - allow a slight bit of space between my index and fore fingers - and support my thumb on the top of the joystick stem.

I built a house on my own and used a good 'ole hammer to drive every nail (not recommended). When I got done, I could not feel my fingers, especially at the tips other than occasional stinging and a constant tingling and ache. My job required me to use a mouse all day long and the pain just got worse. Not liking surgery or the fact that the pain often returns after surgery, I got the taller corded version of this mouse. Not long after I trained myself to hold it properly, I have been symptom free for over a decade of continuous use. To show that it was the mouse that eliminated the symptoms, even now, if I have to use someone's traditional mouse, my hand will start to ache in minutes. I can now pound some nails occasionally without a problem.

The key to this mouse is that your hand is in a very natural position when using it. People scowl when they look at it until you ask them to stick their hand out in the most comfortable position (kind of like gripping a hammer in front of you). The left and right pick buttons require a small and slight roll of the thumb and the switch is at the first knuckle, not the tip of the thumb. The middle mouse button is on the front side of the stalk and requires a slight squeeze with a couple fingers again at the first knuckle. The buttons are not overly sensitive yet do not require nearly as much pressure and it is not applied at your finger tips.

Recently, I bought this small wireless version and am even more pleased. I can't imagine anyone having hands large enough to really fit the taller one.

Finally after numerous tries of other ergonomic mice - found a type, vertical, that doesn't make my arthritic right hand and fingers painful and more sore.

Not absolutely sure it is this product or the design in general that helped. If cost wasn't a factor, I'd like to try several different manufactures vertical type mice for comparison but I can't afford to do tests on all if I have to buy them to try. This one will do for the time.

I would recommend this for anyone with arthritis. You don't have to twist (supinate) your wrist to make it work. That reduces the repetitive motion stress that conventional mice cause to the tendons and ligaments of your fingers and wrists. Its not perfect, but its good. My index and 2nd finger, the ones with the worst arthritis, aren't actually painful when I'm using it. They still will get stiff after prolonged use though. Just need to do a fit of flex/extension to them and I can continue moussing around longer.
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It might take a bit of time to get use to using your thumb as the clicking finger but I found that some of the arcade type games I sometimes play are easier to do with this mouse. Not as good as one designed for gaming, but better than either a standard one or a tracker ball type which remains stationary and you use your thumb for directional movement.

I went looking for a vertical mouse after experiencing increasingly severe wrist/shoulder/neck pain from computer work. I picked up this one along with a similar one from Anker, since I wasn't sure what shape would work better for me. The J-Tech ended up being the clear winner for me and is now my daily driver at work. The Anker one is now at home, since it's still better than a regular mouse; but I like it less than the J-Tech on just about every level. The Anker's buttons feel harder to press (putting more stress on my hand and wrist), and their locations feel less natural to me compared to the J-Tech (especially the back/forward buttons). The scroll wheel on the J-Tech feels better and more responsive, and the design puts my wrist in a more neutral position than the Anker. The dpi button is easy to access but hard to hit accidentally. I don’t know if I looove the ridged surface of the rubbery bits, but it doesn’t actively bother me and I mostly don’t notice it.

I did follow the tips here to remove the weights inside the mouse, but I’ve kept the little wrist pad attached since I’ve found it to be more comfortable for me. My wrist and shoulder pain hasn’t completely gone away, but it’s much improved, and I immediately notice the difference if I have to use a regular mouse for any period. Also, don't be discouraged if for the first day or two, you feel like you can't do anything with this mouse! It definitely took me a few (frustrating and slow!) days to get used to it, but then after that it's no problem.

I would definitely purchase this again, and may end up getting a second one to replace the Anker at home anyway.

This mouse is amazing.

I had been having some carpal tunnel issues for several years; I work about 11 hours a day in front of the computer, then go home and relax on the computer every evening. I spend the majority of my waking hours staring at a screen, mouse in hand. Accordingly, I started to develop some serious problems using my mouse after a few hours every day. It started off as a minor pain, but eventually it became a persistent pain. Something had to change.

I found out that Vertical Mice could alleviate the problem; I was skeptical -- VERY skeptical -- but I decided to give it a try. I ordered the Wired version of the mouse, since it was the cheaper one.

The day I recieved it, after using it for about two hours, I immediately ordered two more; One for the office, one for my wife. This time, I chose the wireless ones. I absolutely love it.

Without changing anything but my mouse, my carpal tunnel pain is COMPLETELY GONE. The graphics showing your two forearm bones twisting with traditional mouse use are accurate; Vertical mouse use prevents this problem and I'm not sure I can ever go back. I decided to leave a review after my brother-in-law that lives with me asked me to order him one as well.

This mouse is cheap, but well built. We don't use the removable palm rest, although it was one of the reasons I chose this model; I've found I'm slightly more accurate and have to move the mouse even less when I don't have the rest on. The scrolling is precise, the two thumb buttons are placed with enough space to rest your thumb in between them without hitting them, and the two main mouse buttons have a really nice springy action towards the tips of the buttons that's somewhat hard to describe.

If you have RSI or carpal tunnel, GET THIS MOUSE OR THE WIRELESS VERSION; It will change your life!

I have been used to working with ergonomic peripherals at my workplace and wanted to get one for my home system as well. But at the same time, I was not looking to spend a lot of money. Going by all the reviews posted, I ordered this mouse to give it a try.
The mouse arrived well in time and in a nice packaging. As per one of the reviews listed, it was claimed to be a heavy mouse but I did not felt that it was heavy. In fact it just appears to be the correct weight while using. Especially when compared to the other ergonomic mice that I have been using, this one seemed to be having the the correct weight, if not the perfect one.
Coming to the usage, the most important aspect, I have been using it for almost a week now and am happy with the performance. While it does what it is supposed to do - being an ergonomic mouse, it definitely has a learning curve to it. But once I got used to it, it is really comfortable to use, even with prolonged sittings.
The mouse runs on two AAA batteries - a pair comes with the mouse within the packaging - a really nice thing to allow you to get going immediately. The mouse gets detected immediately when plugged in, no specialized drivers or installations required.
Overall I am really satisfied with the purchase and would definitely recommend this mouse, if you are looking for one on budget.

As a software developer, I am semi-permanently attached to a mouse and keyboard. After more than twenty years in the industry, my wrists and digits have taken the brunt of the storm. Until recently, the worst of my work-related pains has been on my thumb from the way it rests on most mice. It locked and popped non-stop, and was miserable by the end of the day.

The reason that most of that is in past tense is due to this mouse. After trying numerous ergonomic mice and other pointing devices, I decided to try a vertical mouse. My searches landed me on this product, and the reviews were encouraging. It was packaged as would be expected, and I was up and running with the mouse in a matter of minutes. However, you do have to learn to walk before you can run. There is a learning curve, which comes as no surprise. It is just so very different than a traditional mouse, that you will find yourself wanting to hold it in awkward positions.

After a few days, though, it starts to become more natural. Three weeks in, and I could not be happier. While it does take some getting used to, I can honestly say that the pain in my thumb has been reduced by at least 75%. So, I have bought a second one for my mobile workstation, and my wife's interest is piqued to the point that I imagine that I will be ordering another one soon.

I have a history of elbow/wrist/hand pain in my mousing arm from a career of pointing and clicking on things. At work they prescribed me an Evoluent Vertical mouse which helped considerably. I bought this for home usage when I realised I was leaning to the left at home to try to simulate the same vertical mouse feeling on my home computer. If you haven't tried a vertical mouse you should, even before you start feeling pain. The over-pronated wrist position of normal mice crosses your radius and ulna which compresses all kinds of internal structures and it's not good for you in the long run. Using a vertical mouse takes a few days to get used to but it's worth it. As an added bonus, it used to annoy any of my colleagues who tried hi-jacking my ergo-mouse/keyboard to show me something at my desk... After a few clumsy attempts to click on things they'd always give up and return it to me ASAP.

So far I like it a lot. I also tried the Sharkk/Adesso vertical mouse at a shop. I like all four mice but so far I like this one the most. I have the wired version for my desktop.

Texture: My Evoluent mouse had a shiny slick texture that never felt that good in the hand and would collect a lot of fingerprint gunkage. This had a matte rubbery feeling surface with grip ridges. The Sharkk/Adesso mouse looked identical but the Adesso had the shiny smooth surface and the Sharkk was matte. I preferred the Sharkk to the Adesso FWIW.

Shape: This mouse has a more naturally curved hand shape that feels very natural in my hand. The Evoluent mouse was a simpler lump of rounded plastic. It's a better orientation than a regular mouse but it's not a great shape. I also like the wrist guard on this one - with my evoluent mouse, my palm heel always drags and get sore after a while.

Buttons: The buttons on this one feel much more solid and better placed under *my* fingers than any of the other three I've tried. The evoluent buttons always seemed too big and too long for my hands which meant harder actuation. The Sharkk/Adesso ones seemed OK but were more like long leaf style buttons than actual buttons and lacked feel. Some people have complained about the positioning of the thumb buttons on the J-Tech - I haven't had any trouble with them thus far but I remapped them with xmouse (no drivers are included). I guess you could disable them if they annoyed you. The thumb buttons on the Evoluent mouse are quite far apart - so far apart I never used them. The DPI button is large and better placed than the DPI button on the Evoluent mouse (under the palm?). Unlike the Evoluent mouse however, it doesn't have an up/down DPI button and it does it silently - it doesn't have LED indicators to tell what speed it's on. It just does it.

Size: The Evoluent mouse might work better for bigger hands - I believe they have wider range of sizes and left-handed models. I'm 5'6" and male FWIW. The J-Tech mouse works well for me but I can imagine someone with bigger hands finding it too small. I'm considering the Sharkk/Adesso mouse for my laptop since it seems a little more compact than either of the other two options.

Overall the J-Tech mouse is my favorite vertical mouse of the four I've tried, at least in the hand. I haven't tried the Adesso/Sharkk mice but I'd be willing to try them for mobile work, sacrificing the wrist guard and better shape for more portability. I'm not a fan of the Evoluent mouse at all any more. It's better than a normal mouse but it doesn't seem worth the extra money on ergonomics or longevity (I'm on my second: one burned out in under a year). Lefties and giant ham hands might need to check them out though.

Keeps hand in the proper position with the thumb up. Helps a lot with wrist pain.

It will take about 2 weeks to get used to but after that it's the best feel on your hand. You will wonder what you ever did without it! Great product 3M!

Without a definitive guide to selecting the correct size the FIRST time, you're likely going to have to take the Goldilocks approach to discovering which device fits best - unless you know you have small or very large hands.I made the mistake of allowing one reviewer's opinion guide me to the wrong size: "...unless you have gorilla-sized hands, you should choose the small model."Learn from my mistake...The width across my fingers, where I grip the joystick, is around 3.75" - which happens to be 1/4 finger-width too large for the small model, and about 1/4 finger-width to small for the large model. In other words, 3.75 is about a tween size for these two models.At 3.75" - I'm much better off with the large model:I stack my pinkie, ring and index fingers on the base - allow a slight bit of space between my index and fore fingers - and support my thumb on the top of the joystick stem.

