Product Review: Evoluent Vertical Mouse

I don’t do many product reviews on this blog, but every once in a while I run across something that I think is very helpful. In my book, I caution about ergonomic tools: they’re meant to alleviate some of the pressure from an RSI and to give you repositioning options, but they are no substitute for a whole body/whole problem approach. They are also not one size fits all.

I don’t use the mouse a lot. Most of what I do on a computer is typing and I was trained as a word processor, so I use a lot of keyboard short cuts. I do, however, use a mouse when I’m doing light editing on video or working with images and layouts. And I have bilateral radial tunnel syndrome, as well as bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, so a mouse causes pain for me very quickly.

I found the #EvoluentVerticalMouse to be very comfortable in my hand. It fit well and my hands are small. The design makes it easy not to grip or use excessive force to click. I did need support under my wrist to keep it neutral. It naturally encourages whole arm movements, from the elbow, rather than flicking the fingers and the wrist, which is very helpful. This was the big difference for me over twisting of the forearm, which, I know, is the main reason people look for a vertical mouse.

If you’re looking for one, the Evoluent has multiple, programmable keys, which is really nice as the mouse version of a keyboard short cut. And if you’re forced to do a lot of mouse work, Evoluent is a good tool. Still, it's only meant to provide the variation ergonomists recommend so much. You’ll still want to switch positioning as often as you can, which may mean a variety of such tools. But if you’re not also addressing your posture, biomechanical technique, and getting regular blood-pumping exercise, you’ll only find that this, or any other ergonomic tool, only makes your pain move to another location.

Repetitive strain injuries are systemic disorders and really have to be addressed as such in order to fully prevent or recover from them.

@JillGambaro is the author of The Truth About Carpal Tunnel Syndrome the first patient account of the #1 occupational illness in the United States and the #1 cause of physical disability in the world.