Goodbye Aches And Pains! Hello Whirl Mini Laser Mouse! {Review & Giveaway}

As a blogger, I am on the computer A LOT. Between my full time accounting job, and my blog, I spend at least 10 hours a day on the computer. At the end of the day, my hands and forearms are usually pretty sore.

I can finally say goodbye to aches and pains with the Whirl Mini Laser Mouse by Smartfish Technologies! The Whirl Laser Mouse is the only mouse with gravity defying comfort pivot technology, and is the world's first truly ergonomic compact mouse.

The ErgoMotion™ pivot system reduces your risk of Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) by adding motion! The magic of the function is how it naturally adapts to your hand motion rather than the other way around! While all other computer mice require your hand and wrist to remain in a fixed position, the Whirl™ Mini pivots naturally as you move, automatically changing it’s angle infinitely to match your wrist and hand. The mouse will lean, swivel or pivot with your movement so your hand and wrist are never in a fixed position, creating the most comfortable and healthy mousing experience ever.

I received a Whirl Mini Laser Mouse for review, but I had to leave the official review up to my husband. Even though I am on the computer A LOT, my husband probably logs more hours than I do. He is a web developer, and not only does he have a full time job, he does some contract work in the evenings also. At least during my work day, I get a break from the computer several times during the day to look at contracts, approve invoices, etc. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't get away from it much. Needless to say, as soon as the Whirl Mini Laser Mouse arrived, he snatched it right up. He takes it to work with him every day in his laptop case, and brings it back home every night. Here is what he had to say about it...

When I first saw the Whirl Mini ergonomic mouse, I wasn't sure how well I would like it due to it's unusual design. But over the last couple of years working as a software developer, I have started feeling the symptoms of RSI in my hands and wrists, so I figured I should at least give it a try.

The first feature I liked right off the bat was the "nano" style USB transceiver, similar to the mouse I was using. This is a must have feature in my mind, since it's small enough to leave plugged in all the time without worrying about it falling our or getting caught on something when moving your laptop. There is also a storage slot for the transceiver inside the mouse to prevent it from getting lost if you ever need to travel with it or pack it up for some reason. Another nice touch is that the mouse has an actual on/off switch, which is something I've rarely seen in a wireless mouse. It has a symmetrical design, so you can use it right-handed or left-handed.

The main tech specs are: 800 dpi, laser tracking, 2.4 GHz transceiver, Windows and Mac compatible. No problems there.

I decided to take the Whirl Mini to work, which is where 90% of my mousing is done. As with any ergonomic device, it takes a little time to adjust. The mouse is designed with a pivot mechanism which allows your hand and wrist a greater freedom of movement, which in theory should reduce the repetitiveness. At first I found myself consciously exaggerating my pivoting motions, but after a little while it became second nature. The mechanics are just right as well, with just enough resistance to keep the mouse from feeling floppy, but not so much that your natural motion is hampered.

I used the mouse for a couple of weeks in order to give it a thorough evaluation. My current trouble spots were some pain where my thumb meets the wrist, and numbness in the pinky side of my hand. I have had a noticeable improvement in the frequency of thumb pain, and the numbness is mildly better. The only downside I see is that the Whirl Mini is just a little bit too small for my hand for full time usage, but fortunately Smartfish also produced a full sized Whirl Laser mouse.

Overall I would definitely recommend the Whirl Mini as a great ergonomic travel mouse, or even a primary mouse for someone with smaller hands.

I did get to use it a couple of times, and I like the feel of it. I felt that it was a little more sensitive, but that would be easy to get used to.

I snapped a picture of Brian when I thought he was "working"...

...but little did I know he was playing games instead. This mouse is great for gaming too. If your hand stays comfortable, you may just get to that next level!

The Whirl Mini Laser Mouse is totally portable. The 2.4GHz nano-transceiver can be stored inside the mouse when you need to take it with you, but it's small enough to leave plugged in all the time.

It's the tiny one!

This mouse is very comfortable, and we both recommend it to anyone that is on the computer for long periods of time. The Whirl Mini Laser Mouse retails for $49.95, and can be purchased directly from Smartfish, or through other retailers such as Amazon. There are many colors to choose from.

~*~One of my readers is going to win a Whirl Mini Laser Mouse!~*~

Mandatory entry: (This must be done in order for any optional entries to count) Tell me why this mouse would benefit you.

Optional entries: After you make the mandatory first entry above, you can get one extra entry (unless stated otherwise) for each of the following (please leave a separate comment for each):

* Read about ErgoMotion and tell me something you learned
* Like Smartfish Technologies on Facebook
* Follow @GetSmartfish on Twitter
* Follow my blog publicly with Google Friend Connect (sidebar)
* Subscribe to my blog by email and confirm your subscription (sidebar)
* Like The Life of Rylie...and Bryce too! on Facebook (leave your first name and last initial)
* Share this post on Facebook by clicking the Facebook icon at the bottom of this post
* Follow @thelifeofrylie on Twitter (leave your user name)
* Tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting this tweet and leaving me the link to your tweet (you can tweet daily for an extra entry each day):

Say goodbye to aches and pains with the Whirl Mouse from @GetSmartfish! Enter to #win from @thelifeofrylie! http://bit.ly/mJcW2a #giveaway

* Post my button on your sidebar or your blog roll for TWO extra entries (leave me two comments with a link to where I can find it)
* Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post for THREE extra entries (leave a link to your post in three separate comments)

Giveaway will end on June 29th at 9:00pm EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org. I will notify the winner by email within 24 hours, and you will have 48 hours to respond. If no response is received within that time frame, I will pick another winner. Please leave your email address or make sure it is in your profile so I will have a way to contact you. I will announce the winner once they have been confirmed. This giveaway is open to residents of the US only.

Disclosure: This is my honest opinion. I received the Whirl Mini Laser Mouse at no cost for the purpose of this review. A big Thank You to Smartfish Technologies for providing the giveaway prize!