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ALC Wireless Connect Plus home security system review

REVIEW – For many years, I have invested in several different home security systems aimed at providing safety for me and family that includes threats from human intruders, fire, carbon monoxide, etc. My current system works quite well with a few annoying features and failures, and a growing monthly monitoring charge. I was recently offered the opportunity to review a home security system that seemed like it could accommodate most of my security needs albeit not all. Nevertheless, I was eager to try it, knowing that depending on what features were missing, I could possibly find solutions that would ultimately keep me satisfied and eliminate that pesky monthly charge. Here is how it went:

What is it?

The ALC Wireless Connect Plus kit (AHS627-23) is a home/premise security system/kit with a base package that includes the necessary equipment and features for basic security. Optional add-ons are available to enhance the system.

What’s in the box


1 x Control Hub with AC Adapter
1 x Ethernet Cable
1 x Wireless Camera with AC Adapter – 1080P HD
1 x Camera Mounting Bracket (Adhesive pads and screws included)
1 x Motion Detector (Battery and adhesive Pads included)
2 x Power Switch
2 x Door/Window Sensors with Batteries (Adhesive Pads and screws included)
2 x Remote Controls
3 x Quick Start Guides (English, French, Spanish)
2 x Warning Stickers
1 x Warranty Leaflet
1 x Micro SD Card with SD Adapter

What I need in a Security System

  • The ability to expand to include several entry/exit sensors, motion sensors, cameras and sirens
  • A built-in notification for entry/exit sensors that can be enabled/disabled
  • A control panel that includes a keypad that can manage all functionality
  • Available accessories like a smoke/carbon monoxide detector, water leak detector, etc that can be easily integrated into the existing system
  • HD cameras that work well and provide clear images even in very low light/darkness
  • If a dedicated live view monitor is available, it should include Wi-Fi and a built-in rechargeable battery so that it is mobile
  • DVR capability in the cameras, via the local network and optional cloud storage
  • Capable of smart-home integration with Alexa, Google Assistant, etc
  • The Option of DIY or paid monitoring

Design and features

Specifications

• Frequency: 916 MHz up to 500ft.
• Maximum Pairable Sensors: 36
• Maximum Pairable Cameras: 4
• Modes: Arm (Away), Arm (Stay), Disarm
• Remote status and camera viewing on iOS and Android Connect Plus App

The ALC Wireless Connect Plus Security System is much like the typical alarm system with the main control box, a camera, and door and window sensors that monitor opening/closing, and a motion sensor. In addition, with this system, 2 power switches are included and they are (or will be) compatible with Alexa, Nest and Google Assistant. ALC also includes quick setup guides in 3 languages, English, French and Spanish, and window security stickers for those that want to display the presence of the system. Unlike most control panels that I have seen and worked with, this Control Hub is the central communication brain for all of the linked devices, but it does not feature a keypad nor any other type of interactive interface other than via the ALC app. On the top/front of the device, there are 2 LEDs that indicate power and connectivity. On the back, there is the AC jack, a reset button, and the Ethernet jack.


The camera is a pan/tilt wireless camera. On the back there is the wireless antenna jack that accommodates the antenna, a power jack, an Ethernet port for hard wiring, a micro SD slot for on-board recording, a power LED and a reset button.

The door/windows sensors are the typical sensors, as is the motion sensor.


The system comes with 2 remote controls that allow you to arm and to disarm the alarm in both away and stay modes, and a panic button.

Performance

App

The app works very well and is nicely designed and easy to use. It allows you to add/remove devices, view cameras, trigger/retrieve recordings, set notification triggers/contacts and set up scenarios for multiple actions to be triggered based on an initial action by the system. Speaking with someone remotely via the app through the camera, and seeing them in front of the camera is a crystal clear experience for both parties and for both the audio and video, with very little latency that is hardly noticeable. Here are some screens from the app:




Arming and disarming the device both from the app and the remote controls is very easy, and the notification that you receive via email and text is just about instantaneous. As previously mentioned, there is no keypad on the control hub, so all functions must be controlled via the app or remote. The camera image is really crisp and clear and works very well even in darkness. The following is a screen capture from the app at 9:25 in the morning with the blinds still closed and no lights are on so it is still quite dark inside.

As shown in the picture below, once I open the blinds and there is sufficient light, the images show in color and are still very bright and clear.

