Kensington SlimBlade™ Pro Wireless Trackball, Rechargeable Battery, Bluetooth 2.4GHz Connection Options (K72080WW)

Having used the traditional trackball for more decades than I can easily remember I decided to switch to the slimline version about 3 months ago. The "wheel" on the traditional always made an annoying sound and the weakest point on it. The "wheel" on the slimline is not physical but senses when your finger is close to the circular area around the ball, meaning there is no ring anymore and you simply get close to or touch where it used to be and spin the ball to get the same effect, and it works well once you realize how to control it. It is smooth and easy to use. The track ball is the same size and are interchangeable. The socks the ball its in has some nice improvements, gone are the tiny balls use to give it a smooth roll and always collected dead skin and dust and replaced with simple indents doing the same without as much collection. Then at the bottom you now have a hole where dust will fall out through. This makes it less sensitive to collecting particles and easier to clean. You have a choice to use bluetooth or USB cable. The buttons can be harder to click on since you now have to click closer to the center unless you press a lot harder than normal. Not a huge deal but a change. The only real issue I've started to run into namely battery life. The specs lists 4 months or charge, that was good until 2 weeks ago and now it drops to 25% and gives a flashing red-light to let me know the charge is low. Now I charge it once a week. Though annoying it does charge up pretty fast. For all that use this brand of track ball you know they are well made and this is no different and maybe even better. Inserting the USB C connector does require a much harder push, something probably made to ensure it does not fall out easily. And for everyone else, if you ever had an issue with your mouse, try a track ball mouse but one with a large ball. Small ones do not give the same control (more sensitive). --- UPDATE: Called support and they are shipping a new one, can't complain about that!

I came across the Kensington Trackball about 35 years ago and it was just a very simple plug-in device. I have not gone back to using a regular mouse, or a trackpad since I started using the Kensington Trackball. It cuts down on hand fatigue, is much more precise in its movement and I’m sure it helps to prevent future issues surrounding carpal tunnel syndrome. The Trackball remains stationary and you gand works the ball & buttons. Everything is faster & easier with the Trackball. The Trackball has two left-keys & two right-keys, which can be programmed as left-click/right-click, with the remaining keys able to be programmed to snap to websites, email, etc. This is a very versatile product and as I said, I’ll never go back to using a regular mouse or a trackpad again. They are a pain. It’s the perfect merging of a keyboard and the ability to move your cursor around your page , highlight, cut/paste, etc. with speed and precision. FIVE STARS FOR THE PAST 35-YEARS & MOVING FORWARD.

In a world dominated by standard mice, the Kensington Trackball Mouse offers a refreshing — and highly functional — alternative. Designed for users seeking precision, comfort, and space efficiency, Kensington’s line of trackball mice (particularly the Expert Mouse and SlimBlade models) has earned a strong reputation among graphic designers, video editors, accessibility users, and anyone looking to reduce wrist strain. After several weeks of use, I can confidently say this mouse is more than a niche tool — it’s a productivity powerhouse. Ergonomic Design & Comfort The most immediate difference is how you interact with the device. Unlike a traditional mouse, the Kensington trackball stays stationary. You control the cursor by rolling the ball with your fingers or palm. This design is a huge win for ergonomics — it eliminates constant wrist and arm movement, reducing the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSIs), especially during long work sessions. The included wrist rest (on models like the Expert Mouse) adds another layer of comfort. It’s soft, detachable, and encourages a neutral hand posture. Over extended use, I noticed significantly less tension in my forearm and shoulder compared to using a regular mouse. Precision & Control The large, smooth-rolling ball is surprisingly accurate. Once you get used to the motion (which takes about a day or two), fine control becomes second nature. Whether you’re navigating through spreadsheets, editing photos, or simply browsing the web, the trackball allows for quick, pixel-level precision — especially useful for design work. Customizability is another standout. The KensingtonWorks software lets you program each of the buttons (typically four on the Expert Mouse) to suit your workflow — from copy/paste shortcuts to opening apps or executing macros. Scroll ring functionality is also intuitive and surprisingly satisfying. Rotating the ring around the ball allows for fluid, smooth scrolling that quickly becomes second nature. Build Quality & Durability Kensington devices are built like tanks. The materials feel premium, with a sturdy plastic body, high-quality ball bearings, and tactile buttons that hold up well under daily use. Unlike many traditional mice that begin to degrade after a year or two, a Kensington trackball can last years with minimal maintenance — just an occasional cleaning of the ball and socket. Learning Curve There is a brief adjustment period if you’ve never used a trackball before. It may feel awkward initially, but within a few days, most users adapt quickly. The payoff is worth it — less movement, better posture, and surprisingly faster navigation once you’re accustomed to the motion. Final Thoughts The Kensington Trackball Mouse isn’t just an alternative pointing device — it’s a serious upgrade in terms of comfort, control, and customization. Whether you're managing multi-monitor setups, working long hours at a desk, or dealing with wrist issues, this mouse delivers reliable performance with thoughtful design. Rating: 5/5 – Ergonomic, precise, and built to last. An excellent investment for professionals and power users alike.

