I couldn’t imagine working without this trackball mouse — and it’s 37% off for Black Friday

A picture of the ELECOM EX-G Pro with a Tom's Guide Black Friday deals badge — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The best part of working from home is that you can use whatever computer peripherals you want without getting odd glances from your coworkers or worse, a visit from the IT department. Besides one of the best mechanical keyboards, I highly doubt I’d be able to work the way I do without my trusty trackball mouse.

While I’ve tried trackball mice from Logitech like the MX Ergo, I stumbled upon the Japanese brand ELECOM late last year and I’ve never looked back. Right now, the ELECOM EX-G Pro is just $48 at Amazon. This is 37% off its normal price and while this may seem like a small discount, it’s actually an all-time low for this particular model.

Whether you have experience using one of the best mice or one of the best gaming mice, they all have one thing in common: you need to move your mouse to control the mouse cursor. With a trackball mouse, though, your mouse can rest firmly in place while all of the movement is done via your thumb or your pointer finger depending on their design. This frees up space on your desk while also reducing the chances that you might suffer a repetitive strain injury.

What I love about the ELECOM EX-G Pro after using it for a year now is the sheer amount of customization options available. With ELECOM’s Mouse Assistant software for Windows or Mac, you can tailor this mouse completely to your liking. For instance, I have the buttons at the top mapped to Enter and Backspace, the one in the middle set to quickly switch apps and of course, copy and paste mapped to the tilt buttons on the scroll wheel. These little tweaks let me work even faster and get more done without having to rely on keyboard shortcuts alone.

Even though I prefer it when the best PC game controllers have rechargeable batteries, the ELECOM EX-G Pro is powered by a single AA. This allows me to quickly swap out the battery and get right back to it without having to wait for the mouse to charge. I also like how there’s a compartment underneath the mouse to store the included 2.4 GHz USB dongle and that the ELECOM EX-G Pro has both a physical on/off switch as well as one for pairing.

If you’re tired of dragging a mouse across your desk or can’t stand the trackpad on your laptop, it might be time to give a trackball mouse a try. ELECOM also has some cheaper models like the EX-G ($25, Amazon) as well as some left-handed trackball mice that are also on sale as part of its Black Friday deals.

Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.