Input devices

Cold Office? Keep Your Mouse Hand Warm with the ValueRays Warm Mouse

If I was the marketing person for ValueRays, I'd license the catchy Brendan Benson song "Cold Hands, Warm Heart," and tweak it to become, "Cold Hands, Warm Mouse." (Actually, I hate when advertisers ruin songs this way--but this is just such a perfect fit!)

The ValueRays Warm Mouse is exactly what you think it is: a heated mouse, and a great replacement for your current, chilly rodent.

Though it looks like a standard two-button USB wheel-mouse, the Warm Mouse contains a carbon-fiber heating element. A rather bulky inline switch gives you choice between Low and High settings (as well as Off), each of which delivers a different degree of hand-warming toastiness.

Just how warm does it get? The High setting is borderline hot, reaching a maximum temperature of 104 degrees. That's not uncomfortable by any means, but when the air in the office is a little milder, I definitely prefer dialing the mouse back to Low. Whatever setting you choose, the Warm Mouse doesn't actually radiate heat, so it warms only the parts of your hand and fingers that are actually touching it.

That said, I find it a lot more pleasant to hold than a traditional mouse. And speaking of traditional, the Warm Mouse handles its primary function quite well, with stiff (but not overly so) buttons and a nicely calibrated scroll wheel. It does feel a bit lightweight--maybe even a little cheap--but once you get accustomed to its toasty goodness, you won't care.

The Warm Mouse's 4.5-foot cord might prove too short for users with floor-standing desktops, but otherwise this is a terrific product and welcome relief for anyone bothered by an icy mouse-hand. You can order the Warm Mouse direct for $29.95.