The $49.99 Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball is the answer to a seemingly obvious question: What if our peripherals were designed to take advantage of the fact that most of us have opposable thumbs? Instead of relying on wrist movement, which can irritate a joint that was never meant to be used that way, the Ergo M575 depends on the thumb manipulation of a sparkly blue trackball. That way, it can provide precise pointer control while offering better ergonomic input than a traditional mouse, at least in theory. If you’re willing to give it a try, you may find the Ergo M575 works surprisingly well—but a few niggling details keep us from giving it our highest recommendation.
At a Glance, You Might Mistake It for a Mouse
Logitech designed the Ergo M575 for right-handed use; lefties will have to look elsewhere for an ergonomically minded input device. If it weren’t for the prominent blue trackball, the Ergo’s shape could pass for a standard Logitech mouse. Standing 5.3 inches tall with a footprint of 3.9 by 1.9 inches, it has a flat-gray color scheme, two primary mouse buttons, and a rubbery-feeling scroll wheel. The other primary difference between this and other mice is the inclusion of two secondary Forward and Back buttons along the side of the left mouse button.
Oh, and the Ergo M575 doesn’t have the same rubber feet as traditional mice, either. Rather than using smooth PTFE rubber designed to glide across the surface of a desk or mouse pad like a penguin sliding on snow and ice, the M575 is the polar opposite. It features the grippiest of rubber feet, so trying to move it across the desk is like watching a penguin belly-flop on gravel—it’ll move, but it’s not going to be a pleasant experience. Better to just let the device remain in its designated resting place.
The Ergo M575 is accommodating in other ways. It works with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, and Linux computers using either Bluetooth or the bundled Logitech Unifying wireless dongle. The latter uses a radio-frequency (RF) connection that supports multiple Unifying devices on one dongle. (It can also be used with an iPad via Bluetooth.) Changing between Bluetooth and RF is as simple as pressing a button on the bottom of the device. The trackball uses a single AA battery, whose life Logitech rates at 20 months with Bluetooth and 24 months with the Unifying USB receiver. It’s a shame that it doesn’t support wired connections, though.
The Ergo works well out of the box, but the optional Logitech Options software can be used to customize various aspects of the experience. Most of that customization arrives via the ability to set the secondary buttons’ or scroll wheel’s functions. You can also swap the left and right mouse buttons, although I’m not sure how useful that would be given the device’s shape.
Mac users might care, though, about that kind of swappage. That way, you can invoke Mission Control in macOS by pressing the top secondary button, for instance, or minimize the active window by tapping the button under the scroll wheel. The trackball’s sensitivity (nominally 400dpi) can be adjusted using a slider.
Hands-On Opinion: All-Thumbs Is Okay
So here’s the most important question: What’s it like using the trackball? I expected to hate it, but actually found it a mostly pleasant experience. I notice less pain in my hand after using the Ergo M575 versus a standard mouse or touch pad, which is exactly why the product exists. Maybe it’s the familiarity with analog sticks bestowed by countless gamepads; maybe it’s my thumb being happily put to good use. But either way, it’s nice to find respite from these all-too-familiar wrist aches.
But this design won’t be for everyone. I still haven’t adapted to using the secondary buttons with my index finger after weeks of using the M575, for example. And often, I’m grateful that my cat is the only witness to my trying to wiggle the device to wake up my sleeping PC. It’s hard to undo decades of muscle memory from using more traditional pointing devices. Don’t expect to fully adapt to the Ergo M575 overnight.
Unfortunately, the Ergo M575 doesn’t quite work for me from an ergonomic perspective. I spend a lot of time reading, which means I use the scroll wheel quite a bit, and I’ve yet to find a way to comfortably rest my thumb on the trackball while my middle finger’s on the scroll wheel. That means I have to regularly shift my grip on the device, which is just disruptive enough for me to notice while I’m working. This usually results in my keeping my hand in an uncomfortable position.
It’s also a shame that I can’t quite get the precision from this trackball that I can from a conventional mouse. This is no surprise when it comes to gaming—no, I didn’t expect to be able to play first-person shooters with the Ergo M575—but it’s noticeable when selecting text as well. Either I end up selecting too few characters, which means I have to retype text, or I end up highlighting practically everything on the page. Neither outcome is desirable.
But it’s worth noting that these are largely personal issues. Someone with different-size hands who rarely needs to scroll through lots of text and select a small portion won’t encounter these problems. The Logitech Ergo M575 isn’t disappointing to me because it’s an abject failure; it’s more of a frustration that it comes so close to being something I’d like to use whenever I’m not playing a PC game.
As for who should consider the Ergo M575, if you’re a right-handed desk worker who’s experienced wrist or elbow discomfort after long sessions with your PC, it’s well worth taking a look. The M575 is more affordable than some of Logitech’s other ergonomic products, and it’s a solidly built device that hasn’t given me any problems from a wireless-connectivity or customizability standpoint. The four stars for general use comes from the PCMag “royal we”; my hands would also give it one-and-a-half opposable thumbs up.