No more carpal tunnel numbness/pain after using this. As in, I can use my computer without pain anymore! It took a while to get used to using it, and I don't have fine detail control like I did with a regular mouse, but it's a more than worthwhile trade off. I miss having a scroll wheel, but not enough to not use this mouse. There is a scroll function, but I hate the way if functions enough I would rather not scroll with a mouse than have to use the on screen function - much easier to use the keyboard for that, but I'm really picky, and a person could scroll with it if they chose to do so. I've been using this for a couple months now, no trouble with the product itself at all, or with the connectivity.

I have been using this mouse for several years, and I love it and highly recommend it. The vertical grip allows the hand to be positioned in a way avoids putting tension on the extensor muscles of the forearm, making it much more comfortable (and less likely to cause irritation with heavy usage) than a standard mouse that requires turning the hand mostly or fully palm-down, putting tension on those muscles.When people see it they think it's a joystick, but it's not (the vertical part does not pivot on the base). It's an optical mouse -- you grab the vertical handle and slide the base around as you would any other mouse.

I already had been using the wired version to help with RSI. Very happy with that one but wanted to go wireless. I held off because some of the reviews on here mention poor connectivity. Decided to finally give it a try, and I'm really happy with it. It's only day 1 of use, but so far it's just as good as the wired one.One thing that may be a problem if you're really sensitive to clicking is that the thumb clicker is a little harder to press, but my guess is 3M was trying to remedy the problem with the older wired version's clicker wearing out. Doesn't matter to me because I use dictation software to command click.

This is absolutely great! I am a professional transcriptionist and have a recent history of trying keyboards after using the Microsoft Natural 4000 for years, and years. I realized it was just so big and the keys were really hard to use, so I started looking. Tried the Microsoft Surface, didn't like it at all. Priority keys were placed very oddly, and even after a couple weeks, just couldn't get used to it, was not a logical placement. Tried the Microsoft Sculpt, keys way too close together, though it was supposed to be a split keyboard, and really didn't like the touch after using the Natural 4000. Then I tried the Kinesis Freestyle! Keys are very, very logically placed. The touch is perfect...not too hard, and not too soft. The spacing with the 9" opening is plenty big...I use about 4-1/2 to 5. I absolutely love it after a very long trial and error. If your doubtful, try it!

This thing saved my arms and pretty much my life. One of the best things I've ever bought.For years I've had very debilitating pain in my wrists and forearms. Sometimes it would get to the stage where my arms would have to hang limp at my sides as it hurt to even lift them. At 26 years old this was a very depressing thing to have, especially as my job involves typing. It is extremely upsetting when you're that young and cannot use your hands any more. Through good days and bad days I battled on for another 5 years until I eventually bought this keyboard. What a life changer!I waited 6 weeks to write this review to ensure it was as correct as possible. Verdict is that is is life changing. The pain in my forearms is greatly reduced and my wrists no longer click.If unsure whether to buy this keyboard or a microsoft curve keyboard or similar, just do this simple exercise - Close your eyes, wave your arms around, then place your hands on your desk. What position are your arms in? Are your hands in the middle with your thumbs touching, or are they spaced apart? Whatever position they are in is how you should be typing. For me, I have each side of the keyboard pretty much flat and level but with the two sides 6" apart. It's more like sitting in an armchair with a keyboard at the end of each arm. Very very comfortable.My only gripe with this keyboard is I seem to keep accidnetly pressing the Fn button which turns half the keyboard into a numpad s6 5 wr5te 352e th5s (so I write like this). I seem to be doing this less now so that's ok. The 'B' also seems to be on the wrong side for me, but I've become accustomed to this now. Whatever grips there are, they are minor.If undecide on this keyboard, just get it - you wont regret it. Just think - it comes in two pieces so you can move it around and experiment to see what is most comfortable for you. You can't get to experiment like that with a one-piece ergonomic keyboard.This keyboard changed my life. Dont dawdle, just get it.

This is my second keyboard. My first was about three years old when I poured my morning cereal over it. Yes, I often eat at the computer :) Tech support was very helpful and said I could try alcohol on a Qtip under the effected keys, but it didn't do it.I immediately ordered another. I love the light touch, the soft sound of the keys as they hit the pads, and the fact that I move it around a bit in the course of the day so that I'm never stuck in one position. Before I got this keyboard I had another well respected brand but my wrists still hurt and I was forced to curtail my typing and/or use speech recognition software. Since getting used to this, and giving my wrists a rest, I've been able to type as much as I want as long as I move it around. I change the separation, the angle of separation (sometimes more like a V) and when I'm no longer sitting up straight, one side of the keyboard is slightly higher or lower than the other. The keyboard adapts rather than my wrists.I purchased the extras but have found that I prefer to be without them and just have a soft gel pad the length of the stretched out keyboard. But they are worth trying. I could see how they might have been wonderful.This Kinesis also lasts - if I hadn't spilled my breakfast on it, I would guess it had at least another year before keys got sticky and perhaps rattled some as they hit the base.

I LOVE this keyboard. It takes some getting used to but now I don't know how I lived without it. I've had it for 6 months and so far the durability seems great. I kind of wanted a mechanical keyboard, but this is fairly quiet which I like and yet still seems nice and responsive.I have it set up on the highest bridge setting and removed the hinge piece that keeps the two halves attached. I keep the halves about a coffee-mug's-width apart which is perfect for my coffee mug.My only complaint is that I cannot use ALT codes with the external numberpad. This may not be a limitation of the keyboard itself, but I'm just not sure. If you're not sure what this means, then this complaint probably doesn't apply to you and I wouldn't worry about it.I also haven't found myself using ANY of the keys on the left side under the escape key (except for the escape key itself). They don't get in the way or anything, I just find them useless.

I have been using this keyboard for over a year now and I love it. For my job, I spend most of my day sending emails and during a busy season I started to have tendonitis issues in my wrists and thumbs. My employer gave me a microsoft "ergonomic" keyboard, but it provided no relief. I bought this keyboard and quickly noted a difference. The key presses take less force than most other keyboards and it is a definite advantage being able to move each half independently.Now that my tendonitis issues are under control, the thing I like most about the keyboard is that I can spread the halves far enough apart to fit an 8-1/2" wide legal pad in the middle to write notes on. If I could go back in time or ever have extra cash laying around, I would buy the version with an extra 2" of cable. I have become so attached to being able to comfortably write notes in the middle of my desk without having to shove the keyboard back that I don't think I'll ever be happy using another keyboard.Another minor perk of this keyboard is that it is a good conversation piece. Almost everyone who walks into my office ends up asking about it because it looks so unusual.The biggest disadvantage of this keyboard is the price. The base unit is not cheap and if you frequently use the number pad you're going to have to buy one separately (another $40-60).

I thought this keyboard would take more getting used to, but I was off to the races pretty much right away. Thankfully I was already a strong touch typist, so I had that going for me already. I know they sell tenting add-ons, but I saw in an internet review that they used door stops to tent the keyboard. I have done the same, and it is wonderful. I have seen some people complain about the function keys off to the left, but I actually find them quite useful. Cntrl-C is easy enough, but if I am going to copy and paste a bunch of things like numbers in Excel, the copy/cut/paste keys are great. I don't use the web keys much. Other complaints are that they Fn key is a toggle key. I actually like that it is. It makes adjusting the volume easier. Also, the "number pad", which is essentially a function of the right side of the keyboard, is not too bad. Not as memory friendly as a normal number pad, but not bad. If this is a deal-breaker, go and by a Targus keypad for 20 bucks. My further advice, get used to the side ridges on the left function keys or the right Page-up, Page-down, etc. Once you do, it is much easier to not take your eyes off the keyboard.One last thing: will this keyboard help with wrist problems? Definitely. Is a magic bullet? No. You still need to work on proper form. I was hoping this would solve all my problems, but that was my unreal expectations. This keyboard is much more customizable than most though, since you can put the two sides at shoulder-width, which is much more comfortable for me. The price is much cheaper than most, and definitely cheaper than medical bills to treat repetitive strain injuries.

I suffer from chronic wrist pain and tennis elbow and by using this ergonomic mouse I have reduced the amount of pain I feel. I do a lot of photo editing and online work but due to my chronic pain, I am unable to use the mousepad. My physical therapist recommended this mouse. While it has eliminated most of my pain, I have noticed that other areas are starting to hurt a bit when I spend many hours working. No fault of the mouse, it is just overuse of my fingers and arm. All in all I would recommend this mouse if you have any chronic issues.

Works great, relieved strain in one part of my forearm from index-clicking. Ended up causing strain in my thumb tendons and extensor carpi ulnaris tendon though.

I ordered this Feb 16th and received it on Feb 17th- with my prime 2 day free shipping (magic!). Here's my review right out of the box:1. I got the small size. My hand width is between 3.0 in and 3.5 in, and the small feels fine to me.2. I understand that some reviewers might think it's clunky and doesn't track that nicely. No, it does not function as smoothly and you can't operate it as effortlessly as a regular old mouse clicker. However, I did not buy this ergonomic mouse to act just like a regular mouse. I bought it so that I could avoid the excruciating, shooting, unbearable pain in my index finger. And guess what? This ergonomic mouse is perfect for that! One day I'm trying to pull my finger off to make it stop hurting so bad, the next day the pain is gone and I'm using my ergonomic mouse. Yay!I'll update my review if this ergonomic mouse goes kaput or something like that.

*Edit: This mouse is awful if you're a computer programmer. - SO I use two mice.. One for general usage; emails, meetings, browsing, researching, and another mouse for programming..*Great mouse, but the mouse is sadly way too small. Their "large" would fit like a US Medium sized t shirt. I guess they thought that people will actually 'large' hands will not be using this mouse. I'm 6'0, 175 pounds, medium build, but I can only put four fingers on the dang mouse. My pink is flailing around at the bottom to allow my four other fingers to fit comfortably.Either way, the pressure alleviated from my wrist is quite worth it.I highly recommend this mouse given that your a fairly small person with smaller hands.A Large would seem to fit a person .. maybe 120-160 pounds, andA small would seem appropriate for a person that is under 120 pounds

I purchased this erg-mouse to relieve finger pain and stiffness from 30 years of mouse clicking. After a day of (standard) mouse clicking, the joints at the middle two fingers on my right hand would freeze up during the night. It required using my left hand to work them lose every morning. Now that I have been using this ergo-mouse for about a week, the morning stiffness has noticeably decreased.Holding and gripping a joystick takes some getting used to after so many years of simply pushing a mouse around on the desktop, particularly when 'fine tuning' the pointer position during CAD (computer aided design) work.The only downside so far: because the joystick design keeps your hand in an upright position, the height of the work surface comes into play. Just be sure you can position this mouse at a comfortable height. Otherwise you might find yourself holding your hand in an awkward position to use this product.

