Pc mice are omnipresent PC companions, however extended use of a standard mouse can result in drained, strained wrists and arms. To fight this, take into account a venerable, extra ergonomic peripheral: the traditional trackball. This variant on the pc mouse relegates cursor management to a ball manipulated by the fingertips or the thumb as a substitute of utilizing your arms and wrist to coordinate motion. At PCMag, we have examined many various kinds of trackballs, evaluating how comfy and ergonomic they’re, how nicely they allow you to work together together with your pc, their supporting software program, and plenty of different standards. Our present favourite for many customers is the Logitech MX Ergo S, however our record of just lately examined trackballs beneath consists of many different glorious choices, together with each thumb- and fingertip-operated fashions. Let us take a look at the professionals and cons of our prime picks and evaluate some detailed shopping for recommendation on touchdown the perfect trackball.
Deeper Dive: Our Prime Examined Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
April 9, 2026: With this replace, we added the Logitech MX Ergo S as our new Greatest Thumb-Operated Trackball, the Logitech Ergo M575S as our Greatest Price range Trackball, and the Kensington Professional Match Ergo TB550 as our Greatest Trackball for Massive Fingers. The remainder of our picks have been vetted for foreign money and availability. Since our final replace, we reviewed and evaluated greater than a dozen mice for potential inclusion on this roundup and our different mice roundups. We at present have 5 mice in PC Labs for analysis, from makers together with Corsair, HP, and Razer.
Execs & Cons
Ergonomic, tiltable design
Quiet fundamental click on buttons
Spectacular new software program capabilities
Simple to wash
Slight studying curve for customers new to trackballs
Why We Picked It
In case you’re all thumbs, then Logitech has you lined. The Logitech MX Ergo S is a thumb-operated trackball that has a shallower studying curve than different trackballs. It balances consolation and management higher than competing fashions, whereas avoiding most of the compromises which have historically outlined the class. It options Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi connectivity, in addition to full entry to Logitech’s glorious productiveness utility, Logi Choices Plus. Logitech sweetens the deal additional by providing full compatibility with each macOS and Home windows. Whereas left-handed customers may really feel not noted, it is laborious to not suggest the MX Ergo S.
Who It’s For
Individuals who want thumb management: In case you’re desirous about a trackball and would slightly use your thumb as a substitute of your different fingertips, the Logitech MX Ergo S is certain to suit your wants.
Newbies: The Logitech MX Ergo S is a snug introduction to this mouse style, with loads of productiveness choices for skilled energy customers, too.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
8
Interface
USB Wired, 2.4GHz Wi-fi, Bluetooth
Hand Orientation
Proper-Handed
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Logitech Superior Optical Monitoring
Sensor Most Decision
2048 dpi
Energy Supply
Inside Battery
Weight
9.1 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
1 12 months
Study Extra
Logitech MX Ergo S Evaluation
Execs & Cons
Comfy design, together with game-changing scrolling ring
Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi
Removable wrist relaxation
A number of customization obtainable through config software program
Depends on disposable batteries (could also be a professional to some)
Noisy click on panels
Why We Picked It
Kensington has lengthy been identified for its trackballs, and the Skilled Mouse Wi-fi Trackball is without doubt one of the finest the corporate has launched. With a wonderful ambidextrous design and a removable plush wrist relaxation, this trackball mouse is a snug driver for energy customers and trackball newbies alike. It helps each Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi connectivity, in addition to loads of customization choices, due to the KensingtonWorks software program. The one downsides are the trackball’s noisy clickers and its reliance on disposable batteries—although relying on the place and the way you employ the Skilled Mouse, disposable cells may nicely be a plus.
Who It’s For
Skilled trackball customers: For these already comfy with the nuances of trackball management, the Kensington Skilled Mouse Wi-fi Trackball is without doubt one of the finest choices in the marketplace.
