76 OCTOBER 2019|COMPUTERSHOPPER|ISSUE 380
REPETITIVESTRAININJURY,or RSI, is the
bane of many aregular PC user.Since there’s
no instant fix, and recovery can take weeks,
the best waytodeal with RSI and other
computing-induced ailments is to take a
preventative approach. Setting up your desk
comfortably and performing regular stretches
and wrist exercises are both essential, even if
you’ve never suffered RSI before.
However,for users who are particularly
vulnerable,aswell as those who are already
afflicted, there are ergonomic peripherals
such as the Contour Unimouse.This is a
vertical mouse,which means that while the
base still has asensor facing on to the desk
–like any other mouse –the buttons and
scroll wheel are flipped up and to the side.As
aresult, you end up holding it with your palm
in amuch more vertically oriented position.
GET IN SHAPE
This is easier on the bones and muscles
in your wrist and forearm, as it’s amore
natural resting position –stick your arm
out while reading this, pretend to grip a
conventional, ‘horizontal’ mouse,and you
might well feel like you have to rotateyour
wrist downwards. The difference might not
seem like much, but holding yourself in this
less natural position forhours at atime can
eventually cause strain.
There are plenty of vertical mice,but
the Unimouse take this concept and
expands on it. Having the right shape is
clearly abig part of good ergonomic
practice,but another is adjustability,and
farfewer mice focus on this as well.
The Unimouse is different. It’s split into
two distinct parts, with the base and sensor
on the button and the tophalf –where all the
buttons sit –attached via ahinge,not just
part of the same frame as the base.This hinge
lets you decide how vertical agrip you want,
so long as it’s within the 35° to 70° range.
It’s aclever concept –everyone’s hands
are different, so why shouldn’t amouse
dedicated to ergonomics allow individuals to
choose what theyfind comfortable? –and a
well-executed one,too.The hinge is loose
enough to enable quick modifications, but is
crucially stiff enough that we never re-angled
CONTOUR Unimouse
★★★★★
£90•From http://www.amazon.co.uk
VERDICT
Withitssmarthingeddesign,theUnimouse’s
balanceofcomfortandcustomisationis
worthpayingfor
the tophalf by
accident. The entire
design would have
been moot if it just
sank back downwards
after being set to ahigh
angle,but the hinge’s
robustness prevents this.
What’s more,ifyou’re
not used to the feel of a
vertical mouse,which in
fairness is very different to a
traditional one,then being able to
adjust the angle makes it possible to ease
yourself in gradually.You can start with alow
angle,and as you become more used to the
notion, you can slowly go more vertical over
time,until you’re at the highest (and most
ergonomically friendly) angle.
REST EASY
Anyone who’s accustomed to regular mice
will likely still have some spats with their
muscle memory.The right-click button is
positioned forthe ring finger,for starters;
that’s because middle-click functionally has
its very own full-size button, in addition to
clicking down on the scroll wheel. That’s not
technically aflaw,and certainly isn’t arare
thing among vertical mice,but forthe
uninitiated it might take some getting used to.
That said, one of the weirdest things about
the Unimouse is also the very best: the thumb
rest. Rather than being built intothe mouse
itself,itsits on an extendable,adjustable arm,
so just like the tophalf of the mouse,you can
position and angle it exactly how you want it.
This adjustability –not to mention the thumb
rest’s deep curve and pleasant-feeling dotted
grip –delivers farbetter thumb support than
even alot of other ergonomic mice.
Many vertical designs by manufacturers
such as Ergonomique and Anker simply use a
convex shape cut intothe mouse’s body as a
thumb rest. This is more ideal than just aflat
side,which wouldn’t provide any support at
all, but still assumes aone-size-fits-all
approach, which, depending on your grip and
hand size,can still leave your thumb slipping
down the side.The Unimouse,conversely,
gives your thumb its very own little cradle,
which can be rejigged to accommodate
different hands down to the millimetre.
However,the Unimouse is also guilty of a
similar oversight, but on the other side: our
little finger often ended up dropping down
and getting caught on the edge,arisk made
greater by the vertical design. This could
possibly have been solved with alarger lip
around the base of the mouse,like asmaller
version of the static, flat thumb rests
common to Mad Catz mice.Still, the edge
flares out slightly,and there’s apatch of
textured plastic there forsome extra grip;
those with smaller mitts, or even just atighter
grip,might not have the same issue.
CORD CHANGES
Amid all the excitement about customisation
and ergonomics, Contour hasn’t forgotten the
basics. Asmall but still convenient set of side
buttons sit just above the thumb rest, and
both wired and Bluetooth modes are
supported; you have to use aUSB port in any
case,asituses its own receiver,but the
detachable cable allows you to recharge the
battery before seamlessly swapping back to
wireless. There are also an impressive 10
different sensitivity levels, between 800dpi
and 2,800dpi and, unlike on the Microsoft
Classic Intellimouse,you can quickly switch
between these with an onboard button.
True,wewouldn’t expect much less for
£90, which is alot of moneywhen basic,
wired vertical mice start from around £12.
Even so,considering both its wealth of
features and just how uniquely adjustable the
Unimouse is, that high price is justified.
Everyone’s hands aredifferent, so whyshouldn’t amouse
allowindividuals to choose whattheyfind comfortable?
MICE
