WHAT IT IS
The Contour Rollermouse Red is a 40cm-long gadget that fits just in front of any keyboard, leaving you free to navigate your computer with both hands. You need to straighten your fingers when you use it, and as a result, there’s less tension in your hand, arm, shoulders and neck, compared with when your hand is curled over a mouse.
GETTING ACQUAINTED
Several times, I caught myself reaching for my old mouse out of habit, but I soon found the new device less foreign:
* Sliding and rolling a cylindrical tube on a bar lets me control cursor movement on screen, while tapping it performs a “left click” function, much like using a laptop’s touchpad.
* A rollerball scrolls up and down the page, exactly like a regular mouse would.
* Convenient buttons perform “left click”, “right click”, “double click”, “copy”, and “paste” functions.
WHAT’S GREAT
* It’s ergonomic. The slider, rollerball and “double click” button are positioned perfectly within reach of my fingers – it’s funny how I never noticed before that using a conventional mouse leaves my hand cramped. The Rollermouse also has detachable padding to support my wrists when typing – firm yet comfy!
* It’s customisable. The mouse can be set to one of five cursor speeds and five sound levels – you can even put it on mute if you don’t like the clicking noise it makes.
* It encourages better back posture. I was forced to sit up straight to prevent my palms from inadvertently hitting the slider while typing.
WHAT’S NOT
I had to elevate my keyboard with risers (attachments that stick out from the mouse and fit under the keyboard), so that my wrists wouldn’t brush against the sliding cursor box. However, this caused the keyboard to slope backwards – slightly awkward to use.
VERDICT
“It’ll take more time for me to adjust to the body posture that using this mouse demands, but after a week, my hands already feel much freer and less tense than before.” – Rachel
The Contour Rollermouse Red ($439) is available from Ergoworks. It can be used with both iOS and Windows.
This article was originally published in Simply Her July 2014.
All product and pricing information was correct at the time of the magazine’s publication. We advise readers to check with the stores for the latest availability and pricing information.