Hand size and mice.

B

Bop

2[H]4U
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Oct 1, 2003
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I've probably tried more than a dozen gaming mice over the past 6-7 years or so, and I've usually encountered the same issue with all of them: they always seem just a tiny bit too large. I prefer to claw or fingertip mice, but I usually fatigue quickly since they're just by the smallest bit too big. My hands are not small by any means. (EDIT: I guess I do have small hands after all...)

This got me thinking that it may be a neat idea to make a thread about hand sizes and mice (along with your type of grip) to help aid future mice buyers.

I'll start:

Hand Length: 17cm
Hand Width: 8.5cm
Mouse: Razer Abyssus (bound to change)
Grip: Fingertip
 
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Hand Length: 19cm
Hand Width: 11cm
Mouse: Logitech G9
Grip: Fingertip

Probably the smallest mouse I ever used which was a big thumbs down when I received it, but damn does it kick ass when you get accustomed to it. Very comfortable and accurate! Wish I picked up an extra one when Bestbuy had them in the online outlet.
 
Hand Length: 22cm
Hand Width: 12.5cm
Mouse: Microsoft Sidewinder x8, Sharkoon Fireglider, Mionix Naos, Logitech G9, Logitech Performance MX, Logitech MX Revolution, Giga-byte M8000x, Roccat Kone, Cooler Master Storm Sentinel Advance... soon to add Speedlink Kudos and Cyborg RAT7. I have multiple older mice as well... MX700, iFeel mouseman, G7, G5?, you name it... I tend to steer clear of Razer and SteelSeries though... QC issues.

Grip: depends on mouse, usually 'claw' or fingertip, but some mice like the x8 force me to palm the mouse more, and this is a good thing IMO, as it takes some of the stress off of the fingers.. my G9 actually made my second knuckle on my middle finger hurt and bind up after a while.

Pinky-finger tip to thumb tip while fingers spread out: 25.5cm

Of the ones I own, I would stay the hell away from the x8 for sure... great for the big paws like myself, but hell for smaller hands (I have heard, read, and can imagine). Now, I may not be able to suggest the best based on my own hand size, but I have been doing some work in ergonomics (researching for making my own mouse) and I am a mouse whore.

I suggest the Sharkoon Fireglider... it has a slightly narrower back end with thumb buttons set up higher (easier for you to reach perhaps). Its $39 at zipzoomfly and underpriced for what it is. Its front end is wider, like the buttons on a classic razor or mamba, but that doesn't mean your fingers have to spread out like that too. The rather skinny 'waist' of the mouse is what I think might work for you.

If you prefer a shape more like the Performance MX or MX Revolution, the Giga-byte M8000x is identical in shape but less bulky since its not wireless.
 
Hand size: 19.75cm (7.78")
Mouse(s): Razer Imperator, Alienware TactX, Razer Copperhead, Logitech LS1
Grip style: Fingertip & sometimes relaxing into palm rest

Bop said:
My hands are not small by any means...

...Hand Length: 17cm
Hand Width: 8.5cm
Click to expand...

Don't get a complex about this, but if you are measuring properly your glove size is definitely small or extra small in men's adult or unisex sizes. My own measurement comes out at just below 20cm, and I've always been between medium and small glove sizes (it depends on manufacturer and whether the size is given in men's or unisex) See how to measure here: http://www.glove.org/glovemeasure.php and scroll down to the diagrams A & B, you also see the photo on this one: http://www.glovesonhand.co.uk/wa/1/43/1286-Sizes.html The length and circumference measurements should be identical.


Bop said:
I've usually encountered the same issue with all of them: they always seem just a tiny bit too large
Click to expand...
If your dilemma is figuring out what other mice will suit you, first you have to acknowledge that you do have 'small' hands - not in any way unusual, as you would expect most people are in the small/medium/large range. So disregard large mice (most Microsoft and a lot of the heavily contoured designs that are intended for palm grip) and look for compact designs. I can offer a couple of tips: Razer Imperator will not suit you. For me it's very close to perfect, but my nitpick with this one is wanting it to be a few mm shorter so that my thumb just rests perfectly around the grip.

Alienware TactX might be close to perfect for you. It's very compact, it is definitely more of a finger tip design (G9x would be the right size also, but I don't care for any of the grips on that one)
 
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Length: 19cm
Width: 9cm
Mouse: Sidewinder X3 / Was DeathAdder, and before that, IntelliMouse 3.0
Grip: Claw

History:
After dumping my old bulky IM3.0 for the DeathAdder, the DeathAdder lasted about 9 months before the click button went bad and started double-clicking on single-click. I bought this Sidewinder X3 and haven't looked back. It's got enough DPI and I prefer its size and shape to the DeathAdder.
 
