Following leaked marketing images last month, Logitech has finally announced its new ultraportable travel mouse. As the name suggests, the Moby Fold is a compact mouse that can fold in half using a hinge that can rotate about 130 degrees. At $79.99 in graphite, off-white, lilac, and sand color options, the Mobi Fold isn’t Logitech’s lightest or cheapest mouse, but it’s certainly its smallest and a well-presented alternative to your laptop’s trackpad if you’re accustomed to some unconventional ergonomics.
The arch-shaped Mobi Fold looks similar to other folding devices, like the Surface Arc Mouse. But whereas Microsoft’s design folds flat, making it thinner and easier to carry in a pocket or bag, the Mobi Fold is more like a clamshell cellphone. And even though it doesn’t close with a satisfying clunk, it still feels durable. Logitech says the hinge was “tested to withstand 15 years of daily use.”
That hinge, along with more than half the mouse, is wrapped in a silicone skin that improves grip while semi-protecting it from drops. Where it covers the hinge you’ll find a pleated design that expands and stretches when the mouse is folded in half, so there’s no risk of pinching.
At 79 grams, the Mobi Fold is a few grams heavier than Logitech’s Pebble Mouse 2 and the bare-bones M196, which I’ve been traveling with recently. When folded, the mouse is a little more than three-quarters of an inch long and about 2.6×2.5 inches in size, making it feel seriously compact. It reminds me of some wireless earbud cases, but a little thinner.
Logitech claims that the Mobi Fold’s rechargeable battery will power the mouse for up to a month on a single full charge, while a 1-minute quick charge will keep it running for up to 22 hours. It’s getting a global release. Which means we can potentially, thanks to recent EU regulations, have a removable cover on the bottom, allowing that rechargeable battery to be replaced in the future.
The Mobi Fold isn’t designed to completely replace a full-featured desktop mouse, but it offers enough functionality and customizability to be a solid trackpad alternative. There’s a 4K DPI optical sensor at the bottom and a pair of left and right mouse buttons at the top and a multifunction touch panel between them. The behavior of that panel can be changed using the optional Logi Options Plus software, so swiping your finger up and down either zips through websites and documents or scrolls line by line at a more leisurely pace. The two at the top and bottom of the touch panel also act as additional clicky buttons. You can customize their functionality using Logitech’s app, but by default they function as forward and back buttons when browsing.
A button on the bottom of the Mobi Fold is used to connect and cycle the mouse between three different devices, and I had no difficulty connecting it to a few laptops and iPads. Instead of a dedicated power button, you turn off the mouse by folding it in half. I found that while the touch panel remains active while scrolling, when you lift the mouse to turn it, all buttons are disabled. This should prevent accidental presses and clicks as you will definitely press them when you twist it.
If portability is your top priority, the Mobi Fold is a great way to keep a mouse on hand. You may just want to take some extra time to get comfortable using it.
Whereas Microsoft’s aptly named Arc Mouse has a beautifully curved arc that conforms to your hand, the Moby Fold feels like you’re resting your hands on two sides of a piece of cardboard that’s been folded in half. Its buttons and touch panel are also completely flat, and I’ve realized that I’m a mouse user who likes to frequently lift and reposition the mouse rather than move my entire arm to push it around. The Mobi Fold’s slim design made this difficult as I struggled to find a sturdy place to hold it on either side.
For $80, the Mobi Fold offers an impressively portable mouse that offers more than just basic functionality. I’d always prefer a physical wheel over a touch pad for scrolling, but considering how small this mouse is, I’ll happily put up with finger swipes. While I’d still opt for my laptop’s touchpad, the Mobi Fold is an excellent accessory to take advantage of the iPad’s recent multitasking upgrades.
Photography by Andrew Liszewski/The Verge
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