[ad_1]
Ergonomic mice and keyboards are essential to maintaining a correct posture (and maybe even some of your sanity) while working at your computer for hours on end. They come in all shapes and sizes, but some of the more avant-garde ones are from Contour Design. The Contour RollerMouse Pro Wireless ($289), a long-standing, oft-refined design, is one such example. A unique effort, the RollerMouse Pro attempts to combine a trackball mouse and a wrist rest into a single input device that’s both comfortable and productivity-friendly. Does it succeed? Well, mostly. The Contour RollerMouse Pro is certainly not for everyone, held back by both a high price and a steep learning curve. But it might attract adventurous productivity users looking for a drastically different ergonomic tool for working at their computers.Design: A Mouse by Any Other NameThe last time we had our hands on a Contour mouse was back in 2018, when we reviewed the Contour Unimouse. That mouse at least resembles what we know as a traditional computer mouse. The RollerMouse Pro, on the other hand, is barely recognizable as a cursor controller. It features a slick, innovative design that, at first glance, might resemble the wrist rest you’d find included with your keyboard. At 4.9 by 15 by 0.9 inches (HWD), the RollerMouse Pro is just slightly wider than the 75% keyboards that have become so popular lately among gamers (such as the Razer BlackWidow 75% and the Alienware Pro Keyboard). But as big as it is, it weighs just 2.15 pounds. It’s also available in a wired version for $20 less.
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
A long bar runs across the top half of the device. Sliding the bar left to right controls the cursor’s movement laterally across the screen, rolling the bar moves the cursor up and down, and a slight press against the bar acts as a standard left click (though you can also use the dedicated left-click button in the wrist rest portion). Slightly off-center and to the left is a cluster of mouse buttons, plus a scroll wheel that moves the page up and down. Using two hands, you’re meant to navigate with both the rolling, sliding bar and the spinning scroll wheel. Now, compared with your typical trackball mouse, which has its own learning curve to contend with, the RollerMouse feels almost like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. More dexterous hands might be able to manipulate both modes of control at the same time, but I managed by using the right hand to control the bar while the left hand controlled scrolling. Sliding the bar back and forth was surprisingly intuitive, even if I found myself accidentally pressing the bar down for a mistake-click more times than I’d like.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
All of this can be daunting, but its ergonomic benefits are clear, or so Contour claims. The RollerMouse Pro is meant to eliminate reaching, keeping users in a comfortable, neutral posture while using the computer. Its ambidextrous design allows for righties and lefties to maneuver it without issue, and the combination of the roller bar and scroll wheel are meant to reduce the repetitive motions that cause wrist strain. Your fingertips do more of the navigation work.Turning to the buttons that surround the scroll wheel, you’ll find a left and right clicker, and two additional buttons for the Copy and Paste functions. Tucked under the scroll wheel is a one-touch double-click option, and at the top left, you’ll find your DPI toggle and the power switch. Flipping to the back side, you’ll find a slot for the included USB-C cord and some indentation to hide the extra cable. The RollerMouse Pro lacks any built-in place to store its wireless USB dongle.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
The more time I spent with the RollerMouse Pro, the more I was impressed by its design. The vegan leather gives the wrist rest a comfortable grip that felt good against my wrist, while each button press was clean and responsive, letting out a satisfying click with every action. Our review unit’s wrist rest was the regular size, but Contour also offers a slim version that cuts the size down by half. Even nicer, the grips are easily swappable, requiring just a quick snap-off of the magnetic base.Feature-Rich, With a Price to MatchUsing the RollerMouse is going to be a challenge on its own if you’ve only ever used conventional mice, and even more so when paired with a keyboard (unless you’ve got four hands). Contour also offers a keyboard (called the Balance Keyboard, bought separately for $89 or in a combo with the RollerMouse for a total of $368) that is meant to be paired with the RollerMouse—not physically connected, mind you, but paired in the sense that you’d place the RollerMouse against the Balance Keyboard on your desk. Contour says that this keyboard/mouse combination limits arm extension—and it does, in my experience—but it is also a little hard to type on, at least at the speed I’m used to. I typed 47 words per minute with the mouse in place, versus 55 words per minute without it. That is not a devastating loss in productivity, but a difference all the same.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
I paired the mouse with a couple of different keyboards from other manufacturers to see if I could find one that’s comfortable, but the setup felt a little clunky and took up a lot of desk space. In particular, I found myself at times brushing the roller bar by accident and moving the cursor. Perhaps this is just inexperience with this type of device, but I’m certain I won’t be the only one struggling to find my sea legs. (Or should I say, sea wrists?)Interestingly, the mouse doesn’t come with any risers installed on the body of the mouse. Instead, two separate risers in the box can be slipped under the mouse and adjusted to four different positions. I don’t mind them, but it’s unclear where to place them for optimal use. I would have preferred there to be an area on the mouse’s underside that highlighted the optimal location for the risers, as well as magnetic surfaces to keep the risers in place.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
The mouse does have a few additional features, including both Bluetooth support and the mentioned USB dongle for wireless connections, a maximum resolution setting of 2,800 dots per inch, and options to adjust the level of resistance on the roller bar and how loud the clicks are. The rechargeable battery can last for up to three months and takes about five hours for a complete charge.With six buttons to its name, the RollerMouse can be adjusted as needed. Using the downloadable Contour Shuttle app, you can tweak button functionality and sensitivity, and even set application-specific settings across the six buttons and roller bar. The software, like the hardware, is well-designed and easy to navigate. It works with Macs, too.
(Credit: Contour)
Overall, however, I struggled to find my balance in my time testing the RollerMouse. Trackballs are difficult enough to come to terms with, but a two-handed mouse built around a slider bar is another beast entirely. Furthermore, the hefty price of $269 for a wired version or $289 for a wireless version is a lot to stomach. Contour does offer a rather intriguing 30-day free trial, though, which lets you try out the mouse and only pay for it at the end if you’re satisfied. If not, you can send it back. Verdict: Keep Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’The RollerMouse Pro is an impressive input device and a peripheral that is certainly useful to those who may be differently abled or suffering from wrist, neck, and shoulder-related pain from constant computer use. Its immaculate design reflects how expensive it is, but it’s got just one too many quirks to give it a full-throated recommendation.If you’re interested, by all means avail yourself of the free trial. If you find a two-handed mouse isn’t for you, though, you might be better off with an entry-level trackball like the Kensington Pro Fit Ergo TB550 if you prefer to use your thumbs, or the Kensington Expert Mouse Wireless Trackball if you’re all about fingertip operation. As much as the RollerMouse Pro will reward your persistence in learning it, a finger or thumb trackball will be much cheaper, and a less drastic ergonomic shift.
Contour Design RollerMouse Pro Wireless
The Bottom Line
Contour Design’s slick, pricey RollerMouse Pro is an interesting two-handed alternative to a trackball, though it’ll take you some time to get used to its unique ergonomic approach.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
[ad_2]
