I've found myself neglecting my Xbox recently and instead gaming on PC more than usual. Thanks to big-ticket exclusives like World of Warcraft: The War Within and Frostpunk 2, I've also discovered new types of wrist and forearm pain that previously eluded me. Indeed, as I approach 40, I notice that my joints are not as supple as they used to be ... and I've been seeking solutions.
Somehow, the creepy psychic marketing machine that is Instagram knew I was having wrist and forearm gamer stress, and begun offering me solutions. One such solution came from Linus Sebastian himself, famed face of Linus Tech Tips.
Emblazoned on an Instagram reel ad, Linus' endorsement was for a product called the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 ($39.99 on Amazon) (which also has its very own LTT edition). I'd never seen a product quite like this before and found myself intrigued.
Most of the wrist rests I've tried to use over the years often just make the issues worse rather than better. I've tried those gel mouse mats, a variety of wrist rests, and various other solutions. Sometimes, I've found that the best option is to just try and take a break, but given my job (sitting here, writing this for you lovely people), sometimes that's just not an option.
Could the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 really be the mouse stress solution of my dreams? Is it one of the best PC gaming accessories of all time?! Or is it just another pricy Instagram dud? The truth is somewhere in between.
Deltahub Carpio 2.0 review: Price and availability
The Deltahub Carpio 2.0 is available virtually everywhere for roughly $39.99, depending on where you look. It's widely available on Amazon UK, US, and its European varieties.
The Deltahub Carpio is essentially a shaped soft plastic rest with Teflon runners, designed to glide with your arm when using a mouse. There are left and right handed varieties, if you want to add one to your keyboard hand, or are generally left handed. There's also a Linus Tech Tips branded version if you want to fly your LTT flag.
There's also a Deltahub Carpio 2.0 "G" variant, which comes with a rubber strap for your hand. The Deltahub Carpio 2.0 G is $44.99 on Amazon and is targeted at users who are playing games that require rapid mouse movements or repositioning actions, such as shooters.
Deltahub Carpio 2.0 review: The good
Deltahub is very careful about its claims regarding Carpio 2.0. Reading its website, Amazon store listing, and FAQ sections, Deltahub never claims that it will "cure" anything, for example. Deltahub claims that it reduces the "risk" of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In the videos for the product, Linus Sebastian says it is a "potential" solution for issues it seeks to solve. And indeed, your mileage may vary here, and honestly, that's okay.
The issue with ergonomics is that every single human body is slightly different. It's very rare that there's a catch-all solution for anything revolving around this category of products. I've reviewed chairs that I swore helped with back pain, while others say those same chairs actually made it worse for them. So much like Deltahub, I'm by no means claiming my experience with the Carpio 2.0 will be universal. But I still wanted to share some thoughts on this product because it certainly isn't cheap. It set me back €50 in Germany, where I'm currently staying and remains quite pricy when there are so many other, cheaper alternative options potentially. Even Razer, who is known for pricy products, sells a $10 mouse wrist rest that promises to "potentially" solve similar issues. Considering the price ask here, I would've hoped for at least some respite — so how did it fare?
First off, the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 feels well-made overall. It uses Teflon runners on the underside which helps it glide along any surface you'd expect a mouse to glide on. I was particularly impressed with the action here, and used it with a few different mice I have to hand to get a feel for it.
The idea is that the product sits beneath the seat of your thumb in your palm, and then you reach for your mouse as normal. Initially it felt a bit odd to accommodate the additional piece of gear, but it wasn't long before I fully got the hang of it. If you're someone who does play games that require rapid mouse movement, the team also sells a "G" version that comes with a rubber strap to keep the product in place.
The quality feels reassuring, the matte texture on the palm rest feels nice to the touch, and the Teflon coating works well with my basic fabric Razer Gears Tactics mouse mat (pretty sure I'm the only person on Earth with this mouse mat). It should work fine on any surface that your current mouse works on, and it doesn't take long to get used to. The box also includes a fabric pouch for travel and storage, which is a nice little bonus, too.
Beyond that, there's not much more to say about the product itself. It is an ergonomically shaped piece of plastic with anti-friction Teflon runners and large and small size options for different types of hands. In that, Deltahub nailed its aims. But really, we're here to find out if it actually delivers on its "potential" promises.
