ProtoArc EM11 Pro Vertical Mouse Review
I was sent a review unit of the ProtoArc EM11 Pro to test, and so far I've had an overall positive experience, with a few issues I'll talk about later. I also own the EM11 NL, purchased over a year ago to help with my wrist pain, and there are some things that have been improved on the Pro and a few things I wish had changed. While I am sharing this review with ProtoArc ahead of this post, they have not asked for any particular content or disposition.
Packaging
I guess I'll start at the start, packaging. ProtoArc usually has quality packaging and this mouse is no different, packaged almost identically to the prior EM11 NL. Not much really to say here.
Hardware
While there are hardware changes, I feel like the EM11 Pro and EM11 NL have more still in common than they differ.
The primary and secondary click buttons feel basically the same as on the EM11 NL, to me. They're quiet and comfortable to press. I think the wheel is actual metal and it does feel much nicer than the EM11 NL's wheel. The scroll action is similar (no infinite scroll), but the button-press of the wheel feels better and quieter on the Pro. The DPI button is in a familiar location, just behind the scroll wheel, and not much has changed here physically. They have added multiple new DPI modes, though. The EM11 NL has 1000/1600/2400 DPI modes while the EM11 Pro has 800/1200/1600/2400/3200/4800 DPI modes. The additional modes are nice but, for me at least, I just used the 1600 setting on both mice.
When you get to the top of the mouse is when you start seeing the changes. The button to switch the active connection sits at the top, in the vertex of the "glove" shape of the mouse. It's easy to press here, perhaps too easy for certain grips, but I'll get back to that later.
Moving to the top-thumb side, the Pro has added a horizontal scroll wheel, made of the same material as the vertical scroll wheel. This is pretty wide and well-placed, allowing for pretty comfortable side scrolling. I honestly think the wheel needs to be a bit bigger around because it feels just a little too flush with the body of the mouse. It's not hard to scroll the wheel, but it's one place where bigger would be beneficial. Again, this comes down to grip. It sits proud of the body on the top and side, but my thumb tends to hit right on the corner of the body where the wheel kinda sits flush with the body and it does make it ever-so-slightly more difficult to scroll.
On the top here there's also a window with lights that show the currently active connection profile and a battery indicator. They only light up if you've just changed the connection or the connection has dropped, or if the battery is low or charging, but it's a great addition.
Then, on the side where your thumb rests are the familiar Forward/Back buttons. These are well-placed and feel pretty similar to the original EM11's buttons.
The Pro is capable of a 2.4GHz wireless connection via it's included 2.4GHz dongle as well as 2 Bluetooth profiles. I did have some issues with choppy movements using the dongle on my Mac Studio at work, but bluetooth worked perfectly there. When I took the mouse home to use on my Mac Mini I had no such issues on the dongle, so perhaps that was just some unique interference at my office. When not in use, the dongle is stored in a closed compartment on the bottom, just beside the power slider, but they've covered the dongle compartment with a lid held on with magnets. The lid rocks out and snaps back in place pleasantly, and is honestly a neat touch. There's no function add there, but it feels like a bit of extra polish when compared to the normal clip style covers or the exposed dongle with finger cutouts like on the EM11 NL. Regarding connection modes, you can use the mouse while it's charging but it does not work over that USB connection, you still need a wireless connection of some sort.
Software
The EM11 Pro supports ProtoArc's browser-based Hub, and is only programmable via the 2.4GHz dongle. I believe the profiles are stored on the device, but I honestly did not test that. I didn't actually use the software too much, I tend to use third-party remapping software, but I did look over it. It seems pretty full-featured, allowing you to reprogram all the main buttons to a wide variety of functions. The only things I'd like to see added are the ability to remap the scroll functions of the wheels rather than just the main wheel's push-button, and to remap or turn off the connection change button. My reasons for that will become clear in the next section. Come to think of it, a layer or combo feature could be nice too. However, for stock remapping software, it is pretty nice.
Note: ProtoArc’s Marketing Team did tell me that they’re making adjustments to the next EM11 Pro batch to allow for customization of the scroll action in the ProtoArc software.
Ergonomics
This is the big question with this mouse, and in fact any mouse marketed as "ergonomic", and honestly it is the weak point for me. Bear in mind that I have relatively small hands (6.5" from wrist to the tip of my middle finger, 3.5" across the palm), so you may not have the same issues as I do.
This mouse is significantly larger than the EM11 NL. Like, I can comfortably wrap my hand around the EM11 NL and my fingers come near to the front edges of the mouse. Not so on the Pro. However, my issues actually stem more from the material than the size. The reason I stopped using the EM11 NL had nothing to do with the shape or the size but instead the material. My hands, on top of being small, are usually fairly dry. Not skin-flaking-off dry, but I'm not exactly sweaty-palmed, either. As a result, I have a very difficult time holding the EM11 NL. I really have to grip it hard to pick it up and reset it's location, and I never feel like I have a good grip on it even then. The increased size of the Pro just amplifies this feeling. The difficulty to grip it solidly makes it hard to use the buttons and wheels, too, apart from the increased size. On the EM11 NL I would often rest my thumb on top of the mouse, in the vertex of the curve, to help me stabilize it while using the wheel or just while moving it around sometimes. I can't really do this on the Pro because the connection button is there, so whenever I'd put my thumb up there I'd often change the active connection.
All that being said, ergonomics are very subjective. If you don't have dry or small hands, or maybe even just grip the mouse differently than I do, then you likely won't experience any of these problems. But if the EM11 NL was difficult for you to grip for any of the reasons I mentioned, then the EM11 Pro likely will be difficult as well.
The grip angle is fantastic, of course, and the increased size really does feel better underneath your hand, where the outside of your palm rests, and I didn't find myself dragging my pinkly along the desk mat at all, which was a real annoyance on the EM11 NL. So, as always, it will ultimately come down to your specific hands and how you hold the mouse.
Verdict
Overall, I feel good saying the EM11 Pro is an upgrade to the EM11 NL and if you enjoyed that mouse then you likely will enjoy this one. The only reservation I would have in recommending it is if you had any of the same problems I did with the EM11 NL or if you have small-ish hands. If those aren't issues for you then it's a great mouse, looks great, and was overall comfortable to use, even accounting for those things I took issue with. It certainly feels well-built, looks good on the desk, and has a decent amount of customization options. Couple all of that with the extremely fair price-point and I think it's a great upgrade to the EM11 NL or entry point to vertical mice.
I've never really written a review like this before so I apologize if I'm overlooking something I should have included. I'm happy to answer any questions or provide additional images.
tl;dr: Great and comfortable vertical mouse with decent customization, but not really made for small hands.