Why Does Logitech Hate Left Handed People?

15 Jun 2020

I’ve recently been looking at switching my traditional mouse for a trackball mouse. I asked for recommendations on Fosstodon and the overwhelming recommendation was the Logitech M570. Unfortunately, Logitech don’t make a left handed version, and after a bit of research it seems that the issue goes much further than just this device.

Now, many standard mice can be used with either hand as they’re symmetrical. But if you want to use an ergonomic mouse, be it trackball or traditional, these are specific to one hand or another.

The problem with Logitech is that they don’t make any left handed mice, in any of their ranges. So although my initial search was for a trackball, this covers all mice they produce. For example, this one.

Update May 2021: Since writing this post, I bought this left-handed ergonomic mouse. I’ve been using it for nearly a year now and I’m VERY happy with it.

Why Logitech hates left handed people

If you take a look around the Logitech forums, you will see 279 pages of search results from people complaining about the lack of left handed support from Logitech.

There are posts going back years; some have responses from Logitech team members, others have just been ignored. The problem is, every post I’ve seen has had the same regurgitation of a cookie cutter response.

Posts like this one from 9 months ago where the poster is requesting a left handed mouse, gets the following response from Logitech:

The left handed version the MX Master 3 is not yet available and we do not have any information on when a left handed version would be available.

I’ll have this post forwarded to the proper team here on my end…

Logitech support

In another post, also from 9 months ago, Logitech reply 4 months later with the following:

Thank you for reaching Logitech! We deeply apologize for not providing a prompt response.

As with your inquiry about the MX Master 3, the manufactured device at the moment are intended for people who use their mouse using their right hand.[…] We will forward this post to our team for consideration.

Logitech support

There’s also this post from 5 months ago, this post from 2 years ago and this post from 3 years ago. And that’s just in the first 3 of those 279 pages of results!

The forums are littered with posts from fellow lefties pleading with Logitech to create a left handed mouse. But many years later, we’re still left out in the cold.

Discrimination?

According to Wikipedia, around 10% of the world’s population are left handed. Ten percent may not sound like a lot, but that’s the equivalent population of the USA, Japan, Brazil & Germany combined. That’s a lot of people!

On their website, Logitech say the following about their MX Ergo trackball mouse:

Logitech’s most advanced trackball for trackball enthusiasts and consumers searching for alternatives to mice and touchpads. Delivers 20% less muscular strain compared to a regular mouse.

Logitech

So does the muscular strain of left handed people not matter to you, Logitech? I suppose those 780 million left handed people worldwide don’t really matter, hey?

I’d like to finally add that the title of this post is facetious. I know that Logitech don’t hate left handed people. It’s ok Logitech, I still really like your hardware, but it would be wonderful if you offered some ergonomic mice for left handed people. 🙂