Before I start the review, you will have noticed that fellow reviewers aren't sure how to clean this device. Probably because the information on how to do that is buried in Contour's (the company behind this product) website in a FAQ support page.
That along with the .pdf manual for this device to disable things like tap to click. More on that later, right now I'mma show you how to take it apart to clean it.
First what you will need is preferably two hands.
Secondly, have at least one "UltimateCloth". It is a cloth that uses a material called Mirafiber Fabric that is more fine than "microfiber cloths".
It also only uses water to get itself damp so no need for alcohol or other harsh cleaning solutions that will damage this device.
Those UltimateCloths can be bought here on Amazon. Here's a basic set of them:
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Cloth-Mirafiber-EcoFriendly-Multi-Surface/dp/B016ARTAWK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ultimate%2Bcloth&qid=1600529808&sr=8-5&th=1
They're a little bit expensive but they can also be reused and machine washed, even bleached if necessaary. Just get them, it will make this way easier.
Now that you have those things prepared, here's what you do.
I have the photos of what to do attached to this review, so reference those as I summarize what is done in all 27 of said photos.
Firstly, you see those two black end caps at the end of each side of the rubber roller bar?
Those can be pressed inwards towards the rubber roller bar which will cause them to click, and then they can be carefully removed. Set the two end caps aside at their respective ends so you don't mix them up later when putting the device back together.
Afterwards, the metal bar that the rubber roller bar rests on top of has two magnetic pins at each end of the metal bar. Those hook/rest into a metal magnetic slot at both ends. Carefully apply enough force to remove the metal bar from the magnetic slots on both sides.
WARNING: There should be a ribbon cable to the left opening of the metal bar. This can break if you aren't careful. So again, carefully apply force, don't go full caveman mode on it!
After the metal bar is removed, it is now possible to slide off the rubber roller bar off the metal bar. Again, figure out a way to remember which way the rubber roller bar was so you don't get confused later when reattaching everything.
At this point, there's an extra option you can do, and that is to clean the metal gutter that holds the metal bar and the rubber roller bar. That gutter tends to gather gunk and other stuff into there, so if you want to clean that you can. However this mostly won't affect the performance/smoothness of the RollerMouse RED. This is simply for cosmetic purposes. Hence why it is optional.
With that out of the way, and with everything taken apart, set the pieces aside and take your UltimateCloth.
Get it fully soaked with water. Preferably under a sink since that would be the easiest way to do so.
Once it is fully soaked, twist the UltimateCloth to "wring it". This is to get rid of a lot of the mositure. Keep doing that tightly enough that no more water drips out of the cloth.
Now you should have a "damp" UltimateCloth that isn't dripping water everywhere.
WARNING: If you notice from the pictures, in the center of the metal bar are the sensors that the rubber roller bar uses. While cleaning the metal bar in this next step, be sure to not touch those!
With your newly dampened UltimateCloth, you basically just wipe the metal bar. Basically jerk it off is what I'm saying. While avoiding the sensor in the middle. However the metal underneath the sensor is fair game.
This next step is also optional but this time this does effect performance if you want to squeeze that extra bit of smoothness out of this device. Personally I do it because it isn't too hard to do.
Take your dampened UltimateCloth, twist one of the ends so that it is less floppy and easier to aim, then take that twisted end and shove it into the rubber roller bar. Keep twisting the cloth inward of the rubber roller bar until the UltimateCloth's twisted end can be grabbed onto through the other end.
Once the UltimateCloth is sticking outside of both ends, you basically want to "floss it" so to speak. Take either end of the UltimateCloth sticking out, and pull it, then pull the other side of the UltimateCloth, and so on. You can do this as many times as you'd like. I'd say 4 sets of pulls on either side will do the trick. Do more if you'd like.
Once you're done with that optional step, pull the UltimateCloth out of the rubber roller bar.
Now that your components are cleaned, you're reading to put it back together again.
Firstly, take the rubber roller bar and slide the metal bar back on into it. Make sure the rubber roller bar doesn't slide to either end as you're doing this.
Secondly, take the left side of the metal bar, find those two magnetic pins and hook them into the magnetic metal slot to the left of the RollerMouse RED's base.
Thirdly, do the same with the right side.
Double check to make sure everything is probably hooked into their respective slots.
Fourthly, reattach the black end caps you set aside early on.
Now your RollerMouse RED is fully cleaned and should feel absolutely STELLAR again! Seriously though, I forget how insanely smooth this thing is every time I'm done cleaning it!
===== = =====
With that process out of the way, what about the actual usage of the device?
What the RollerMouse RED essentially is, is a combination of multiple types of mice in one chaotic jack of all trades device. I've used trackballs, trackpads, mice, trackpoints, and drawing tablets, and this device takes aspects of all of those into one comprehensive device.
If that sounds extremely chaotic to you, it is because it is. So while there is a learning curve, it is also surprisingly lower than you'd might expect.
As for HOW to use it is where things get very fun, and very interesting very fast! That's because there are many different ways to use it based on what parts of your hands you wish to rest.
For example, you can do the traditional way, which is to have one hand on the keyboard, and one hand (usually the main three fingers, and having the pinky/thumb manage the mouse buttons) on the RollerMouse RED.
IMPORTANT: PRO TIP: According to the electronic manual, you want your keyboard's space bar positioned higher than the RollerMouse RED. If your keyboard is extremely thin, there should be two plastic keyboard risers in the box to prop your keyboard up to the necessary height. This prevents any accidental mouse movements when typing.
PRO TIP 2: Contour's website also has software so you can rebind the mouse buttons on your RollerMouse RED along with profiles for specific applications of your choice.
So if the default button functions are difficult to use, feel free to rebind them.
Here's where you can find the electronic manual and the software to rebind your buttons:
https://www.contourdesign.com/product/rollermouse-red/
Its at the end of the page in the "Downloads" section or something similar.
The electronic manual also teaches you how to change the DPI (basically the mouse speed of the RollerMouse RED), how to disable tap to click, along with other things. Just download it so you can refer to it if you have any of those basic questions. Anything more specific can be found on Contour's FAQ page or their support page. Which can be found by clicking "Support" on their website, then clicking "Troubleshooting Solutions".
With those major tips out the way, back to the review!
Even with just traditionally using the RollerMouse RED, due to how its positioned, you can also switch hands at will. So unlike with say a trackball where you need to reposition the entire thing onto the other side of your computer set up THEN start using it with your other hand, with the RollerMouse RED you "just do it".
Another way to use it is with your thumbs while the other 8 fingers on your (hopefully) two hands are managing the keyboard. For example, having your right thumb managing cursor control, while your left thumb manages the mouse buttons. This is great if you need your hands on the keyboard at all times and don't want to move your hands excessively. Great for office work to avoid RSI!
