If you continue to consider wi-fi mice as laggy, battery-sucking substitutes for a actual mouse, we’ve received excellent news for you. Mouse producers have largely solved the latency, connectivity, and power-efficiency issues that after blighted these units. The better of as we speak’s wi-fi mice rival their wired counterparts in efficiency, battery life, options, and design.
There are two somewhat apparent advantages of a wi-fi mouse. It eliminates the tether to your pc, providing you with better vary—important in case you are constrained by your work space or enjoying PC video games in your TV—and removes a supply of friction that usually interferes with pace and accuracy. It additionally makes a necessary machine extra journey pleasant. No one objects to 1 much less wire of their gear bag. You’ll most likely pay a bit extra for a wi-fi mouse than a wired one, however in case you worth this sort of comfort it’s value it.
Want to pair your wi-fi mouse with a wi-fi keyboard? We’ve received you coated—see PCWorld’s roundup of the best wireless keyboards.
Our picks for finest wi-fi mice embrace revolutionary designs, ergonomic options, and a number of connectivity choices. They additionally cowl each productiveness and gaming makes use of, so you need to be capable of discover no less than one which fits your wants. You’ll discover our recommendations on what to search for in a wi-fi mouse under our suggestions.
Microsoft Arc Mouse – Most transportable wi-fi mouse
If we had a “most unusual mouse design” class, the Arc Mouse would win that as nicely. It lays flat till you bend it into an arc that conforms to the form of your mouse-ing hand. It makes use of a single click on pad for left and proper buttons and scrolling, and the default settings will be modified in Windows machine settings.
At simply 5.17 x 2.17 x 0.56 inches, the Arc Mouse is definitely essentially the most transportable mouse we examined. We additionally like that there isn’t any USB receiver to fret about misplacing—the Arc Mouse connects through Bluetooth 4.0. Folks with extra-large palms would possibly discover it just a little small, however for many will probably be a welcome addition to their gear bag.
Pros
- Travel-friendly dimension
- Comfortable design
- Good productiveness efficiency
Cons
- Limited customization choices
- Needs two AAA batteries
- Might be small for larger palms
Logitech MX Ergo – Best wi-fi mouse with a trackball
Trackball mice are an acquired style, however the MX Ergo’s revolutionary design might have wider enchantment. Its width and form can accommodate most hand sizes and its responsive thumb-side trackball is straightforward to make use of and management.
A detachable metallic plate on the underside serves a twin objective. Its weight retains the mouse completely nonetheless in your desk as you rotate the scroll wheel. And it will also be adjusted to tilt the mouse 20 levels, an angle that places your arm in a extra pure, rested place.
The mouse has eight buttons—together with a devoted precision button that slows the cursor pace so you may make extra correct actions with the trackball—all of which will be custom-made utilizing Logitech Options software program. The mouse connects through an accompanying USB dongle or Bluetooth, and Logitech claims its battery can go 4 months on a single full cost. The solely downer is it’s not ambidextrous, so southpaws should look elsewhere.
Pros
- Comfortable ergonomic tilt
- Solid construct
- Highly customizable
Cons
- Right-handed solely
- Expensive
Logitech MX Vertical – Most ergonomic wi-fi mouse
If you have got a historical past of mouse-related hand and arm discomfort, the MX vertical is a superb possibility. Its upright place and contoured physique places your arm at a couple of 57-degree vertical angle, lowering the strain in your wrist and creating a snug thumb relaxation. Despite the unconventional design, the mouse nonetheless provides acquainted controls with cut up mouse buttons, a scroll wheel aligned to your first two fingers, and a pair of thumb buttons on the adjascent aspect.
The mouse helps Logitech’s Unified Receiver and Bluetooth connections. You can even wire it to your pc utilizing the USB-C charging cable. You can use it with Logitech Options to customise button settings and with Logitech Flow to seamlessly management a number of computer systems with a single mouse.
The MX Veritcal is a high-performing productiveness device when you get acclimated to the vertical design, and one that will forestall ache and pressure in addition to ease them.
Pros
- Comfortable ergonomic design
- Can cross-control a number of units
- Customizable button mapping
Cons
- Has a little bit of a studying curve
- Expensive
Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse – Best no-nonsense wi-fi mouse
For a no-nonsense, go-anywhere mouse, the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse is difficult to beat. As its title makes clear, it connects over Bluetooth so there’s no USB dongle to maintain monitor of. Split buttons and a clickable scroll wheel allow you to exactly navigate internet pages and enormous paperwork, and it tracks simply over most surfaces.
The Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse runs on a single AA battery however because it makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy, you may anticipate as much as 12 months of battery life. It’s obtainable in 5 colours.
