Vertical Mouse Size Guide: How to Measure Your Hand
A vertical mouse wraps around your whole hand, so size matters more than it does with a flat mouse. Too small, and your fingers hang off the front. Too big, and you stretch to reach the buttons. Here's how to measure and what the numbers on listings mean.
How to measure your hand
You need a ruler or a tape measure. It takes 30 seconds.
- Lay your hand flat on a table, fingers together.
- Find the crease where your wrist meets your palm.
- Measure in a straight line from that crease to the tip of your middle finger.
That number is your hand length. Write it down in inches and centimeters. Some listings also give a hand width: measure straight across your palm at the knuckles, not counting your thumb.
What "small", "medium" and "large" really mean
There's no industry standard. Each brand picks its own ranges, and the same word can mean different sizes. Here's what a few real listings say:
| Mouse | Listed for | Stated size |
|---|---|---|
| Logitech Lift | Small to medium right hands | No number given |
| ProtoArc EM11 NL | Small to medium hands | Hand length under 7.5 in (19.05 cm) |
| Amazon Basics vertical mouse | Medium to large hands | Palm length over 6.7 in (17 cm), width over 3.2 in (8.1 cm) |
| Delux M618PLUS | Large hands | Hand length 6.7 to 7.5 in (170 to 190 mm), width 3.1 to 3.9 in |
| ProtoArc EM11 Pro | Large hands | Hand length 7.5 to 8.5 in (19 to 21.5 cm) |
Look at the Delux and ProtoArc rows. Both say "large hands", but one tops out at 7.5 inches and the other starts there. If your hand is 8 inches long, only one of them is sized for you. That's why the number matters more than the word.
A rough guide by hand length
Use this as a starting point, then check the listing you're looking at:
- Under about 7 inches: look for "small" or "small to medium" models.
- About 7 to 7.5 inches: most "medium" vertical mice fit. You're at the top of some "small to medium" ranges.
- 7.5 inches and up: look for a model that states a range starting at 7.5 inches or higher.
If you're right on a boundary, think about how you hold a mouse. If you like your whole palm resting on it, go for the bigger size. If you mostly steer with your fingertips, the smaller size may feel quicker.
When the listing gives no number
Many listings say "medium to large" or "fits a variety of hand sizes" and stop there. A few ways to get a better idea:
- Look for the mouse's size. Length and width in the product details give you a hint, though box size sometimes gets listed by mistake.
- Check the brand's own site. Some brands publish a sizing chart that the Amazon listing leaves out.
- Look at the sibling models. If a brand sells a "large" version, its standard model is probably sized for medium hands.
Small hands
Small hands have the same problem in reverse: many vertical mice are built for medium or large hands. ProtoArc's EM11 NL is listed for hands under 7.5 inches, and Logitech markets its Lift for small to medium hands. Measure the same way and look for a stated upper limit.
Left or right hand
Every vertical mouse is shaped for one hand. All five in our comparison are right-handed. If you're left-handed, search for a left-handed model by name, since the size range for the left-handed version may be different.
Give it time
A vertical mouse feels strange for the first few days, even when it's the right size. ProtoArc suggests about 1 to 2 weeks of regular use. A mouse that still feels too small or too big after that is probably the wrong size, not just new.
For five vertical mice compared on stated hand size, connection and battery, see our vertical mouse for large hands comparison. If you're still deciding whether to switch at all, read vertical mouse vs regular mouse.