And again, you can swap thumbs on a dime should one of them get fatigued from cursor control and vice versa.
So you technically have a "finger" and a "thumb" mouse at the same time, along with having a "lefty" and a "righty" handed mouse at the same time. The ability to "just do it" as you see fit will take some time to get used to. Especially if you want to use your thumbs to control the mouse for cursor control.
With some practice, you can fluidly change between these positions as you wish to prevent RSI from doing the same motions with the same hand over and over again. Right hand is tired? Just use the left!
As for DPI/mouse-speed, it can go pretty high if you want!
It has a range of as low as 600 DPI, all the way up to a meaty 2400 DPI!
But what happens if you reach the end of either side of the metal bar with the rubber roller bar?
What ends up happening if that the cursor will automatically drift horizontally in that direction. So if I have 3 monitors, and I'm on the left most one, if I keep moving the rubber roller bar to the right until it reaches its end, the cursor will "drift" to the right until I stop. You cannot aim it up or down while the cursor is drifting.
As for things like gaming cursor drift, the RollerMouse RED surprisingly has none!
I played osu! with it and no matter how long I played that game, the rubber roller bar always kept its position relative to the cursor!
A way to test if your mouse has cursor drift (which is common if it does), is to spin your cursor in a circle. Try to maintain that circle in the center of the screen. What will end up happening is that your mouse will quickly get out of position relative to the cursor. Some gamers also call this "mouse drift".
So I repeat: The RollerMouse RED DOES NOT have mouse drift!
Now what are some things I don't like about this device?
Well take one look at the price. While it is basically several mice in one, a Swiss Army Knife of mice so to speak, at the end of the day, several hundred USD is still several hundred USD. Its EXPENSIVE.
The second thing I don't like is that cleaning it, as you've seen, while not "difficult" per say, it does take some concentration and can be time consuming based on how careful you're being, and with how expensive this thing is, you really want to take your time with maintenance/cleaning-it!
Thirdly, the software to bind your mouse buttons has a specific requirement for how you bind them. There should be three "main buttons" on the RollerMouse RED. Labeled as "left click, right click, and double click" respectively. You need to have one of them binded to the actual mouse function of left click or right click. Afterwards, you can bind you mouse buttons how you wish. But you cannot bind left click on the "copy" button for example to have it act for the primary requirement. That is because with the profile feature, the "non-main buttons" are what you bind to each profile.
That means if I want the copy button to open a map in a game, I make a profile, bind that button to the respective key that opens the map, apply it to the .exe file of the game, and now when I open that game, that profile should automatically be activated with that layout.
So yeah, while it is annoying to lose out on two buttons on the primary mouse button cluster, it does make sense in context as to prevent the user from unbinding essential mouse buttons. It would be awkward to accidentally unbind left click and now you can't use your mouse. So this mouse does have fail-safes on that front. So that is more of a nitpick on my end.
The other thing I don't like about it is that it only works with "orthodox keyboards". Essentially the typical default rectangle we all know and might love/hate.
This means you cannot use any super specialized keyboard that are "ergonomic" or have a built in wrist rest since the RollerMouse RED in it of itself is a wrist rest. (Or a armrest if you bought the arm rest attachment)
Speaking of wrist rests, there's three sized, small (the default most of the time), the "pro" or "plus" variant which is the large size, and finally the arm rest. It is meant for things like standing desks but I just find it more comfortable in general so I just use that one all the time.
Continuing on with the cons, the coating on the mouse buttons aren't very good. You can even see the finish's rubbed off surface in the photos of this review!
(Context:
The year i got this device, I played a game called Terraria a lot which uses the left click a lot. The two buttons that "faded" finish wise, those two I binded to left click hence why their finish is in particularly scuffed condition!)
The final thing I don't like about it, is that the one I got is a wired one and the wire for the RollerMouse RED is disturbingly thin. For a device THIS expensive, I wouldn't mind the wire being a bit thicker because otherwise it looks alarmingly fragile. So I wouldn't recommend this for travel. They do sell a wireless version however. So if this does seem like something you want to try out on the go, go with the wireless version so you don't break the awkwardly thin wire on the wired version!
With all those negatives and the rest of the review out of the way, would I recommend it?
For most people, probably not. This is a incredibly niche product for people who want the jack of all trades (master of some) mouse.
For most people, something like a "X-keys L-Trac Trackball" would be a more orthodox option and significantly easier to get into. Put a high quality pool ball into it and the smoothness will also be roughly on par with the RollerMouse RED.
With something like the RollerMouse RED, it is kind of hard to visualize how it would "be like" in the day to day. Contour does however offer a 30 day trial program on their website that allows you to try this device out for free plus or minus shipping and handling. And if you like it, you can keep it. If not, you can send it back.
With how expensive it is, and if you have any doubts on its usefulness on your day to day, I HIGHLY recommend the 30 day trial so you don't just waste almost $300 USD on something that might not fit your unique needs.
But overall, for its intended niche, it is a very excellent product. A almost unreal amount of smoothness (when clean), extremely great at preventing RSI with how easy it is to switch hand styles on the fly!
Many many small details to really tailor it almost perfectly to how you want it!
The materials are very solid where it counts! The rubber roller bar has a great grip on your fingers so you don't have to worry about your hands falling off!
Very ergonomic in a way that is more easy to use by a large range of hand types instead of those hyper lazer focused specialized mice which only works one way, and then you'd have to buy more mice to fit the other hand/thumb! Not with this mouse! Its an all in one stop for ergonomics as far as mice goes! It isn't flawless, but it is in a niche all of its own.
Finally, while there are multiple versions of RollerMice on the market. I do believe this one, the "RollerMouse RED" is the best of them. The other ones seem to have tracking issues whereas this one is basically a gaming grade sensor, and due to the lack of mouse drift, arguably better than "gaming grade sensors"!
Other RollerMice also have issues with fingers unable to probably rest on the rubber bar as user's fingers tend to fall off the device.
The RollerMouse RED's rubber roller bar has moderately sized rubber dimples that have a firm but not excessive grip on your fingers.
So while the RolerMouse RED tends to be, on average, about $30 - $50 (USD) more expensive than other RollerMice, honestly just do it. You're already spending almost $300 on these things, you might as well get the best one out of all them!
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Contour Design RollerMouse Red Wired - Wired Ergonomic Mouse for Laptop and Desktop Computer Use - 2.4 GHz Ambidextrous Computer Mouse - Mac & PC Compatible
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Contour Design Ultimate Workstation Red Wired - Includes RollerMouse Red & Balance Keyboard - Wired Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse Combo - Compatible with Mac & PC Computers$409.00 $428.00This bundle contains 2 items
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From the manufacturer
RollerMouse Red
A Better Way to Mouse
The RollerMouse Red boasts a revolutionary design that is designed to keep users centralized, comfortable, and greatly reduce the chance of injury while increasing productivity by up to 19%.
