Shape

The shape of the M686 Vampire Elite can be summed up in one word: wide. Those with smaller hands will inevitably struggle to wrap their fingers around the M686 Vampire Elite as needed for a claw grip. It's primarily a palm-grip shape, for which it works very well. The basic design is the same as for the Dream Machines DM2 Supreme: The left side extends to provide a small thumb rest, while the right side is extended for a ring finger and pinky rest. Compared to the DM2 Supreme, the pinky rest is more explicit, whereas the ring finger rest is a bit slimmer. Additionally, the hump, though still centered, is a bit more tapered, leading to a slightly bulkier feel in hand. The fairly deep comfort grooves on the main buttons are noticeable as well, as is the somewhat narrow butt, which widens towards the front.

Truly peculiar is the sensor positioning, however, as it is slightly forward and off-centered to the left when looking at the bottom. The sensor is neither in line with the cable nor the geometric middle of the mouse body. Yet, and to my own surprise, it didn't take me long to get used to the position of the sensor. Still, it's definitely unusual, and a possible source of inconsistency for those less adept at adapting to it.


As for grip styles, I'd say the M686 Vampire Elite is best for palm grip, with claw grip possible at least. It's a medium-sized mouse but incredibly wide, which makes it more suitable for bigger hands. For reference, my hands are 19 cm long and 10 cm wide, and I found the M686 Vampire Elite mostly comfortable in claw grip. I did struggle with properly lifting the mouse at times, though.

Dimensions

This table includes the dimensions of the Redragon M686 Vampire Elite and several other right-handed ergonomic mice. "Front height" denotes the distance between the base and the main buttons. Measurements with two decimals have been taken with a caliper, while those with one decimal have been taken with a ruler. For a full list of all measurements taken, please refer to this sheet compiled by an esteemed community member.


Here are some comparison shots with each of the measured mice:


Dream Machines DM2 Supreme


Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro


Logitech G604