Anyone who spends a large portion of their day working in front of a computer can tell you how the right mobile mouse makes a difference in their productivity and how utterly frustrating a bad mobile mouse can be. Mice are important!
In our hunt for the best wireless mouse, these are five of our favorite mice that we’ve tested with a focus on design and productivity. All the mice use wireless technology, though all but two of the mice can be used as wired mice with a USB cable if you’re worried about battery life. (It can feel like searching for a wireless computer mouse is all buttons, buttons, and extra buttons and battery, battery, battery — but buttons and battery are important.) Also, while there’s an option in this buyer’s guide for wireless gaming, here are more picks for gaming under $50. And if you have recommendations of your own for the best wireless mouse, please shout them out in the comments.
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The MX Master device combines the customization of a gaming mouse in a comfortable, wireless design made for getting work done. Logitech’s software makes it easy to set its five programmable buttons (that’s a lot of buttons, but there’s a button on the bottom and more on the thumb rest) and thumb scroll wheel to handle a variety of tasks, from taking screenshots to controlling media. The ease is especially helpful when it comes to the scroll wheel. It can be used with a cord or wireless via Bluetooth or the included Unifying USB adapter, and it supports connections to up to three computers; the button on the bottom lets you quickly switch between connections. It also supports Logitech’s Flow feature letting you move your cursor between computers on the same network. And for those who have to deal with a long-distance scroll in documents or spreadsheets, the MX Master’s hyperfast scrolling is amazing.
There is a new version of this mouse, the MX Master 3, which improves the design some and increases scroll speed and precision and has faster USB-C charging, but will set you back $100. The MX Master 2S is almost as good, but roughly $30 less. Both mice are great, though.
Read our Logitech MX Master 2S preview.
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If you’ve searched for new mice on Amazon, you’ve seen the brand VicTsing. One of its wireless mice currently sits atop the retail giant’s best-seller list along with several others scattered throughout that list, including this updated version of its $15 vertical ergonomic mouse with a nano receiver. The device is powered by two AAA batteries, and it connects with a small 2.4 GHz wireless USB adapter that’s stowed in the battery compartment (it won’t affect battery life).
The ergonomic design of this wireless mobile mouse is lightweight and comfortable, and takes almost no time to adjust and find the buttons coming from traditional mice. Plus, one of the buttons is below the scroll wheel and it lets you switch DPI settings on the fly if you want to speed up or slow down cursor movement (DPI stands for dots per inch, so if a mouse has 800 DPI, that’s 800 dots per inch, or 1600 DPI is 1600 dots per inch. Some go up to 12,000 DPI). That’s it for customization, though. Still, it’s a good cordless mouse overall and if you’re not sure you’ll be happy with one of these mice or their ergonomic design, it’s an inexpensive way to try. And VicTsing includes a 45-day free return period and 18-month warranty.
I’m currently testing two of its other mice, the $20 dual-wireless Pioneer travel mouse and $30 Pioneer full-size mouse. They look like the Logitech Anywhere and MX Master mice on our top list here, but don’t have the customization options of those mice, but are otherwise good alternatives. All of the mice are responsive, feel good in your hand and can be used via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless and wired with its USB charging cable.
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Mice that live up to the quality of Microsoft’s other Surface hardware are worth their price, especially if you work on multiple Windows 10 PCs at the same time. Using Microsoft’s Mouse and Keyboard Center software, you can not only program its customizable buttons, but connect the device to three different computers and seamlessly move your cursor between them, similar to Logitech’s Flow feature. It’s a great synthesis between keyboard and mouse. The Surface Precision Mouse can be used wired as well with its USB charging cable, and is quite honestly one of the most comfortable mice we’ve ever used, too.
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The MX Anywhere 2S device is essentially a smaller version of the MX Master 2S device and is the best wireless mouse for travel. These mice share many of features, including dual-wireless connectivity (the mice can be used wired, too, but a good wireless connection is important), hyperfast scroll capabilities, programmable buttons and Flow support for moving your cursor between two computers on the same network. The battery will last for up to 70 days on a full charge, and a quick three-minute charge of the battery can get you through a work day. It’s also comfortable to use the buttons despite its small, travel-friendly size and, perhaps most importantly, it can be used on just about any surface, including glass — so don’t worry about a mouse pad with rubber grips.
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Yes, it’s another Logitech mouse, but good wireless mice that are comfortable for work and high-performance wireless gaming for less than $50 aren’t easy to find. The G305 device’s lightweight, ambidextrous design hits the mark, though, and its single AA battery will last for up to 250 hours of continuous PC gaming — that’s a lot of battery life. It does not have Bluetooth, but instead uses Logitech’s wireless Lightspeed USB adapter. And if that great battery life isn’t enough, plug it into your computer and you’ll have an instant connection that’s nearly lag-free for gaming. The tiny adapter is stored under the mouse’s palm rest for travel. And it has a Hero optical sensor for optimal gaming performance. All that with a single battery!
Read our Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse preview.