I found that the motion detector was not as sensitive in terms of the distance from a moving object as some of the others I have tried. This could be good or bad depending on your desired level of sensitivity. Just recently, I armed the system and left the house. Shortly thereafter, I received an alert on my phone that the alarm had triggered. I have cameras from another surveillance system pointed at my kitchen and windows and doors. (This system only has one camera installed). I was able to see from my cameras that all was well in terms of an emergency. When I got home, I checked to see what had triggered the alarm, and it was my kid’s balloon that was filled with helium and had floated in front of the motion sensor. Thankfully, and perfect for my needs, this security system only supports DIY monitoring and can send notifications to multiple phones/email addresses. It will NOT contact the police or fire department in the event of an alarm being triggered, which is what I want for now to prevent a costly police/fire false alarm and possible resulting fines. The way it works and the fact that it almost instantaneously notifies me both by text and email, allow me to take a quick look via the cameras and then determine the need for an emergency response.

As I continue to use and test the system, I must mention that the customer service and support for this company are excellent. They responded quickly even in the evening and adequately answered my questions. The most impressive response was when I inquired about the entry/exit chime notification. Here is a record of some of the conversations:

My question:

“I have one of the Connect Plus systems and the Observer HD AWS3377 system. Can I configure them so that I can see the Connect Plus Camera on the Observer HD monitor and app, and the Observer HD cameras on the Connect Plus app?”

ALC response:

“The 2 systems actually run different protocols. The Connect Plus uses 915Mhz radio frequency to contact the sensors, while the Observer HD system uses 2.4Ghz radio frequency to get the video feeds. The sensors themselves do not require a large bandwidth, therefore we could use a lower, more penetrable frequency. With video, however, the data size is much larger so we tend to use 2.4Ghz for that purpose.

However, if you get SightHD cameras – these cameras are WiFi, and therefore can be pulled into the Connect Plus system.”

My question:

“Is there a chime notification that I can turn on for the door/window sensors?

My current system lets me know if someone opened the door or window.”

ALC response:

“The closest thing we have would be to alert you on the phone when a door or window opens. However, the way we designed the system is to divide its function between “disarmed” (as in you’re not getting alerts) and “armed” (get all alerts). We can edit which sensor to trigger an alarm (with or without siren) in Advance Setting. So if you would like, we can edit “Arm Stay” under Advance Setting – simply make sure all the door/windows sensors are checked, uncheck everything else. So now, if you set the alarm to Arm Stay, your phone should receive a notification when a door/window opens, and nothing else should go off.”

My response:

“When my current system is disarmed, it tells me when a door or window is opened. It does so with a voice command. However, my previous system would chime to alert me. Both systems did so with the system disarmed.

It is a great feature to have if you have children and want to hear if they open the door. Maybe something that ALC can add via a firmware update?
On another note. The ALC Observer HD AWS3377 system that I have has the Ethernet port built into the monitor so it is not mobile. I do believe that it does not have a built-in battery either. Am I correct?”
ALC response:

“Hi Julian, Yes, I have sent in a ticket to the engineers to see if they can add this function – so users will have the option to turn on/off a quick beep from the control hub whenever a door or window is opened.

That’s correct – the AWS3377 does not have a battery inside. We tried to fit a battery inside during development but it would only get about an hour of power – without the hard drive recording. If we hook up the hard drive to it, then it runs out even quicker. This product supports 1080p (1920×1080) so components tend to drain more power. In our previous version, the battery could hold about 3 hours of power, but it was only recording at VGA (640×480) and it does not have external hard drive support.”

I think that the answers from ALC Support were not only very informative, but I am impressed that they listened to my concerns and desires, and sent an internal request to try to add the feature I indicated. Well done!!

It is important to note that the integration of Alexa and Google Assistant is not currently available, but will be in the next few weeks. I did inquire about this, and here is the response from ALC Support:
Response:
“We haven’t pushed the complete functionality to the public yet. We have the Alexa app ready, but a new firmware and app are coming within the next few weeks. Once those are released, then the Alexa functionality will work.”
” Along with Alexa, Google Home support will be released too. The Google Home app is already online as well, just waiting for that final firmware and app.”

