Continuing my exploration of Kensington’s desktop peripherals, following our look at the KB515 EQ keyboard, I’m checking out the Kensington MY435 EQ mouse and the company’s Green-Loop Duo Gel keyboard and mouse wrist rests.
The Kensington MY435 mouse is a wired mouse with the usual left and right buttons and a couple of customisable buttons on the left side. There’s a scroll wheel on the top which doubles as a third button. Also at the top is a button to adjust mouse sensitivity between 1000, 1600, and 2400 DPI. The left side has a rubberised grip area, making the mouse easy to move with precision.
For a wired mouse, it’s a bit too light for the rather inflexible cable. This created a bit of resistance when moving the mouse, particularly forwards and backwards. My everyday mouse is wired as well, but the cable is soft and doesn’t impede movement. The wireless version of the mouse is probably a better choice if you don’t want to be fighting the cable.
The mouse feels robust, especially considering how light it is. The shell is made from 55% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, ticking the sustainability box. The Kensington MY435 mouse is small. It’s marketed as a mid-sized mouse, which is about right. I found it a bit too small for everyday use, as gripping it for long periods was a bit tiring. I couldn’t rest the palm of my hand on the mouse without my fingers hanging over the front, leaving my hand in an awkward position.
The Kensington MY435 mouse is for right-handed use. Which shouldn’t be a problem for most. I’m left-handed and only ever used a mouse in my right hand. But if you are a super-awkward lefty and absolutely must use a mouse with your left hand, this is probably not the mouse for you. Trying the mouse in my left hand, it still felt pretty comfortable, but access to the two buttons on the left was a bit difficult.
The main buttons have a positive, but quiet click to them. The scroller feels nice and responsive. With a range of sensitivity settings, you can use the mouse in areas with limited desk space, or if you prefer, set it for a larger range of movement.
Adjustments and button customisations are carried out via the Kensington Konnect app. But this is not the same as the Kensington Konnect (Keyboards) app. Why there’s not a unified app for Kensington’s desktop peripherals is a bit of a mystery and one that I hope the company addresses in the future.
Whilst I wouldn’t replace my regular mouse with the MY435, it was great for packing up with my laptop. Being wired, I didn’t have to worry about batteries or charging. The small and lightweight mouse slipped into my laptop bag with no trouble, giving me a fully featured mouse on the go.
The Kensington Green-Loop Duo Gel keyboard and mouse wrist rests make for an interesting addition to your desktop. The dual pastel tones of the wrist rests have a minty look about them.
The green-white pad co-ordinates nicely with its grey-green counterpart. The colours are subtle, stylish and, like the other Kensington PC peripherals, offer a classier traditional look for your desktop over the more industrial style of other brands.
The wrist rests offer a bit more cushioned support than the average wrist rest, the two ridges feeling a bit more comfortable. They take a bit of getting used to, as I found them quite high, especially the mouse rest.
It’s impossible to resist pushing and playing with the gel wrist rests. Even if you push them hard, the gel returns to its shape immediately. If you bend them ever so slightly, the “skin”, which seems very thin, creases in a particularly uniform way that you will find needs repeated investigation. The gel inside seems to only have a thin layer of protection, perhaps needing a bit of care to make sure that you keep pointy objects from piercing it, like pens or sharp rings.
The Kensington Green-Loop Duo Gel keyboard and mouse wrist rests add a bit of class to your desktop. They also give your wrists a bit of well-deserved tender loving care.
Along with the Kensington KB515 EQ keyboard, the MY435 wired mouse, and Green-Loop Duo Gel wrist rests complete an uncompromising but stylish corporate desktop set-up that creates just the right impression. The lightweight mouse is better suited for smaller hands, but still great for on the go. The wrist rests are very cool-looking and very comfortable.