REVIEWS / COMPARE
Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball vs Ploopy Classic Trackball
Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball edges ahead at 9.5 vs 8.7 — but read the trade-offs below; Ploopy Classic Trackball may still be the better fit for you.
| Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball | Ploopy Classic Trackball | |
|---|---|---|
| RATING | 9.5 / 10 | 8.7 / 10 |
| CONFIDENCE | medium | medium |
| USER VOICES | 87 | 63 |
| POSITIVE | 85% | 60% |
| PRICE | — | — |
| RECOMMENDED | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball
★ STRENGTHS
- Extreme durability and lifespan (10-30+ years reported)
- Excellent for relieving thumb pain and specific wrist injuries
- Highly accessible for users with limited mobility
✗ WATCH OUT
- Flat profile lacks built-in wrist support, requiring DIY tenting
- Default button mappings can be unintuitive and require software fixes
- Potential quality control issues with button switches registering clicks
Ploopy Classic Trackball
★ STRENGTHS
- Fully open-source, user-repairable design sold as kit or assembled
- Finger-operated large ball (MS Trackball Explorer lineage) is the RSI-friendlier layout per both layers
- Active mod community: bearing swaps, transparent shells, AnyBall 55mm shell
✗ WATCH OUT
- Original ships micro USB; one VIDEO commenter says even the USB-C revision is 'still the same shit'
- $144 price vs $30-60 mainstream trackballs (MX Ergo, M575, Orbit) requires an open-source justification
- Stock bearings divisive; hold-to-scroll is 'very clunky' in scroll-heavy games (USER layer)
HOW THIS COMPARISON WAS BUILT
Both verdicts are synthesised from real user voices on Reddit, YouTube, Hacker News, ProductHunt, Trustpilot and editorial sources — 87 for Kensington Expert Mouse Trackball, 63 for Ploopy Classic Trackball. No paid placement; ratings come from raw sentiment, not our opinion. Read the methodology.