Individuals who want wi-fi connection choices: In case you’re in search of a wi-fi trackball to connect with your PC at residence and your work pc with out plugging in and unplugging cables, the Kensington Skilled Mouse Wi-fi Trackball is a good selection.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
4
Interface
Bluetooth, RF Wi-fi
Hand Orientation
Ambidextrous
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Unspecified Optical Sensor
Sensor Most Decision
400 dpi
Energy Supply
Two AA Batteries
Weight
15.98 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
3 years
Study Extra
Kensington Skilled Mouse Wi-fi Trackball Evaluation
Execs & Cons
Mild sufficient to be moveable
Extra colour choices than pricier MX Ergo S mannequin
Wi-fi connectivity through RF dongle or Bluetooth
Comparatively cheap
With out follow, could not observe exactly sufficient for some functions
Restricted entry to Logitech software program options
Runs on disposable batteries
No tilt perform
Why We Picked It
Curious about a trackball however unwilling to pay a premium? The Logitech Ergo M575S is likely to be for you. This boiled-down model of Logitech’s ergonomic trackball handles the fundamentals nicely sufficient, pulling loads of inspiration from Logitech’s premier possibility, the MX Ergo S. Nonetheless, the budget-priced possibility sports activities Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi connections, and is accessible in a number of colour choices to brighten your desk. Utilizing disposable batteries as a substitute of rechargeable ones helps hold the worth down, however the mouse lacks a few of the options included in Logi Choices Plus. However regardless of these quibbles, the Ergo M575S impresses us sufficient to suggest it for cost-conscious customers.
Who It’s For
Price range consumers: For these desirous about attempting a trackball at an affordable worth, the Logitech Ergo M575S delivers stable performance.
Individuals who like their mice to have character: The Logitech Ergo M575S is available in a couple of totally different colour choices, with contrasting shell and trackball colours, so it is certain to suit no matter makes your coronary heart glad.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
5
Interface
Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Wi-fi
Hand Orientation
Proper-Handed
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Logitech Superior Optical Monitoring
Sensor Most Decision
2000 dpi
Energy Supply
One AA Battery
Weight
5.11 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
1 12 months
Study Extra
Logitech Ergo M575S Evaluation
Execs & Cons
Comfy to make use of
Wonderful construct high quality
Loads of performance
128-bit AES encryption
Takes some getting used to
No left-handed possibility
Why We Picked It
The Kensington Professional Match Ergo TB550 Trackball is a thumb-style wi-fi trackball mouse with a sculpted kind issue that matches completely within the palms of enormous arms. As you may anticipate from a thumb-operated trackball, navigation is left to your thumb, however you employ your different fingers in conventional methods. The chunky base supplies ample assist on your hand, and in case you have massive arms, it provides loads of area to get an excellent grip whilst you work. The mouse may be linked through USB-C, Bluetooth, or 2.4GHz utilizing the included receiver, which helps 128-bit AES encryption.
Who It is For
Folks with massive arms: In case you’re a person with bigger arms and don’t desire your arms to crumble to mud from extended mouse use, the Kensington Professional Match Ergo TB550 Trackball is certain to supply some reduction.
Folks in search of encrypted wi-fi connections: Privateness is paramount, and the Kensington Professional Match Ergo TB550 Trackball helps 128-bit AES encryption through the two.4GHz connection, so you possibly can safely use your mouse even if you happen to’re in a crowded space the place somebody is likely to be attempting to snoop.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
5
Interface
Bluetooth, USB Wired, 2.4GHz Wi-fi
Hand Orientation
Proper-Handed
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Unspecified Optical Sensor
Sensor Most Decision
1600 dpi
Energy Supply
Inside Battery
Weight
4.9 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
3 years
Study Extra
Kensington Professional Match Ergo TB550 Trackball Evaluation
Execs & Cons
2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity
Nicely-designed scroll wheel
Removable wrist relaxation
Inexpensive
Not comfy to make use of with out the wrist relaxation
No rechargeable battery
Construct high quality feels low-cost
Why We Picked It
The Kensington Orbit Wi-fi Trackball makes our record as a result of it is a easy and efficient ambidextrous trackball mouse. With an included removable wrist relaxation, a novel scroll wheel, and each Bluetooth and a couple of.4GHz wi-fi choices, the Orbit proves itself as a stable productiveness software. Nevertheless, there are a couple of drawbacks: its use of disposable batteries and the truth that the included wrist relaxation would not match the mouse’s black, giving it a patched-together look. However you may wish to use that wrist relaxation, since utilizing the Orbit with out it was uncomfortable at instances.
Who It is For
Customers who like having a wrist relaxation: Ergonomic mice ease drained arms and fingers, however the Orbit takes it a step additional by contemplating your wrists, too.