And yes, at first, I thought "hey, this might actually be working," but I think my initial reaction might have been potentially placebic. I really wanted to like this product, given how much I spent on it.
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Deltahub Carpio 2.0 review: The bad
While I acknowledge that Deltahub doesn't exactly make any promises that the Carpio 2.0 will solve any existing issues you might have, given its price point and the "backed by science" story, the firm goes with you be forgiven for expecting at least some material impact. I'm sad to report that after a couple of weeks of use, I've found that it actually introduced new types of stress-related pain into my day-to-day than I had previously.
The Deltahub Carpio 2.0 is designed to fit in the palm of your hand with a design it says is suitable for all types of hand shapes. I followed the site's measurement guides and picked up a right-handed large size, which is essentially for average-sized male hands, I would say. I have fairly good desk ergonomics overall, with a laptop monitor riser at eye level and my armrests level with my desk. I have a Razer keyboard wrist rest on the left which I've found works pretty well for me there, it's just my mouse arm that has eluded me so far when it comes to ergonomics. And sadly, it will continue to elude me for now.
I found that eventually, the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 started to make the palm of my hand hurt, on top of the wrist pain I already had. It's not ideal, given how much the thing costs, although I'd be lying to say my experience is universal. There are tons of reviews on Amazon that swear by the thing, but I was disappointed to find that it wasn't helping me at all.
Once I'd noticed that the center of my palm had begun to hurt from using the Deltahub Carpio 2.0, I decided to test a range of other mice I had lying around. I found that raising my palm the 1-2 cm~ created this unnatural-feeling "downward reach" to my Razer Cobra mouse. The Cobra is a pretty low-profile mouse compared to some out there, so I tested it with larger mice, too, such as the Razer Naga and various LG mice I had lying around. Sadly, the stress effect felt roughly the same. I managed to make it worse by using the Microsoft Surface Mouse, which has an even lower profile. It feels like raising my wrist somehow made my experience worse rather than better here, which was a bit of a disappointment.
Still, I couldn't help but wonder if the height of the product rather than its shape was the issue. When I take the mouse away and use the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 by itself, it feels a lot better for me. I'm not sure how they could make it even thinner without potentially compromising its physical integrity, but herein lies some of the complexities of designing ergonomic products. Everybody is different and has vastly different needs.
I certainly think Deltahub is on to something here with the Carpio 2.0, and it may well work for you — for whatever reason, it just didn't work for me.
Deltahub Carpio 2.0 review: Is it worth it?
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As I noted above, there are dozens of testimonials across the world that the Deltahub Carpio 2.0 works if you believe the 4.5/5 star Amazon reviews. It's true that every person's setup is different; every person's hand, wrist, and mouse arm is different. Everyone uses different mice, mouse mats, desks, armrests, and beyond. It's admirable that Deltahub was able to make something that apparently works for so many people, to the point where even a famed techtuber like Linus Tech Tips would put their stamp of approval on it. I'm just sorely disappointed it didn't work for me — emphasis on sorely.
Depending on where you live and what consumer rights you have, you might be able to purchase one to try it out and return it if it doesn't work for you. And if it does work for you, then you'll have found a unique product that does something very few others seem to be capable of delivering properly.
You should buy this if:
- You live somewhere with consumer right to return if it doesn't work for you.
- You've already exhausted cheaper wrist-rest options.
You should avoid this if:
- You have a low-profile mouse, since the Carpio raises up your hand quite a bit.
- You don't fancy risking $40 on an experiment.
Repetitive strain injuries are probably going to become an increasingly serious issue as more and more of us live, work, and play on computers, mouse in one hand, WASD in the other. It's great that companies like Deltahub are exploring technological solutions to the problem. The hilarious anime waifu mouse mats might be endearing, but I'm not sure they're actually solving Carpal Tunnel issues (perhaps they even contribute to them in more ways than one, ahem.) But whether or not Deltahub's Carpio 2.0 solution is the big fix you've been waiting for may well vary heavily from person to person, setup to setup.
Just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you, but $40 is a lot of cash to splash on what could amount to a failed experiment. If you have the right to return, you'll have nothing to lose, though.
