Keychron Nape Pro
Tied for most recommended of 4 trackballs
People recommend it as a trackball that can be placed where it suits, especially for trackpoint fans. Critics say it is pricey and made for fingers not thumbs.
People recommend it as a trackball that can be placed where it suits, especially for trackpoint fans. Critics say it is pricey and made for fingers not thumbs.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 3
- approval share
- 67%
Recommended in 1 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 1 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Flexible, compact trackball placement
“This product feels like a trackball that lets you place it where it makes sense.”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “Keychron's Nape Pro turns your keyboard into a laptop‑style trackball rig” “someone finally made the thing I wanted (narrow, small)”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “Keychron's Nape Pro turns your keyboard into a laptop‑style trackball rig”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Trackball sits too high, awkward
“the trackball seems too high to use it comfortably”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “Keychron's Nape Pro turns your keyboard into a laptop‑style trackball rig” “And it looks really awkward to use.”
Comment from 12 Jan 2026 in “Keychron's Nape Pro turns your keyboard into a laptop‑style trackball rig”
Other trackballs people recommend
The three most recommended other trackballs, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keychron Nape ProThis page | 6 | 3 | 67% | 1 | — | — |
| Ploopy A+ Trackball | 6 | 3 | 67% | 2 | — | — |
| Ploopy Adept trackball | 6 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Kensington Expert Trackball | 5 | 1 | 83% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 10 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I felt I could do about 95% of movements I wanted pretty easily.”
“And it looks really awkward to use.”
“someone finally made the thing I wanted (narrow, small)”
“It seems to be made for fingers, not thumbs.”
“For trackpoint fans this is nice (but pricey)”
“This product feels like a trackball that lets you place it where it makes sense.”
“all the reviews are like "I've never used a trackball, but this looks cool"”
“Keychron products usually do”
“One thing these 1/4-20 mounted ergonomic keyboard designs need is a locking mechanism”
“the trackball seems too high to use it comfortably”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.