Contour's Unimouse explained

The new Unimouse is a wireless, adjustable vertical mouse designed by Contour, the same company behind the revolutionary Rollermouse. This post takes a closer look at the Unimouse's features and functions. Images showing the Contour Unimouse

What is Unimouse?

Unimouse is the latest addition to Contour's growing portfolio of ergonomic computer mice. It's a complete departure from the roll bar design of the Rollermouse, and in fact looks more like the familiar palm-sized computer mice Rollermouse was designed to replace. There is, however, a crucial difference. Usually, computer mice are used like this:

Images showing someone using a traditional mouse The hand is placed directly on top of the mouse with the fingers positioned over the buttons. The user must then push and slide the mouse around on the desktop in order to control the corresponding cursor on their screen. For light, infrequent use, this kind of mouse is usually fine. The problem is that it's not a natural position for your arm to be in and long-term use can cause issues. Those who do a lot of clicking a lot of the time are at much greater risk of developing the following problems:

  • Pain on the top of the hand.
  • Pain around the wrist.
  • Pain along the forearm and elbow.
  • Formulation of painful nodules, and in the later stages, ganglion cysts, around the joints and along the tendons.
  • Numbness and tingling in the thumb and index finger.
  • Burning, stiffness, restricted range of motion.

Vertical mice Clever designers realised that the way to combat this problem was to tilt the mouse up on its side. Instead of controlling the mouse palm down, one would control it in a neutral handshake position. This concept is now known as a vertical mouse, and other examples include the Evoluent series of mice, and our Posturite Penguin. Rather than twisting the arm to face downwards, vertical mice align the arm and hand in a neutral handshake position.

How is Unimouse unique?

The headline feature of the Unimouse is its articulated hinge. You can use this hinge to adjust the angle at which you grip the body of the mouse. The thumb support also slides backwards and forwards so you can find the perfect fit. The Unimouse is, as the name suggests, designed to be as universal as possible.

Comfort in motion

Aside from being a nice catchy tagline for Unimouse, 'comfort in motion' is a nod towards one of the core principals of healthy working: try to move as much as possible. This style of work is called active working, and it can involve shifting posture, moving from sitting to standing, taking regular breaks and generally keeping as physically active as possible. The idea is that movement helps reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems while helping to keep us healthier and more energised throughout the day. You can adjust the angle of your mouse from a 35 degree to a 75 degree tilt, depending on how vertical you want your hand position to be. This gives you the opportunity to change up your posture throughout the day, leaving you less likely to develop repetitive strain injuries. Don't worry about slipping, either. Unimouse incorporates special friction technology to keep your hand firmly in place.

Speed and precision

What else do you need from your computer mouse besides ergonomic comfort? Firstly, good usability. Whether you're doing intricate design work, clicking from cell to cell in a spreadsheet, or highlighting text in a Word document - you'll need precision. Unimouse comes with an impressive 10 speed settings, from a gentle 800dpi, right up to a lightning 2800. You control the sensitivity by flicking through speed settings on the mouse itself - no need to go into your computer settings.

Productivity

Reducing pain isn't the only type of return on investment the Unimouse offers. If you're going to buy a new mouse, you need to be confident that it's going to increase your productivity in other ways. Unimouse has seven buttons in total, six of which are programmable. By assigning relevant functions to these buttons, you can maximise your efficiency and have your most-used actions conveniently at your fingertips.

What are you waiting for?

It works well, it's designed for comfort and movement and it looks great (who doesn't like a set of flashing red lights?). The Unimouse is a fine choice if you spend a lot of time at the computer, whether for work, gaming, or just general browsing.

You can buy yours on our online shop right here ›