What I like

  • The ease of the installation
  • The sensors and camera come already paired
  • The option of both wired or wireless network connection for the camera and Control Hub
  • The well laid out app
  • The quality of the camera image (resolution)
  • The ease of integration with other products from the same company
  • Nest, Alexa, and Google Assistant compatibility

What can be improved

  • Integration with a smoke/carbon monoxide detector
  • A louder siren on the Control Hub (Additional siren can be purchased separately)
  • Camera triggers the alarm in the “stay” mode. Fix this!
  • Need window and door sensors to provide notification on entry or exit.
  • A fully functional keypad on the control hub

Final thoughts

ALC Wireless Connect Plus kit (AHS627-23) is a nice security system that functions quite well. Installation was very easy and since the system arrives with all of the provided sensors already paired, it is an easy DIY project. The app is well designed and the notifications are quick and consistent. The equipment is well built and so far I have no performance complaints. I do have a desire for the system to have more capabilities and additional design options, and when compared to my “What I need in a Security System” list, the missing features that I desire are evident. However, for the price, this security system is a great value.

Price: $89.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by ALC Wireless.

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ALC Wireless Connect Plus home security system review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 4, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Saddleback Boot Leather iPhone case review

REVIEW – I have been a Saddleback Leather fan for years. Their gear is handmade by old world artisans from thick, rich leathers all backed by SBL’s 100 year warranty. In addition to their bags, SBL creates device specific cases and accessories for a select few of the latest and greatest tech devices. This mixing of old and new, not only provides your smart device protection but a stylish, unique look and feel as well. For this review, Saddleback has sent their Boot Leather iPhone X case to checkout.

What is it?

The Saddleback Boot Leather smartphone case is form fitted for the iPhone X. The vegetable tanned leather is cut and then shaped by hand using an ‘ancient’ wet-forming process. And while this slim case is only as thick as the leather itself, it provides decent protection without adding much bulk or weight to the sleek, tech-sexy iPhone X.

Design and features

The Saddleback Boot Leather iPhone X case’s slim, form-fitting design wraps your smartphone in a thick layer of high quality leather. According to Saddleback, the leather’s natural and undyed color will patina and darken beautifully with age and use…which I am looking forward to since I prefer darker leathers.

Each Boot Leather iPhone case is handmade with no two the same. Saddleback craftsman form each piece of leather by hand and once set, takes 10 hours to cure. This ancient process wet-forms the leather with no need for an inner plastic liner many/most of the other manufactures use. After a few wks of use, the case has not given up any of its shape or form as it breaks in.

There are press-through notches for the volume buttons and a cutout for the mute switch on the left side of the case.

The right side has a single press-through notch for the power button. All of the press-through buttons are taking time to wear in and initially required a good amount of force to actual press the button.

The top of the case completely covers the corners and top of the iPhone X.

The base of the case has a large single cutout allowing access to the lightening port and speakers while still protecting the corners.

As you can see, the ‘boot’ leather is thick, fine grained, and gorgeous. The case wraps around the curved edges and corners of the iPhone. The raised edging surrounding the screen provides additional protection, allowing you to set the smartphone on a surface facedown without touching.

I was a little worried about what the stiff leather case did to my (very nice) InvisibleShield screen protector. Initially the bottom corners pressed on the screen protector edge causing the glass protector to come away from the iPhone screen. I was able to press the InvisibleShield back onto the face of the smartphone…no harm, no foul. The same thing happened when I pressed the side push-through buttons but like the edges, the screen protector settled back into place. As the case has worn in and become a bit less stiff, this has become less of an issue.

The cutout for the camera is the least fitted/precise part of the Boot Leather case. Seems like Saddleback could have cut this closer to the edges of the camera bulge. Several pictures on their website show similar gaps around the camera. That said, the larger cutout does not lessen its protection of the camera assembly.

The boot leather Saddleback uses has a great, supple feel to it, adding grippability to the slippery glass and stainless steel iPhone. I typically go case-less, trusting in my sure hands to not let gravity and hard surfaces damage my tech-toys. But Saddleback’s Boot Leather case is very tempting indeed…leaving it on @least until the next case I have to review 😉 . I want to see the patina long-term use will bring.

What I like

  • Handmade from high quality full grain leather
  • Perfectly fitted for the iPhone X
  • Gives an old world style and feel to the slick smartphone
  • Adds protection and grippability

What needs to be improved

  • Takes a bit of use before the push-through buttons to wear in
  • Camera cutout could/should be more precisely fitted

Final thoughts

Preferring to use my smart devices naked, I’m a bit surprised how much I like the Saddleback Boot Leather iPhone case. Its style, design, and feel are unique in the world of nearly endless mass-produced iPhone cases. It is well made with high quality leather and old world craftsmanship all-the-while providing solid protection to your very breakable smartphone. Definitely worthy of consideration if you’re in the market for a new iPhone X case.

