10 Best Trackball Mouse 2024 in the US

If you work with graphics programs a lot, or play computer games, you might want to look into buying a trackball mouse. A trackball mouse has a ball in the chassis of the mouse. It is an alternative to a optical mouse, where you have to move the entire mouse in order to move the cursor. With a trackball, rolling the ball makes the mouse cursor move, so the mouse can stay in one place. That saves space on the desk where you are playing. Some say that this also gives greater speed and accuracy. So it's good in games that require accurate movements over speed. It's also better for graphics, where you have to move things around a lot and put them into place. And the greatest benefit is the ergonomics: your fingers do all the moving—the rest of the arm and wrist can be relaxed. Here is a guide to some of the best trackball mice on the market.

• Wired trackball: This is a mouse that is connected to the computer with a wire, typically into a USB port. People notice that a wired mouse responds somewhat more quickly than a wireless mouse.

• Wireless trackball: In order to hook up a wireless mouse to your computer, the mouse will have a nano-receiver that goes with it. You insert the nano-receiver into a USB port on your computer. When you move your wireless mouse's trackball or click the mouse buttons, it transmits a radio signal to the nano-receiver, which moves the mouse cursor accordingly. (You'll see a wireless mouse called a “2.4 GHz mouse”--this is the radio frequency at which the wireless mouse broadcasts to its nano-receiver.)

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Getting adjusted: People who have used optical mice all the time might find it strange when they have a mouse that stays in one place all the time. But most people get used to it within a week of use. The big advantage is that there is less clutter on your desk: you won't need a mousepad anymore.

• Weight: Some notice that a mouse with a light trackball doesn't have enough mass, or doesn't turn freely enough for longer cursor movements. The sensors are accurate for small movements. Also, a person with smaller hands will prefer a smaller ball, while a person with larger hands will go with a larger ball. The ball on a trackball mouse comes in a variety of sizes: 32 mm, 40 mm, or 55 mm. The Traksys Trackball Roller Plus has a trackball of 63.5 mm!

• Mouse sensitivity: The sensitivity of the mouse is measured in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the dpi, the higher the mouse sensitivity, and faster the pointer moves on the screen. Some mice allow you to adjust the dpi settings, increasing the mouse's sensitivity. (But even if your mouse doesn't have buttons to change the dpi settings, you can always go into the Control Panel of your operating system and change it manually.)

• Adjustable speeds: Some mice have speed control buttons, as well as speed indicators.

• Programmable buttons: Besides the two or three buttons on a standard mouse, a trackball mouse, such as the Microsoft Trackball Explorer, has two programmable buttons. The mouse comes with software to help you determine what function to assign to each button. This way, you can do everything with one hand, instead of having to use your other hand on the keyboard arrows.

• Left-handed and Right-handed: There are also ambidextrous mice, with the mouse buttons placed along the side of the mouse on both sides. So you can have all the mouse features whether you are right-handed or left-handed. Or you can switch hands if one hand gets tired. The Logitech Trackman Marble is ambidextrous, as well as most Kensington models. But not all mice are—it's something you'll have to ask about before making a purchase.

• Finger-operated or thumb-operated: Some trackballs require you to use your middle fingers to move the ball (such as the Kensington Expert Mouse). Those are finger-operated mice. Then there are some that make you use the thumb for moving the ball (such as the Logitech M570)—the other fingers are used to press the mouse buttons.

• Scrolling: Instead of the typical scroll-wheel that you're used to in most mice, some mice have a separate scroll ring—a ring situated around the trackball, that you rotate. It helps you scroll down the screen or through a document. You'll see this in the Kensington Expert and the Kensington Orbit mice.

• Cleaning: The trackball will pick up dirt and grime over use. You should take out the ball every so often to clean it--that will ensure that the mouse will maintain its accuracy.

Kensington—is a division of ACCO Brands. ACCO is a group of brands of products for office supplies and laptop physical security. Kensington is a maker of smart computing accessories. They make laptop and mobile security locks, as well as power adapters, chargers, mice, keyboards, laptop docking stations, trackballs, and more.

3Dconnexion—was formed in 2001 as a brand of Logitech. They are designers of ergonomic hardware, specially designed for computer graphics, animation, and CAD applications. They have a headquarters in Munich, Germany and Boston, Massachussetts.

Logitech-- is a company providing personal computer and tablet accessories. They were founded in Apples, Switzerland in 1981 by Daniel Borel, Pierluigi Zappacosta, and Giacomo Marini. They make products for home automation, gaming, smartphone and tablets.

Microsoft—was founded by Paul Allen and Bill Gates in 1975.They originally started by marketing the Windows operating system, but then they expanded to software for their operating system, as well as computer peripherals such as mice and keyboards.

Elecom—is a computer peripherals company based in Osaka, Japan. They were established in 1986. They make peripherals and accessories for personal computers and digital equipment. They make a wireless trackball mouse (M-XT3DRBK) with six programmable buttons.