Eliminate Gripping
With its unique design, RollerMouse allows users to control the cursor with an open, relaxed hand. This eliminates gripping and decreases muscle activity in the hand and fingers, allowing users to work in a comfortable position all day, while greatly reducing fatigue.
Reduce Reaching
RollerMouse, unlike a traditional mouse, sits in front of the keyboard instead of to the left or right. This unique placement eliminates the need for reaching. Users can work in comfort while reducing the risk of elbow, shoulder, and neck injuries commonly caused by traditional mice.
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Sleek and EfficientThe RollerMouse Red is much more than just an appealing design, it increases productivity as well. One study found an average increase of 19% in productivity for RollerMouse Red users versus a traditional mouse. The study also found traditional mouse users were losing up to an average of an hour a day reaching for their mouse. |
Button Panel FeaturesRollerMouse Red comes equipped with a smooth scroll wheel, 10 cursor speed settings, a one touch double click, and copy and paste shortcuts |
Customize your workflowOur bespoke driver allows users to customize the entire button panel to their workflow |
Easy to controlOur unique rollerbar allows users to vary their posture and eliminate hand tension |
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RBT Ergo Mouse COMPARED to Logitech MX Ergo Trackball
UTECHPIA
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR ROLLERMOUSE RED
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
Before I start the review, you will have noticed that fellow reviewers aren't sure how to clean this device. Probably because the information on how to do that is buried in Contour's (the company behind this product) website in a FAQ support page.That along with the .pdf manual for this device to disable things like tap to click. More on that later, right now I'mma show you how to take it apart to clean it.First what you will need is preferably two hands.Secondly, have at least one "UltimateCloth". It is a cloth that uses a material called Mirafiber Fabric that is more fine than "microfiber cloths".It also only uses water to get itself damp so no need for alcohol or other harsh cleaning solutions that will damage this device.Those UltimateCloths can be bought here on Amazon. Here's a basic set of them:https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Cloth-Mirafiber-EcoFriendly-Multi-Surface/dp/B016ARTAWK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ultimate%2Bcloth&qid=1600529808&sr=8-5&th=1They're a little bit expensive but they can also be reused and machine washed, even bleached if necessaary. Just get them, it will make this way easier.Now that you have those things prepared, here's what you do.I have the photos of what to do attached to this review, so reference those as I summarize what is done in all 27 of said photos.Firstly, you see those two black end caps at the end of each side of the rubber roller bar?Those can be pressed inwards towards the rubber roller bar which will cause them to click, and then they can be carefully removed. Set the two end caps aside at their respective ends so you don't mix them up later when putting the device back together.Afterwards, the metal bar that the rubber roller bar rests on top of has two magnetic pins at each end of the metal bar. Those hook/rest into a metal magnetic slot at both ends. Carefully apply enough force to remove the metal bar from the magnetic slots on both sides.WARNING: There should be a ribbon cable to the left opening of the metal bar. This can break if you aren't careful. So again, carefully apply force, don't go full caveman mode on it!After the metal bar is removed, it is now possible to slide off the rubber roller bar off the metal bar. Again, figure out a way to remember which way the rubber roller bar was so you don't get confused later when reattaching everything.At this point, there's an extra option you can do, and that is to clean the metal gutter that holds the metal bar and the rubber roller bar. That gutter tends to gather gunk and other stuff into there, so if you want to clean that you can. However this mostly won't affect the performance/smoothness of the RollerMouse RED. This is simply for cosmetic purposes. Hence why it is optional.With that out of the way, and with everything taken apart, set the pieces aside and take your UltimateCloth.Get it fully soaked with water. Preferably under a sink since that would be the easiest way to do so.Once it is fully soaked, twist the UltimateCloth to "wring it". This is to get rid of a lot of the mositure. Keep doing that tightly enough that no more water drips out of the cloth.Now you should have a "damp" UltimateCloth that isn't dripping water everywhere.WARNING: If you notice from the pictures, in the center of the metal bar are the sensors that the rubber roller bar uses. While cleaning the metal bar in this next step, be sure to not touch those!With your newly dampened UltimateCloth, you basically just wipe the metal bar. Basically jerk it off is what I'm saying. While avoiding the sensor in the middle. However the metal underneath the sensor is fair game.This next step is also optional but this time this does effect performance if you want to squeeze that extra bit of smoothness out of this device. Personally I do it because it isn't too hard to do.Take your dampened UltimateCloth, twist one of the ends so that it is less floppy and easier to aim, then take that twisted end and shove it into the rubber roller bar. Keep twisting the cloth inward of the rubber roller bar until the UltimateCloth's twisted end can be grabbed onto through the other end.Once the UltimateCloth is sticking outside of both ends, you basically want to "floss it" so to speak. Take either end of the UltimateCloth sticking out, and pull it, then pull the other side of the UltimateCloth, and so on. You can do this as many times as you'd like. I'd say 4 sets of pulls on either side will do the trick. Do more if you'd like.Once you're done with that optional step, pull the UltimateCloth out of the rubber roller bar.Now that your components are cleaned, you're reading to put it back together again.Firstly, take the rubber roller bar and slide the metal bar back on into it. Make sure the rubber roller bar doesn't slide to either end as you're doing this.Secondly, take the left side of the metal bar, find those two magnetic pins and hook them into the magnetic metal slot to the left of the RollerMouse RED's base.Thirdly, do the same with the right side.Double check to make sure everything is probably hooked into their respective slots.Fourthly, reattach the black end caps you set aside early on.Now your RollerMouse RED is fully cleaned and should feel absolutely STELLAR again! Seriously though, I forget how insanely smooth this thing is every time I'm done cleaning it!===== = =====With that process out of the way, what about the actual usage of the device?What the RollerMouse RED essentially is, is a combination of multiple types of mice in one chaotic jack of all trades device. I've used trackballs, trackpads, mice, trackpoints, and drawing tablets, and this device takes aspects of all of those into one comprehensive device.If that sounds extremely chaotic to you, it is because it is. So while there is a learning curve, it is also surprisingly lower than you'd might expect.As for HOW to use it is where things get very fun, and very interesting very fast! That's because there are many different ways to use it based on what parts of your hands you wish to rest.For example, you can do the traditional way, which is to have one hand on the keyboard, and one hand (usually the main three fingers, and having the pinky/thumb manage the mouse buttons) on the RollerMouse RED.IMPORTANT: PRO TIP: According to the electronic manual, you want your keyboard's space bar positioned higher than the RollerMouse RED. If your keyboard is extremely thin, there should be two plastic keyboard risers in the box to prop your keyboard up to the necessary height. This prevents any accidental mouse movements when typing.PRO TIP 2: Contour's website also has software so you can rebind the mouse buttons on your RollerMouse RED along with profiles for specific applications of your choice.So if the default button functions are difficult to use, feel free to rebind them.Here's where you can find the electronic manual and the software to rebind your buttons:https://www.contourdesign.com/product/rollermouse-red/Its at the end of the page in the "Downloads" section or something similar.The electronic manual also teaches you how to change the DPI (basically the mouse speed of the RollerMouse RED), how to