I'm a designer + a gamer so I'm on the computer anywhere from 8 to 16 hours a day. I'm also only 28 - but started getting pretty bad pain in my right arm from using the mouse. It wasn't as bad as some of the reviewers here, but it became harder and harder for me to focus and get work done with the constant aching in my forearm. I was doing carpal tunnel exercises [...] to help with the pain, but it dawned on me that I probably couldn't keep this up for another 30 years using the same methods. So, I purchased this mouse.A few things after a few months of use:Pros:I've been using a computer since I was 9, but this product came naturally for me. It felt good.Pain is reduced. It's not gone, and hurts in a different way, but it doesn't stick around with you after you leave the computer. Often feels like a sore muscle. It's way less painful than using a mouse.*Cons:For gaming, you have to set the middle button to do what you want - most games don't really recognize it, but it's a mild inconvenience.Scrolling is different and takes some time getting used to.It's not as precise, but i think playing with the sensitivity and speed will help you out.*I feel like my setup isn't quite right. I'm not entirely sure where/how to rest my elbow and it can sometimes get a little awkward. I am going to try pushing keyboard mouse away from me so my elbow is forced to rest on the desk and now the elbow of my chair for more flexibility.

I was debating whether to buy small or large (I am sure you are too if you are reading this)
Lots of reviews mentioned that reviewers' hands are large, and smaller version works fine.

Stupid me.
Let's face it: how many men do you know who would say/admit that they have small hands?
(I think someone even mentioned gorilla hands for large one)

It felt great when I first wrapped my hands, but when I moved the mouse around, I had to stack my fingers tightly.
(Because of this, it's more comfortable when I don't use my pinkie to wrap around)
I am in military, and I have been issued tons of gears from head to toe: medium fits me most of time including gloves.

I have one thing to say for those who mentioned that smaller version fits just fine when their hands are supposed to be large:
"Hey, homie. Face it. You have baby hands."

I bought this because I have had major wrist pain for 18 years. I've had carpal tunnel surgery in both wrists, with a follow up surgery on my right wrist, and still had pain using a conventional mouse. Let me say that this mouse took the pain away almost immediately! It caused a little bit of pain in other parts of my hand because you are using different muscles to use it, but it wasn't bad and went away in a few days. I can use this mouse every day and have ZERO pain now in my wrist. Based on that alone, I would give it 5 stars. However, it loses points for functionality and precision. I work for a law firm and do a lot of precision work including filling in forms in Word documents that require a lot of selecting, copying, and pasting. I used to be extremely FAST, but I feel like this mouse has slowed me down by about 25% (maybe more). Based on functionality, I would probably give it 2.5 stars. It does not have a scroll wheel, which drives me crazy (although there is a way to "scroll" - just not what I'm used to). But I guess it's a trade off for having absolutely no pain. And based on that, I am giving it 4 stars. If you have had CTS wrist problems like me, where nothing else has worked including surgeries, I would recommend this mouse. If you have no problem using a regular mouse and do a lot of precision work, then by all means go with a regular mouse. I am still on the hunt for an ergonomic mouse that is both precise AND pain-free, and have tried several, but I can't seem to find the perfect one. So far this has been the best pain reliever for me.

Quickly eliminated wrist fatigue. Quality look and feel. The shape of it requires a little self-retraining, but everything functions well and as intended.

The only thing I hadn't considered was the lack of a scroll wheel. A 3rd button has been added on the shaft of the joystick itself that can invoke an auto-scroll mode (like clicking down the scroll wheel on most mice). This generally works well, but may often activate different results in different applications. The only tricky thing I've had to work around is CRTL+Mouse Wheel zooming in/out, but that wasn't a big deal.

All in all I'm very happy. I use this at work designing graphical items and find the precision to be right on point. The auto-scrolling is actually quite nice when scrolling around a large image or document. I'll often find myself activating autoscroll with it, then moving the mouse down just slightly to create a constant smooth scroll -- very nice for reading lengthy pages/documents (or something as simple as quickly scrolling a social media feed).

I bought this mouse in Like New "used" condition from Amazon Warehouse for about half price. I actually like it better than I thought I would, at least as an intermittent break from using mice of other configurations (including even such ostensibly fully "ergo" designs as Microsoft's "Sculpt" and the LuguLake "vertical" mouse). Thus, if you can find a fine specimen at a reasonable price, this mouse makes sense for anybody seeking ergonomic wrist/hand/finger relief. I like how the pinky finger rests comfortably upon the mouse's base (instead of dragging across the tabletop as with the LuguLake "vertical" mouse).

Also note: I'm a six-foot-one male whose hand perfectly fits the typical "Large" glove, but this 3M mouse's "Small" version fits my hand perfectly, and so I'm glad I didn't order the "Large" version, which would've felt uncomfortably unwieldy to me. (That said, if my hand were any larger--or my thumb any lengthier--it'd be too large for this "Small" 3M mouse.)

Though this mouse's tracking and (especially) unconventional scrolling approach do take a bit of getting used to (and may never seem 100% as good as most other mice), its uniquely ergonomic shape provides my hand and wrist significant relief, and so I'd rate it a solid "four out of five stars."

Finally, don't fret excessively about the somewhat notorious "wireless-connectivity" nature of this mouse and its USB dongle. If you have the mouse already switched on while starting your PC, the mouse and dongle conveniently AUTOMATICALLY communicate. However, it's true that if you switch off the mouse or remove the dongle while using your PC, you'll either need to (somewhat tediously) press their respective "linking" buttons OR simply restart your PC to restore their functionality. Even so, it's well worth putting up with such minor, occasional inconvenience in order to enjoy the unique ergonomic benefits of this 3M mouse. [BTW, to avoid overusing/stressing your THUMB, I suggest that (every day) you sensibly ALTERNATE using this mouse with using some other type of (preferably "ergo") mouse that lets you left/right-click with one of your other fingers.]

I've been putting off this review for months because frankly, I'm lazy but there are so many products I buy on here based on helpful reviews I thought I'd give something back.

This is a great little mouse that will help you get past your RSI injuries and cramps. Personally, I never got carpel tunnel but my hands (I alternate between right and left) would get very very hot and cramped when using a regular mouse at work. They would get SO hot and cramped up that I'd have to hold ice in my hands towards the end of the work day as well as keep stretching out my hands, wrists and fingers. This mouse is not a heavenly solution because my hands sometimes get warm but I'm no longer suffering. In fact, most days are just fine even when I use the computer at home (different mouse) for hours after work.

Here's what work you need to put in:

--change the sensitivity or more like clicking speed for your right click on your PC. This is done under devices or control panel. I'm referring to the double click speed you need to open folders and programs--LOWER THIS. Why? See below.

--you will need to remap the mouse keys. It is set up to have the right click and left click done by your thumb. This tires out your thumb quickly, a few hours or a few days and you'll know what I mean. To remap, you download a very small, trustworthy program called autohotkeys. This program simply re-assigns the right click button to the biggest button on the mouse, the one meant for scrolling. This eliminates the thumb fatigue completely. Why wasn't the mouse already designed like this? Dont know!

Download the program here: [...] Choose "window's installer"

In case you are at work and don't want to install this on the crappy work computer, you can run the program off a flash drive. Yes, small and portable.

Now, when you first run the program, you'll get a little message saying "Here's a sample script" or something like so. Click ok and select ALL on that page (it will be on Notepad). Select All and paste this on there:

MButton::LButton ; Map center-click to left-click
LButton::MButton ; Map left-click to center-click

Save this and exit notepad! This code tells the program to re-map the keys like I mentioned. The right clicking will be done with your ring and middle finger or both if you'd like. You will scroll with the button designed to right click. Just try it and you'll see what I mean and how it makes this mouse so much better.

--Lastly, adjust the cursor speed if you'd like. The mouse responds a little quickly.

Now use it and use it. Your hand will get used to it. I actually use it with both hands. I'm good with both hands including sports, it helps a lot. Try it. It beats RSI. NOTE: YOU'LL NEED TO RUN AUTOHOTKEYS every time you use the mouse. If not the buttons act are at default and your thumb will start hurting. Its easy to run the program, just double click the autohotkey icon on your desktop or search for it.

You are welcome. I hope this works for you as good as it did for me :] Oh and the mouse feels nice and sturdy, solid build.

I've been using this wired mouse for about a week now. After having aches and pains while at work in my hand and arm prior to purchasing this, I can honestly say these symptoms disappeared after a day or two of using this mouse.

I have a small hand and while I do wish this was slightly smaller, overall, I'm very pleased with the way it works. I like the way my hand doesn't have to twist to rest on it and it has a soft rubber grip area where the side of your hand rests on it while using it. This rest is removable, too, but I don't know why you'd want to remove it.

My only complaint is that while the rubber grip has ribs on it, it is still a bit too slippery at times and my hand slides down if I'm not paying attention. I don't have sweaty hands and have dry skin, so that probably doesn't help, either. It's not too much of an annoyance, but i do wish the rubber wasn't so smooth.

Other than that I'd say this product is high quality and I've already recommended it to my son and he purchased one last week for himself as he's a computer programmer and works on the computer for up to 12 hours a day. Also, you really can't beat the price as some of the vertical mouse products are upwards of $50.

Obviously these kinds of mice is always a compromise, however after trying several similar devices this one worked the best for wrist pain, just wished it was little larger.I definitely recommend this to everyone with wrist pain problems.

Having said that, this mouse have weird problem of being *heavy*. They did this on purpose, I dont know why - probably to "feel" more expensive. Inside, they have two additional weights (see photo), which add noticeable strain on wrist. Also, sometimes you need to pull the mouse up, and it is very hard to do, so you accidentally press those additional buttons on the left side and your browser page disappears - all because they added these two bricks inside

Good news is this is fixable, just open up the mouse (two additional screws sit hidden under two "sliders"), there should be 4 screws total - remove bricks and enjoy

UPDATE 2, after 10 months.

Mouse wheel started to fail, I disassembled it again and checked it. It turns out it actually *DESIGNED TO FAIL* with the time: rubber "tire" will lose traction with the plastic wheel, supporting it. Good news is - this is fixable too, if you "loosen" stopper that holds the wheel. As the result, mouse wheel will start working again, but you wont hear the click anymore (I still dont understand why they needed it in the first place). So now mouse is working great now.

Overall it is crazy that customers have to remove stuff from products to make them work better ...

The mouse feels good in my hand and helps reduce my wrist tingling. The sensitivity of the movement of the cursor is accurate. My only peeve is the same one others have pointed out. The buttons by the right thumb are too easy to click. The bottom button is the one I click most often and this is the page back button. Meaning, while I'm in a web page if my thumb hits that button, it's like hitting the back button. I lose whatever I'm doing in that page and goes to the previous web page. This is a known issue with this device but the developers don't think it's a problem. There should be a way to set up the buttons or turn them off, which is what I would prefer. For the price, this is a well made device but the developers should listen to their customers and fix the thumb buttons.