IanM said:
Alienware TactX might be close to perfect for you. It's very compact, it is definitely more of a finger tip design (G9x would be the right size also, but I don't care for any of the grips on that one)
Click to expand...

Hmm, I didn't consider my hand small but it does seem like I have the smallest hands so far. The original G9 was one of the mice I tried, but it was just a tad too wide for a fingertip grip in my hands. I'll check out the TactX though, it sounds intriguing.

undertheradar said:
I suggest the Sharkoon Fireglider...
Click to expand...

Do you know if the sensor on the Fireglider is any good for low sensitivity players? (I play @ 400dpi, sens 2.6 in source games) A google search revealed it uses the Agilent ADNS-6010, but I can't find info on the tracking speed.

I would have stuck with the SS Kinzu, but it has a terrible sensor and high friction feet.
 
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Bop said:
The original G9 was one of the mice I tried, but it was just a tad too wide for a fingertip grip in my hands. I'll check out the TactX though, it sounds intriguing.
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The 'hip' i.e. the wide point on the top of the TactX is 62mm-63mm, but it tapers inward down the sides. The thumb rest is more obviously recessed, but the pinky rest is subtly contoured as well, so maybe the tumb and pinky contact points are only 57mm-58mm apart.
 
IanM said:
The 'hip' i.e. the wide point on the top of the TactX is 62mm-63mm, but it tapers inward down the sides. The thumb rest is more obviously recessed, but the pinky rest is subtly contoured as well, so maybe the tumb and pinky contact points are only 57mm-58mm apart.
Click to expand...

The most important thing is ring finger placement; on the larger mice the knuckles on my middle and ring finger get extremely sore and that pain can persist for days once it starts. I always place my ring finger on the right side of any mouse. Newegg has a sale on the G500 ($40 after rebate) so I was thinking of trying that next, but it's probably another large hand mouse, correct?
 
The g500 is alright shape wise, they fixed the thumb rest compared to the older generations, however it's still not quite perfect and extremely heavy.
 
Bop said:
Hmm, I didn't consider my hand small but it does seem like I have the smallest hands so far. The original G9 was one of the mice I tried, but it was just a tad too wide for a fingertip grip in my hands. I'll check out the TactX though, it sounds intriguing.



Do you know if the sensor on the Fireglider is any good for low sensitivity players? (I play @ 400dpi, sens 2.6 in source games) A google search revealed it uses the Agilent ADNS-6010, but I can't find info on the tracking speed.

I would have stuck with the SS Kinzu, but it has a terrible sensor and high friction feet.
Click to expand...

Well, the feet on the Fireglider are perhaps the slickest of them all. The DPI settings at the low end are 100, 400, 600, 800, .... so yeah, its got a low end. The 'waist' of the mouse, where the back thumb button is, is 62mm wide at its widest point. Rather than flaring out at this point, it actually curves around to the bottom so you can really get your fingers around the mouse more than just on top of it.

You know, I forgot about this before since I dont own it personally... but this is sorta the 'baby' or mobile version of their flagship mouse...
Roccat Pyra, 9.5cm long by 6cm wide:
http://www.medusa-usa.com/roccat-pyra-mobile-wired-gaming-mouse-p-990.html

So its gaming grade, but very small. Along those lines you also have the Logitech VX Revolution, no longer in production, but should still be easy to find... a smaller notebook version of the MX Revolution but still a good mouse.
 
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I'm probably gonna get flak for this but... try the Razer Lachesis. Its shape encourages you to fingertip/claw it. It's about 6cm wide at the palm area, and you can place your fingers about 2 cm from the top edge of the mouse without any difference in effort required to click.

I picked up the Lachesis today on a whim and it turns out I like it much better. I guess my grip is the "claw" where the back of the mouse is against the inside of my palm and my index and ring fingers are arched slightly so that only the area with my fingerprints touches the buttons.

My previous mouse was the MX700/MX1100 (which basically have the same shape) that I "palmed" where my whole index and middle finger were resting on the mouse. It was quite unwieldy to move the mouse around because you have to use more effort moving around a "palmed" mouse versus a "clawed" mouse, which obviously affects accuracy and reaction time.

I do like the "palm" mice for browsing the web and whatnot when I want to be lazy, but for gaming the "claw" is definitely the way to go.