Price: $79.99
Where to buy: Saddleback Leather
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Saddleback Leather.

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Saddleback Boot Leather iPhone case review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 3, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Juschef Professional Blender review

REVIEW – There’s a big market for home blenders that provide decent power without breaking the bank. Today we’re looking at the Juschef Professional Blender, which promises high-powered function at a price tag of under $100 while adding a heating feature. Let’s see what it’s got!

What is it?

It’s a high speed blender that also heats liquids.

Hardware specs

  • 14.6 pounds
  • 9” deep by 8.5” wide by 19” tall (22-1/2” with stirring rod)
  • 35,000 RPM blade speed
  • 900 W motor power, 800 W heater
  • 110-120V, 60Hz
  • BPA Free glass pitcher
  • 56 ounce capacity

What’s in the box?

The package includes the blender base, the pitcher, a locking lid, a lid cap, a stirring rod and a cleaning brush. An instruction manual (not shown below) is also included in the kit.

Design and features

The Juschef Professional Blender is a big, heavy beast of a blender. Heavy duty plastics, a weighted base, and a thick glass pitcher give the Juschef what feels like professional-level durability and stability. All the components are substantial and beefy, including the pitcher lid and stirring rod. You’ll want to find a permanent space on your counter for this 15 pound appliance; just note that it’s 19”+ height won’t fit under most cabinets.

The blender has the ability to heat liquids, and the heating unit is built into the pitcher base. While it’s a nice bonus feature, I’m not crazy about this part of the design because the electronics are exposed. While those elements are sealed off in use, you can’t submerge the pitcher in water for cleaning. It also adds quite a bit of weight to the pitcher.

The pitcher itself is nice and thick, and has a maximum capacity of 56 ounces (40 ounces for heating). Unfortunately, the liquid measurements only start at the 24 ounce mark. The picture below shows 12 ounces of stock in the pitcher, measured separately. Not a huge deal, but it would be nice if the measurements ran down the whole side.

The lid mechanism is nice and sturdy, with a rubber gasket underneath to ensure a tight seal. You’ll need to rotate the lid tab into the locking slot before it will start, which is a good safety feature. I have no doubt that the lid will hold up to extended use.

 

The kit includes a pitcher cap and stirring rod that fit precisely in the lid. Both are built from durable plastic and are just as burly as the lid itself.

All of your operations are managed through an LED interface. There are 8 preset options as well as a “DIY” function for custom blending. 6 touch-panel buttons are utilized to set your operations. We’ll talk more about this in the Performance section.

The Juschef Professional blender sports a 900 watt power motor, which puts it above your typical countertop blender in terms of power (like the Ninja lineup), but not quite as powerful as high-end home models like the Vitamix or Blendtec. The blade speed is rated at 35,000 RPMs. This combination makes for a blender that, on paper, should handle most of your home needs.

Performance

The Juschef Professional Blender is a good choice for safety and durability. The whole unit is rock solid, and won’t bounce around your counter even when crushing ice at the highest blend settings. You also have to lock the lid to operate the unit, which is great for safety. You’ll find, however, that there’s a bit of a learning curve to understand all of the operations.

There’s no easy way to put this: the manual is just awful. It’s really poorly written with bad grammar and unclear instructions. It’s also incomplete and doesn’t explain how the presets work. The congee function, for example, is simply described as “To make healthy congee.”  Do you know what a congee is, or how to make one? I had to google it. It’s basically a rice-based soup or porridge that’s heated and blended. The blender gives no instructions about whether you add raw or cooked rice first, how long it will heat, or how the blend function works to make it. The same goes for “Porridge,” “Chi Soup,” and “Soy Milk.” Some of the functions are more obvious, and a quick reference guide is supplied with a recipe for each function… but I couldn’t tell you what the presets actually do or how long they take to work. There’s no online support either. You’re on your own.

To start things up, you’ll plug in the blender and add your desired ingredients. Lock the lid, and the unit will beep and the display lights up. We’re not “on” yet though. You have to press the power button to get into the features. It’s not particularly obvious, and Amazon reviews point to a bit of confusion and frustration with this.