3 stars or 4. Hmmm. I'm confused by this mouse. I have severe shoulder, neck, wrist and finger pain in both hands, and have been forced to more often use my left hand (i'm a righty) just to give the right a break. So I'd prefer to have a lefty option, but that is not available. The major problem i have with regular mice is that my little end fingers try to clutch the mouse to stay in control of it. And mice have gotten so tiny these days that there is too little to grab. I am a woman with a small hand. I think this mouse is made for my size, and seems like it would be difficult for people with larger hands to use comfortably.

As a right handed mouse it doesn't seem to orient to my hand right. If I put the mouse in my hand as shown in the pictures - with my thumb firmly over the thumb area and fingers set about where the buttons are, I have to twist my wrist backwards in order for North South East West to be correct (like move the cursor correctly up, down, left, right). Picture pointing thumb straight out so that it makes a straight line down your arm. Then fingers to backwards to wrap around. That puts a lot of stress on my shoulder and strains through the back of my fingers.

If I rotate the mouse so it's not in exactly the right position on my hand but is in the right place North-South-East-West wise, it sits comfortably under my fingers BUT I can't scroll because the bar is basically where a ring on my middle finger would sit (because it's rotated 45 degrees). Far too low to move my finger to scroll.

If I can find a way to reorient the directional, this mouse would have a lot of potential. It would be a much better mouse and a much more natural position if the pointy end was set to NorthWest instead of due North.

Accuracy wise it seems very good. It's precise, and doesn't skip around like some cheap mice. It auto-detected really fast on both PCs and worked right off the bat. I'm not sure the dpi button is doing anything (on my other mouse it makes the cursor very slow, but I don't see a noticeable difference here). On the mousepad it moves fairly freely, but with just enough friction to allow you to stay in control.

I haven't had it long enough to say if it will help with my pain. I wasn't expecting much out of this, so I'm pleasantly surprised so far.

Keep in mind that with any mouse of any type, if you want any precision you need to steady part of your arm and hand on the desk while mousing. On this mouse your hand sits on the mouse, so for precision I have to lean my forearm or edge of my hand onto the mousepad.

I think this has potential. Worth a try if you have pain.

I have tried Anker and a few other vertical mice.. All of them are horrible compared to J-Tech.
But even J-Tech's has not reached perfection.

Pros:
--excellent button placement! not as hard to click as Anker's
--excellent removable rest pad
--great verticalness--even MORE vertical than Anker. holding position feels like you are grabbing a glass of lemonade

Cons:
--scroll wheel doesnt have a click.. it has an inconsistent texture when scrolling. slightly bothersome when scrolling a lot
--i'd like to be able to remap the dpi button... the past 3 mice ive bought have all had a remapping software with full-fledged macro. but they were not vertical of course.
--it feels a little uncomfortable but i do not feel ANY wrist strain. Despite the comfort, I KNOW that it is good in the long-term to get used to holding the mouse like this.

I can honestly tell you after Anker and cheap $10 vertical mice... this is the best mouse out there right now!

Good mouse but this one does not seem to work as well as prior one. Sometime hangs up for a second.

I'm giving this a 4 star though I really like it. Had a wired large, so bought the wireless large. My hand started cramping within hours. Bought a small, and the fit worked perfectly. Weird that that the large wired -- which was bought years and years ago -- did not match up to the large wireless. That's why i took one star off. But, as I said, the small worked perfectly. It's my mouse of choice.

Tennis elbow meant I needed mouse help, since I'm on the PC allllll day. Went through a couple cheaper attempts before hitting this one. Forget the shark... the clear win here is that the side of your hand rests on the mouse, instead of dragging the mousepad (which my largish hand was doing with the other type... which meant constantly lifting my arm, making my shoulder hurt instead of my elbow).Plus people stop, stare, and think it's the coolest mouse they've ever seen. Only thing that would make it better would be if it was actually a joystick instead of a mouse. And came with Top Gun sounds effects.

I use to have a lot of pain in my middle finger which radiated to my index and ring fingers. My right hand was always stiff in the morning. The issue was primarily a repetitive injury from using the wheel to scroll using a standard mouse. I also had a lot of pain in my right shoulder. It took several months for the pain in my hand and shoulder to go way but it has since using this ergonomic mouse. The one issue that I do have is that it is very difficult to control the pointing accuracy. I'm frequently missing my target even after more than a year of use. But I'm pain free, which is much more important.

I'm an engineer who does a lot of CAD work and my wrist and lower arm will get sore after several hours of use will a normal mouse. This mouse eliminates the soreness. It causes you to move your arm at the shoulder and not the wrist. Unless you have shoulder issues your shoulder is a better joint to place the motion than your wrist.I noticed the thumb button is a little stiffer on this version. Previously I had a wired version with a ball (~8 years old) and the thumb button required less force.Also it doesn't have a wheel. Most might find this lacking but there is a large button on the shaft for your fingers to press. This acts as the middle button common to Unix machines. To scroll in an internet browser you press the middle button. After a short amount of use I don't find my self missing the wheel.The only other draw back is the amount of questions people will ask you about it. My coworkers always ask me questions about it when they see me use it. In a patronizing tone I usually explain to them it is just a mouse and not a joystick for playing video games.

After experiencing wrist pain at work from constant computer use, I tried this new mouse. I was surprised how easy it was to adjust to. My wrist pain has diminished, and I have recommended it to all my co-workers. The only thing that has been harder to get used to is the scroll feature. It doesn't work on all of my programs, so it can be a little annoying to have to use the scroll bar on the side of the window in some software programs. Overall, I love it and think it was a great value.

I have a Kinesis keyboard that was a Christmas present several years ago. My youngest brother is an ergonomic engineer, and he recommended this keyboard to reduce wrist stress while typing. The original keyboard has insert as a normal function key. I deducted a star on this keyboard is you have to have the blue function mode on to access the Insert key. Most inconvenient.

I use this keyboard to game and for general computer use. I have RSI so this helps relieve my pain. I previously owned a mechanical keyboard and wasn't able to use that for more than 10 minutes. With this keyboard, I can play for a few hours and be comfortable. The keys on the left side are a bit awkward and I wish the escape key was closer to the main part. I would instead hit f1 instead of escape. There were a few times this keyboard malfunctioned, such as the 2 & 4 keys weren't working, but 3 was! I had to reseat the keyboard. This made my character die in the game but it only happened once in the first week I've had it.

The keyboard was great, BUT I could not get used to the keys on the left & right ends not being where they are located on a traditional keyboard. I will have to return it, but I SO wish they would make a keyboard like this one, only with the keys for arrows, delete, insert, home, page up/down...in the positions they "normally" are. I don't usually have to look for them, as my brain is so trained to where they are located. That is my ONLY disappointment in this keyboard. For me, it isn't reasonable to go from about 50+ wpm to about 12wpm, because of the key arrangement. IF this is not a problem for you, then this ergonomic keyboard should suit your needs quite well. In my opinion and experience, the ability to adjust it to fit your arms/wrists positions, is unsurpassed. You can also easily put it together for other users in your home or office who don't like the separation.

I work as a drafter so i use programs alot. i go this keyboard to help take some stress off my wrist, which it does. They layout for this keyboard is a little... weird. the function key is a toggle rather then a hold. which isn't that big of a deal, but i manage to hit it... A LOT! in my programs its all about speed and shortcuts and such so when its toggled on and im trying to type in shortcuts and all of my commands aren't working its annoying. it adds all these keys on the left side that just didn't seem needed. almost as if they were put in to make the keyboard more symmetrical, mostly they get in my way.My major issue with the keyboard is their obvious lack of support mounting that requires you to purchase the mounts separately that cost almost half what the keyboard itself costs. over all this keyboard cost less then my mechanical keyboard which are known for being pricey.all in all id like to give this product 3 stars because for spending over $100 on this thing i don't feel like it feels like a $100+ keyboard. but other then there aren't may other options like this keyboard and my overall buyers remorese for spending over 100 bucks the keyboard itself seems good so the 4 stars are deserved. it would get 5 stars if it had built in keyboard stands.Other then that, the keyboard works pretty well. types quietly but has a feel like a stock keyboard.

I normally type at 110 wpm and have used numerous keyboards over the past 30 years. My past faves: Northgate OmniKey 101, Gateway AnyKey, Dell SK-8115, SK-8135. For touch-typing, the Dells were my faves. For feel, the IBM 3270 terminal keyboard was heavenly.I wanted an ergonomic keyboard to go with my standing desk. I bought this keyboard in Aug. 2013 and have been using it every day for 2 years. BTW, I also switched to a Colemak layout.2016-11-12 update.I have gotten quite fond of the dedicated keys: Cut, Copy, and Paste. The "Del" key above the Paste is stupid. I wish they has a Ctrl-A somewhere there instead.The 9 inches of distance is bare minimum for my standup desk setup. Doing it over again, I'd opt for the 20" version.The keyboard should've included a simple USB hub so that I could daisy-chain my USB mouse.Pros: split keyboard with 2 gel mouse pads work great. My hands and arms are relaxed. Pretty quiet.Cons: expensive price, feel (4/5 stars), key heights all the same (Dell had different heights for each row),Improvements wished:1. Move function keys to to left ride like original AT keyboards2. Move 6 key from left side to right.3. Put in useful multimedia keys on top like Dell.4. Eliminate 9 inch cord and standardize on 20 inch cord model.5. Make plastic accessories (vertical keyboard, tils, etc) standard and charge an extra $56. Put USB hub in keyboard so you can daisy-chain mouse.

I have used this for over a year (got it Feb 2013). Overall, I thought it was a great keyboard, especially because of the space and low key resistance.I got this because I was having a lot of back problems, and I thought it might help to split the keyboard so my hands are straight out. I ended up not using it that way because it was hard to type, and because it made it harder and more stressful to use the mouse. However, it does split apart, pretty far, and works fine that way. I only used it flat without the prop attachments you can get. What I ended up doing is putting it very close together, and basically using it as a mini keyboard, and that worked well, because I could reach the mouse better.One thing that is nice about the keyboard is the amount of resistance on the keys. They aren't too hard to press.There are two things I did not like about the keyboard. 1) the navigation keys (home/end, page up/down). I am a computer programmer, and I use those keys a lot, and this design makes it very difficult to find them without looking at them, even after a year. Probably 30% of the time, I fail to hit the correct key. 2) I don't like having to toggle the Fn key, especially to use Insert, which I commonly use for sending Ctrl+Alt+Delete to Windows VMs, and also for inserting tasks in MS Project. But it was also annoying having to Fn to change the volume, and I wish the volume keys were separate.I am neutral on the special function keys on the left (copy, cut, paste, etc). I hardly used them, because I found it much faster and easier to use the usual shortcuts, like Ctrl+X for cut. However, there were a few times where I wanted a single key to do this on a set of search results or something, so it was nice to have them. But if they weren't there, that would be fine too, saving a little more keyboard space, and maybe giving a better way to plot the navigation keys.

There is no scroll wheel, which I hate. Otherwise it's a fun way to change things up.

