The Best Trackballs

I’m an associate staff writer at Wirecutter covering video games and gaming hardware. I’ve tested hundreds of peripherals for Wirecutter’s other gaming guides, including keyboards, gaming, and headsets, and I play many games in my spare time with a mouse and keyboard.

For this guide:

• I spent over 40 hours researching both trackballs and mouse ergonomics.
• I gathered feedback from a panel of nine testers, whom we compensated for their time as they tested the mice and gave their opinions.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards .

Thumb-operated trackballs are easier to get used to if you’re making the switch from a regular mouse, and slanted models—such as the Nulea M501 Wireless Trackball Mouse —can reduce pain or fatigue in the shoulder and forearm muscles. If this type of trackball mouse suits your ergonomic or productivity preferences, the affordable M501 offers an approachable starting point with a comfortable feel.

It’s ready to use right out of the box. If you don’t want to play around with customizable features, the Nulea M501 has a straightforward design that doesn’t require fussing around with software. Unlike our other picks, this trackball mouse doesn’t have companion software that allows you to reprogram the buttons or customize the sensitivity of the pointer. Instead, its center button cycles between four different sensitivity speeds, and it adds only two extra forward and back buttons to the upper-left corner of the mouse.

It’s comfortably shaped, and it has a gentle tilt. The shape of the M501 provides ample palm support that helps keep the hand from scrunching up, and the slight angle feels more natural on the wrist than that of a standard flat mouse. A couple of our small-handed testers found this mouse too big, and some disliked the velvety, matte texture of the surface coating against their skin, but our panelists otherwise ranked it as one of the most comfortable mice in our test group.

The smooth ball requires less force to spin than those of our other picks. If your ergonomic needs call for the lowest exertion possible to reduce fatigue or muscle strain, the M501’s trackball spins more freely and with less resistance than those of any of our other picks. The ball itself is small, so you may have to make more thumb movements to move across a big screen than you would with a larger model, but it’s lighter and less bulky than those of our finger-operated picks, and it’s less gritty than the ball of our thumb-operated upgrade pick.

You can pair it wirelessly with up to three devices. The M501 supports Bluetooth connections for up to two devices, and it also comes with a USB-A receiver. You can press the button on the bottom of the mouse to seamlessly switch between three different devices, and it has an indicator light to show which device it’s currently paired to.

It can recharge via USB-C. You can use this mouse while it’s charging with the included USB-C cable, although it still requires a wireless connection to work. Nulea doesn’t state an estimated battery life, but in our testing so far, we’ve found that the low-power indicator has yet to go off, and the mouse automatically goes to sleep after 30 minutes of inactivity.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We can’t attest to Nulea’s customer service or reputation. Unlike with more established companies such as Kensington and Logitech, we can’t yet vouch for Nulea’s responsiveness or 12-month warranty coverage—and you have to register your mouse within 30 days of purchase to take advantage of that warranty.

The lack of customization might be a problem. None of the buttons on the Nulea M501 are programmable, and its scroll wheel can’t tilt, so this mouse is less ideal for studio work than our upgrade pick . On top of that, the lack of companion software means you can’t fine-tune other aspects, such as the scroll and acceleration speed, but if you need to change the pointer sensitivity beyond the four built-in options, you can adjust it in your computer’s system settings .

The Logitech MX Ergo S Advanced Wireless Trackball Mouse is worth the price for its versatility and build quality. We presented the previous version of this mouse—which was identical in shape and size but included a Micro-USB port and made louder clicks—to a panel of testers, who found it easier to use and more comfortable than any other mouse. It can toggle between two different angles for a flatter hand position or a vertical tilt, and its software allows for customization that our top thumb-operated pick does not offer.

It fits well in both small and large hands. The Logitech MX Ergo S Advanced is the most comfortable thumb-operated mouse we tested. At first glance it looks like a big mouse, but even our small-handed testers liked its size, feel, and button layout. The base offers full palm support that keeps the hand in a relaxed, outstretched position, and the ball is light and easy to maneuver. However, compared with our top pick, the ball on this mouse has slightly more resistance and requires more effort to roll, which may be fatiguing for some people.

You can adjust the tilt. The MX Ergo S Advanced has a magnetic plate that snaps onto the bottom to change the mouse’s angle. You can press down on the left side of the mouse while your hand rests on it for a flatter layout, or push down on the right side to raise the vertical tilt. This feature is especially useful if you need to swap positions throughout the day to accommodate your needs, or if you’re not yet sure which posture will feel more comfortable on your wrists, hands, or shoulders.