Price range customers: Whereas it is not our favourite price range mouse, one perk of the Kensington Orbit Wi-fi Trackball is that it is cheaper than most of its opponents.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
2
Interface
Bluetooth, 2.4GHz Wi-fi
Hand Orientation
Ambidextrous
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Unspecified Optical Sensor
Sensor Most Decision
1600 dpi
Energy Supply
Two AA Batteries
Weight
5.6 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
3 12 months
Study Extra
Kensington Orbit Wi-fi Trackball Evaluation
Execs & Cons
Ambidextrous
Comfy
Trackball is correct
No software program for personalization
DPI switching is cumbersome
Contact scroll is not at all times correct
Costly for what it provides
Why We Picked It
Gaming with a trackball is rare, however that doesn’t imply you should not strive it. To that finish, the GameBall units out to stake its declare as a trackball particularly for gaming. The flat, ambidextrous design takes a couple of formidable swings, although it doesn’t at all times get a base hit. No customization software program, a spotty touch-based scroll wheel, and a excessive worth hold the GameBall from incomes greater marks, however avid gamers seeking to give a trackball a strive will discover that it’s an honest driver for motion video games and shooters alike.
Who It’s For
Players: For avid gamers who wish to roll their enemies and never their wrists, the GameBall is a good pointing possibility.
Left-handed customers: Like many trackball mice, the GameBall is an ambidextrous peripheral, and a really perfect selection for each right- and left-handed customers.
Specs & Configurations
Variety of Buttons
6
Interface
USB Wired
Hand Orientation
Ambidextrous
Sensor Maker and Mannequin
Unspecified PixArt Sensor
Sensor Most Decision
3000 dpi
Energy Supply
Wired USB
Weight
8.1 ounces
Guarantee (Components and Labor)
1 12 months
Study Extra
GameBall Evaluation
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The Greatest Trackball Mice for 2026
Examine Specs
Shopping for Information: The Greatest Trackball Mice for 2026
Trackballs have been round for years, relationship again to the late Nineteen Forties. They have been initially invented by a person named Ralph Benjamin whereas he was working for the British Royal Navy Scientific Service. On the time, Benjamin’s mission used analog computer systems to calculate the long run place of goal plane primarily based on a number of preliminary enter factors offered by a person with a joystick. It was using the joystick that prompted him to create a extra elegant software, which he named the “curler ball.”
Within the late Nineteen Eighties and early Nineties, when PC-mouse producers started to increase their product strains, trackballs emerged as a distinct segment different to conventional pc mice, the place they continue to be. A wide range of makers supply trackball mice, however these days, those you may see most frequently, by far, in unusual retail are developed and produced by two firms: Logitech and Kensington.
As we famous earlier, as an ergonomic different to conventional mice, trackballs allow you to govern your on-screen cursor by rolling a ball together with your fingertips or thumb as a substitute of your wrist or arm. The trackball is held in place by a socket, inside which sensors detect movement throughout the X and Y axes. In a method, the trackball works like an upside-down traditional ball mouse.
However regardless of the apparent visible variations, trackballs supply the identical performance as most mice. You’ll nonetheless discover left- and right-click buttons and a scroll wheel. (A number of go for a “scroll ring” surrounding the ball that serves the identical performance as a wheel.) You may additionally get a shortcut button or two on some fashions. Trackballs usually are not usually gaming-focused however slightly geared toward productiveness PC use, although a subset of avid gamers prefers them for sure motion video games or titles that require plenty of pinpoint panning throughout massive areas.
Is a Thumb-Model or Fingertip-Model Trackball Higher?
Trackballs are available two management types: thumb-operated, and fingertip-operated. Thumb-operated trackballs have much less of a studying curve than fingertip-operated ones. They function a extra conventional mouse format (with adjoining left- and right-click buttons, plus a scroll wheel, all on prime), they usually normally use a smaller trackball. Some mirror vertical mice, whereas others undertake a standard, flat fashion. These trackballs are additionally higher fitted to gaming, although it in the end comes right down to person choice.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
However thumb-operated trackballs usually are not with out their attainable downsides. For one, by nature, they can not be designed as ambidextrous (the ball is simply on one facet), and whereas their studying curve won’t be as steep if you happen to’re utilizing a trackball for the primary time, they aren’t as accessible because the fingertip-operated selection.
Fingertip-operated trackballs, however, normally function an ambidextrous design, with the left and proper clickers on both facet of the top-mounted ball. Most additionally function bigger trackballs that enable a couple of finger to roll them. (You may normally use your pointer and center fingers.)
You’ll additionally wish to take into account your wrist place. Vertical or semi-vertical trackballs present additional assist to your arms whereas conserving them in pure positions. Choosing a flat design removes grip from the equation nearly solely, permitting your muscle tissue to remain relaxed whilst you nonetheless have full management.