disable tap to click, along with other things. Just download it so you can refer to it if you have any of those basic questions. Anything more specific can be found on Contour's FAQ page or their support page. Which can be found by clicking "Support" on their website, then clicking "Troubleshooting Solutions".With those major tips out the way, back to the review!Even with just traditionally using the RollerMouse RED, due to how its positioned, you can also switch hands at will. So unlike with say a trackball where you need to reposition the entire thing onto the other side of your computer set up THEN start using it with your other hand, with the RollerMouse RED you "just do it".Another way to use it is with your thumbs while the other 8 fingers on your (hopefully) two hands are managing the keyboard. For example, having your right thumb managing cursor control, while your left thumb manages the mouse buttons. This is great if you need your hands on the keyboard at all times and don't want to move your hands excessively. Great for office work to avoid RSI!And again, you can swap thumbs on a dime should one of them get fatigued from cursor control and vice versa.So you technically have a "finger" and a "thumb" mouse at the same time, along with having a "lefty" and a "righty" handed mouse at the same time. The ability to "just do it" as you see fit will take some time to get used to. Especially if you want to use your thumbs to control the mouse for cursor control.With some practice, you can fluidly change between these positions as you wish to prevent RSI from doing the same motions with the same hand over and over again. Right hand is tired? Just use the left!As for DPI/mouse-speed, it can go pretty high if you want!It has a range of as low as 600 DPI, all the way up to a meaty 2400 DPI!But what happens if you reach the end of either side of the metal bar with the rubber roller bar?What ends up happening if that the cursor will automatically drift horizontally in that direction. So if I have 3 monitors, and I'm on the left most one, if I keep moving the rubber roller bar to the right until it reaches its end, the cursor will "drift" to the right until I stop. You cannot aim it up or down while the cursor is drifting.As for things like gaming cursor drift, the RollerMouse RED surprisingly has none!I played osu! with it and no matter how long I played that game, the rubber roller bar always kept its position relative to the cursor!A way to test if your mouse has cursor drift (which is common if it does), is to spin your cursor in a circle. Try to maintain that circle in the center of the screen. What will end up happening is that your mouse will quickly get out of position relative to the cursor. Some gamers also call this "mouse drift".So I repeat: The RollerMouse RED DOES NOT have mouse drift!Now what are some things I don't like about this device?Well take one look at the price. While it is basically several mice in one, a Swiss Army Knife of mice so to speak, at the end of the day, several hundred USD is still several hundred USD. Its EXPENSIVE.The second thing I don't like is that cleaning it, as you've seen, while not "difficult" per say, it does take some concentration and can be time consuming based on how careful you're being, and with how expensive this thing is, you really want to take your time with maintenance/cleaning-it!Thirdly, the software to bind your mouse buttons has a specific requirement for how you bind them. There should be three "main buttons" on the RollerMouse RED. Labeled as "left click, right click, and double click" respectively. You need to have one of them binded to the actual mouse function of left click or right click. Afterwards, you can bind you mouse buttons how you wish. But you cannot bind left click on the "copy" button for example to have it act for the primary requirement. That is because with the profile feature, the "non-main buttons" are what you bind to each profile.That means if I want the copy button to open a map in a game, I make a profile, bind that button to the respective key that opens the map, apply it to the .exe file of the game, and now when I open that game, that profile should automatically be activated with that layout.So yeah, while it is annoying to lose out on two buttons on the primary mouse button cluster, it does make sense in context as to prevent the user from unbinding essential mouse buttons. It would be awkward to accidentally unbind left click and now you can't use your mouse. So this mouse does have fail-safes on that front. So that is more of a nitpick on my end.The other thing I don't like about it is that it only works with "orthodox keyboards". Essentially the typical default rectangle we all know and might love/hate.This means you cannot use any super specialized keyboard that are "ergonomic" or have a built in wrist rest since the RollerMouse RED in it of itself is a wrist rest. (Or a armrest if you bought the arm rest attachment)Speaking of wrist rests, there's three sized, small (the default most of the time), the "pro" or "plus" variant which is the large size, and finally the arm rest. It is meant for things like standing desks but I just find it more comfortable in general so I just use that one all the time.Continuing on with the cons, the coating on the mouse buttons aren't very good. You can even see the finish's rubbed off surface in the photos of this review!(Context:The year i got this device, I played a game called Terraria a lot which uses the left click a lot. The two buttons that "faded" finish wise, those two I binded to left click hence why their finish is in particularly scuffed condition!)The final thing I don't like about it, is that the one I got is a wired one and the wire for the RollerMouse RED is disturbingly thin. For a device THIS expensive, I wouldn't mind the wire being a bit thicker because otherwise it looks alarmingly fragile. So I wouldn't recommend this for travel. They do sell a wireless version however. So if this does seem like something you want to try out on the go, go with the wireless version so you don't break the awkwardly thin wire on the wired version!With all those negatives and the rest of the review out of the way, would I recommend it?For most people, probably not. This is a incredibly niche product for people who want the jack of all trades (master of some) mouse.For most people, something like a "X-keys L-Trac Trackball" would be a more orthodox option and significantly easier to get into. Put a high quality pool ball into it and the smoothness will also be roughly on par with the RollerMouse RED.With something like the RollerMouse RED, it is kind of hard to visualize how it would "be like" in the day to day. Contour does however offer a 30 day trial program on their website that allows you to try this device out for free plus or minus shipping and handling. And if you like it, you can keep it. If not, you can send it back.With how expensive it is, and if you have any doubts on its usefulness on your day to day, I HIGHLY recommend the 30 day trial so you don't just waste almost $300 USD on something that might not fit your unique needs.But overall, for its intended niche, it is a very excellent product. A almost unreal amount of smoothness (when clean), extremely great at preventing RSI with how easy it is to switch hand styles on the fly!Many many small details to really tailor it almost perfectly to how you want it!The materials are very solid where it counts! The rubber roller bar has a great grip on your fingers so you don't have to worry about your hands falling off!Very ergonomic in a way that is more easy to use by a large range of hand types instead of those hyper lazer focused specialized mice which only works one way, and then you'd have to buy more mice to fit the other hand/thumb! Not with this mouse! Its an all in one stop for ergonomics as far as mice goes! It isn't flawless, but it is in a niche all of its own.Finally, while there are multiple versions of RollerMice on the market. I do believe this one, the "RollerMouse RED" is the best of them. The other ones seem to have tracking issues whereas this one is basically a gaming grade sensor, and due to the lack of mouse drift, arguably better than "gaming grade sensors"!Other RollerMice also have issues with fingers unable to probably rest on the rubber bar as user's fingers tend to fall off the device.The RollerMouse RED's rubber roller bar has moderately sized rubber dimples that have a firm but not excessive grip on your fingers.So while the RolerMouse RED tends to be, on average, about $30 - $50 (USD) more expensive than other RollerMice, honestly just do it. You're already spending almost $300 on these things, you might as well get the best one out of all them!