Update 03-03-25 I have purchased several SlimBlade Pro trackballs now. My wife has switched to the Nulea trackball as she finds the ball placement more comfortable (the ball sits closer to the buttons). I prefer the SlimBlade, but I do have an issue with the balls. Two of the balls have a flaw (a small bubble in the plastic perhaps) a small cavity maybe 2mm in diameter that catches in the bearings. This is very annoying. I replaced one ball with a LYDD replacement. The LYDD ball is smooth with no flaws (yet, at least). I will probably buy another LYDD ball but I should not need to. --- Update: One problem with the scroll wheel on the Expert is that design means stuff can get into the mechanism. My current Expert has a balky scroll. I decided to give the SlimBlade a second look. This one has a stable frame so that is good. The scroll on the Expert, when not gritty is better. I hope that the open bottom under the ball on the SlimBlade means that grit falls through and not into the trackball. The older ball from my Expert works better for me on the Slimlade, it is not so slick. Some people hate the scroll click, I do not mind it but it would be nice to have an option in KensingtonWorks. The lower profile of the SlimBlade is preferable for me. The buttons on the Expert are a little stiffer which I prefer. The built in battery on the SlimeBlade is a nice feature. It has been five days and I am comfortable with the little differences between the SlimBlade and the Expert. I think the scroll is slightly better on the Expert (so long as grit is not in the mechanism. Since the Expert can get gritty it is a toss-up with the SlimBlade giving a slightly less capable but more consistent feel. The clicky noise does not bother me like some others. The buttons are too soft, lots of miss-fires. But I like the lower profile a lot. You cannot make a lower profile for a 55mm ball. I also like the built in battery. The Expert was a battery eater. I will see how long the SlimBlade runs on a charge. I can run the SlimBlade on a cord if needed the Expert will not do this. With Expert, I would occasionally lose the point with the computer wakes up. This usually required a power cycle to fix. I have not seen this with the SlimBlade (this may be a function of the latest KensingtonWorks). --- I have used an Expert wireless for years. But I never liked that high ball placement. I thought that I would give this a try. Well, the lower ball placement is great but the scroll is so-so. I live in NV which means dry, and a dry finger tends to slide on the ball rather than scroll the window. This is not a problem with normal tracking since I can get two or three fingers on the ball. The other annoying issue is that the frame in slightly twisted so the whole thing rocks (in a bad way). A 1mm shim solves this but for such a pricey device, this is not a reasonable solution. I returned it.

I was excited to try this because I've read that trackballs are much more beneficial for shoulder pain than even the most ergonomic mouse. I compared it with the Logitech Lift ergonomic mouse and ultimately chose the mouse. I'm a long-time mouse user; you might react differently if you're a long-time trackball user. Pros: Comfortable to rest hand on, even with big hands. Looks sleek. Rolls smoothly. Easy to reach buttons. Worked immediately in MacOS Tahoe without installing Kensington software, including adjusting sensitivity and scrolling speed via normal Mac settings. Cons: Extremely clicky/noisy buttons, more so than any mouse I've used. Pretty sure these buttons would be painful over time. Very awkward scrolling compared to a mouse; it's too slow to switch between pointing and scrolling. By comparison, the Lift mouse is even more comfortable (upright hand position and nice materials), buttons are very quiet but still tactile, and scrolling is seamless.

