When it comes to computer peripherals, I feel much the same as I do stationary – you can never have enough. I've worked in an office environment for well over a decade now, and have used a variety of different mouse designs in that time. Over the years I have come to realise just how much I rely on one, and how much a mouse's performance can impact my daily output.
I work predominantly from a laptop, for everything from surfing the web to photo and video editing, so having a wireless ergonomic mouse is a must. As a newbie to using a vertical mouse, I was worried incorporating the Logitech Lift into my workflow would be a steep learning curve and slow me down somewhat. But I needn't have been. Within minutes of using it, it felt like an extension of my hand, gliding around my desk like a hot knife through butter. Yes, it's fair to say I'm sold. Here's why...
Logitech Lift review: Key specifications
Logitech Lift review: Design & build
Being completely honest, when I first saw the Logitech Lift I wasn't sold. I mean, it's not that it looks bad, it's just so different to what I'm used to with a traditional mouse. It has an unusual look, which has grown on me, mostly because its such a joy to use.
It is available in three colours - rose, off-white and graphite - however the latter is the only one available for left-handed use. It stands at 71mm (2.8-inches) high, and has a broad, oval-shaped base (70 x 108mm) to accommodate and stabilise its height. The mouse is tapered at the front, to allow your fingers to naturally wrap around it and sit comfortably next to the left and right buttons and scroll wheel. The mouse overall sits at a 57-degree angle, which Logitech calls optimal for placing you in a 'natural handshake position', and creates optimal posture.
I don't know how much better for you the design of the Lift is over a traditional mouse, but I will say I find it a much more comfortable to use. And despite having never used a vertical mouse before, my hand wrapped around it naturally, and within minutes I never wanted to be without it. The almost-all plastic device has an added touch of luxury, with a soft, ribbed rubber finish around the back for added comfort and grip.
The Lift has been designed specifically for small to medium-sized hands, which you can measure using a guide on the Logitech website. I have quite large hands and long fingers, so I wasn't sure this would be a good fit. But it does, just. Any bigger, particularly the length of my fingers, and the Lift wouldn't be comfortable to use. I love the dedicated thumb rest, although my thumb fills every millimetre of its length.
The Lift has six mappable buttons: left/right click, back/forward, middle button, and a scroll-wheel with middle click. Underneath, you'll the power switch, battery compartment door and the connectivity button, which lets you easily switch between devices. A very small bugbear is the placement of this button, and how getting to it often meant me accidentally pressing one of the others by mistake when gripping harder to turn it upside down.
Logitech Lift review: Features & Performance
One of the Lift's best features is connectivity (even if the button isn't the most accessible). Its range is vast (up to 10m via Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless) when you consider how much it costs. This seems a bit overkill (because why would you ever be that far away?), but it ensures a highly accurate and quick response, and performance isn't affected when connected to more than one device at a time (the Lift supports up to three).
To save the hassle of pressing the connectivity button each time you want to switch between devices, the Logi+ app has a Flow function, which enables you to move from one device to another simply by placing the cursor at the edge of the screen.
This app is definitely worth downloading if you want the buttons to do functions specific to your workflow. For example, you could set one of them to adjust the DPI in increments of 100 (a higher DPI means the cursor will move faster and cover more screen distance with less physical movement). I set the front and back button to undo/redo to help save time when photo editing, but they could also be great for easily adjusting volume.
When it comes to actual use, I was surprised at how quickly this mouse became a must-have for me, particularly as I've never used a vertical mouse before. It just feels really comfortable and natural to use, which is testament to its ergonomic design. It glides beautifully across my desk - smooth and accurate, it genuinely is a pleasure to use. The buttons are within easy reach, and all are super quiet. The only one I had slight difficulty using was the button on the scroll wheel, on which I had to apply much more pressure to activate.
The absence of a cable means the only way the device can be charged is via one AA battery, which, depending on how heavy your usage is, can last up to 24 months before needing to be replaced.
Logitech Lift review: Price
The combination of a frankly excellent ergonomic design and impressive features for $69 / £69 is, I think, excellent value. Sure, you can get cheaper vertical mice, but none that have the same level of functionality. The Logitech Lift feels like a premium product, which should cost more. When you consider the length of use you'll get from this, and the potential joint pain it could save you, it's a very worthy investment.
Should I buy the Logitech Lift?
If you have small to medium-sized hands (by Logitech's standards), this is arguably one of the best vertical mice on the market right now. Its ergonomic design helps position your upper body into a more natural position, reducing the stress using a mouse for long periods of time can put on your joints.
The level of functionality means you can customise the device to your workflow in more ways that one, making those every day repetitive tasks that much easier and quicker. And it does so without any messy cables and at a very affordable price.