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2020
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Before I start the review, you will have noticed that fellow reviewers aren't sure how to clean this device. Probably because the information on how to do that is buried in Contour's (the company behind this product) website in a FAQ support page.
That along with the .pdf manual for this device to disable things like tap to click. More on that later, right now I'mma show you how to take it apart to clean it.
First what you will need is preferably two hands.
Secondly, have at least one "UltimateCloth". It is a cloth that uses a material called Mirafiber Fabric that is more fine than "microfiber cloths".
It also only uses water to get itself damp so no need for alcohol or other harsh cleaning solutions that will damage this device.
Those UltimateCloths can be bought here on Amazon. Here's a basic set of them:
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Cloth-Mirafiber-EcoFriendly-Multi-Surface/dp/B016ARTAWK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ultimate%2Bcloth&qid=1600529808&sr=8-5&th=1
They're a little bit expensive but they can also be reused and machine washed, even bleached if necessaary. Just get them, it will make this way easier.
Now that you have those things prepared, here's what you do.
I have the photos of what to do attached to this review, so reference those as I summarize what is done in all 27 of said photos.
Firstly, you see those two black end caps at the end of each side of the rubber roller bar?
Those can be pressed inwards towards the rubber roller bar which will cause them to click, and then they can be carefully removed. Set the two end caps aside at their respective ends so you don't mix them up later when putting the device back together.
Afterwards, the metal bar that the rubber roller bar rests on top of has two magnetic pins at each end of the metal bar. Those hook/rest into a metal magnetic slot at both ends. Carefully apply enough force to remove the metal bar from the magnetic slots on both sides.
WARNING: There should be a ribbon cable to the left opening of the metal bar. This can break if you aren't careful. So again, carefully apply force, don't go full caveman mode on it!
After the metal bar is removed, it is now possible to slide off the rubber roller bar off the metal bar. Again, figure out a way to remember which way the rubber roller bar was so you don't get confused later when reattaching everything.
At this point, there's an extra option you can do, and that is to clean the metal gutter that holds the metal bar and the rubber roller bar. That gutter tends to gather gunk and other stuff into there, so if you want to clean that you can. However this mostly won't affect the performance/smoothness of the RollerMouse RED. This is simply for cosmetic purposes. Hence why it is optional.
With that out of the way, and with everything taken apart, set the pieces aside and take your UltimateCloth.
Get it fully soaked with water. Preferably under a sink since that would be the easiest way to do so.
Once it is fully soaked, twist the UltimateCloth to "wring it". This is to get rid of a lot of the mositure. Keep doing that tightly enough that no more water drips out of the cloth.
Now you should have a "damp" UltimateCloth that isn't dripping water everywhere.
WARNING: If you notice from the pictures, in the center of the metal bar are the sensors that the rubber roller bar uses. While cleaning the metal bar in this next step, be sure to not touch those!
With your newly dampened UltimateCloth, you basically just wipe the metal bar. Basically jerk it off is what I'm saying. While avoiding the sensor in the middle. However the metal underneath the sensor is fair game.
This next step is also optional but this time this does effect performance if you want to squeeze that extra bit of smoothness out of this device. Personally I do it because it isn't too hard to do.
Take your dampened UltimateCloth, twist one of the ends so that it is less floppy and easier to aim, then take that twisted end and shove it into the rubber roller bar. Keep twisting the cloth inward of the rubber roller bar until the UltimateCloth's twisted end can be grabbed onto through the other end.
Once the UltimateCloth is sticking outside of both ends, you basically want to "floss it" so to speak. Take either end of the UltimateCloth sticking out, and pull it, then pull the other side of the UltimateCloth, and so on. You can do this as many times as you'd like. I'd say 4 sets of pulls on either side will do the trick. Do more if you'd like.
Once you're done with that optional step, pull the UltimateCloth out of the rubber roller bar.
Now that your components are cleaned, you're reading to put it back together again.
Firstly, take the rubber roller bar and slide the metal bar back on into it. Make sure the rubber roller bar doesn't slide to either end as you're doing this.
Secondly, take the left side of the metal bar, find those two magnetic pins and hook them into the magnetic metal slot to the left of the RollerMouse RED's base.
Thirdly, do the same with the right side.
Double check to make sure everything is probably hooked into their respective slots.
Fourthly, reattach the black end caps you set aside early on.
Now your RollerMouse RED is fully cleaned and should feel absolutely STELLAR again! Seriously though, I forget how insanely smooth this thing is every time I'm done cleaning it!
===== = =====
With that process out of the way, what about the actual usage of the device?
What the RollerMouse RED essentially is, is a combination of multiple types of mice in one chaotic jack of all trades device. I've used trackballs, trackpads, mice, trackpoints, and drawing tablets, and this device takes aspects of all of those into one comprehensive device.
If that sounds extremely chaotic to you, it is because it is. So while there is a learning curve, it is also surprisingly lower than you'd might expect.
As for HOW to use it is where things get very fun, and very interesting very fast! That's because there are many different ways to use it based on what parts of your hands you wish to rest.
For example, you can do the traditional way, which is to have one hand on the keyboard, and one hand (usually the main three fingers, and having the pinky/thumb manage the mouse buttons) on the RollerMouse RED.
IMPORTANT: PRO TIP: According to the electronic manual, you want your keyboard's space bar positioned higher than the RollerMouse RED. If your keyboard is extremely thin, there should be two plastic keyboard risers in the box to prop your keyboard up to the necessary height. This prevents any accidental mouse movements when typing.
PRO TIP 2: Contour's website also has software so you can rebind the mouse buttons on your RollerMouse RED along with profiles for specific applications of your choice.
So if the default button functions are difficult to use, feel free to rebind them.