I've used variations of the original Kensington Smart Mouse (trackball) since the mid-90s and have been hesitant to make the change to this model because of the change in the scrolling mechanism compared to the current Expert Mouse, with a mechanical scroll ring. I did not know if I could adapt or would like the change, but I immediately found the SlimBlade intuitive, and it had even better performance than the old scroll ring. My biggest fears were dispelled. Overall, it is quite an improvement over the older Expert Mouse (trackball). This trackball can be directly connected to the computer, and the cable is a standard USB-C variety. I have two old cabled trackballs in the junk drawer due to cable shorts. I also have a couple of the older versions with the dongle that are worn out, too. I preferred the dongle version in the older Expert Mouse, but they went through batteries and did not always work correctly. I was excited to read that the SlimBlade can last months on a single charge using the dongle, so it is like the best of both worlds. The construction of the SlimBlade is a big improvement over the old Smart Mouse. It is sleek and less prone to clogging, which was a constant cat-hair problem in the past. To me, the buttons are easier to click, and it is much quieter. One of the things I notice most is that it is less bulky than my old favorite, the Kensington Smart Mouse; it is a pleasure to use.

Difficult product to review. On the one hand it is new, fresh, an exciting departure from the norm, an attractive piece of tech that looks stunning and gets interest from anyone who hasn't seen it before. On the other hand it is a very flawed computer peripheral that isn't good at doing the job it is actually designed for. In summary, what could have been the best pointing device I've ever used turns out to be one of the worst. It is let down by small overlooked functionality issues, that should have been obvious during testing before releasing the product, and should easily be rectified by the devices software. Poor design choices regarding the location of settings buttons on the trackball are just that, very poor functional design. It is almost as if it is a BETA version prior to the official release. Setting up the Slimblade is easy. Plug in USB and it's detected and usable immediately, or pressing the Bluetooth button connects just as quickly. I have not tried the 2.4Ghz wireless. The trackball is usable without installing Kensington Works software but to take advantage of button programming the software is required. BTW I am using Windows 11. Buttons can be assigned different actions within Kensington Works, allowing up to 8 user programmable actions. However, this does little to alleviate the biggest issues with using this trackball especially as the software doesn't have any way of disabling, either temporarily or permanently, the twist ball scrolling system. That is just plain stupid, and I cant help thinking that no one at Kensington has even tested their own product! Twisting the ball delivers a very annoying and again totally uncontrollable artificial speaker generated click click click noise. WHY? and why can it not be turned off? On top of that the Twist to scroll cannot be disabled making the trackball useless in environments that require consistent accurate movement of the cursor. The Trackball will often interpret a diagonal slight rotation of the ball as a twist and start scrolling, totally ruining the current design being drawn on screen, for instance. When playing 1st person shooter games, again the trackball will interpret your input as a request for scroll, destroying gameplay. You are just trying to look around or navigate a character when all of sudden the view point changes or zoom changes or head up display appears, or whatever is assigned to the scroll function within the game happens. This is NOT acceptable. It renders the trackball unusable and quite frankly unfit for purpose. There should be a software switch, as Kensington have not provided a hardwired switch on the device itself, to suspend the scroll twist function in addition to turning off that incessant click click click click click etc. so the trackball is of no use in most user cases already, but it gets worse........ The buttons on the side of the unit to select DPI or pair bluetooth could not be in a more inconvenient position. Again, I believe there is no way anyone properly product tested this before release otherwise it would have been addressed. In order to pick up the large footprint trackball unit your hands/fingers grab the unit exactly where the DPI button is located. Instantly changing DPI settings or worse, messing up bluetooth connection. It is disappointing that an expensive and often assumed quality brand Kensington is happy to sell this beautiful ornament as a trackball when it clearly isn't ready for use, despite being available for years now. I cannot use this trackball, neither can my partner nor my work colleagues and all for the same reasons. It is not just me being difficult! This trackball really is a waste of money, effort, time etc. A quick bit of software development to enable useful features such as disable the DPI switch and disable the twist scroll and associated click click click click click click click would completely change this useless trackball into a very good product. WHY has it not been done? My more than 20 year old Logitech Cordless Trackman is way better than this Kensington effort. I do not recommend this Kensington Slimblade Pro at all. The only users likely to be happy with it as a pointing device are ones that are wealthy and don't mind overspending on a useless device and would very rarely use it, or have another pointing device anyway. There are more issues with the trackball but enough is enough, this is just a quick Amazon review.