Pros
- Compact, ambidextrous design
- Clickable scroll wheel
- Inexpensive
Cons
- No programmable buttons
- No ergonomic options
SteelSeries Rival 650 – Best wi-fi mouse for gaming
Wireless gaming mice provide a vital benefit—no wire resistance to decelerate your actions or mess with the precision of your purpose. Our prime decide is the the SteelSeries Rival 650. It options an eye catching design, sensible button placement, and of wealth customization choices. It additionally makes use of a singular dual-sensor system, pairing SteelSeries’ unique TrueMove3 with a devoted depth sensor that retains your purpose regular whenever you elevate up and regulate the mouse.
The SteelSeries Rival 650 makes use of quick-charging tech just like what you discover in telephones, providing you with about 10 hours of cost from a mere 15 minutes plugged in. Best of all, you get all this for about half the worth of its rivals.
To be taught extra learn our full review of the SteelSeries Rival 650.
Pros
- Fast charging
- Comfortable and engaging design
- Removable weight system offers loads of choices
Cons
- Heavier than some would possibly like
- Expensive
- Third thumb button is small and awkwardly positioned
Logitech G603 – Best wi-fi mouse for gaming runner-up
You can use your fundamental mouse for gaming on the street. But Logitech’s G603 is a more sensible choice. This devoted wi-fi gaming mouse options six programmable buttons, together with the scroll wheel and a snug scoop form that conforms to right-handers’ thumbs. Two AA batteries energy as much as 500 hours of gaming because of Logitech’s proprietary HERO sensor, which offers correct efficiency with no smoothing, no acceleration, and no interference as much as 12,000 DPI.
To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Logitech G603.
Pros
- Adopts Logitech’s snug G703 scooped form
- 500 hours of high-performance gaming off two AA batteries
- Flashy one-piece battery cowl and button design
Cons
- Heavy, because of the twin batteries
- Hard to say how sturdy the buttons will likely be over time
What to search for in a wi-fi mouse
Connectivity
In lieu of a wire, wi-fi mice join in one in every of two methods: through Bluetooth or radio frequencies. Most trendy computer systems ship with Bluetooth assist, so if you are going to buy a Bluetooth-compatible mouse, you’ll simply have to pair the 2 units to rise up and working.
Wireless mice that join utilizing radio frequencies include a USB-RF receiver that plugs right into a USB port in your pc. This is a plug-and-play course of and the mouse ought to discuss to the receiver—typically known as a “dongle”—as quickly as you plug it in. If you don’t or can’t preserve the dongle plugged into your pc always—you solely have so many USB ports, in any case—you’ll must vigilantly preserve monitor of it. If you lose it, your mouse received’t be good for something however a paper weight. For this cause, some mice include a small compartment in which you’ll be able to retailer the receiver when it’s not in use.
The fundamental concern with wi-fi connectivity is latency. If your enter doesn’t register onscreen almost immediately, you productiveness will rapidly take a success. A mouse’s responsiveness is much more vital when gaming, the place fast reflexes will be the distinction between digital life and loss of life.
Unfortunately, there’s little settlement round which connectivity technique is quicker. Gaming corporations like Razer and SteelSeries declare RF connections have the benefit, and that’s seemingly true for gaming. But the latency distinction between Bluetooth and RF, which is measured in tenths of a millisecond, might be negligible for productiveness. In our checks, we noticed little distinction between the 2 forms of connectivity throughout primary work duties.
Ergonomics
Mouse use has been implicated in repetitive stress accidents for years, and producers have responded with all types of quirky designs they declare will forestall or relieve wrist and arm ache. They have tweaked the mouse’s sculpt, button place, and form seemingly each which approach to facilitate a extra pure angle in your arm when it’s transferring and at relaxation. But simply because the field says a mouse is ergonomic doesn’t imply it’s assured to scale back your discomfort. The solely approach to inform for positive is to make use of it for a time period, and sadly retailers don’t usually permit take a look at drives.
Still, for designers, PC players, and others who who spend steady hours utilizing a mouse, prioritizing an ergonomic mannequin might be value it. Just keep in mind, the kind of mouse you utilize is just one consider minimizing RSIs, and your habits may be an even more important factor.
Programmable buttons
While the features of left and proper buttons and the scroll wheel are clear, many mice embrace further buttons on the aspect and/or prime of the mouse that you may configure for customized duties. Mapping these buttons to issues just like the again button of your browser, “cut” and “paste” instructions, or different repetitive duties can prevent numerous time in the long term. Typically, if a mouse comes with a half-dozen buttons, it should additionally embrace the producer’s software program for programming them.
Michael Ansaldo is veteran shopper and small-business know-how journalist. He contributes frequently to TechHive and PCWorld.