I've used this mouse for several years, and it has allowed me to continue using a computer fully despite repetitive strain injuries (RSI).However, there is a problem where around once an hour the mouse it will misread the movement and instantly jump a huge distance right and up, landing in the top right corner. Since I have multiple displays, OS X, and hot corners this problem does get in the way.It is also important to realize that this mouse will not be as quick or accurate as your typical high quality desktop mouse because you move it with your whole arm rather than your fingertips, and there is no mouse wheel. I simply got used to using the scroll bar, arrow keys, page up, and page down instead.Despite the issues, this mouse continues to provide the strain relief I need to work that no other mouse has matched. My particular issues are with making the same fingertip motions over For those dealing with RSI pain I recommend you try it. Not every mouse can solve everyone's problems but this one may help you. If they ever update the sensors and eliminate this problem I'd give this mouse the full 5 stars.

The good part is that my right shoulder is relaxed when using the product.Just my pet peeve but there is no way to scroll down or up any window aside from panning on some applications; that's about it.I used this for almost everything-from creating documents, Web browsing, to first-person shooter (FPS) gaming. For document and Web browsing it is okay. For gaming, there are other better, in terms of response time of the clickers, and cheaper, in terms of pricing, vertical mouse out there.Documents and Spreadsheets - 2 of 5Image Editing - 1 of 5Web Browsing - 2 of 5FPS Gaming - 1 of 5Reason of 3-Star Rating: Even though the rating on individual tasks are on 1's and 2's; the comfort that it provides on my shoulder made it 3-Star instead of 1- or 2-Star.

This thing is growing on me. The right click/left click part is very easy; scrolling and selecting text more difficult It takes a little getting used to, but not too bad. I still have my other mouse plugged in, and on occasion, I've resorted to using it when i got frustrated with a cut and paste operation, but for the most part, it works pretty good.Two criticisms:1) The one I got is a right handed mouse. I had thought it would be ambidextrous. I prefer to use my left hand for mousing, but I can adapt. That said, I think they should tell you that it is right handed.2) The scrolling mechanism takes a bit more force to use than is optimal, IMO.Update...downgrading it from four to a three. I'm not so sure it is much better than a traditional mouse.

I have read some of the other reviews about scroll wheel issues, but that is not the big problem with this mouse for most users. I don't think most people use the scroll wheel anyway.But there is a big problem with this mouse.I just bought this a week ago and my first overwhelming impression is of how strange a design it is to have the main mouse button be thumb-operated as this mouse does. It's still bothering me a week later.So that would be bad, but what is worse is that with this mouse thumb-operation is the ONLY option. You cannot fix this or try different button arrangements using mouse settings!But the first reaction is I find it amazing that 3M wants me to now use my thumb to click when I've been using my forefinger my entire life. And when I'm not using this mouse, I will still have to use my forefinger. But they want me to get this thumb habit for some reason. But if there were a benefit to the thumb click, it could be understood, but there seems no benefit. The forefinger is the proper finger for clicking it seems to me; my forefinger just seems vastly better at clicking than my thumb, and inherently so. And the thumb to me seems to bring a variety of issues, not just that one is not accustomed to it, but that it doesn't make any sense to try and get accustomed.So the thumb issue is the problem, but what is worse is that you can't get around it as you might think you ought to be able by simply swapping mouse buttons. The right-click on the 3M mouse is also done with the thumb, and while Windows will let you swap right-click and left-click, it will not let you swap left-click with the scroll wheel button, which is all that large button (visible in the picture) that is on your non-thumb fingers does. So before buying I thought I'd have some flexibility about assigning buttons, but actually I have none. You can make left-clicking be the the thumb, and you can make right-clicking be also the thumb on the upper side of the thumb button, or vice-versa (the thumb button is a rocker). But you cannot get left or right-clicking off the thumb using the typical Windows control panel settings. Of course it would make no sense to make the up-side of the rocker be regular clicking, since that is a much harder click, so this means you have no flexibility at all in assigning buttons with this mouse.So this seems the big downfall to me of this design. If they had made the non-thumb button right-clicking, then you could swap these, which MIGHT help, but since they designed both clicks to be thumb operated, you can't even try that.Now you might reply, "Well, my mouse control panel is super fancy and I can switch the middle-click with left click no problem!" But you STILL will have a problem with this mouse. The geniuses at 3M did not put the side button where your forefinger can easily get to it! They put it where only your second and third fingers are positioned. As a result, if you want to click with your forefinger, you're just out of luck, because you have just dead plastic under that finger.What I don't understand is why they didn't simply add a button to this thing, one where your forefinger goes, which interestingly they have a well-defined spot for. Then they could keep that long button that they already have, for second and third fingers to use. Seems it could have been so simple. Just click with forefinger and right-click with one of the other fingers, just as you do with other mice.Yet I'm not returning this (yet), though it cost over fifty dollars, because it does ease the wrist issue, my main purpose in buying this. But for an expensive mouse, you would think you'd get some button re-assignment options. And this thumb thing may yet drive me absolutely over the edge and at some point in the future this mouse may end up in pieces, smashed on the floor from aggravation. We'll see. I'll try to check in after more time has passed...

The flat of my hand measures 3.5" which according to the instructions on their website is the small size. It was to small for my hand and curling my fingers around the "stick" was painful. Not a relaxed position for me at all. Pushing the base around a mouse pad felt like it was giving more resistance then a normal mouse, probably due to the added weight of your hand. Also, the product felt very "plasticy". For the price tag I would expect something that was perhaps padded or at the very least feeling solid. It also needs more buttons and the buttons need to be customizable. The scroll is fair to ok on this but not great. My arthritis is extensive in all my joints, being in IT my wrists are pretty bad as well. There is a bit to much shoulder motion for me with this and I have a lot of shoulder pain. This might be right for some but not for me, I had to return the product. I gave it three stars because I think this product may very well be a great fit for persons with arthritis that affect them in different ways then myself.Side note: I probably would have tried out the larger size if this product was not so "plasticy" feeling.

This mouse definitely helped the arthritis in my index finger from overusing my traditional mouse; however, because control of the mouse is done with your entire hand, it doesn't navigate smoothly on the screen and is slow to react. It's ok for now, but I'll continue doing research for something better.

Pros: It's comfortable, fits my hand and keeps it in the right position, it moves smoothly, it's lasted for close to a year
Cons: This is huge; it has no scroll function other than mousing over to the side of a page and pulling the tiny scroll bar down. I have to use two different mice (mouses?) to accomplish anything quickly.

It is a little small for my hand, and I surely don't have large hands. The size is only slightly off, but it is noticeable when I first hold it. It is quite comfortable to hold, though, and the thumb click is a really nice change. In general, I would say it is better as a point and click mouse, on larger areas of the screen. It is a little harder to move to very specific points on the screen than a standard mouse and the scroll function is not ideal (equivalent to clicking the mouse wheel).

I would suggest to use this mouse in conjunction with another mouse. It will give you the chance to rest your wrist and forearm, but I doubt it will be suitable to fully replace another mouse.

Initially I thought this mouse was the solution to resolving my RSI symptoms. It worked well in the beginning and I didn't have to wear wrist splints. However, after one month, my symptoms worsened and similar to a previous review, I developed a severe sharp pain to my right wrist joint radiating to the entire R forearm muscle that did not go away. I eventually had to take one month off of work to rest and still I have not returned to my baseline. I ended up purchasing a split keyboard, and two types of ergo mice that can be used with both the left and right hands. The downside to this mouse is the inability to use with left hand and it requires you to use your right forearm muscle continuously. If you are suffering from RSI, better to use mouse that can be used with both hands, take frequent breaks, use proper ergo, split keyboard and choose two different mice that you can switch from week to week.

The position was interesting and it did seem to reduce wrist strain, but the stress was transferred elsewhere for me, plus it was difficult to control. I don't know if it's because my keyboard tray wasn't quite right, but it felt a bit unnatural to use. Plus the lack of a scroll wheel really is a downside. I guess I've gotten way too used to a scroll wheel to stop using it. Add that to the fact that it's kind of tough to control, and moving the mouse cursor to the up and down arrow buttons and scroll bar to scroll was just too much for me. Plus clicking with the thumb was not something I was used to and that did create some strain for me, but everyone is different. I ended up returning the mouse.

I really wanted to like this mouse, but it just doesn't work for what I need. I mainly wanted an ergonomic mouse for gaming because using a regular mouse makes my hand sore after a while. The problem with this mouse is that it's just not accurate enough and it's harder to move it quickly, which is really important for gaming. You just don't have the same range of motion with this mouse as you have with a traditional mouse. I also found that while this mouse was more comfortable for my hand, it was uncomfortable in other ways, particularly in how my forearm rests on the edge of the desk. When using a traditional mouse the fleshy under portion of your forearm rests on the desk. With this mouse your arm is in a "hand shake" position, so the bony part of the right side of your forearm rests against the desk. I had to put a wrist pad under my forearm for comfort, but this restricted my movement even more. I think this mouse would be fine for normal computer activities, but it doesn't cut it for gaming.

If I could figure out a way to disable the forward and backward buttons on the thumb side I would give it 4 stars. I don't know that the shape is great, it's just different, and when it comes to repetitive motion injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome) different is useful. What kills me is when I'm entering data on a form and grab the mouse and accidentally hit the back button. BOOM! All data gone. Start over. Grrrrr.

It only took a short adjustment period to get used to it (other than the forward and back buttons under the thumb). I haven't gotten the DPI button on top to work, but I haven't put serious effort into it. It's ok, but if it died I would replace it with something else.

The first mouse I got the red laser in the base was very, very weak. I had to look carefully inside the laser window on the bottom of the mouse very closely to see that it is barely red.

The mouse was having issues losing communications between the surface of the mouse pad and the laser.

It's a good physical product execution as far as ergonomics go, I can already feel some relief from what was becoming a carpel tunnel issues that was exacerbating weight lifter's elbow. Having the hand in the "handshake", neutral position relieves the constant small amount of tension in the forearm extensor muscles associated with the prone hand position over a mouse.

Nathan at customer service responded to my review here promptly and sent me another mouse, it seems to be working well, and most noticeable, the mouse glides over the mousepad much easier than the first one.

It's a good mouse, but, the position of the thumb, especially for a normal sized male hand is directly between two buttons above the thumb which are the back and forward buttons for the mouse.

When you are working in a smaller mousepad area, (like most workplace situations), and where you are working with multiple screens especially, (like many workplace situations), one must lift the mouse to get full functionality across the screen, and when you lift this mouse the thumb can easily hit the back and forward buttons which is quite frustrating.

An applet should be written to disable these mouse buttons. The mouse is rather heavy, so considerably more force, (although still little force), must be exterted on the mouse to squeeze it so the thumb does not ride up into the back/forward buttons and activate them. This is a tension creation point. If you use the mouse with a completely relaxed hand, your thumb is going to hit those buttons, at least every now and them.

The whole point of an ergonomic mouse is to minimize any clenching or holding of the mouse while operating the mouse so the thumb buttons that are so close to the thumb, and because the thumb must be used to lift the mouse up, that's a subtraction of a star for me. The first mouse being defective is a subtraction as well, so three stars is fair.

