How to Choose a Trackball

Most Important: Comfort

The most important thing when buying a trackball is comfort. How does it physically fit your hand. All other aspects of trackball are less important than comfort. When a trackball's ball size, position, button position, are designed in a way that you find it hard to operate, then it is a major pain.

Thumb Ball vs Index Finger Ball

Trackballs have many different designs and shapes. One major difference is thumb-operated ball vs index-finger operated ball.

• Slimblade Trackball
• Logitech M575 Trackball

Index finger ball is easier to use than the thumb ball. Because, with index finger ball, you can use the whole hand to move the ball. Thumb based design have the ball on the side, and you must use thumb.

How to Avoid Hand Stress When Using Index Finger Trackball

• Do not bend wrist side to side.
• Move Your Whole Hand.

How to Avoid Hand Stress When Using Thumb Trackball

Some people got thumb pain when using thumb ball for years.

• If you use a thumb ball, try not to move your thumb too much. Instead, move your whole hand.
• If you use a index finger ball, try not to move your wrist left/right too much. Instead, move your whole hand.

Get One with Mechanical Scroll Wheel

Be sure to get one with mechanical scroll wheel or ring.

• Logitech MX Ergo Trackball
• Kensington Orbit + Ring

• Some trackballs have a touch-sensitive ring, it's no good. It is not as precise as scroll wheel, and have problems when your finger is sweaty.
• Some trackballs let you hold one button and the ball becomes scroll wheel. That's no good. It's awkward to use and induce stress on hand.

Buttons Placement, Side vs Top

I personally prefer all buttons on top.

Buttons on the side forces you to grab the thing, creates more hand pronation issue, and you have to use thumb muscle to press.

Buttons on top means you can press with help of gravity. Or, hit it with tensed index finger in a nail-driving posture to reduce using finger muscle movement. Or, hit large buttons with palm.

• Nulea M505 Trackball

Trackball Sensitivity, Speed (DPI)

One thing about trackball is how far or fast it can move pointer.

In computer mouse, this is called DPI (dot per inch) (aka CPI, for Counts Per Inch).

Trackball also has DPI, but is not a good measure for speed or sensitivity on trackball. Because different trackballs have different ball sizes, and have different exposed areas, and some can spin better than others.

Instead of counting DPI, a more practical way to judge trackball usability is to rotate the ball half a circle, or whatever exposed area of the ball, and see how far the pointer moves.

• Ball size: the larger the ball, the less it needs to expose its surface.
• Ball friction: the less friction, the less it needs to expose its surface.

• L-Trac Trackball
• GameBall

In the end, you just want to roll the ball and feel it.

Note, you can use the operating system to adjust pointer speed, however some old trackball such as the Logitech Trackman Marble from year 2004 is too low in DPI. On MacOS, even if you turn speed all the way up, it's still too slow.

Trackball Static Friction (Stiction)

• Trackball Static Friction (Stiction)

Can the Ball Spin

When you buy a trackball, the less the ball friction, the better.

• Trackballs That Can Spin