Tips to Find a Gaming Mouse for Small Hands – a Complete Guide
A gaming mouse is a crucial component of your gaming setup and a good one will improve your gameplay and overall gaming experience. Your mouse should be suitable for the size of your dominant hand as using a mouse that is the right size for your hand will reduce strain and place your hand in a more natural and comfortable position. This is true for all hand sizes and if your hands are small then it is important that you find a gaming mouse for small hands.
To find a gaming mouse for small hands, measure the length, width, and height of the mouse as well as the user’s palm height and width. The hand should be able to wrap around the mouse's top and sides with the fingers being able to reach all of the buttons without over-stretching.
Fortunately, gaming mouse manufacturers design their products in different sizes. When your hands are small, it is important that you purchase a smaller size model like this. Using a gaming mouse that is too large for your hands is likely to cause wrist-related problems. In addition, it will also negatively affect your gaming performance.
In this article, we explain what you need to consider when buying a gaming mouse, how to find the best mouse for your hands, and what features you should look for.
Similarly, you might be interested in learning what to look for in a gaming mouse while you're out shopping for one and also how to find some gaming mouse accessories. Be sure to read our related articles to find out more information.
How To Tell If Your Gaming Mouse Is the Wrong Size
A mouse that is the wrong size for a user’s hand, can cause persistent discomfort and strain.
Signs that gaming mice are the wrong size include tense or tired fingers and needing to stretch the fingers excessively to reach the side button. Using the wrong size gaming mouse can also cause pain or discomfort in the wrist and forearm.
According to this article from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a mouse that is too big for a user’s hand causes an awkward posture that can result in strain on the neck and shoulders.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms then your mouse is probably too big for you.
Symptom 1. Pressure on Or Discomfort In Your Wrist
When you start using a mouse that is too big, your wrist is typically the first joint to experience pain. It gets cramped up from the efforts of grasping the mouse, making it harder to move. Repetitive stress on your wrist can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, which according to this article from the Orthopedics Department at Comenius University, causes numbness and weakness in the affected hand and fingers.
If you are experiencing wrist discomfort, try wrapping a towel around your wrist for support, when gaming. This will alleviate the discomfort and speed up recovery. Also, try incorporating more breaks between sessions. Pain in your elbow can also indicate that you are using a mouse that is too big for your hand. The discomfort is a result of bending forward too much.
Symptom 2. Excessive stretching of the fingers to reach the side button
If it is difficult for you to reach the side buttons on the gaming mouse with your fingers, you should consider buying a smaller mouse. Our review on the 7 best gaming mice for small hands suggests popular gaming mice for users who have small hands.
Symptom 3. Shoulder Pain On the Dominant Side
Another common issue caused by gaming mice that are too big is a painful shoulder (or acromioclavicular joint). Pain in the shoulder is a result of using a mouse that is too big for you because you have to hold it awkwardly, and could be a symptom of excessive stretching of the fingers. As you hold and move your mouse, your shoulder is internally rotated and the muscles are tensed up. As a result, the muscles in the neck and shoulder region are activated. This can cause muscle fatigue and tension.
This article by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety delves into the activities that result in painful acromioclavicular joint arthritis (ACJ). To help prevent pain in the shoulder from developing, use a mouse pad with a little extra padding on the wrist area like this one. Using a soft and squishy mouse pad like this is better than a hard plastic one like this, or a metal one like this.
Summary of Gaming Mice For Small Hands
| Problems experienced by small-handed gamers | Solution | Example product | Price |
| Hand and wrist discomfort | Smaller-sized gaming mouse | Razer Viper Mini | ~$25 |
| Difficulty moving the mouse quickly | Lightweight gaming mouse | Cooler Master MM711 | ~$30 |
| Difficulty reaching and using all the buttons on the mouse | A gaming mouse with fewer and well-spaced buttons | Logitech G Pro | ~$35 |
| Difficulty controlling the mouse in a precise manner | A mouse with adjustable DPI | Razer DeathAdder | ~$20 |
You may also find interest in our tips for choosing gaming mouse DPI for optimum gameplay. Be sure to read our related article for more information.
How To Choose the Best Gaming Mouse For Small Hands
Using an ill-fitting mouse will impact your gaming performance. Competitive and professional gamers in particular should consider many different factors when deciding on which mouse to use. Selecting a mouse through trial and error is a good process, however, there are some criteria that should be considered to ensure the right mouse is selected. Important factors are size, weight, design, and material.
To choose the best gaming mouse for small hands, look for a mouse that is 60% to 70% of the size of the dominant hand. It should be made of lightweight material and have a curved ergonomic design.
Another factor to consider when purchasing a gaming mouse is your preferred hand grip type. There are several ways to hold a mouse comfortably while maintaining precision, and our article about how to choose the ideal gaming mouse grip explains the three most popular methods as well as the types of mice best suited to each.