I really like the ergonomic design, the handshake position, and the added texturing on the mouse does assist with lifting, but again, the thumb is just too close to the buttons that the thumb can so easily contact when lifting the mouse.

One plus for the design over the other vertical mice is the added palm rest that slides over the mouse surface.

I think there is a period of time in which this mouse must be used to simply develop the muscles and fine dexterity required for the new orientation and I may raise the stars to four if I can get more and more accustomed to the design. But the thumb buttons are still a big issue. Remember, it's a mouse that is supposed to be much, much, much more comfortable to operate than a standard mouse, so the thumb buttons really do hurt the design.

I bought this mouse because I already owned the Anker vertical mouse (2nd edition), but I wanted to see if there were more ergonomic vertical mice on the market. While I like the design paradigm of this mouse better than the Anker mouse, the Anker mouse somehow accomodates for the size of my hand better than this one does (even though the Anker mouse is smaller).

My hand rests on the buttons of this mouse so that the buttons are underneath the knuckle closest to my fingertips, rather than my fingertips themselves. Also, my pinky gets squashed into the rest of my other fingers by the lip on the bottom of the device. The Anker vertical mouse provides more space for my pinky because it doesn't have a lip on the bottom. The Anker mouse's large buttons also accomodate for a range of finger lengths better than this mouse's smaller buttons. Because this mouse is designed for a smaller hand than mine, using it is awkward (and will probably be painful if I use it often enough).

My hand is 7" from base-of-palm to fingertip.

UPDATE 9-14-16: The shape of this mouse is so perfect that I bought a second one, but after using them all day every day for less than a month, I found the switches did not really hold up well. It became harder and harder to get a solid click with a light press. It developed a two-stage click feeling, and when pressing lightly I could feel a click, but that click did nothing. Pressing harder worked fine most of the time, but for me to feel like I was guaranteed a real click, I ended up having to press carefully, at a specific angle, with a very solid press of the finger. And the click did not feel right. It was manageable given how much better my wrist was, but then I got an Anker vertical mouse and the buttons were so amazing that I switched to that. However, I modified the Anker because the shape is not nearly as good. I added a 1/2-inch foam pad to make it wide enough (this helps keep the correct wrist angle). I think this mouse might be fine for people who do not do as much mouse work as I do, and maybe I just got some from a bad batch, so I don't think this is a "bad" mouse it just seems like it would be amazing if the switches were better.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (was 5 stars out of the box):

Great mouse! My wrist is MUCH better!!

I've only been using a few days but I really like this mouse now that I followed Novosib's modification (March 5, 2016) for removing the weights. I also removed the optional palm rest. Without the weights and palm rest, I can make much smaller hand movements and have much better accuracy and speed. I can also pick up the mouse more easily to reposition it.

The problem before was accuracy and speed of positioning the cursor perfectly. I have three 1920x1200 monitors so I need a fast mouse speed setting to move across all that screen real estate, but then I need to put the cursor EXACTLY where I want it once I get there (graphic/web design work).

I think I will become just as fast with this mouse as I am with my regular mouse. I'll try to come back and let everyone know.

NOTE: Since Novosib's review they may have added the optional palm rest, so you need to remove that to see all four screws he talks about. Once you remove the palm rest (just gently pull it straight back) you will find two screws under it. The other two are under the larger stick-on sliders.

I love it without the palm rest and the weights! I'll be buying more of these for sure!

Worked fine - hard to get used to.

Great feel for carpal tunnel/wrist issues, unfortunately I also have bicep tendonitis. The mouse requires full movement, not joystick. Also, no mouse wheel.

I couldn't get used to it and my productivity slowed.

Hard to use

Helps with my wrist problems, but not as easy to use as a regular mouse and the buttons stick sometimes

I tried this mouse, and maybe it just takes some getting use to, but after 4 days I decided to return it, just wasn't working for me, but maybe nothing will at this point, so I really can't blame the product, just try to find something that works a little better for me. I bought the wireless model, and kind of "herky jerky", the curser kind of jumps a little bit, but for ergonomics, not for me.

Compared to an apple keyboard the key movement feels sloppy and imprecise. Disappointed.Build quality is cheap molded plastic, certainly not what you would expect for the price.

The split design definitely is very flexible and allows you to find the most comfortable wrist placement. The keys are just average and don't feel very good when typing. There is an ever so slight bit of uncomfortable resistance from the keys when you press down on them.The most annoying thing is somehow they feel that it's OK to change the placement of the ESC key and put the F1 keys at where it should be, and making the whole function keys shift to the left by one, yet at the same time, keeping the rarely used PrntScr and Pause/Break key at their usual locations. They could've moved those keys anywhere yet choose to move the ESC key! The left Ctrl/Window/Alt key are definitely smaller than usual and I felt it immediately.Keyboard also doesn't come with any built-in stands at all and you have to shell out some good money for external stands.The 9" split space is barely enough though if you want maximum flexibility at split placement, you might want to get the 20" version.

I was hoping I could use this on my lap. You can't!Pretty nice keyboard, sturdy and well laid out otherwise.

Like it but overpriced in my opinion.

Still using! Love it! My hand pain went right away! Too expensive though!

Doesn't always work - I had to turn it off and on to get it to recognize with the computer.

While this can serve you as your alternative mouse this product doesn't provide the accuracy needed for modern gaming or fast enough to support quick rotation. Buy it only if you are planning to use it for office and low intensity works. Yet even that's your purpose, you still are paying way too much for just a 10 bucks quality mouse that's just shaped differently

I purchased this mouse because of carpal tunnel syndrome and has been using it for 6 months...Pro: it did alleviate my carpal tunnel pain and i was able to work normallyCon: after only approx 6-7 months of use, it no longer works properly. My mouse is not being detected by my computer despite the red signal light on the usb and the laser light on the mouse being lit.

conceptually, its not bad, but it has one fatal flaw, there is only one physical button under your thumb, which can be rockered left (for left click) or right (for right click). There is no way to hold the right button while activating the left, as many software programs assume this ability.So, for straight vanilla usage, it works, and it may help save your wrist, but I can't use it with about 1/3 of my normal programs.

This is for elderly people who doesn't move their wrist very well. If you try to use it to scroll or point any web link it will frustrate you. It is very inaccurate and because it forces you to use your arm it's very cumbersome. Afterawhile it hurts the shoulder more than the arm so it's not really well thought out. Too slow, inaccurate, and tracking is a bit jerky because it needs your arm to precisely navigate.

update: I ended up tossing mine in the junk drawer. It was just too difficult for me to use comfortably. |I've been using this mouse for about a week now. I use a mouse all day long. I've used lots of different kinds of mice to alleviate finger pains. I didn't buy this one to alleviate any carpal tunnel pains rather I bought it because my index finger was really sore at the last knuckle from left clicking all day long. Here's what I really like: the single button at the top of the stick that does both left and right mouse clicks with the thumb is pretty slick (no more sore knuckle). What else do I like? Not much, by comparison to a regular mouse. Not having a roller wheel is practically a deal breaker. Instead of the wheel, there is a pistol grip style button that is hard to reach and awkward to squeeze. Reaching for the joystick style pointer takes a little re-training, too, because it's taller. Finally, using this as a pointer takes a lot more movement. I wouldn't be able to use this with a mouse pad because it takes a lot of space to maneuver the pointer. Occasionally this sticks to the desktop. If you don't do a LOT of computer usage and are experiencing a lot of pain because of a mouse, this is probably a tool worth trying. It is definitely a pain relieving tool for me. There is a lot of downside to making this a workable replacement over a standard mouse. I am trying still to decide if I can live with what I don't like.

This design was great for wrist, elbow, arm pain. I used it constantly for a week. I expected it would take some getting used to as most people aren't used to the subtle motions involved with this grip compared to a normal mouse. That aside, I would not recommend this product for anyone who does complex things like surf the internet or work a spreadsheet. The button configuration is clunky and not intuitive. For some reason they decided that the large finger button on the side would be both the "hold for scroll" function, which then requires you to move the entire mouse to scroll, AND if you hit it quickly, it goes to any hyperlink you might have the cursor resting near. I'm sure there are software patches and settings I can mess with. I don't have the time or inclination to waste my time "discovering" how to set the mouse up. Bottom Line: It didn't have a scroll wheel and that alone made it not worth it. I returned it.

The scrolling capability is missing.

Isn't an easy plug and play. You have to sometimes press the "connect" button under the mouse. Sometimes it works. It's not the easiest to work.

Ergonomic wise, it still does a great job. I own one over 10 yrs ago, and love it. You would think they would improve it to enable an easier scrolling ability.

This does not work on Windows 10. Ordered small and it is too large.

Comfortable, but they need to get with the times and offer a smaller stay-in dongle. There's hardly any point in making it wireless if it's not really good for use with laptops.

They also need better browsing features like a scroll wheel and back/forward buttons...navigating without these features requires extra movement and clicking, which contributes to fatigue. Would be nice for gaming too.

I end up only using this when I'm in pain instead of all the time.

Get the wired version. Wireless is very frustrating. It sometimes doesn't register actions. So sometimes you find yourself clicking on things several times in order for the click event to happen. Or sometime it gets stuck on a down-click, so you end up dragging windows or other items around. It's very frustrating. This never happened on the wired version. Maybe they used some cheap components during the conversion.

I purchased the mouse to see if it would alleviate some of my carpal tunnel symptoms. Using the mouse required me to rest the side of my arm against the keyboard tray which put pressure in a different, more sensitive location. The scrolling mechanism is unnatural and I couldn't get used to it even after two weeks of use. The movement of the mouse required more manual movement than a normal mouse and the USB device was larger than normal so it may be difficult to use on computers where the ports are spaced closely together.

This mouse does not work as well as I had hoped because the scroll wheel starts to malfunction after about a month.I initially bought this mouse to replace my standard, non-ergonomic mouse at my office. After about a month, the scroll wheel began to not function properly; on screen it would scroll in the reverse direction, or get stuck between points and rock up and down without continuing in either direction. This made it extremely difficult to do my work. I thought I had a defective product. J-Tech was gracious enough to replace it in kind free of charge.Using the second product, I had the same grace period of about a month in which I did not experience any problems. Now this mouse is doing the exact same thing the last product did, so I am really disappointed with it.The only good thing I can say, having experienced all of this, is that the customer service department was prompt to respond to my problems with their products. Upon returning the bad mouse free of charge, they provided me a full refund in a timely manner.

I wanted to like this mouse because my classic mouse is causing pain in my forearm, but this mouse isn't the solution. For one thing, the large baseplate produces a lot of friction and makes it hard to move the thing around, regardless of the kind of surface I put it on. I read one review that suggested removing the wrist rest to reduce the surface area, but I figured if I modified it I wouldn't be able to return it, so I didn't try that option.I also found the inability to use finger movements in positioning the mouse made it very difficult to use. Imagine trying to write a letter with a pen gripped in your fist and you'll get what I mean. You could do it, but it would be pretty slow and painfully imprecise. This mouse has many positive reviews so a lot of people seem to be able to make the transition, but I guess I lack the patience to try to get there. I want to put my effort into my work, not to positioning my mouse.