It connects wirelessly to up to two devices, and it’s rechargeable. Using Bluetooth or the included Bolt USB-A receiver , you can pair the mouse with two different devices and switch between them instantly by pressing the center button. It can also recharge with a USB-C cable, and Logitech claims that the MX Ergo S Advanced will last up to four months on a charge—with one minute of charging granting an extra 24 hours of battery life. We haven’t formally tested this claim, but if the mouse does die, you can still use it while it’s plugged in to charge.

It’s easy to customize and use for daily productivity or creative work. Out of the box, this mouse comes with preassigned buttons for convenient functions specific to different apps. For example, on Zoom, the extra buttons on the upper-left side can start and stop your video or mic, and in Adobe Photoshop and Premiere, they’re programmed to undo and redo actions. But you can also customize any of the MX Ergo S Advanced’s six programmable buttons in the Logi Options+ software utility, which is extremely simple to navigate and offers a large list of actions to choose from.

You can quickly change the speed of the pointer for precision tasks. When you want to slow your pointer down to inch across small areas—such as when you’re fine-tuning audio clips or making detailed photo edits—you can press the thumb button next to the ball to get more control. You can customize the sensitivity of the pointer in the regular, fast-tracking mode in Logi Options+, and you can also reprogram this button to perform other actions if you don’t intend on using the precision mode.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It has no built-in dongle storage. The MX Ergo S Advanced lacks a slot to store the included USB-A receiver, which is tiny and easy to lose. It uses the Logitech Bolt receiver , so if you have a compatible keyboard, you can sync this trackball to that same dongle. And if you do misplace the receiver at one point, you can buy a replacement from Logitech for $15.

It doesn’t support a wired connection. This mouse comes with a USB-C cable, but you can use it only for charging. We haven’t experienced any issues with spotty connections in either wireless pairing mode, but some people may still want the option to use a direct wired connection.

If you’re taking your first plunge into the world of trackballs, and a finger-operated model fits your needs best, the Kensington Orbit Wireless Trackball with Scroll Ring is a good model to start with. It’s cheaper and more beginner-friendly than our upgrade pick , and its ambidextrous design works for both right- and left-handed people.

With its flat shape, it could suit your needs better than our other picks. Compared with the other trackball mice we recommend in this guide, which all have some sort of tilt, the Orbit Wireless sits completely flat against a desk. In general, most people experience less strain using an angled mouse , but for those who need a flat configuration, this model is the best option we’ve tested so far.

It doesn’t have a bunch of extra, confusing buttons. The Orbit Wireless lacks extra programmable buttons beyond its right- and left-click buttons, but if you like, you can still customize them with different actions using the intuitive KensingtonWorks software.

The medium-size ball is easy to control. At 40 mm in diameter, the Orbit Wireless’s ball is smaller than that of our upgrade pick (which measures 55 mm), so it requires less strength to fling around. It’s big enough to rest two fingers on, and it travels across ultrawide and multiple monitors in fewer revolutions than our thumb-operated picks. We also found landing the pointer to be easy and accurate.

It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth or USB-A dongle. You can’t use this mouse with a wired connection, but Kensington does make a wired version of the Orbit . A switch on the bottom of the Orbit Wireless swaps between Bluetooth and USB-receiver mode; also on the bottom is a built-in storage slot for the included dongle.

You can fine-tune the trackball with Kensington’s software. Another built-in button on the bottom of the mouse toggles between four different pointer sensitivities, but you can customize even more in the KensingtonWorks app. In addition to setting the default pointer speed, you can adjust the acceleration speed to increase or decrease the momentum of the pointer when you fling it across your screen.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It takes only AA batteries—and not all of them fit perfectly. I popped two of my own rechargeable AA batteries into the Orbit Wireless, and although they fit well enough to power the mouse on, they stuck too far out of the battery slot for me to fit the plastic cover over them.

The build quality feels cheap . The right and left buttons on the Orbit Wireless feel hollow—like those on a freebie mouse included with a computer—and the scroll ring feels as if it’s grinding against the surrounding plastic when it spins. The detachable wrist rest also feels thin and unsupportive, and it doesn’t stay in place very well.

The Kensington SlimBlade Pro Trackball is the best finger-operated trackball because its large ball is responsive and smooth, it’s suitable for both right- and left-handed people, and its four buttons are easy to customize with Kensington’s software. Its sleek design looks and feels high-quality too. But you’ll either love it or hate it.

It has the largest trackball of all our picks. Our testers were evenly divided in their feelings about the SlimBlade Pro. Some couldn’t get past the bulkiness of the trackball, while others loved how it felt in their hand. Because it’s nearly the size of a pool ball, shuttling the pointer across multiple monitors with less movement can be easier—but it’s also heavy, so it may not be the best choice for someone who needs to exert the least amount of force possible.

