Benefits of a vertical mouse:
- Reduced grasping can reduce hand cramping or muscle spasm
- Allows you to avoid contact of the front of the palm / wrist on mousing surface which could help reduce risk of tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome
A vertical mouse is usually recommended for users who are actively trying to avoid contact of the front of the wrist or palm on the work surface. This type of contact stress (wrist or palm contact on work surface) increases the risk of compressive injury such as hematoma, bone bruising or carpal tunnel syndrome. A secondary result of this is a phenomenon called wrist anchoring, whereby the wrist is fixed to the work surface, so that all movement of the mouse must take place only through the wrist, while the rest of the arm (from the wrist to the shoulder) must remain static. This repetitive movement of the wrist increases the risk of developing tendinitis in the wrist. If you are suffering with tendinitis in the wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome or tenderness at the front of the wrist, you may want to consider trying a vertical mouse. Another reason why you might want to consider a vertical mouse is if you are suffering with a condition that limits pronation of the wrist (pronation is the motion of rotating your right wrist counter-clockwise or your left wrist clockwise; when your hand is oriented palm down your wrist is considered to be in a pronated position).
The Contour Unimouse is unique in it's adjustability. Most vertical mouse options on the market are a fixed shape and size, whereas the Unimouse is adjustable in height angle as well as thumb position. Height angle can be adjusted anywhere from 35-70 degrees as per user preference. Personally I found near the lower end to be more comfortable, at about 40-45 degrees. The angle is simple to adjust as the mouse halves are on a hinge that is easy to move but also holds the angle firmly enough so that it won't accidentally change position during use. The thumb support is adjustable through three ranges - back and forth, up and down, and in and out (i.e. distance from main mouse casing). This essentially allows you to choose your exact grip size and shape, as your grip is made up of your palm and four fingers on one side, and your thumb on the other. By being able to fully adjust the thumb grip you are able to completely customize grip size and shape of the mouse. As with the angle adjustment, the thumb support is easy to adjust and holds firmly enough so that it will not change position during regular use.
The Unimouse has three standard mouse buttons on the top, where the index finger, middle finger and ring finger comfortably rest. These are all programmable so, for example, you could have the index finger operating the left click function, middle finger operating the right click function, and the ring finger button operating a double left click function (or any combination). These could also be programmed as other functions such as click lock, copy, paste, mute or even a custom action. There are also two smaller buttons along the thumb edge of the casing just above the thumb support which are pre-programmed as forward and backward (web browser functions) but are also programmable for other functions (i.e. copy and paste).
The overall feel and grip of this mouse is very relaxed. With a standard desktop mouse the grip tends to be firmer, whereas with use of the Unimouse the grip feels looser. Reduced grip effort may reduce the incidence of cramping or muscle spasm in the hand. This mouse is really a pleasure to use. Having the hand angled upward to about 45 degrees feels like a very natural position and the mouse feels perfectly fitted to my hand due to the unique adjustability described above. If you're in the market for a vertical mouse, I would definitely put the Contour Unimouse on the short list.