29 January 2024 , 21:00
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I've tried MANY mice. Being someone who can spend most of his working day on a computer for work then staying on another computer to game and relax for most of my adult life - it's fair to say I've gone through a large number of devices throughout my time.
But more and more people are becoming savvy to the fact that spending more than eight hours on a computer might not be the best for your body.
In comes ergonomic mice and keyboards which have seen a big boom over the past few years as more and more people work from home while sitting on a computer most of the day.
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And Contour Design seems to be one of the specialists in selling ergonomic equipment for your PC including the RollerMouse Pro - which looks vastly different to any other mouse I’ve ever used before. Instead of resting your hand on top and gripping the mouse, the RollerMouse allows you to rest your hands and glide across your screen.
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But has it converted me to becoming an ergonomic mouse user? Well yes – but also no.
The RollerMouse Pro is a brilliant and unique design – albeit with a few flaws that other models appear to have addressed. The version I used was the regular size, but it does come in a slim and extended version depending on your space and preference.
The RollerMousePro in actionOut of the box, there was no messing about. The device I used was wireless and it was as easy as inserting the wireless dongle
One problem I found out of the box was the size of the device. Compared to a regular mouse, the RollerMouse Pro is quite large and weighs 0.63kg. If I was going to take this away for a work trip or to another location, space is valuable, and the RollerMouse Pro really takes up a lot of space on the table.
You can remove the vegan leather wrist rest which considerably reduces the size but when you compare it to a regular mouse – it really doesn’t compare which can be a killer if you are restricted with the amount of space you have. Other models like the RollerMouse Mobile could be a far more viable option (and it’s cheaper as well).
The mouse is mostly controlled with the long, rolling bar at the top of the mouse which when I first tried out – really surprised me. It didn’t take me long to get used to it (after I lowered the DPI) and it looks me less than 10 minutes to really get used to it.
The bar also has a click built into it so you can scroll and click. It really didn’t take me long to get used to it and I was surprised just how easy it was to control and use.
The device also has a surprising amount of customisation which can be a bit fiddly but when you get the hang of it – it's easy to sort. There’s a DPI button at the side which allows you to customise the sensitivity of the roller bar and how hard you have to click it.
Just below the gliding bar, you have a rectangular control panel which houses your scroll wheel, left and right click as well as a handy feature – a copy and paste button.
Honestly, I didn’t think I would need a copy and paste button until today. It’s a massively helpful tool that streamlined how I work.
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I found using the mouse at the side of a laptop was far more comfortableOne of my biggest issues with the RollerMouse is the sensitivity of the roller bar and how easy it is to click. If you have a laptop that has a mouse built into it, sometimes reaching over to type can accidently click the bar which forces you to click on the screen.
It’s a frustrating thing that forced me to eventually turn off the built-in click on the bar. Eventually, I got used to scrolling with the bar and just left-clicking with the mouse which was more than comfortable.
Most of the promotional pictures show the mouse underneath a keyboard but I found the best way for me to use it was to have it at the side of my laptop instead of under it which meant I didn’t need to reach over the mouse.
Another big issue I have is the price. For a staggering £282 (more than £300 for the wireless version) it’s a sizeable chunk of change and for many, it would be very much out of their price range. But for many the price of health is far more valuable so I can understand this pricing – very slightly.
Overall – despite its flaws and slight annoyances – RollerMouse Pro has convinced me but not converted me. It has become my new mouse to use while I work from home and I've struggled to go back to a conventional mouse. It’s a unique and ergonomic way to work and I’ve noticed how far more relaxed my wrist has been.
If I were to choose a Contour model – I would go for a RollerMouse Mobile as it’s smaller, more compact and cheaper but if you have the space and work from home, the RollerMouse Pro is a smart choice for a unique and ergonomic mouse.
However when it comes to day-to-day usage and gaming, I think I'll stick to my tried-and-trusted Logitech mouse.
Buy the RollerMouse Pro from Contour Design here.