I liked how the mouse felt in my hand, and the concept is spot on, but the execution is not so good.After owning, and using this mouse, for a whole day (GASP), I was not pleased with it.The mouse itself was very light and moved well, but the buttons on the mouse felt very cheap. I'm a PC gamer, and the left click on this mouse was terrible. Each click felt like 3 or 4 clicks, and sometimes it wouldn't register a click or double-click. It also seemed to have that plastic creak to it when using the buttons. It drove me crazy, and I decided not to keep it and return it.

Considering that this is not an expensive mouse, it does the job well to keep your hand in it's natural position when you are handling your mouse for many hours. Here are some ratings from 1-10Fit in the hand: 9 Fits very confortablyRight and left clicks: 10 very responsive and does not take much effort like other miceBack and forward buttons: 2 (I keep clicking the back button accidentally when I grab the mouse so had to disable the buttonPositioning: 8 Takes a bit getting used to as after using a standard mouseScroll Wheel: 0 The scroll wheel is just ok. It does the job but doesn't have the effortless feel of a logitch mouse. This one has an ordinary, cheap mouse feel to it.Update November 5th. 2016. After a very light use, the scroll wheel has stopped working. Never had a mouse "wear out " on me!

I purchased this after reading all the great reviews and was in the market for a new ergonomic mouse that would hopefully alleviate the pain I would get now and then in my wrist due to extended mouse use at work. Unfortunately I don't think it worked for me.Pros:- Vertical mouse feel.- Would work best for medium sized hands.- LightCons:- The construction feels a little too plasticy and cheap.- The surface of the mouse seems to easily sweat up, and although I don't profusely sweat on my palms, the mouse seemed to feel slippery when holding it.- The left and right mouse buttons are oddly placed. It might work for some, but definitely when I rest my hand on the mouse, the buttons are slightly off and I have to tense my hand to keep it right on the buttons.- The scroll wheel is a bit of a stretch when you are using the mouse.- The back and forward buttons are too easy to hit based on your thumb position.Over all I feel more than relaxing your hands, you have to grip the mouse to feel you are in control of it. My search for a good mouse still continues.

April-I had palm and wrist pain and my arm and hand would go to sleep before but now I have no problems. I adapted to the change really well. It did take getting use to, had to slow down a bit while working but after a few days I was using this product as if I always have.This is an update. I started having problems with the mouse not working at times last month and then this month, "June" the mouse completely stopped working. I had to go back to the regular mouse I had on backup and my wrist already hurts. I am totally bummed!Purchased April 2015 and it stopped working June 2015.

I've been buying this product for years and really helped my propensity to get carpal tunnel symptoms. HOWEVER - they have significantly cheapened the materials and it isn't nearly as sturdy as it once was, especially on the scroll button. I've now bought two where this button fails within 2 to 3 months of use. I won't buy again. Shame as this was a very good product, but penny pinching has made it an inferior product.

Even though this product was recommended for arthritis sufferers, I found it to be extremely uncomfortable and certainly not big enough in circumference (handle-trigger portion) to provide a comfortable grip for my arthritic right hand. The buttons were awkward but I imagine that one could "learn" to operate this mouse in time, without the "search and find" efforts for the buttons on top of the trigger and also on the side. I thought the scroll feature was "tricky" and could not settle it down per over-scrolling when I stopped. I tried this mouse for one day, found it didn't "fit the bill" for me, and used Amazon's wonderful return policy to send it back for a refund.

It works like you'd expect a very basic optical mouse to work. It has no mouse wheel and no forward/back buttons. The price is outrageous for what you get. Size-wise it's ever-so-slightly too big of a stick, which ends up tiring my hand since it can't fully rest (5' 11" male FWIW).

The mouse fits one's hand as advertised. However, the scrolling mechanism on the side of the shaft is extremely difficult and clumbersome to use. I have since been advised by my doctor that my carpel tunnel syndrome was not caused by the over usage of a mouse or typing. The high price of this device is a rip off for the function which it is supposed to assist. I would not buy this product again.

I like the mouse, it's great for my wrist. But this is the 2nd one I have that has broken after about 6months of use. The 3rd button for scrolling detaches and gets pushed into the handle and no longer works. I use the mouse daily as I have a desk job, and I use the scrolling button frequently, however I think the design is poor as it breaks easily. I don't want to have to buy a new one twice a year.

I received the product and followed minimal directions to set the mouse up. There are no troubleshooting steps in the directions, which in my case were needed. The mouse will not sync up with the wireless USB dongle after the computer is turned on or after coming out of standby. I contacted 3M the mfg. and they really had no explanation. I am currently waiting for a newer model replacement mouse to see if this will "fix" the problem.On the positive side the mouse works great, has helped my pain in my arm and works great. I need to sync it every time I turn on the computer which is a real pain thus the lower rating on this item.

Useless without the separate raiser accessories

The problem I had with this keyboard is the bad placement of the keys to the left of the keyboard. If I attempted to tab and missed, the Web home key was the that was hit and on more than one occasion I had a web browser load when hit. Also the Web Back and Web Forward keys are nearby and I had the misfortune of accidentally hitting those while working on filling out a web form. Had to start over more than once. Otherwise, it works as it said but I find that it would take some getting used to and a lot of hair pulling before you do. Returning.

I am a software engineer and teach computer science. I spend a lot of my time working on a computer. I purchased this keyboard to minimize the stresses that I put on my hands and wrists. I've been using this keyboard almost exclusively for about a month now and I have to say that I am disappointed. This split keyboard is a nice feature; my hands do feel better. However, it is just a bad keyboard. The keys are mushy at best; I can never really tell if a key press was successful without looking at the monitor. This is especially important when entering grades or any other bulk data-entry. This may be my set-up, but the USB interface is unstable. There have been several times where the keyboard seems to stop working. Unplugging and plugging it in again fixes the problem, but no other keyboard needs this. In conclusion, this is a good idea that was poorly executed.

*Waiting to get resolution regarding failed column of keys.Issue: Splurging on a keyboard that works best with accessory equipment that drive the total cost well over $130 is extremely frustrating if the 1, q, a, z, alt keys are non-responsive.Hoping to provide an update shortly after hearing back from the seller. I do not expect hardware to be without bugs, but to have keys fail within < 75 days of use is not encouraging. Hoping for a replacement or refund despite being just outside of the return window. Will update upon resolution...

Wanting a flatter, wider keyboard than most ergo keyboards can be, the K2 seemed like a perfect solution, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be ... for about 25 days. Even the odd Del key placement didn't phase me; I was delighted. For 24 days it was the answer to all my keyboard dreams, and then for no reason the "e" stopped working, and only the "e". Being a PC, I rebooted thinking it was a software issue and it worked. Until the end of the day I had my " e". But when I came to work on the 25th day not only was I "e"-less, but "c" & "d" weren't working anymore either. After confirming none of the Functions were active, troubleshooting, and rebooting, I packed it back up and returned it to Amazon.

I like that the keyboard is split and that there is no number pad on the right which allows the mouse to be much closer to the keyboard.Cons:No way to tilt the keyboard, no tilt legs (without buying an accessory)Two columns of keys on the right are useless and a waste. Should really be removed to make the keyboard shorter.Function key in the wrong place. It is in the position of the control key on a regular keyboard.Delete key too far up.

Limited scrolling functionality in some programs...proved to be the downfall of tangos product :( Had to return.

The third button that is supposed to be for scrolling, doesn't do anything. There is no scrolling function on this mouse.

This is why I should read more reviews before buying.I wanted to try a bunch of different mouse devices to alleviate a little wrist strain. I bought this, a trackball, and a few ergonomic 'vertical' mice.This one is just a no-go. No scrolling function in Chrome or Internet Explorer. Which is 95% of what I do.

Use of this mouse gave me De Quervain's Syndrome. This mouse is VERY far from being ergonomic. I haven't used the mouse for many months now and I am still in pain from my short time using this mouse.

I purchased this for my mom because she has arthritis. This mouse isn't for people with serious arthritis like my mom. This mouse requires intricate thumb function to use the left and right buttons and people like my mother will have a very difficult time using the thumb buttons.I had to return it because she was unable to use the thumb buttons at all. If the buttons where elsewhere on the device I think it would work better.

First, this product is very difficult and impractical to use. Whatever speed you can work with on a regular mouse, this is 4-5 times slower (for example, if a task takes 1 second on a regular mouse, it will take 4-5 seconds on this mouse). It is so slow and impractical that you will abandon it after a few minutes of use.Second, I purchased this product thinking the joy stick has a joint and you keep the mouse in one, idle positions and push the stick in different direction and move it (like those helicopter commands). There is no moving joint. It is FIXED so you have to move the entire actual thing around. It is not a light mouse to move.Third, moving around is not so much the problem. The real problem is HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO MOVE IT just to move the mouse pointer across the screener. You will have to get an Extra-Large mouse pad because will not fit on a regular mouse pad; it has to be moved at least 8 inches just to move the pointer across the screen.Fourth, it feels really awkward and unnatural to use.Fifth, 3M does not even offer a specific driver for this mouse. It does not come with a CD and all sorts of Google searches did not yield a legitimate driver software so 3M has not released one.CONCLUSION: In short, you will be moving this mouse over large distance just for simple tasks. It takes 4-5 longer to use than a regular mouse to use, both because of the distances and because it is awkward and unnatural.It's also over-priced relative to what you get. I really don't recommend it at all.

The quality is very poor. The buttons are so clunky, they actually rattle when you shake the mouse. This is a poorest constructed mouse I've seen... especially considering the high cost. Not only are the buttons clunky, you have to push them in far to make them click. So when your hand is hurting, which is why you buy this, you don't want to be pushing hard on a button. Also, the click is very loud, CLICK CLANK CLICK CLANK CLICK CLANK. I think co-workers could hear my mouse from 10 cubes away.

Have used the wired version of this mouse for at least 10 years, going back to the old rollerball style. My wife uses one, too, and we have probably gone through five or six of them. Only mouse that works for us and we had no complaints. So I ordered the wireless version. Didn't work out of the box. The cursor 'hung,' requiring gross movements of the mouse to get it going again. Didn't matter whether it was used on a Mouserug or bare wood. I really wanted this thing to work and it did not. Also wasn't happy with the USB wireless receiver--does it really have to be that big? I was prepared to live with that, but not the stutter... Returned.

Purchased first one July, 2013. After a few months the computer started freezing and slowing down. Initially thought the computer had a virus. Computer finally quit working altogether. Did a complete format and new installation of software. Computer worked fine until this mouse was installed. Tried the mouse on another complete...same problem.

Order a new mouse Jan 2014. Defective out of the box. Right click button activated the scroll menu and could not be changed.

3M support site for this product is USELESS.