Here's where you can find the electronic manual and the software to rebind your buttons:
https://www.contourdesign.com/product/rollermouse-red/
Its at the end of the page in the "Downloads" section or something similar.
The electronic manual also teaches you how to change the DPI (basically the mouse speed of the RollerMouse RED), how to disable tap to click, along with other things. Just download it so you can refer to it if you have any of those basic questions. Anything more specific can be found on Contour's FAQ page or their support page. Which can be found by clicking "Support" on their website, then clicking "Troubleshooting Solutions".
With those major tips out the way, back to the review!
Even with just traditionally using the RollerMouse RED, due to how its positioned, you can also switch hands at will. So unlike with say a trackball where you need to reposition the entire thing onto the other side of your computer set up THEN start using it with your other hand, with the RollerMouse RED you "just do it".
Another way to use it is with your thumbs while the other 8 fingers on your (hopefully) two hands are managing the keyboard. For example, having your right thumb managing cursor control, while your left thumb manages the mouse buttons. This is great if you need your hands on the keyboard at all times and don't want to move your hands excessively. Great for office work to avoid RSI!
And again, you can swap thumbs on a dime should one of them get fatigued from cursor control and vice versa.
So you technically have a "finger" and a "thumb" mouse at the same time, along with having a "lefty" and a "righty" handed mouse at the same time. The ability to "just do it" as you see fit will take some time to get used to. Especially if you want to use your thumbs to control the mouse for cursor control.
With some practice, you can fluidly change between these positions as you wish to prevent RSI from doing the same motions with the same hand over and over again. Right hand is tired? Just use the left!
As for DPI/mouse-speed, it can go pretty high if you want!
It has a range of as low as 600 DPI, all the way up to a meaty 2400 DPI!
But what happens if you reach the end of either side of the metal bar with the rubber roller bar?
What ends up happening if that the cursor will automatically drift horizontally in that direction. So if I have 3 monitors, and I'm on the left most one, if I keep moving the rubber roller bar to the right until it reaches its end, the cursor will "drift" to the right until I stop. You cannot aim it up or down while the cursor is drifting.
As for things like gaming cursor drift, the RollerMouse RED surprisingly has none!
I played osu! with it and no matter how long I played that game, the rubber roller bar always kept its position relative to the cursor!
A way to test if your mouse has cursor drift (which is common if it does), is to spin your cursor in a circle. Try to maintain that circle in the center of the screen. What will end up happening is that your mouse will quickly get out of position relative to the cursor. Some gamers also call this "mouse drift".
So I repeat: The RollerMouse RED DOES NOT have mouse drift!
Now what are some things I don't like about this device?
Well take one look at the price. While it is basically several mice in one, a Swiss Army Knife of mice so to speak, at the end of the day, several hundred USD is still several hundred USD. Its EXPENSIVE.
The second thing I don't like is that cleaning it, as you've seen, while not "difficult" per say, it does take some concentration and can be time consuming based on how careful you're being, and with how expensive this thing is, you really want to take your time with maintenance/cleaning-it!
Thirdly, the software to bind your mouse buttons has a specific requirement for how you bind them. There should be three "main buttons" on the RollerMouse RED. Labeled as "left click, right click, and double click" respectively. You need to have one of them binded to the actual mouse function of left click or right click. Afterwards, you can bind you mouse buttons how you wish. But you cannot bind left click on the "copy" button for example to have it act for the primary requirement. That is because with the profile feature, the "non-main buttons" are what you bind to each profile.
That means if I want the copy button to open a map in a game, I make a profile, bind that button to the respective key that opens the map, apply it to the .exe file of the game, and now when I open that game, that profile should automatically be activated with that layout.
So yeah, while it is annoying to lose out on two buttons on the primary mouse button cluster, it does make sense in context as to prevent the user from unbinding essential mouse buttons. It would be awkward to accidentally unbind left click and now you can't use your mouse. So this mouse does have fail-safes on that front. So that is more of a nitpick on my end.
The other thing I don't like about it is that it only works with "orthodox keyboards". Essentially the typical default rectangle we all know and might love/hate.
This means you cannot use any super specialized keyboard that are "ergonomic" or have a built in wrist rest since the RollerMouse RED in it of itself is a wrist rest. (Or a armrest if you bought the arm rest attachment)
Speaking of wrist rests, there's three sized, small (the default most of the time), the "pro" or "plus" variant which is the large size, and finally the arm rest. It is meant for things like standing desks but I just find it more comfortable in general so I just use that one all the time.
Continuing on with the cons, the coating on the mouse buttons aren't very good. You can even see the finish's rubbed off surface in the photos of this review!
(Context:
The year i got this device, I played a game called Terraria a lot which uses the left click a lot. The two buttons that "faded" finish wise, those two I binded to left click hence why their finish is in particularly scuffed condition!)
The final thing I don't like about it, is that the one I got is a wired one and the wire for the RollerMouse RED is disturbingly thin. For a device THIS expensive, I wouldn't mind the wire being a bit thicker because otherwise it looks alarmingly fragile. So I wouldn't recommend this for travel. They do sell a wireless version however. So if this does seem like something you want to try out on the go, go with the wireless version so you don't break the awkwardly thin wire on the wired version!
With all those negatives and the rest of the review out of the way, would I recommend it?
For most people, probably not. This is a incredibly niche product for people who want the jack of all trades (master of some) mouse.
For most people, something like a "X-keys L-Trac Trackball" would be a more orthodox option and significantly easier to get into. Put a high quality pool ball into it and the smoothness will also be roughly on par with the RollerMouse RED.
With something like the RollerMouse RED, it is kind of hard to visualize how it would "be like" in the day to day. Contour does however offer a 30 day trial program on their website that allows you to try this device out for free plus or minus shipping and handling. And if you like it, you can keep it. If not, you can send it back.
With how expensive it is, and if you have any doubts on its usefulness on your day to day, I HIGHLY recommend the 30 day trial so you don't just waste almost $300 USD on something that might not fit your unique needs.
But overall, for its intended niche, it is a very excellent product. A almost unreal amount of smoothness (when clean), extremely great at preventing RSI with how easy it is to switch hand styles on the fly!
Many many small details to really tailor it almost perfectly to how you want it!
The materials are very solid where it counts! The rubber roller bar has a great grip on your fingers so you don't have to worry about your hands falling off!
Very ergonomic in a way that is more easy to use by a large range of hand types instead of those hyper lazer focused specialized mice which only works one way, and then you'd have to buy more mice to fit the other hand/thumb! Not with this mouse! Its an all in one stop for ergonomics as far as mice goes! It isn't flawless, but it is in a niche all of its own.
Finally, while there are multiple versions of RollerMice on the market. I do believe this one, the "RollerMouse RED" is the best of them. The other ones seem to have tracking issues whereas this one is basically a gaming grade sensor, and due to the lack of mouse drift, arguably better than "gaming grade sensors"!