Once you hit the power button, the rest of the buttons light up to indicate operation. Select “DIY” and you can set your own power level and duration using the up and down arrows at the bottom of the panel. You’ll hit the “DIY” button to cycle through each setting, then “On/Stop” to fire it up.

If you choose the “Menu” button, you can now cycle through the available functions. “Menu” or the up/down arrows now toggle through the preset functions, and you hit “On/Stop” to start the function.

As I mentioned earlier, each function does some combination of blending and/or heating if needed. The Smoothie function, for example, runs a 45 second cycle that winds up the blender to different speeds during operation. All good there. The Simmer function is stated as being used “To make different kinds of smooth soups,” but it doesn’t blend the ingredients other than the occasional 3 second whirl to stir things up. You have to blend your stuff first. It’s all very confusing.

Once we get past the interface woes, the blender actually does a fairly good job. Here’s a pitcher full of fresh tomatoes from my garden that I pureed using the DIY feature in about a minute on a higher setting. The result was pretty well done, with a little thickness, but no seed or skin remnants in the blend:

Running on the preset smoothie function, I added a combination of spinach, frozen fruit, almond milk, protein powder, and some diced ginger. It did not completely liquefy the spinach or the ginger and left some frozen fruit chunks, but the results were generally smooth. It’s about what I would expect from a blender at this level.

For my next trick, I decided to make a soup using the simmer function. We’ve got cucumbers and tomatoes (my garden is going nuts this week), basil, some chicken stock, a couple picked garlic bulbs, with some jalapenos to give it some oomph:

On my first go I tried the “simmer” function, assuming would also blend as the instructions implied. I got a hot bowl of stuff. This was how I learned that the instruction manual isn’t too clear.

When I realized that it was just heating, I stopped the process, blended the ingredients, and restarted the simmer mode. I did, in fact, get a nice smooth soup out of the deal:

It took about 20 minutes to get to full heat. That may be because simmer is intended to be a slower process. I haven’t quite figured that out yet. After all is said and done, however, I’d probably skip the heating feature and use my stovetop to get faster, more predictable results.

The blending function on the Juschef is plenty strong for most home uses and the stability of the unit is great, but I am also concerned about cleaning. It’s hard to clean since you have to be so careful around those components at the base of the pitcher. There’s also the blade configuration to consider. The blades are three separate components,  bolted together to form a six-bladed configuration that cannot be removed from the unit. Here’s the problem: see that discoloration in the crevasses?

I am hoping that’s not rust. I’ve only used it a few times. Those little nooks and crannies will accumulate moisture and material, and present a real problem for cleaning and potential rusting no matter how well you clean and dry it. The unit ships with a soft brush that’s nice, but I am not sure that it is getting the job done.

What I like

  • Heavy, stable unit that won’t bounce around
  • Nice safety features
  • Well-build components
  • Strong blending capabilities

What needs to be improved

  • Awful documentation and instructions
  • Confusing user interface requires a steep learning curve
  • Hard to clean due to electronic components in the pitcher
  • Blade assembly will accumulate material, and might be susceptible to  rust

Final thoughts

At a retail price of $80-$90, the Juschef Professional Blender seems to be a good value for the money. It’s a stable, powerful unit that will handle most kitchen needs. The heating feature may be useful to some as well. Usability is not good, however, so expect some trial and error to use anything beyond the basic features. Cleaning and maintenance is also a potential trouble spot. I think you’d do well to check out some competitors in this category before buying this item.

Price: Between $80 and $90 depending on availability.
Where to buy: Buy it on Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Juschef.

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Juschef Professional Blender review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 3, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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Ketzal Bags Universal Seat back Organizer review

REVIEW – I love being organized. I loathe clutter and do everything I can to have a place for everything and everything in its place. This extends to my car as well. Driving one of the smallest cars on the road, a Smart, storage space is at a premium. Ketzal’s universal seat back organizer should make it easier to reach my goal of orderly nirvana.

What is it?

Ketzal’s universal seat back organizer is a storage system that straps to the back of an automobile seat.

Hardware Specs:

  • 22 X 14 X 3 inches unloaded
  • Leather construction
  • Metal snaps and buckles

What’s in the Box?

  • Ketzal’s universal seat back organizer, that’s it

Design and features:

Ketzal’s universal seat back organizer is constructed of heavy leather, adorned with a wide elastic band to secure it to the seat.