It has a more premium build than our top finger-operated pick. Compared with Kensington’s Orbit Wireless, the company’s SlimBlade Pro has sturdier and more precise buttons, as well as a far smoother scroll ring. This scroll ring is touch-sensitive, rather than being a physical wheel that spins around, and it feels softer against the fingers and contributes to a more refined look.

With four programmable buttons, it’s better for creative work. The SlimBlade Pro has two extra buttons that are the same size as the right- and left-click buttons, and you can reprogram all four in the KensingtonWorks software utility. You can also customize them with extra functions that you trigger by pressing two buttons at the same time, so effectively you can have more than just four commands.

It looks and feels great. It’s strange to describe a trackball as “pretty,” but the term almost fits the SlimBlade Pro. The glossy coating feels smooth against the skin, and this model looks more attractive on a desk than any of our other picks. It also has an ambidextrous design, so it’s suitable for both right- and left-handed people.

You can use it with a wired or wireless connection. This trackball comes with a USB-A receiver, as well as a USB-A–to–USB-C adapter. You can use it with a cable for a wired connection or pair it wirelessly with the receiver or over Bluetooth. It can also recharge via USB-C and doesn’t require any batteries.

You don’t need to tip the mouse upside down to get to any of the important buttons. On the sides of the SlimBlade Pro, you’ll find a power button, a pairing switch that toggles between Bluetooth and USB-A receiver modes, and a DPI button that cycles through four different sensitivities. Should you want to customize the pointer sensitivity more, you can do so easily in KensingtonWorks.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It could be too big for small hands. The SlimBlade Pro has the biggest footprint of all the trackballs we recommend, and it keeps the hand in a flat, outstretched position. If you have small hands, you may have a difficult time reaching the two extra buttons on the top.

It’s expensive. The SlimBlade Pro is well worth the price if you want a customizable mouse, or if you already know that you like finger-operated trackballs and you want a smoother scrolling and clicking experience than you can find with the Kensington Orbit Wireless. But the flat layout and the huge ball take some getting used to, so we’ve concluded that the Orbit Wireless is a better entry point for beginners.

Trackballs can be useful for people who experience repetitive strain or stress on their joints, because they require different muscles to use than a traditional mouse. Rather than engaging your whole arm to move a mouse around on a desk, a trackball stays still, and you operate it using minimal finger flicks. And unlike with a mouse, which can eventually hit the edge of a desk, it’s impossible to run out of space with a trackball since it rotates infinitely; this can make a trackball appealing if you’re low on desk space, or when you need a pointing device but don’t have a hard surface available, such as on a couch.

You can find two variations of trackballs: finger-operated and thumb-operated. Finger-operated trackballs place the ball in the center, so you can use them right- or left-handed—some experts even recommend switching hands throughout the day to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome or other repetitive stress injuries. Thumb-operated models look more like traditional mice but typically have a trackball on the left side, so they’re comfortable only for people who mouse right-handed. Since thumb-operated trackballs look and feel more like a traditional mouse, with a scroll wheel set between two top buttons, they’re easier to get the hang of. But their smaller ball requires more effort to move the pointer across the screen, so they’re better suited for use on single monitors or low-resolution displays.

Thumb-operated trackballs don’t work for everyone, because for some people, overuse of the thumb can result in de Quervain’s tenosynovitis , a condition in which extending the thumb becomes a painful movement. But a finger-operated trackball may be too flat for those at risk of developing or worsening carpal tunnel syndrome. There’s no universal solution, and other types of mice have risks associated with them too. If you’re trying to address a specific ergonomic need, talk to a health professional to see which type of trackball will work better for you.

We’ve found the following features to be the most important in our research and testing:

• Ball: A trackball should rotate smoothly, without any gritty-feeling friction; a low-quality ball can ruin the experience. The bigger the trackball, the less rotation you need to employ to move the cursor across the screen.
• Buttons: We look for the same amount of buttons as we do on wireless mice —a trackball should have at least left- and right-click buttons, but we prefer models with at least two additional buttons for back and forward.
• Comfort: A trackball should be comfortable for any size hand and not require wrist extension or deviation to operate.
• Software: If your trackball mouse has four or more buttons, you’ll likely want to customize how they work through manufacturer software. Great software also allows you to change the pointer speed, acceleration, and scrolling speed.
• Battery life: If you opt for a wireless trackball, you can expect six to 24 months of battery life. Some trackballs use AA batteries, while others have a rechargeable battery.
• Connection: Some wireless models support a 2.4 GHz USB wireless receiver (a dongle), Bluetooth, or both. Each connection type provides a strong signal that doesn’t cut out over short distances.
• Price: The most recent models with modern software and better build quality tend to cost $50 to $100. Older trackballs with aging software, fewer buttons, and wired connections are available for $20 to $40.
• Warranty: Most problems with trackballs arise from quality-control quirks and tend to surface in the first year—if not in the first week—of use, so we expect to see at least a one-year warranty. Longer warranties are nice but not required.