Other RollerMice also have issues with fingers unable to probably rest on the rubber bar as user's fingers tend to fall off the device.
The RollerMouse RED's rubber roller bar has moderately sized rubber dimples that have a firm but not excessive grip on your fingers.
So while the RolerMouse RED tends to be, on average, about $30 - $50 (USD) more expensive than other RollerMice, honestly just do it. You're already spending almost $300 on these things, you might as well get the best one out of all them!
That along with the .pdf manual for this device to disable things like tap to click. More on that later, right now I'mma show you how to take it apart to clean it.
First what you will need is preferably two hands.
Secondly, have at least one "UltimateCloth". It is a cloth that uses a material called Mirafiber Fabric that is more fine than "microfiber cloths".
It also only uses water to get itself damp so no need for alcohol or other harsh cleaning solutions that will damage this device.
Those UltimateCloths can be bought here on Amazon. Here's a basic set of them:
https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Cloth-Mirafiber-EcoFriendly-Multi-Surface/dp/B016ARTAWK/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=ultimate%2Bcloth&qid=1600529808&sr=8-5&th=1
They're a little bit expensive but they can also be reused and machine washed, even bleached if necessaary. Just get them, it will make this way easier.
Now that you have those things prepared, here's what you do.
I have the photos of what to do attached to this review, so reference those as I summarize what is done in all 27 of said photos.
Firstly, you see those two black end caps at the end of each side of the rubber roller bar?
Those can be pressed inwards towards the rubber roller bar which will cause them to click, and then they can be carefully removed. Set the two end caps aside at their respective ends so you don't mix them up later when putting the device back together.
Afterwards, the metal bar that the rubber roller bar rests on top of has two magnetic pins at each end of the metal bar. Those hook/rest into a metal magnetic slot at both ends. Carefully apply enough force to remove the metal bar from the magnetic slots on both sides.
WARNING: There should be a ribbon cable to the left opening of the metal bar. This can break if you aren't careful. So again, carefully apply force, don't go full caveman mode on it!
After the metal bar is removed, it is now possible to slide off the rubber roller bar off the metal bar. Again, figure out a way to remember which way the rubber roller bar was so you don't get confused later when reattaching everything.
At this point, there's an extra option you can do, and that is to clean the metal gutter that holds the metal bar and the rubber roller bar. That gutter tends to gather gunk and other stuff into there, so if you want to clean that you can. However this mostly won't affect the performance/smoothness of the RollerMouse RED. This is simply for cosmetic purposes. Hence why it is optional.
With that out of the way, and with everything taken apart, set the pieces aside and take your UltimateCloth.
Get it fully soaked with water. Preferably under a sink since that would be the easiest way to do so.
Once it is fully soaked, twist the UltimateCloth to "wring it". This is to get rid of a lot of the mositure. Keep doing that tightly enough that no more water drips out of the cloth.
Now you should have a "damp" UltimateCloth that isn't dripping water everywhere.
WARNING: If you notice from the pictures, in the center of the metal bar are the sensors that the rubber roller bar uses. While cleaning the metal bar in this next step, be sure to not touch those!
With your newly dampened UltimateCloth, you basically just wipe the metal bar. Basically jerk it off is what I'm saying. While avoiding the sensor in the middle. However the metal underneath the sensor is fair game.
This next step is also optional but this time this does effect performance if you want to squeeze that extra bit of smoothness out of this device. Personally I do it because it isn't too hard to do.
Take your dampened UltimateCloth, twist one of the ends so that it is less floppy and easier to aim, then take that twisted end and shove it into the rubber roller bar. Keep twisting the cloth inward of the rubber roller bar until the UltimateCloth's twisted end can be grabbed onto through the other end.
Once the UltimateCloth is sticking outside of both ends, you basically want to "floss it" so to speak. Take either end of the UltimateCloth sticking out, and pull it, then pull the other side of the UltimateCloth, and so on. You can do this as many times as you'd like. I'd say 4 sets of pulls on either side will do the trick. Do more if you'd like.
Once you're done with that optional step, pull the UltimateCloth out of the rubber roller bar.
Now that your components are cleaned, you're reading to put it back together again.
Firstly, take the rubber roller bar and slide the metal bar back on into it. Make sure the rubber roller bar doesn't slide to either end as you're doing this.
Secondly, take the left side of the metal bar, find those two magnetic pins and hook them into the magnetic metal slot to the left of the RollerMouse RED's base.
Thirdly, do the same with the right side.
Double check to make sure everything is probably hooked into their respective slots.
Fourthly, reattach the black end caps you set aside early on.
Now your RollerMouse RED is fully cleaned and should feel absolutely STELLAR again! Seriously though, I forget how insanely smooth this thing is every time I'm done cleaning it!
===== = =====
With that process out of the way, what about the actual usage of the device?
What the RollerMouse RED essentially is, is a combination of multiple types of mice in one chaotic jack of all trades device. I've used trackballs, trackpads, mice, trackpoints, and drawing tablets, and this device takes aspects of all of those into one comprehensive device.
If that sounds extremely chaotic to you, it is because it is. So while there is a learning curve, it is also surprisingly lower than you'd might expect.
As for HOW to use it is where things get very fun, and very interesting very fast! That's because there are many different ways to use it based on what parts of your hands you wish to rest.
For example, you can do the traditional way, which is to have one hand on the keyboard, and one hand (usually the main three fingers, and having the pinky/thumb manage the mouse buttons) on the RollerMouse RED.
IMPORTANT: PRO TIP: According to the electronic manual, you want your keyboard's space bar positioned higher than the RollerMouse RED. If your keyboard is extremely thin, there should be two plastic keyboard risers in the box to prop your keyboard up to the necessary height. This prevents any accidental mouse movements when typing.
PRO TIP 2: Contour's website also has software so you can rebind the mouse buttons on your RollerMouse RED along with profiles for specific applications of your choice.
So if the default button functions are difficult to use, feel free to rebind them.
Here's where you can find the electronic manual and the software to rebind your buttons:
https://www.contourdesign.com/product/rollermouse-red/
Its at the end of the page in the "Downloads" section or something similar.
The electronic manual also teaches you how to change the DPI (basically the mouse speed of the RollerMouse RED), how to disable tap to click, along with other things. Just download it so you can refer to it if you have any of those basic questions. Anything more specific can be found on Contour's FAQ page or their support page. Which can be found by clicking "Support" on their website, then clicking "Troubleshooting Solutions".
With those major tips out the way, back to the review!
