Logitech MX Ergo trackball review

Our Verdict

72%

A well-built trackball that feels comfortable in your hand, although the small thumb-operated trackball isn’t that accurate in use.

At the top of Logitech’s trackball pile is the Logitech MX Ergo, which sets itself apart from the range with its generally premium build quality and support for Logitech’s Options+ software. The latter includes features such as Logitech Flow, which lets you copy and paste data between different computers.

The trackball itself is a thumb-operated design, where the whole portion of the trackball that sits under your hand and fingers feels much like a normal, though oversized, mouse. This makes it immediately familiar to mouse users, with the left and right click buttons and the scroll wheel, all sitting in their usual places.

The bulbous design is particularly comfortable, with your palm well supported and no need to bend your fingers. The back and right sides of the top also have a thick rubber coating that grips your palm, so little effort is required to keep your hand in place. It suits a variety of hand sizes, though those with smaller hands may need to occasionally shift up their hand when using a relaxed hand position.

The Ergo sits on a weighty steel plate, which is rubberized on its underside to grip your desk, and magnetically attaches to the trackball. A raised notch in the plate acts as a pivot point, allowing you to tip the trackball either flat against the desk or at a 20-degree angle. The latter is generally considered the better option for reducing RSI and is indeed the one we found more comfortable.

Inside the Ergo is a rechargeable battery that should last up to four months, (depending on how often the trackball is used) and is recharged via a micro-USB socket on the front – a Type-C USB port would be preferable these days. There are no features on the underside of the Ergo, such as a stowage area for the USB receiver, which is a shame.

On top of the Ergo there are four buttons. alongside the main left and right click buttons, plus the scroll wheel can be pressed down and tilted left and right. Only six of these can be programmed to perform different functions – the two small buttons to the left of the left click (default to back and forward), the tilt and press buttons of the scroll wheel, and the side button just behind the trackball (defaults to changing DPI). Meanwhile, the button behind the scroll wheel is dedicated to switching between connected devices (one via the receiver and one via Bluetooth).

While the Ergo is comfortable in your hand, though, the relatively small 34mm ball and reliance on only your thumb for movement makes it feel less accurate than trackballs that use multiple fingers to move the ball, such as the Kensington Expert and Eleco M-HT1DRBK. Moreover, it’s fatiguing for the thumb – finger-operated trackballs are more accessible for those with dexterity issues.

As for the Options+ software, it’s a neat addition that makes it easy to use a single pointer for connecting to any Windows, MacOS or iPadOS device. The Logitech Flow feature allows you to copy and paste files or any other highlighted elements between connected systems too, which is very useful for some workflows.

Logitech MX Ergo pros and cons

Pros

• Comfortable shape for most hand sizes
• Useful software features
• Can pair with multiple devices at once

Cons

• Thumb trackball is tiring for the thumb
• Less accurate than multi-finger trackball designs
• Not suited to small hands

Logitech MX Ergo specs

The Logitech MX Ergo specs list is:

Logitech MX Ergo price

The Logitech MX Ergo is $65, making it a mid-priced trackball but with a decent number of features.

Price: Expect to pay $65 (£65).

Logitech MX Ergo review conclusion

The Logitech MX Ergo is a well-built device that will make for an easy transition for any mouse users thanks to its familiar layout. Its software features are also genuinely useful. However, it can be difficult to make the single small thumb-operated trackball work accurately, and it requires more effort to roll than larger, finger-operated models.

For more trackball options, check out our best trackball guide.

Do you own the Logitech MX Ergo? If so, what do you make of it? let us know your thoughts and questions via the Custom PC Facebook page, Twitter page, or by joining our 400,000+ member Custom PC and Gaming Setup Facebook group.