Follow these tips to choose the correct mouse for your hands:
Tip 1. Choose Mouse Size According To Hand Size
When selecting a gaming mouse for small hands, size is crucial. The basic idea is that the smaller the hand, the smaller the gaming mouse. The perfect gaming mouse allows for completely wrapping the palm of your hand around the mouse's top and sides. In addition, it allows the user to reach all of the buttons without straining the hand.
Measuring your hand before buying a gaming mouse is essential. This article by wtFast explains how to measure your hands. A gaming mouse around 60% to 70% of the size of your hand should be a suitable match.
Summary of Hand Dimensions and Sizes
| Hand Dimensions | Suggested Mouse Size |
| Less than 6.75 inches (17.1 cm ). | Small |
| 6.75 to 7.5 inches (17.1 – 19cm) | Medium |
| 7.5 – 8.5 inches (19 – 21.6cm) | Large |
| More than 8.5 inches (21.6cm) | Extra Large |
Tip 2. Go For a Lighter Gaming Mouse
The mouse's weight is important for performance. Games often require fast mouse movement. A light model can be moved quicker and easier. Moving a heavy mouse strains the wrist, which is why lighter models tend to be better for both performance and user health.
We recommend that small-handed players choose a lighter gaming mouse. Ideally, the weight should not exceed 100 to 150 grams. For a high-performance and ultra-light 69-gram mouse consider this Razer Viper Ultralight. This video tutorial by ShortCircuit explains all about the perfect mouse for small hands from Razer.
Having a lightweight mouse is more important for performance when playing games that require accuracy and precision such as Shooter games. Using a slightly heavier mouse for multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBAs) or massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) will not impact performance as much. Our article comparing gaming mice vs. regular computer mice explains the features of gaming mice that help improve gamers’ performance.
Tip 3. Curved, Non-Slip Design
Gaming mice for small hands come in various designs and shapes. Using a model with the right shape and design makes your grip more comfortable, accurate, and stable. A suitable mouse design is relative because of different hand sizes and mouse habits used. This research paper from the University of Washington Seattle explains the effects of a gaming mouse design on a gamer's wrist, posture, and gaming performance.
Gaming mice with curved and non-slip designs are best for gamers with small hands. If you have a non-standard grip, or if you are left-handed, consider mice with a specialized curved frame, or an ambidextrous curved gaming mouse with a distinct hump on either side like this one.
Tip 4. Choose an ABS Or Carbon Fiber Design With Rubber Grip
Various types of plastics with different weights are used to produce gaming mice. Most gaming mice are composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic because of its smoothness and resistance to sweaty hands. More expensive gaming mouse models like this are often made from super light carbon fiber.
Also consider buying a gaming mouse with rubber grips, since they allow you to pick up and operate the mouse easily but are not so sticky that they gather dust and dirt.
Tip 5. Don’t Go for More Than Six Customizable Buttons
The number of customizable buttons present on a gaming mouse for small hands affects the size and shape of the gaming mouse. Having too many programmable buttons on a small mouse would result in a cramped design that could cause users to make mistakes by pressing the wrong buttons at crucial moments. Due to the limited surface of small-size gaming mice, they should not have more than six customizable buttons like this one does, so that your hand can easily identify and control each button.
How To Make a Gaming Mouse More Comfortable for Small Hands
It can be challenging for gamers with small hands to find a mouse that comfortably fits in their palm. However, some gaming mice have been designed with small hands in mind.
To make a gaming mouse more comfortable for small hands, the hand position can be adjusted so that the arms and elbows are at 90 degrees. Using the palm grip allows for more control and ease of movement. Gamers with small hands should customize the buttons on their mouse for easy and effective access.
Here are some tips to make a gaming mouse more comfortable for small hands.
Tip 1. Adjust Your Grip
There are three common types of grips: fingertip, claw, and palm. Remember that none of these grips are superior or inherently correct or incorrect—the choice depends on your preferences and style of gaming.
For gamers with small hands, the best way to hold your mouse is by curling your fingers around the top and sides of the device using the palm grip. For most people, this will feel natural and comfortable. If it does not feel right, try adjusting your grip by curling your fingers toward the palm of your hand.
Tip 2. Customize the Buttons
Customizing the buttons on your gaming mouse is one of the most significant steps people with small hands can take to optimize comfort. You can do this by going through the settings on your mouse and changing their functionality. Try placing the most used functions on easily accessible buttons, such as the left-click and right-click, and on conveniently located side buttons.
Tip 3. Try Different Mice
One of the best ways to find the right mouse is to try various models. Check out the gaming mice on sale at your local electronics store or online retailer. Choose one that fits comfortably in your hand and provides you with good control when playing games. Our article about gaming mouse quality tests explains what features and specs to look out for when purchasing a mouse.