ErgoPoint review

The ErgoPoint mouse is an ergonomic mouse designed to reduce pain or discomfort caused by working on a computer.

It boasts a unique “vertical handshake” design that’s comfortable, healthy and functional, and comes with several other features to help maintain healthy computer use. 

If you suffer from RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome, mouse shoulder, tennis elbow, or any other computer-related injury, the ErgoPoint mouse is a potential option to relieve symptoms via its deliberate design that forces you to use it in a neutral position. I’ve spent the past week using the “vertical handshake” mouse – here’s my review.

Disclosure: Swiftpoint made a contribution towards the editorial costs required to create this article.

Price

The ErgoPoint is currently being sold on IndieGoGo for $70.

Design

For an ergonomic mouse, design is everything. The ErgoPoint is a mouse designed to help those who “suffer pain or discomfort in the hand, wrist, shoulder or back while working on a computer.” 

It tackles these issues by orienting the mouse vertically instead of horizontally. SwiftPoint calls it a “vertical handshake” design. What that means is you hold the mouse similar to how you would hold a glass of water as opposed to lying your hand on top

SwiftPoint says this sort of grip keeps your hand and arm in a neutral position which reduces muscle load, pain and discomfort. The handshake design has been proven to reduce pronation (rotation of the hand and forearm so that the palm faces backwards or downwards) and can help minimise the risk of musculoskeletal injuries when using a computer.

The biggest concern I had when I first looked at this mouse was that it would feel foreign in my hand, and I would lack some of the mouse control skills I have spent literally years developing. Good news. It did take me a while to get used to the ErgoPoint. Initially using it felt weird, however, after using it for a couple days, my body familiarised itself with it and it was fine.

It’s cleverly designed in that the mouse functions require the same fingers as a normal mouse. The left and right click are still performed by the first and second (or third) fingers and the scroll is in the middle of the two. There’s also two thumb buttons on the left of the mouse. 

This familiarity meant I didn’t have to get used to using the mouse, I only had to get familiar with the grip, and that was easy.

This is a wireless mouse, it comes with a USB dongle and requires 1x AA battery which was a bit disappointing, I would’ve liked a charging port of some sort.

Features

The ErgoPoint comes with software that adds to SwiftPoint’s healthy workplace mission.

The software allows you to easily customise the mouse inputs and adjust the sensitivity and scroll speed. It also comes with a health monitoring tool to ensure you’re staying healthy at your desk. This monitors your computer use and alerts you when you need a rest. 

There’s three types of rests, “Micro-Rest,” in which you’re alerted to take short breaks to rest your hands and eyes, “Rest Break” to maintain joint and movement circulation and also a “Daily Limit” to ensure mental and physical well-being. The time limits and the lengths of each of these rests can be configured to suit your needs. 

I found this useful. As someone who gets stuck into my work, I often forget to stand-up and stretch throughout the day. The popups on the bottom right of my screen alerting me it was time to stretch were helpful.

The software comes with a suite of tools which help to limit mouse usage and also help with productivity. The remote collaboration tools are specifically designed for remote working. It allows you to collaborate more effectively on communication apps like Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Zoom. There’s tools like a virtual laser and an annotation tool that can be used directly from the mouse. 

The best feature is the SwiftPoint Wheel. By clicking the middle mouse button you get access to commonly used computer functions which you can then click. You can copy and paste, take a screenshot, undo, redo and more all from the mouse. It definitely helped reduce mouse usage and increased my productivity. 

Verdict

SwiftPoint’s ErgoPoint mouse is an ergonomic mouse that’s easy to use. It’s comfortable to hold and comes with software that enhances the healthy working experience. 

The highlight here – other than the neutral hand position its design forces you to adopt – is the SwiftPoint Wheel that allows you to use popular computer functions from your mouse and the health monitoring tool comes in handy as well. 

I would’ve loved the mouse to have a charging port so I didn’t have to use AA batteries, but overall this is an effective ergonomic mouse.

Disclosure: Swiftpoint made a contribution towards the editorial costs required to create this article.