myAir.0 OriMouse review: Eye-catching, super-slim, foldable mouse

Price When Reviewed

Von €60,95

Best Prices Today: myAir.0 OriMouse

Since Douglas Engelbart first demonstrated his new computer mouse invention in 1968, the revolutionary handheld controller has taken on many shapes and forms.

Some still look like real mice, except wireless so without the tail that gave them the name in the first place. Some use an upturned trackball so look more like a dead mouse. Others stand vertical, like a mouse at a mini circus.

For some mice it’s all about the sheer number of buttons and scroll wheels—the more the merrier. Others have no physical buttons at all, instead relying on multitouch surface swiping and scrolling—such as Apple’s Magic Mouse.

In my experience, none are quite like the new OriMouse from myAir.0, which folds completely flat for easy on-the-go storage.

The Bluetooth 5.2 wireless OriMouse is a full-size mouse that folds flat, and weighs less than 40 grams. You can snap it into shape to activate, and just as quickly push it back into its flat position where it is largely only a few millimeters thin.

It’s slim enough to fit in a jacket pocket without being noticed. It’s ideal for slipping into a laptop sleeve with your MacBook or alongside an iPad.

The shape and look of the OriMouse is quite unique, using an origami structure that gives the folded mouse both strength and a comfortable hold. At first glance it looks like a complex folding pattern, but it’s an incredibly simple single fold with a neat magnetic closure.

Due to its structure, weight and build, it’s more durable than most mice if dropped.

It’s made from a smooth vegan leather and is available in a wide range of colors, like you’ve never seen from a mouse before: Vivid or Racing Red, Sunflower Yellow, Grape or Noble Purple, Lime Green, Beige, Titanium, Carbon Shadow, Moon Stone, Chestnut or Mocha Brown, Pink, Platinum or Snow Silver, Galaxy Blue, Black, Champagne, Teal, Orange, and even a Graffiti model.

Some colors are available in a covering that’s still vegan leather, but with a fabric surface texture and tactile feel.

When folded into its usable shape it works like a traditional—if extremely lightweight—optical mouse, but with subtle differences. Instead of a scroll wheel, it has a touch-sensitive scroll pad on its front slope.

This takes some getting used to, even if it does follow the same usage patterns as a trackpad, and even the Magic Mouse You must scroll with gentle finder movements, rather than franticly flicking away, as I apparently am prone to. myAir.0 describes the motion as “like drawing a short line with your finger”.

Give me a few weeks with the OriMouse and it may seem natural, but it will take some time to prise away my Logitech MX Master 4, our current choice of best wireless mouse for Mac. Using that mouse you also get horizontal scrolling, just as you do with Apple’s Magic Mouse. That’s a feature lacking in the OriMouse. But you try folding any of those mice as flat as the OriMouse.

There are Left and Right buttons and a Center button that is activated by pressing and holding for 1-2 seconds.

The company claims that due to the left and right buttons sitting closer to the desk surface than traditional mice, the distance between the fingertips and the desk is reduced so your fingers—resting in a more natural, relaxed position—don’t need to remain lifted above the desk for long periods. This reduction should place less continuous strain on the hand and forearm, decreasing the likelihood of strain associated with conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

The HD Infrared sensor at the front and center underside of the OriMouse works best on a mouse pad. On my shiny office desk the movement was stiff and jumpy. On a mouse pad it was fast and accurate to its 4000dpi would suggest. That level of precision is impressive compared to the Magic Mouse’s 1300dpi, but far off the MX Master’s 8000dpi.

myAir.0 sells a $19 BagPad, pictured above, which is a combination of carrying bag and mouse pad, which we’d recommend, although it will work just fine with anything like the Journey ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat, or indeed a flat magazine or book. The BagPad is available in colors to match the mouse itself, but not for the entire range.

Battery

The OriMouse is charged via a subtly hidden USB-C slot. in the manual, myAir.0 recommends a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, but advises me that a standard USB-C to USB-C cable will also work.

Battery life is claimed at a full three months, longer than the Logitech’s 70 days and far superior to the Magic Mouse’s one month between charges. Unlike the Apple mouse you can use the OriMouse while it’s charging but it’s not as comfortable as without the cable attached as it tips the lightweight structure to one side. Possible, but not recommended.

Price

The OriMouse costs from $69 / £53, with some colors a little higher at $75 / £57; all direct from myAir.0.

Should you buy the myAir.0 OriMouse?

No mouse is as slim for travel as the 5mm foldable OriMouse, and no other mouse looks anything like it. It will gather a gawping curious crowd around your desk as you use it.

The trackpad-like scrolling takes some getting used to, but maybe I’m old-fashioned in my preference for traditional (but modern) scroll wheels. Going straight from a Magic Mouse will demand some patience and on-the-job practice. if you have the inclination to try such an innovative mouse, you may get used to the new ways, and release some forearm strain at the same time.