Leather straps and buckles are used to adjust the height of the organizer on the seat. My car’s seats are integrated, so I needed to reroute the straps. This was a simple and intuitive process.

The adjustments are simple and the organizer fits the seat tightly, but my car has bucket seats. The elastic band does not follow the contours of the seat, but with it stretched across, I was still comfortable sitting and driving.

My car also has an airbag in the side of the seat so it’s probably not a good idea to cover the opening in any way. Ketzal has anticipated this, implementing D-rings and grommets that can be used to secure the organizer without using the elastic band; however, you will need to provide your own straps, string or another mechanism to use alternative attachment methods.

The organizer fits securely and doesn’t flail about while the car is in motion.

Pockets of different sizes cover the face of the organizer.

Anything of suitable size and weight can be placed into the pockets. In my vehicle, I almost always carry tools, a small air pump, umbrella, pen and pencil, and assorted pieces and bits. It’s great to have a place to put things and makes finding them so much easier

The button snaps are easy to fasten and unfasten. Provided the object is small enough to fit completely in the pocket, the snaps should hold securely. In some cases, I decided to leave an object protruding from the top of the pocket. Now I can move lesser used items from my glove box into the Ketzal organizer.

Already, my younger daughter, who does not have her driver’s license yet, has claimed the Ketzal Seat back organizer as her own. She might have a hard time getting me to give it up.

What I like:

  • Fantastic workmanship and construction
  • Premium quality materials
  • Lots of pockets
  • Fits tightly with plenty of attachment options

What needs to be improved?

  • Include additional hardware to utilize other attachment points.

Final thoughts 

I’m finding it more and more difficult to remember where I put my stuff, especially the stuff I don’t use much. I’ve tried to adopt a much more visual storage philosophy and it’s great to have the Ketzal Universal Seat Back Organizer to help. Its first-class workmanship, materials, and construction are superb. This is my first Ketzal product, but after using this, I’ll be keeping a close eye on Ketzal’s other products.

Price: $150.00
Where to buy: Ketzalbags.com
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Ketzal Bags.

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Ketzal Bags Universal Seat back Organizer review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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Cherry MW-4500 Ergonomic Wireless Mouse review

REVIEWS – In my day job as a creative director, I use a mouse almost nonstop for between 8-10 hours, so I’m a prime candidate for wrist fatigue and repetitive stress injury. This is exactly the sort of thing that ergonomic input devices like the Cherry MW-4500 Wireless Mouse were designed to alleviate.

What is it?

The Cherry MW-4500 is a wireless ergonomic mouse that puts an emphasis on natural hand and wrist position to prevent fatigue and repetitive stress injury.

Hardware specs

  • Number of Buttons: 6 buttons and scroll wheel
  • Weight: Approx. 0.26 Lbs. with batteries and receiver
  • Dimensions: Approx. 4.17 x 2.67 x 1.53 Inches
  • Connection: USB
  • Transmission Range: Approx. 10 m / Approx. 32.8 ft
  • Resolution: 600 / 900 / 1200 dpi (adjustable)
  • Ergonomic form in 45° design
  • Infrared sensor for precise movement of the mouse pointer
  • Nano USB receiver – leave in laptop or store in mouse
  • Status LED indicates low battery charge
  • Abrasion-proof surface finish is pleasant to the touch

What’s in the box?

Batteries included!
  • CHERRY MW-4500
  • Operating Instructions in hard copy
  • 2 Batteries (type AAA)
  • 1 Nano USB transmission receiver

Design and Features

I can remember the first time I ever used a mouse. My cousin’s grandfather had an original Macintosh, with its now-tiny monochromatic screen and boxy, beige 1-button mouse, and I can remember even then how strange and wonderful that input device was.

Aside from conforming to a human hand a bit better, switching from a ball to lasers, and adding a scroll wheel and a few more buttons, the computer mouse hasn’t really changed all that much.

Years later, and nearly two decades into a career in design, you can bet I’ve heard reports on how bad using a mouse and keyboard are for your hands and wrists. Repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel and tendonitis are all easily attainable in this line of work, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t experienced some stiff wrists after long days in the office.

It felt like my hand was just a tiny bit too large for the mouse, curled around it like the big spoon.

I had seen — but never used — ergonomic input devices before… like big trackballs, those funny split keyboards, and 45º angled mice like the one I’m reviewing today. The Cherry MW-4500 is a cost-effective ergonomic wireless mouse designed by the same company famous for their clicky mechanical keyboards. And its goal is to provide a mouse designed for a more natural mousing position for your hand and wrist.