This is a solid well made piece of equipment. The operation of the buttons has some clanking, but I rather like that feedback. The function of the 4 buttons & button-combination is completely customizable with many options for the action that's taken. I just love the twist-&-scroll ability, where you twist the trackball & whatever page you're in slides up or down. It's so much faster & easier than shuffling over to the slide bar at the right of the page, & sliding down manually. For me, this alone was worth the purchase. After a month of using the trackball for many hours, the charge level is still at 100%. I use the trackball on a Bluetooth connection. It's fast & reliable. I am very pleased with the smooth & silent operation of this trackball. Having a large ball is really useful for me to keep control of the mouse over a very large screen. If you've only ever used a mouse, expect a period of adjustment for you to get used to the operation & feel of a trackball. But, this is the best. A little regular practice, & you'll find this fast & more accurate than anything you could have done with a mouse.

Wygląd kosmiczny, niski profil, duża kulka, precyzja użytkowania bardzo duża, a scroll wheel jako Ruch kulą to game changer.

Durable , and also satisfying to scroll with

Recensione riferita al modello Slimblade Pro Wireless (ricaricabile, wifi / bluetooth). Trackball estremamente scorrevole e piacevole da usare: trovando l’equilibrio giusto tra software Kensington, risoluzione dpi e settaggi mouse del computer, si raggiunge un’esperienza d’uso senza pari. I tasti ampi si raggiungono e si cliccano agevolmente, con grande naturalezza: la mano è chiamata a fare movimenti organici, mai forzati. Comoda la possibilità di assegnare funzioni a combinazioni di 2 tasti: non solo tasto Sx + tasto Dx superiori e inferiori, ma anche tasti superiore e inferiore su ciascun lato, per un totale quindi di 8 funzioni assegnabili. Questo è un aspetto che non ho trovato illustrato in modo chiaro mentre valutavo l'acquisto, quindi allego schermate (a rischio di essere ridondante). In qualsiasi momento durante l’uso, ruotando orizzontalmente la sfera si entra nella modalità di scroll (con aggiunta di rumore meccanico sintetico, a simulare il cliccare di una ghiera). Il passaggio tra la modalità di tracciamento e quella di scorrimento è liscio come l’olio, il suono di clic è l’unico segnale che si è passati da una modalità all’altra. Lo scroll ha luogo sia ruotando la sfera con due dita come fosse la manopola di una cassaforte, che facendola scorrere con un solo dito. La naturalezza con cui si torna al tracciamento (e viceversa) è davvero sorprendente, il tutto si svolge nella massima scorrevolezza. Il design forse è un pochino troppo futuristico e al contempo la scocca è molto plasticosa, ma la sfera sembra di ottima qualità, con un bel peso e piacevole sensazione al tocco. Il prezzo è sicuramente elevato (si trova spesso usato se si vuole risparmiare qualcosa), ma sono molto soddisfatto dell’acquisto.