Edit: Oh, my hand size.. uhh
Hand Length: ~17cm
Hand Width: ~9cm
 
Bop said:
it has a terrible sensor and high friction feet.
Click to expand...
If everything else is good, feet can be improved with a bit of glidez tape (obviously not worth bothering with Kinzu if the sensor is no good)

Bop said:
The most important thing is ring finger placement; on the larger mice the knuckles on my middle and ring finger get extremely sore and that pain can persist for days once it starts. I always place my ring finger on the right side of any mouse.
Click to expand...
just to clarify - it is joint pain that is the problem? can you get a photo of the way you normally hold a mouse? I'm not sure if you are holding the mouse in an unusual way, or if your fingers are tensed at an unnatural angle. Your description of the ring finger resting on the side of the mouse sounds a little odd, or do you really mean resting over the right button? I expect most people would constantly be covering the buttons as:
index finger : left button
middle finger : middle button & scroll wheel
ring finger : right button​
but perhaps you only use two fingers for buttons?
index finger : left button + middle button
middle finger : right button
ring finger : not used/resting​
or
index finger : left button
middle finger : right button + middle button
ring finger : not used/resting​

I'm worried about giving you bad advice now, forums might not be the best place if you are suffering from a medical issue.

Do you need to look for something unconventional? This probably isn't right for gaming as it's wireless, but maybe the shape would suit you better: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=086
 
I think you'll have to adjust to a fingertip + palm style to relieve that ring finger ache. My main movement is with fingertips, but gravitates to top of the palm for resting. The G9's shape is perfect for me because of this + having a wrist rest helps too.
 
OK, forget the TactX for now. I just tried to copy your style and it's absolutely crippling, I think because the side of the TactX tapers inwards from the top. Also, the Imperator is barely any better this way. Two thoughts occur:

  1. perhaps you actually need to find something wider! not smaller/narrower. My thinking is that you might benefit from having a wider platform to rest the ring finger on, whilst leaving the little finger to steer from the side. Nothing ideal springs to mind, but I'm thinking something like this, preferably without the step from the right button http://www.shop-016.de/raptor-p76h1s2-RAPTOR-GAMING-M3-PLA.html
  2. if you haven't tried already, can you adapt your grip to place three fingers over the buttons and use the use your ring finger to do control button presses? That might give you a more natural shape overall? The way I see it the pain may be coming from too much strain on your fingers as they are held at too much of an angle - middle & ring finger pointing too far toward the right.
 
I guess I will have to switch grips. I'm not too happy about that though. I lose a whole ton of precision and speed by not using my ring finger for control. (I've been using that grip since I was a kid with an old Logitech 2-button ball mouse) I tend to tense my fingers in this grip. I guess age and overuse finally caught up to me.

I have a ton of mice to try to accustom to with that type of grip, but all of them have that just a tad too large feel. The Ikari would have been perfect, but it stretches the gap between the middle and ring finger. It's between the Deathadder, Xai, and Wheel Mouse Optical right now. (Or a G500 if it feels nice)

EDIT: All this makes me feel like manufacturers should make the same mouse shape in different sizes according to glove size... it would certainly grab some attention. I guess that is partially what the RAT is going for but as long as it is heavy and uses the Phillips Twin-Eye sensor I'm staying away.
 
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Well, the Roccat Pyra and Logitech VX Revolution are just that... mini versions of their larger siblings, which is why I suggested them. As I go through my mice, I realized that the Speedlink Kudos has a very narrow grip to it... enough that its why I dont like it, but I think that means you might. Its narrower than the Roccat Kone, Sharkoon Fireglider, Sentinel Storm, Naos 5000, etc... thats for sure.
 
Anyone who happens to have my hand size and grip definitely check out the Roccat Pyra and Kova. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

The larger Kova feels really good but has angle snapping. The Pyra would be perfect if it was just a teeny bit longer to extend a little into the palm for stability. This is the best I feel I'm going to get though.
 
Hand Length: 20cm
Hand Width: 10cm
Mouse: Logitech G9x (just bought it)
Grip: partial fingertip (claw)

i have found every mouse i've had to be too small. i had been looking around and narrowed it down to two choices, the Logitech G9x and the Microsoft Habu. i checked the website of each company respectively and also a review of each mouse on youtube.
the G9x is smaller (read shorter) than most mice. at first i thought this would be inconvenient, but after having played a few hours of Crysis with it, it's quite comfortable. i also have a Razer Goliathus Control mouse pad now which is so much more comfortable than the Razer Sphex Gaming Grade Desktop skin and other generic mouse pads.
the customizability is very handy, though i do have a few issues with it which i won't go into here since it would be OT.
 
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Hmm

Hand Length: 19cm
Hand Width: 9cm
Mouse: MX518
Grip: Palm for everything except when I move my mouse up and down or am scrolling which is when I guess it turns to claw grip.

My mouse and wrist don't move from its spot on the mouse pad. Its just after a prolonged use of the mouse, my palm may get sweaty :X. My pinky doesn't touch the mouse at all unless I'm scrolling with my middle finger as I move my 3 fingers after the index finger over to the left by one.
 
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