Try a little experiment with me. Take your arm and lay it down on a surface in front of you, in the most relaxed and natural way you can. Don’t even think about it. Likely, your hand looks like it’s holding an invisible can of Red Bull. While using a regular mouse, your wrist is turned in at a roughly 90º angle, and whether you are aware of it or not, it’s causing a bit of tension on your wrist to keep your hand flat against a mouse.

With 45º angled mice, like the MW-4500, your hand is positioned on top of a mouse at a more natural, relaxed angle. Does it really make much of a difference for hours on end? I’m inclined to believe that it does, perhaps cumulatively over years and years, but it’s hard to say that even after 3 weeks of regular use if I really noticed any less stress or fatigue.

Just … relaaaax.

I was more focused on how strange it felt. I’ve heard that with mice like these, you either like it or hate it immediately, with little middle ground. I wouldn’t say I hated it, but I did notice a very crucial difference between using this mouse and my usual Apple Magic Mouse.

My typical needs from a mouse require very precise movements. I have to do fine brushwork and clipping paths in Photoshop, which necessitates exact mousing and clicking. I can click my usual mouse all day and it doesn’t move even one pixel. Rock solid. However, I had a hell of a time using this angled mouse simply because the mouse buttons are angled and therefore leveraged against the mouse body itself rather than the table.

So the mouse stays as still as your thumb can counter the pressure of your forefinger’s click. In trying to keep the mouse perfectly still, it feels more like a squeeze, or a pinch, every time you click. Initially, after a long day of this, I felt more fatigue in my thumb joint from gripping the mouse so hard than I ever had in my wrist. That seemed to ease with time, but personally, I found it distracting.

The built of the mouse itself is decent. Setup is easy — there is a tiny USB receiver that is built right into the body of the mouse, and it’s as simple as removing that receiver and inserting it into a spare USB port. You could easily leave it in a laptop without worrying about it popping out. But I’m surprised that these little receivers are still a thing. Perhaps they’re cheaper to manufacture that way instead of simply relying on Bluetooth. It takes 2 AAA batteries that are supposed to last for months, so that’s pretty good, too.

Tiny USB dongle built right into the body for easy storage.

Speaking of cost, the MW-4500 is cheap! We’re talking $25, which is a pretty good price for any wireless mouse. In this case, it does feel like a $25 mouse. It’s very lightweight, for better or worse, and has an almost hollow feeling. It also has a rather loud click.

I appreciate the extra buttons, however, they’re not programmable unless you have some sort of third-party plugin or app that lets you customize them. There is the typical main left and right buttons, a click button built into the scroll wheel, and browser back and forward buttons situated just above where your thumb rests.

That DPI adjustment button, right there where your whole hand goes.

Finally, there is a DPI adjustment button on top of the mouse. I’ve never quite understood the purpose of these. I used to have one on an old Logitech gaming mouse and I believe its purpose in that regard was to increase or decrease the sensitivity and speed of the mouse on the fly. But I’ve never really had a use for that. In fact, I managed to hit that button on more than one occasion only to wonder why my mouse cursor was now flying all over the screen.

My final two cents … I think this mouse would be a great entry into experimenting with ergonomics for general computing like browsing and basic office work. I wouldn’t recommend it for gaming or anything that requires a very fine level of precision like digital painting or design work, but I could certainly see no problem for giving it a shot if you have to use a mouse for long periods of time. Unless of course you use a mouse with your left hand.

What I like

  • promotes correct wrist position
  • very long battery life
  • inexpensive

What needs to be improved

  • takes some time to get used to using it, if at all
  • right-hand only (sorry southpaws)
  • difficult to use with high precision

Final thoughts

I think that if you can get used to using it, Cherry’s ergonomic offering could help relieve some of the stress of mousing all day, and at a decent price. Personally, the odd hand positioning doesn’t offer the leverage for precise clicks and movements that graphic design work requires, and that’s a dealbreaker for me. Most other general computer tasks would be fine.

Price: $31.24
Where to buy: The Cherry MW-4500 can be purchased online from multiple sources, such as OfficeSupply.com, but not directly from Cherry itself.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Cherry. You can find out more about this and their full line of computer input devices on their website.

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Cherry MW-4500 Ergonomic Wireless Mouse review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 2, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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