Cougar 700M Mouse and Cougar Speed Mat review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing3. Coughar 700M Gaming Mouse4. Cougar Speed gaming mouse mat5. Testing6. Final Thoughts7. View All Pages

All in all, considering The Cougar 700M is one of the strangest looking mice I have ever looked at, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed.

As odd as you might first think it is though, there is some method to the madness. The lack of solid back means you can customise what angle its ass pokes into your palm, which makes it incredibly comfortable for palm grippers and the claw grippers out there.

It also means there is a little extra air flowing around your hand, which for a sweaty gamer like me is a great boon. Similarly it should mean for less wiping of dirt and finger gunk from the buttons, which is always a bonus.

The only lighting you can adjust, is the front head-LED. The DPI selector is locked to orange

I also think that the cable tidy/protector at the front is a great idea. It is far from necessary, but if any peripheral maker can differentiate themselves at this stage, Cougar deserve a pat on the back. Likewise the “Sniper” button angled at 45 degrees to make it easier to press was a nice touch. It is not something I found myself using much in games, but the option was there and it was easier to press because of it.

The same unfortunately cannot be said for the very front-left ‘fire' button, which while also angled for ease of pressing was just out of reach of this gamer's stubby fingers.

Also, while I could easily reach the DPI switch button, I would like the next version of this mouse to feature a DPI scroll or up/down selector, rather than one that just cycles through. It is more accurate and for those that switch on the fly, it could make all the difference. Or just offer two DPI profiles and the sniper mode. How many on-the-fly DPI settings do people need anyway?

Overall this mouse feels like one that Cougar wants you, the gamer to personalise operation to your taste. You can tweak the lighting, the button mapping, the palm rest height and type (thanks to the bundled soft plastic option) and even the weight of the 700M.

It is a fast and accurate mouse with a few neat features. It is not perfect by any means and I feel like it might be priced a little higher than I would be willing to pay, but for a specific audience, the Cougar 700M is a great purchase.

The Cougar 700M gaming mouse is currently available at CCL Computers for £70.

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Pros

• Unique look.
• Open plan design gives better hand airflow.
• Customisable palm rest.
• Very Comfortable.
• Adjustable weights.
• Remappable buttons and lighting options.

Cons

• Hard to adjust to initially, needs some adjustment to get just right.
• Front ‘fire' button is hard to reach.
• Quite expensive.

KitGuru Says: The Cougar 700M is expensive, but performance is fantastic, and it looks great too.

The Cougar Speed is an easy to recommend product. The build quality is high, it has a great finish on the top and bottom surfaces and it is very eye catching with the side profile orange band running around its circumference. It is also pleasant to use, with multiple mice working flawlessly on the surface. It was also comfortable on my wrist throughout testing and the heat treated edges did not rub once, though I suspect after a year or so of usage, you might need to rotate it to keep your experience ‘scratch free'.

If I had one complaint, its that as nice looking as black mouse mats are when you first get them, they quickly display dust, dirt and other gunk.

Easily worth the money, the Cougar Speed is currently available at CCL computers for £10.98.

Pros

• Comfortable.
• Looks great.
• A good size.
• Sturdy thanks to a high grade rubber base.

Cons

• Black surface makes dust and dirt obvious.
• Even though edges are heat treated, will degrade over time.

KitGuru Says: A well designed mat and a perfect partner for the Cougar 700M.

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