(Credit score: Mike Epstein)
Fingertip-operated trackballs do have one factor in frequent with the thumb-oriented selection—they nonetheless take time to get used to, even when the educational curve is shallower. As a result of they’re so essentially totally different than your regular mouse, it requires a specific amount of muscle-memory relearning to achieve full management of your inputs.
There are many causes to change from a traditional mouse to a trackball mouse. Some individuals want them as a result of they’re simpler to make use of, whereas others discover they enhance their productiveness. Trackball mice additionally take up much less desk area than standard mice. (You do not slide them round, and thus needn’t allocate room for that.) And the improved ergonomics might result in improved posture and fewer fatigue.
Our opinions study the worth, construct high quality, options, and software program of each trackball to determine which can ship essentially the most bang on your buck. Whether or not you might be in a different way abled or seeking to relieve stress, it’s value taking the time to determine which trackball is best for you.
Ought to You Get a Wired or Wi-fi Trackball?
The only technique to join a mouse to your PC is through a wired USB connection, which nearly all trackball mice assist. Pc mice are normally plug-and-play units, with no extra software program to put in for primary operation, although they could have downloadable software program for additional customization. A wired system will draw its energy over USB, so that you gained’t have to fret about charging any form of battery. Wired connections are essentially the most dependable for response time, however the variations are slim and turning into slimmer.
Trackball mice already supply extra freedom than your typical mouse, however you possibly can take that even additional with a wi-fi mannequin. Wi-fi trackballs transmit information to your PC through one in every of two major strategies: an RF connection to a USB receiver, or Bluetooth. (Some mice assist each.) Each have their professionals and cons, however if you wish to scale back the variety of cables in your desk and luxuriate in extra freedom of motion, wi-fi is the way in which to go.
(Credit score: Zackery Cuevas)
Bluetooth choices supply essentially the most freedom as a result of they don’t require a USB port, and the secure, easy-to-manage connections are perfect for use with laptops and even cellular units like tablets, generally permitting customers to cycle by means of units at will. A number of fashions help you swap amongst a number of Bluetooth-connected units with a button-press.
In common use, a Bluetooth connection provides you roughly 30 toes of wi-fi vary, however a Bluetooth mouse could not match the battery life supplied by units with an RF-based USB dongle. Verify the specs. Make sure you keep watch over your battery—whether or not the trackball makes use of a chargeable battery or disposable cells, you’ll wish to verify the trackball’s estimated battery life before you purchase. Observe that some wi-fi fashions that use rechargeable inside batteries allow you to use the trackball in wired mode through a USB cable whereas charging.
Trackball Setup: Adjusting to Match Your Wants
Now, whereas switching to any form of ergonomic mouse is not going to heal you of any ailment by itself, trackballs are identified to have some advantages. Every part out of your monitor peak to the keyboard and mouse you employ will have an effect on the pure alignment of your physique whilst you work or play in your pc. Overuse of enter units, particularly, can result in RSIs like carpal tunnel syndrome. Trackballs alleviate this by relying in your fingers to do the work whereas your wrist and hand relaxation of their pure positions. In case you’re contemplating a trackball because of this, you need to seek the advice of a physician first.
(Credit score: Joseph Maldonado)
Other than selecting whether or not you wish to function the mouse together with your fingers or your thumbs, you additionally wish to resolve what measurement trackball works finest for you. You’ll discover bigger trackballs geared toward energy customers, whereas smaller trackballs are higher fitted to of us on the transfer. Some even tilt left and proper for minor angle changes on the fly.
You’ll additionally wish to take into account your wrist place. Vertical or semi-vertical trackballs present additional assist to your arms whereas conserving them in pure positions. Choosing a flat one removes grip from the equation nearly solely, permitting your muscle tissue to remain relaxed whilst you nonetheless have full management.
Able to Purchase the Proper Trackball for You?
A trackball mouse can show a useful consolation and productiveness booster on your day-to-day workflow. Whether or not you’re choosing a price range trackball, or one decked out with shortcut buttons and a number of connection choices, utilizing any of the trackballs on our record will likely be a worthwhile addition to your desk set, and a step towards bettering your ergonomics and person expertise. In case you’re in search of different ergonomic input-device choices, additionally take a look at our picks for finest ergonomic keyboards and ergonomic mice.
