Ingenious ErgoFlip mouse works for righties and lefties [Review] ★★★½☆

By David Snow • 7:30 am, August 10, 2023

If you’ve ever suffered hand or wrist discomfort from long sessions at the computer, you probably wished you could switch mousing hands, or maybe use a trackball device. Now Targus has addressed that very issue in ingenious fashion with its new ErgoFlip wireless mouse.

With a magnetic top and a stationary base, the mouse lets you “flip” it anytime you want, using a comfortable, ergonomic grip with either hand, with no need to adjust for right- and left-clicking.

Targus delivers the new ErgoFlip EcoSmart Mouse on two main selling points.

Unboxing the ErgoFlip is simple. It comes in minimal recycled packaging, and that’s clear at a glance. Plus Targus makes a big deal about how the mouse and packaging are made of 85% recycled materials, which is wonderful.

The egg-carton-like box flares at top and bottom so the paper label stays on. Once you rip through it and open the box, you get the mouse wrapped in recycled plastic and a slim paper User Guide — that’s it, not counting the documentation notice. There’s very little plastic overall.

And the other win for the environment here is the mouse’s use of Low Energy Bluetooth, which reduces power consumption.

The mouse, which comes with a AA battery installed, works with macOS, iOS, Windows and Android devices.

Its “BlueTrace” technology makes it track on most surfaces. I found it worked fine on my leather desk mat/mouse pad, on glass and on metal surfaces.

And you can easily press a button on the underside to set your DPI preference to 1000 DPI (slow-rolling cursor), 2000 DPI, 3000 DPI or 4000 DPI (lightning-quick cursor). I tend to go for a brisk but not frenetic 3,000 DPI.

So off I went, trying the mouse with both hands.

In my long history of mousing, I’ve had my share of repetitive strain injury (RSI), which caused me to switch hands, use trackball devices and even seek medical attention.

I’m pretty sure back in the day I moused mostly right-handed, but when I do that now the fatigue sets in quickly and reminds me of RSI. So I prefer the left hand. I have some amibidexterity anyway, being one of those oddballs who throws and bats with one hand (right) and eats, writes and draws mostly with the other (left).

Lately I’ve been using an excellent Logitech MX Anywhere 3 mouse, mostly left-handed. But because it’s not designed strictly for one hand, it’s pretty easy to switch it.

So it was actually weird for me to try a mouse designed for the left hand (when “flipped” to that position).

I lifted off the magnetic top and placed it back in left-handed position. Rather than simply turning or twisting, you lift it off entirely and replace facing the opposite way. Magnets hold it tight.

I quickly noticed that using the Logi mouse left-handed had gotten me used to left-clicking and right-clicking differently. So the ErgoFlip seemed backwards even though it wasn’t. I kept right-clicking when I wanted to left-click. But it’s something I began getting used to quickly.

Stranger than the left- and -right-clicking for me was the mouse’s thick feel with either hand. It’s considerably taller than the Logi and a little longer. It just feels bigger. I tend to handle the smaller Logi mouse with my fingertips and the Targus with my whole hand. It’s bulky.

That said, Targus’ new mouse is cleverly designed with ergonomic features. The top lifts off the base at an angle, and you turn it around and snap it back in place on the base, which has the stationary thumb rest on it.

So once you make that “flip,” you mouse with your hand — either one — resting at a comfortable angle. The new mouse is simple and ingenious. And it might even save you some pain.

Price: $59.99

Where to buy: Targus or CDW

Targus provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.

★★★☆☆