Even with just traditionally using the RollerMouse RED, due to how its positioned, you can also switch hands at will. So unlike with say a trackball where you need to reposition the entire thing onto the other side of your computer set up THEN start using it with your other hand, with the RollerMouse RED you "just do it".
Another way to use it is with your thumbs while the other 8 fingers on your (hopefully) two hands are managing the keyboard. For example, having your right thumb managing cursor control, while your left thumb manages the mouse buttons. This is great if you need your hands on the keyboard at all times and don't want to move your hands excessively. Great for office work to avoid RSI!
And again, you can swap thumbs on a dime should one of them get fatigued from cursor control and vice versa.
So you technically have a "finger" and a "thumb" mouse at the same time, along with having a "lefty" and a "righty" handed mouse at the same time. The ability to "just do it" as you see fit will take some time to get used to. Especially if you want to use your thumbs to control the mouse for cursor control.
With some practice, you can fluidly change between these positions as you wish to prevent RSI from doing the same motions with the same hand over and over again. Right hand is tired? Just use the left!
As for DPI/mouse-speed, it can go pretty high if you want!
It has a range of as low as 600 DPI, all the way up to a meaty 2400 DPI!
But what happens if you reach the end of either side of the metal bar with the rubber roller bar?
What ends up happening if that the cursor will automatically drift horizontally in that direction. So if I have 3 monitors, and I'm on the left most one, if I keep moving the rubber roller bar to the right until it reaches its end, the cursor will "drift" to the right until I stop. You cannot aim it up or down while the cursor is drifting.
As for things like gaming cursor drift, the RollerMouse RED surprisingly has none!
I played osu! with it and no matter how long I played that game, the rubber roller bar always kept its position relative to the cursor!
A way to test if your mouse has cursor drift (which is common if it does), is to spin your cursor in a circle. Try to maintain that circle in the center of the screen. What will end up happening is that your mouse will quickly get out of position relative to the cursor. Some gamers also call this "mouse drift".
So I repeat: The RollerMouse RED DOES NOT have mouse drift!
Now what are some things I don't like about this device?
Well take one look at the price. While it is basically several mice in one, a Swiss Army Knife of mice so to speak, at the end of the day, several hundred USD is still several hundred USD. Its EXPENSIVE.
The second thing I don't like is that cleaning it, as you've seen, while not "difficult" per say, it does take some concentration and can be time consuming based on how careful you're being, and with how expensive this thing is, you really want to take your time with maintenance/cleaning-it!
Thirdly, the software to bind your mouse buttons has a specific requirement for how you bind them. There should be three "main buttons" on the RollerMouse RED. Labeled as "left click, right click, and double click" respectively. You need to have one of them binded to the actual mouse function of left click or right click. Afterwards, you can bind you mouse buttons how you wish. But you cannot bind left click on the "copy" button for example to have it act for the primary requirement. That is because with the profile feature, the "non-main buttons" are what you bind to each profile.
That means if I want the copy button to open a map in a game, I make a profile, bind that button to the respective key that opens the map, apply it to the .exe file of the game, and now when I open that game, that profile should automatically be activated with that layout.
So yeah, while it is annoying to lose out on two buttons on the primary mouse button cluster, it does make sense in context as to prevent the user from unbinding essential mouse buttons. It would be awkward to accidentally unbind left click and now you can't use your mouse. So this mouse does have fail-safes on that front. So that is more of a nitpick on my end.
The other thing I don't like about it is that it only works with "orthodox keyboards". Essentially the typical default rectangle we all know and might love/hate.
This means you cannot use any super specialized keyboard that are "ergonomic" or have a built in wrist rest since the RollerMouse RED in it of itself is a wrist rest. (Or a armrest if you bought the arm rest attachment)
Speaking of wrist rests, there's three sized, small (the default most of the time), the "pro" or "plus" variant which is the large size, and finally the arm rest. It is meant for things like standing desks but I just find it more comfortable in general so I just use that one all the time.
Continuing on with the cons, the coating on the mouse buttons aren't very good. You can even see the finish's rubbed off surface in the photos of this review!
(Context:
The year i got this device, I played a game called Terraria a lot which uses the left click a lot. The two buttons that "faded" finish wise, those two I binded to left click hence why their finish is in particularly scuffed condition!)
The final thing I don't like about it, is that the one I got is a wired one and the wire for the RollerMouse RED is disturbingly thin. For a device THIS expensive, I wouldn't mind the wire being a bit thicker because otherwise it looks alarmingly fragile. So I wouldn't recommend this for travel. They do sell a wireless version however. So if this does seem like something you want to try out on the go, go with the wireless version so you don't break the awkwardly thin wire on the wired version!
With all those negatives and the rest of the review out of the way, would I recommend it?
For most people, probably not. This is a incredibly niche product for people who want the jack of all trades (master of some) mouse.
For most people, something like a "X-keys L-Trac Trackball" would be a more orthodox option and significantly easier to get into. Put a high quality pool ball into it and the smoothness will also be roughly on par with the RollerMouse RED.
With something like the RollerMouse RED, it is kind of hard to visualize how it would "be like" in the day to day. Contour does however offer a 30 day trial program on their website that allows you to try this device out for free plus or minus shipping and handling. And if you like it, you can keep it. If not, you can send it back.
With how expensive it is, and if you have any doubts on its usefulness on your day to day, I HIGHLY recommend the 30 day trial so you don't just waste almost $300 USD on something that might not fit your unique needs.
But overall, for its intended niche, it is a very excellent product. A almost unreal amount of smoothness (when clean), extremely great at preventing RSI with how easy it is to switch hand styles on the fly!
Many many small details to really tailor it almost perfectly to how you want it!
The materials are very solid where it counts! The rubber roller bar has a great grip on your fingers so you don't have to worry about your hands falling off!
Very ergonomic in a way that is more easy to use by a large range of hand types instead of those hyper lazer focused specialized mice which only works one way, and then you'd have to buy more mice to fit the other hand/thumb! Not with this mouse! Its an all in one stop for ergonomics as far as mice goes! It isn't flawless, but it is in a niche all of its own.
Finally, while there are multiple versions of RollerMice on the market. I do believe this one, the "RollerMouse RED" is the best of them. The other ones seem to have tracking issues whereas this one is basically a gaming grade sensor, and due to the lack of mouse drift, arguably better than "gaming grade sensors"!
Other RollerMice also have issues with fingers unable to probably rest on the rubber bar as user's fingers tend to fall off the device.
The RollerMouse RED's rubber roller bar has moderately sized rubber dimples that have a firm but not excessive grip on your fingers.
So while the RolerMouse RED tends to be, on average, about $30 - $50 (USD) more expensive than other RollerMice, honestly just do it. You're already spending almost $300 on these things, you might as well get the best one out of all them!
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