Ask HN: Small, flat mice for tiny hands? (Similar to the Magic Mouse)

[solardev]

Hey HN,

I have kind of an unpopular opinion / question here... for decades now, most standard mice have been extremely uncomfortable for me, leading to finger and wrist discomfort after a day or two, and severe pain if I keep it up for a week or longer.

I've tried dozens of them from Microsoft, Logitech, SteelSeries, Razer, and others, including ergonomic models, ambidextrous models, trackpads, trackballs, and trackpoints.

The only one that has been consistently comfortable for me (surprisingly) is Apple's Magic Mouse (https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MMMQ3AM/A/magic-mouse-black-multi-touch-surface). Its nearly flat shape means I can "palm/fingertip grip" it instead of "clawing" it, if that makes any sense (https://www.pcgamer.com/how-do-you-hold-your-mouse/). Its small size means I can comfortably wrap my entire hand around it, unlike most mice. I can left-click with the entire upper part of my hand (i.e., three fingers can left click together instead of just my pointer finger).

My only real gripes with it are:

1) Its polling rate is really low compared to modern mice (especially gaming mice that poll at 1kHz+). This one gets about 90Hz, and feels really laggy in comparison, especially on a high-refresh rate screen.

2) It has no middle click, and its scrolling acceleration via the touch sensor is crazy for non-document interactions (e.g. games).

-------------

Do you know of any similarly-shaped mice that are flat and small? Other ergonomic suggestions are similarly welcome!

Sincerely,

Old fart of a dev with tiny, weak hands

[al_borland]

Microsoft has a mobile mouse that’s pretty flat. It doesn’t look like a gaming mouse, but simply having 2 distinct buttons and a wheel will make it infinitely better than the Magic Mouse for games.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/microsoft-modern-mobile-mo...

[nextos]

What about a vertical mouse like Logitech Lift? https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice/lift-vertical-e...

Perhaps you already tried it, but the grip is very thin and pleasant. It is in fact advertised for small hands.

Another alternative is a trackpoint. You could try any USB keyboard from ThinkPad or TEX: https://tex.com.tw/pages/back-to-the-future

[vlark]

Best I can tell, the Logitech Pebble might fit the bill. It does slope a bit so is not entirely flat and is a two-button mechanical mouse with a scroll wheel (that can also act as a button).

[Doxin]

I've got the same preference for fingertip grip, And I've been thoroughly satisfied with the Trust Primo wireless. It's more of a "normal mous shape" than the magic mouse, but it's rather small, lending itself to a fingertip grip quite well.

My only gripe is poor quality components. In a couple years one of the buttons will give out and stop working properly. On the other hand it's a $10 mouse so getting a new one isn't a huge problem either.

[jotux]

There are a few ultralight fingertip gaming mice on the market like the g-wolves HSK, Keychron, and Zaunkoenig that might work for you.

[brudgers]

Could you stick the guts of a mouse you like into a shell you can live with?

Hot snot, CA, solder and a dremel might be all you need to get started.

You could always 3D print later once you know what you want.

Good luck.

[helph67]

The Feathertail wearable mouse recently mentioned here perhaps? https://feathertail.co.uk/

[menshiki → helph67]

Very impressive, but no USB-C?

[oriettaxx]

this is the only one my arm accepts https://www.logitech.com/en-us/products/mice/m575-ergo-wirel...

[ThePowerOfFuet]

Have you tried a trackpad?