Esta de lujo

Pour comprendre mon parcours avec les trackballs que j'utilise depuis déjà au moins 8 ans, je vais lister ce que j'ai eu : - une Kensington Orbit qui était tombée HS - une Kensington Slimblade filaire depuis au moins 5 ans : je l'utilisais chez moi puis je l'ai transférée au travail - une Elecom Deft Pro achetée par curiosité il y a on va dire 3-4 ans pour chez moi J'avais bien aimé la Kensington Orbit qui avait d'ailleurs certaines qualités par rapport à la Slimblade qui est cependant supérieure sur beaucoup de points (nous allons y venir). La Slimblade filaire est devenue naturelle pour moi grâce à sa prise en main quasi parfaite pour ma prise/pour la forme de ma main. Bien sûr, la spécificité de la Kensington Slimblade est le défilement avec la boule, là dessus c'est très naturel et agréable avec le bruit de retour satisfaisant. On peut même jouer avec la boule pour se détendre. Elle est également facile à nettoyer et la boule est grande. Si maintenant on ne vient à l'Elecom Deft Pro, j'avais remarqué dès le départ des points assez peu satisfaisants : - elle fait assez cheap à pas mal d'endroits, du moins elle est assez "rugueuse" - la boule n'est pas fluide et accroche souvent - revenir au scrolling à l'ancienne type souris vs l'anneau de l'Orbit ou le défilement naturel avec la boule de la Slimblade est un gros downgrade - le scrolling est fatiguant comme l'accès à certains boutons Cependant, je l'avais gardée histoire de ne pas avoir la même chose partout. Cependant, après une mésaventure hier sur le changement de DPI malencontreux qui semble avoir rendu le trackball encore plus imprécis avec beaucoup d'accroche (et un temps mort au changement de DPI pendant lequel la trackball ne marche plus), je me suis dit que cela suffisait que j'allais acheter enfin une trackball qui me plaît. En premier lieu, je me suis demandé si je n'allais pas prendre une Ploopy (d'autant plus que l'Elecom a rendu une partie de JV pénible et que Kensington n'est pas cité par les gamers), cependant je n'ai pas trop eu envie d'attendre une livraison de l'étranger avec de la douane. Cela me serait sans dout revenu aussi cher que la Slimblade Pro mais on verra une autre fois. J'ai voulu également prendre l'Expert pour varier les plaisirs et économiser un peu, puis je me suis dit que ça serait dommage de revenir à un scrolling mécanique, puis je me suis dit "zut allez je la prends même si je n'aurais aucune surprise". Une fois reçue, le verdict est sans appel : je retrouve bien ce confort, cette fluidité, ce geste naturel que je n'ai pas avec l'Elecom, c'est flagrant, tout est plus fluide et agréable. j'utilise l'index et le majeur à peine courbés et le pouce clique sur le bouton gauche. Le petit doigt touche le bouton droit. Sur l'Elecom, le pouce et les deux doigts sont courbés, ce qui fatigue. Globalement, je peux la manipuler sans tension, presque négligemment du bout des doigts. Mais comble de tout, alors que je m'attendais à avoir la même expérience qu'avec la Slimblade filaire, je me rends compte que cette nouvelle version semble avoir été améliorée aussi en termes de capteur et de précision générale. En effet, même si je ne fais pas vraiment de travaux de précision, il arrive parfois que je doive bien cliquer assez rapidement (je ne joue pas à des jeux rapides, mais je ne peux pas me permettre de trop foirer non plus) et cette version semble à cet effet un peu meilleure. Ce n'est pas le jour et la nuit, mais c'est assez significatif ; c'est peut-être parce qu'elle est neuve également, je mettrai à jour cet avis comme d'habitude. Il arrivait parfois en effet que la Slimblade filaire ait une sorte d'"arrêt" quand on ralentissait. Cet effet est bien moindre ici même s'il semble exister. Le bouton DPI aide également bien à personnalisé son expérience. Autre nouveauté de ce modèle, la possibilité de l'utiliser sans fil avec au choix du BT ou du 2.4Ghz avec le dongle fourni (sous la trackball). Je ne suis pas un grand utilisateur de souris sans fil, surtout vu la forme du produit qui est clairment taillée pour le bureau, mais le 2.4Ghz répond bien (cela a bien marché sur un switch USB Ugreen également), pas testé le BT mais je suppose que oui (je n'en vois pas l'intérêt avec le 2.4Ghz pour ma part mais si c'est là on ne va pas cracher dessus. Pour finir, l'esthétique de cette Slimblade est réussie, plus sombre que la filaire (qui a un anneau chromé et des couleurs un peu plus claires), ce qui fait plus "pro" et élégant si j'ose dire (bon cela ne va pas changer la face du monde). Enfin, Kensington fourni un adaptateur USB A vers C pour le branchement sur le PC, ce qui est un plus. Concernant le software, je ne l'utilise quasiment jamais, les touches par défaut me conviennent (contrairement au deft pro) mais il y a à peu près tout de basique (choix des actions des touches, sens de défilement, accélération...et quand même ce que j'aime bien, la possibilité de ralentir le pointeur, mais n'est-ce pas déjà dans Windows ?). Je ne vais pas m'étendre davantage là dessus car au mieux je vais faire un petit réglage et ne jamais y retoucher. Je ne vais pas non plus revenir sur l'avantage des trackball à mes yeux par rapport à une souris : pas besoin de bouger physiquement l'objet, détente avec le toucher de boule, plus précis pour ma part, gros boutons avec un usage de doigts que je préfère. Pour conclure, je suis content de retrouver ce modèle amélioré, globalement c'est la trackball qui me convient le mieux et de loin même si dans le futur je me laisserai probablement tenter par une Ploopy ou équivalent (si c'est le cas, je posterai une mise à jour ici). Si je devais peut-être déconseiller un achat sur ce modèle, ça serait pour un produit vraiment mobile. Cette trackball a clairement un design pour être posée sur un bureau ou en station prolongée, même acheter une housse pour ça me semble peu pratique, d'où mon désintérêt relatif pour le sans fil (même pour le mouvement , le principe d'une trackball c'est de ne pas bouger). Là dessus, même si elle était moins bonne, la Elecom était plus "portable". (petite, légère, compacte).