In a survey published by Kensington , more than three-quarters of respondents said they took around a week to get accustomed to using a trackball, so we spent a week with each style of trackball. We used each contender for at least eight hours of work and gaming before eliminating models that were awkward to use, suffered from build-quality issues, or had confusing software. For wireless models, we confirmed that the signal didn’t cut out. We further evaluated the most promising contenders over several more days of continuous use.

Additionally, we asked a panel of testers to use six of our finalists. The testers, whom we compensated for their time, had a range of body types and mobility needs. We gave the testers about 10 minutes with each mouse to complete a simple productivity task and to play a mouse-accuracy game , and then we asked them to fill out a survey about their experience using each trackball.

The Logitech MX Ergo Advanced Wireless Trackball Mouse was our former upgrade pick, but it has since been discontinued. The new version we recommend replaces this mouse’s Micro-USB port with a USB-C charging port and offers quieter clicks. But if neither of those things matter to you, keep an eye out for the previous MX Ergo Advanced, which you can purchase for roughly $20 less while it’s still in stock.

We used to recommend the Kensington Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball , but for a similar price the SlimBlade Pro Wireless offers a more comfortable and flatter form, more connectivity options, a smoother scroll ring, and a rechargeable battery.

The Kensington Orbit Fusion Wireless Trackball is a finger-controlled trackball that’s about the size of a thumb-controlled trackball. Our tester experienced the same problems noted in a number of Amazon reviews, namely connection issues and erratic tracking . It also works only with a USB dongle—it has no Bluetooth support, which should be present in any trackball over $50.

In our tests, the Kensington Orbit Trackball Mouse felt cheap and tended to slide around on a desk because it was light and its rubber feet weren’t sticky enough. It doesn’t give you a way to scroll aside from pressing the Scroll Lock key on your keyboard and moving the ball, and getting the hang of that motion required some significant rewiring in our brains.

The Kensington Orbit Wireless Trackball Mouse has a touch-sensitive scroll ring that was faulty in our tests and fatiguing to use. In addition, this mouse might be too small for people with bigger hands, and the buttons felt clicky and hollow.

Our testers found the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo TB450 Trackball and Pro Fit Ergo TB550 Trackball difficult to use and too big to fit comfortably in smaller hands.

We found the tracking on the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo Vertical Wired Trackball to be stuttery and inaccurate, and the scroll ring was sticky.

Instead of giving you a hardware scroll ring, the Kensington SlimBlade Trackball Mouse asks you to rotate the ball to scroll, which we found tough to do without bouncing the pointer around the screen. The SlimBlade’s buttons felt hollow, and its shiny plastic and metal surfaces attracted fingerprints.

The Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball was a previous pick in this guide, and it’s still a solid trackball with great build quality. But it isn’t rechargeable, it lacks a built-in DPI button, and it pairs to only one device via Bluetooth. We dismissed the newer version of this mouse, the Ergo M575S , for all of the same reasons.

The Elecom M-HT1DRBK is a cult favorite, but we never acclimated to the button location or trackball position. It’s packed with eight keys and even has a DPI switch and a scroll wheel on the side. It’s also huge, taking up even more desk space than the Kensington Expert Mouse, a previous pick. We were unable to get the software working on a Mac, and the Windows software isn’t translated well into English, which makes it awkward to use. Because of those software quirks, as well as some middling Amazon reviews that mention quality-control problems, we decided not to test the majority of Elecom’s trackball line. They’re popular in enthusiast circles, though, and if you don’t mind dealing with awkward software, Elecom is the only company that makes a left-handed thumb-operated trackball .

We dismissed the Elecom Deft because the scroll ring makes the whole mouse creak, and the ball can pop out of place if you spin it too fast or with too much force.

The buttons on the Elecom EX-G Pro are too close together, and the almost-flat positioning wasn’t as comfortable for our testers’ hands as other angled thumb-operated options. It also had a mushy middle-click button, and the scroll wheel was faulty and sometimes unresponsive.

We declined to test boutique trackballs from Ploopy and X-keys , as they’re not widely available. But trackball enthusiasts like them, and they’re worth a look if you’re interested in something more customizable or unusual.

This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Signe Brewster.