I've used the wired version for years & love it. When it died a few weeks ago I figured it was time to try the wireless version. It worked great for a little while, but then it started freezing. Not sure if the mouse loses contact with the USB connection or what--I've tried pushing the "connect" buttons but nothing changes. At first I could remedy the situation by restarting my computer, which is a pain but at least it bought me some work time. Now even that doesn't work. I'm returning this one & going back to the wired version.

I tried this mouse because I was having wrist pain and thought it might help. After several months using the 3M wireless ergonomic mouse, my wrist pain has eased considerably, but now I have developed pain in the thumb area. My doctor says it is de Quervain tenosynovitis, which is often associated with repeated thumb motion. I have pain and swelling at the base of my thumb. Sometimes when I move my hand at an angle to pick up something or move something, I have intense pain and cannot move my thumb. Then I have to use my other hand to shift the position of my thumb with a "popping" feel to relieve the pain. My doctor calls this a "trigger" effect that is common with this syndrome. So far I have a mild case and hope it will improve, since I am no longer using this mouse. It is quite painful and really troublesome, and is worse than the wrist pain I had before. So, I would avoid this mouse because there is a risk to develop a thumb problem, as it relies on the thumb for mouse clicks.

For those who move the mouse around, it may not be comfortable as I found I had a hard time lifting the mouse to move it where needed on my dual screen setup. The size was a bit larger than I expected and did not fit in my keyboard tray. (see pictures). Trying to put the cord over the desk since I could not get it in the keyboard tray made the mouse lift at the tip at times as the cord would get hung up. I don't have the option to leave the keyboard tray open indefinitely and run the cord through the keyboard tray, as normal. I also found an ergonomic issue, where my finger had to curl up fairly far in order to move the wheel fully. Compared to my previous mouse (seen in the pictures for comparison where I put my finger at the end of the wheel), it was uncomfortable to use it this way and trying to use the wheel with different fingers did not resolve the problem. I have average size women's hands and it felt too small as I would have liked the wheel further out from my palm. I also ended up hitting the buttons next to the thumb when trying to lift the mouse, which I suppose I could have tried disabling. This mouse was simply not for me.

Big bulky and very hard to use due to very large base I thought this would be comfortable to get my wrist off the mouse pad and onto the mouse however that increased surface area on any surface I tried and caused an increased drag thus causing me to expend more energy on my wrist which I was trying to elevate by using this. Big and heavy lots of surface drag caused excessive wrist pressure to use all day.

Mouse was slow and jerky, and the scroll wheel requires too much lift, putting stress on the back of my wrist. Removed it, and now my old mouse and keyboard barely work. Even system restore didn't fix it. I've uninstalled everything through device manager, and am staggering along, but I think I see a windows re-install in my future.

Revising this review to 1 star. Purchased November 2015. As of August 2016 the mouse is not tracking properly. I have tried cleaning, different mouse pad (surface and color), reinstalling driver, switching USB ports. Nothing helps, so I believe it is the product itself. Less than a year and I need another mouse. Would not purchase again.Original review below.

The buttons on this mouse click effortlessly, which is great on your hands, but makes it easy to click by accident - especially the thumb buttons. The palm rest was so miserable, I took it off after 10 minutes. Right, left, and wheel are fantastic. The wheel bumps as you scroll so it is nice and tactile, and the buttons are very smooth to click. They make the same click sounds as any other mouse. If you have carpal tunnel, this is a fantastic option. HOWEVER, it is so easy to accidentally set off the thumb buttons (backward/forward), it has caused problems for me. According to J-Tech's website/help board, there is currently no way to reassign or disable buttons, so I put a line of super glue along the top ridge of each thumb button so they can no longer depress. Unfortunately, I had to permanently take out half of this product to make it work well for me, and for that reason, it gets 3 stars.

*****
Update: 8/12/15

So I've had this mouse for nearly 4 months and it has broken in the strangest way: One of the springs in the battery housing will no longer hold the battery in place.

I began having issues yesterday. It randomly stopped working. I thought perhaps the batteries were dying. I took the batteries out and put them back in and it worked again. Earlier today it did the same thing. Again, I took the batteries out and it worked. Then just a while ago it happened again. I decided that the batteries were definitely dying. So I took the batteries out, got new batteries, and put them in. When I put the second battery in, it felt loose. I turned the mouse over without replacing the battery cover and one of the batteries fell out. Odd!

I took the batteries out and looked closely at the battery housing. I discovered that one of the springs was completely flattened (see attached photo). I thought perhaps the spring was just caught at an awkward angle so I tried to tease it away from the side. That didn't work. So I got a toothpick and pulled it away from the side. That worked, but imperfectly. The spring is now distorted. I put the batteries in, put the cover back on .... and the mouse doesn't work. I tried opening it up again and ensuring that the spring was in the right place, not touching anything it shouldn't ... but no, the mouse doesn't work.

So while I appreciate the price of the mouse, I do really need it to work.

*****
This is my second vertical mouse. My first one was MUCH more expensive than this (over $100) and was corded. Unfortunately, I have a cat who loves to chew cords - especially the small ones used in electronics and computer peripherals. So she killed my other mouse. I couldn't afford to replace my original vertical mouse and I also knew that she'd chew the cord again, so being wireless was VERY important.

I found this mouse and read the reviews. Some mentioned that it takes a while to get used to. I thought that I wouldn't need to get used to it because I was already accustomed to using a vertical mouse. I was wrong; this mouse does take some times to get used to even if you are already accustomed to using a vertical mouse.

It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the mouse and before I found it to be super easy to use. I do some gaming but mostly web browsing, writing and editing documents. I have arthritis in my hands and the vertical mouse helps me to keep that from becoming too painful.

The wireless connection for this mouse is excellent. It is very small - really just a nub that goes into a USB port. Since it doesn't stick out and doesn't connect to a wire of any kind, it's completely safe from my adorable but frustrating cat.

I highly recommend this mouse for anyone who has arthritis or repetitive motion injuries in their hands. I highly recommend the wireless version for anyone who needs to minimize wires for any reason.

Sooo strange that the famous brand could ever produce that thing!It doesn't slide well on any surface, it lacks buttons all other advanced mouse have.Went to trash.

Clunky, no scroller, Large is still small. Not really that efficient to point. Not what I was expecting and didn't feel comfortable.

Worthless, there was a reason this did not cost very much.Awful design, did nothing to help CTS.And...it broke in two weeks.Do not waste your money.

I was looking for an option to my overused finger clickers, but couldn't get used to the way to move this. I wound up getting a wireless trackball. I'm still looking for other alternatives to mice.

I have been using this mouse for about 3-4 month. And now the left click button became very soft and works not every time it pushed. I wanted to find something for my Carpal Syndrome and unfortunately I have to keep looking. This mouse did not work for me and quality is very poor. If you want to throw 50$ away - that's the right thing to buy.

The mouse works great I have one at work also that is why I bought this one for home use. The first week I after I bought it the mouse fell onto the floor and the arm broke from the base. I was able to glue it but not as straight as it should be. I can't believe it could break so easily if I had known I would have purchased a mouse pad with a ridge to hold it onto the table.

Does not work with KVM switches.A $100 keyboard should at least have the basic capability that the $5 keyboard that comes with your PC does.It only works for about 5 minutes at a time (sometimes 10!) when connected to a KVM before a key gets stuck (in fact just now while writing this review the y key got stuck)and the only thing that fixes it is to unplug and plug back in. Over and over. All day.

Like many others have mentioned, braindead key placement.Sure, I've remapped the keys. But then when I want to use my laptop on-the-go, without the keyboard, the keys are now all out of order.If Kinesis was going to make such odd key placement, they should have made the keyboard programmable.

Did not help my wrist pain. I don't think mechanical key board will be helpful for my wist pain.and Seller service is very bad. i returned item little over a month- 5 weeks. The returned me just 70% of actual amount i paid.bad service.

After two weeks of usage, several keys stop working. I used this keyboard at work for better ergonomics. I like the feel of the keys. I am very disappointed with it. It is not eligible for returns as it is past one month of purchase.

Review updated to say: No Longer Recommend. The first keyboard failed within a day. The second lasted, with problems that were fixable by unplugging/replugging usb. Now, three days after end of ability to return for refund, the keyboard has failed entirely. Too bad. I really wanted to use it but won't try Kinesis again.I'd probably give this keyboard a 3.5 star rating if I could. It's good, but not perfect.Pro: The ability to space the two sections far apart really does relieve an enormous amount of stress on the shoulders, front of the shoulder joint, upper arms, and back muscles. And it does it better than the Microsoft and Logitech ergonomic keyboards, which I like but which still require your hands come toward the center rather than being straight out from the shoulder. For this alone I will keep using the keyboard and be glad I bought it.Cons:-- the cable that joins the two halves should be longer. I only need another couple inches to make it a perfect separation, but others would need more distance than that.-- quality of build. Time will tell, but I'm wary. I had to return the first keyboard within a day--the right hand half stopped working, and nothing I did fixed that (I was aware of other reviewers reporting similar issues due to a poor USB connection). The second keyboard gave me similar concerns a couple of times, but in this case, playing with the USB resolved it. It's now been perfectly reliable for three weeks, but I haven't moved anything. Don't know what will happen if I do.-- key action is merely acceptable. I do prefer chiclet keys, but I also regularly use keyboards with these standard, non-mechanical keys, and even some of the cheap ones have a cleaner, sharper response. Plus the stroke on this is fairly long.-- Placement of the 6 key on the left hand side. This happens on ALL the ergonomic keyboards I've ever seen and it continues to annoy me. Touch typists are accustomed to using the right hand to reach the 6, not the left. It really throws off my speed. I've dealt with it on other keyboards, but I still don't like it and never will.-- The control and shift keys on the left side are just a little too straight down for comfort. I wasn't quite sure why I found that so but, in comparing other keyboards, realized on many, if not most, those are larger keys so the little finger reaches them with a bit of an angled reach, rather than finding them quite so tight beneath the "a". One can adjust, but...still not great.I can't comment on the fn or other keys since I generally prefer to use keyboard commands rather than specific key and I use this primarily for text.In short, this keyboard has achieved what I wanted--significantly reduced the strain on my shoulders and back because I no longer have to squeeze in for the keys. For that alone, I'm pleased with my purchase. Would I buy another one? I'll wait and see how long this one holds up before I decide on that.Recommendation to manufacturers: why don't you try improving on this? It's a great idea!

OVERPRICED. NOT ERGONOMIC ENOUGH. The only thing ergonomic about this keyboard is that its fully split. Other than that, the layout is horrible. Very uncomfortable key placement. Some keys are hard to reach and there is not enough spacing between enter and Home, End, etc. Esc key is too far. I have been using this keyboard for over 3 months and still cannot get comfortable typing on it. Also there is no reason for this keyboard to have square edges, it just makes it bump things on the desk unnecessarily, corners should be rounded. If you're going to make an ergonomic keyboard dont just split a keyboard in half and call it a day, actually do some design work to make it comfortable to use.