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Scrolling for the best wireless mouse? After researching 60 of the best wireless mice available today, we bought 13 top models and put them through nearly 100 hours of computer use. We judged each product on its ergonomics, connectivity, quality of the sensor, physical slide characteristics, features, and scrolling capabilities while doing everything from photo editing to internet surfing. Whether you're looking for robust features, ergonomics, or a sleek, portable design, read on to discover which wireless mouse belongs on your office desk or in your travel bag.
Editor's Note: We updated our wireless mouse review on August 21, 2024, remove some discontinued products from our test lineup. We also added more information on our testing process.
Wireless Connection: USB Dongle and Bluetooth | DPI: 200-8000
REASONS TO BUY
Very comfortable
Fast connection
Connects to multiple devices
Multiple scroll wheels
Great sensor
REASONS TO AVOID
Ergonomics are hand-size specific
The Logitech MX Master 3S earns our highest praise as the all-around best-performing mouse in almost all of our testing metrics. It has an extremely comfortable ergonomic shape that you can use for hours without feeling any wrist or hand discomfort. It also has one of the most responsive and best overall sensors. This is one of the few mice we tested that you can use on a glass surface. The sensor is that good. It has two scroll wheels, one for up and down, and another for left and right. Having a side-to-side scroll feature isn't that unique, but this mouse's side-to-side scroll is much better than most mice we tested. This mouse allows for small movements in left and right scrolling, which is rare with this feature. The up-and-down scrolling is also super fast but still very accurate for shorter documents. This mouse is packed full of features. It has seriously silent clicking, forward and back navigation buttons, and is USB-C rechargeable.
The ergonomic shape of the Master 3S is one of the most comfortable we've ever put our hands on, but those with particularly small or large hands might feel differently. That said, such is the case with all mice. If you find ergonomic mice comfortable and you're searching for a rechargeable wireless mouse with a great feature set, check out the Logitech MX Master 3S. Another option we found that works well with various hand sizes is the Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse.
The Logitech MX Master 3S was the highest-performing mouse in almost every metric we tested.
The Tecknet Bluetooth Wireless Mouse is an all-around great performing mouse, performing just as well as many mice that cost nearly twice as much. We were pleasantly surprised by its ergonomic shape, high palm support, thumb depression, and textured grip. Given that this mouse is a Bluetooth design, we thoroughly tested its pairing function and found it consistently and quickly connected to our devices when we turned it on. While testing the mouse's latency, we found it on par with most of the mice in this review as well. This mouse provides a consistent and reliable connection, with no discernable lag for everything but gaming. The built-in DPI adjustment button is located on top of the mouse, just below the scroll bar. This button is easy to reach and a very useful feature. We found the 3200, 2400, and 2000 DPI settings to be too responsive for precision tasks like photo editing, but this is not a problem since it is so easy to adjust the DPI.
We were generally very impressed with the Tecknet overall, but it doesn't include AA batteries, so you need to purchase those separately. Though it's not a dealbreaker, we were a little surprised, considering most other contenders tested came with batteries. Often the case with most mice, this device may feel small for folks with larger hands. Drawbacks aside, we think this high-performing and very inexpensive mouse is a great buy for just about any user. If you prefer to save more money over the long run, consider a model featuring a rechargeable battery like the Logitech MX Master 3S or the Apple Magic Mouse.
The Tecknet Bluetooth Wireless Mouse costs less than half as much as some mice we tested, but performs nearly as well.
The Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse is the most comfortable vertical ergonomic mouse we tested and one of our overall favorite mice. Whether or not you're used to an upright mouse, this feels comfortable as soon as you put your hand on it. There is a textured rubber coating around the area where your thumb and palm rest, which makes it easy to grip the mouse. During testing, some vertical mice gave us the feeling that our hand was slipping downward. Well, this mouse's shape and grippy texture prevent that. It fits various hand sizes better than some ergonomic mice, too. The click action is great, it's not too easy to click while not requiring too much force, either. Also, the clicks on this mouse are some of the quietest of any of the mice we tested here. This mouse allows you to easily adjust the DPI with the button next to the scroll wheel, and the sensor is really great overall. This is one of the few mice we tested that works well on horizontal glass surfaces, which speaks volumes about its sensor.
Our testing proved the Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse to be very comfortable, but it certainly takes some getting used to. The vertical “handshake” position comes with a learning curve before you truly feel efficient using this wireless mouse. All the buttons are easy to reach, and the more we used this device, the more we liked it. Still, the vertical design isn't super easy to use initially like a traditional mouse. Due to the larger size, it's not as packable as a flat mouse, which may not be ideal for those frequently on the go. If you use your mouse regularly and want a device with a better hand position, this is an excellent choice. Conversely, if you need a travel-friendly mouse to take work on the go, you may be better off with a compact option like the Razer Pro Click Mini.
The Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse puts your hand in a more comfortable position for long days at the computer.
The Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse is the best trackball mouse we tested. This mouse performed very well in almost every metric, but especially in ergonomics. Trackball mice use a ball to move the cursor around the screen rather than requiring you to move your arm. This mouse style has gained popularity in recent years, and we think Logitech nailed the design with this one. It has some of the best button placement on any mouse we tested, too. The scroll wheel is easy to reach, especially compared to some other less traditionally shaped mice. We found the forward and back buttons are placed in a much better spot than on some mice, too. We occasionally accidentally bump these forward and back buttons, often found right next to the thumb grip spot. However, on this mouse, the forward and back buttons are on top, next to the left click button. We found this spot to be much more convenient since we aren't ever inconveniently hitting the back button when we're in the middle of an important task.
In terms of size, the Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse is the bulkiest in our test. However, it comes with a common tradeoff: the more ergonomic a mouse is, the less portable it will be. We feel a sensitivity adjustment for the trackball built into this mouse would be an improvement. That said, you can adjust the sensitivity with your computer, so this is by no means a deal breaker. As is the case with all alternative mouse designs, this model will require some getting used to. But if you're looking for a mouse that you don't have to move around on your desk, whether for comfort or for space-saving purposes, this model is a terrific choice. If you're not entirely sold on a trackball mouse, check out the Logitech MX Master 3S. The scrolling wheels and responsive sensor may be more to your liking.
The Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse allows you to move the cursor by simply moving the trackball.
Wireless Connection: Bluetooth or USB | DPI: 12,000
REASONS TO BUY
Great Connectivity
Multi-directional Scrolling
Works with 1 or 2 batteries
Small and portable
REASONS TO AVOID
Side-to-side scroll is too fast
The Razer Pro Click Mini is a small and mighty mouse that you can take anywhere. It barely weighs three ounces and is small enough to slide into a briefcase or backpack. Even though this is one of the smallest mice we tested, it's also one of the most powerful. This mouse has some of the best latency we tested, and the sensor boasts an incredibly high 12,0000 dots per inch (DPI). While the average user absolutely doesn't need that many dots per inch, all of our testers agree that this is one of the most accurate mouse sensors we tested. You can pair with three separate devices using this mouse, and switch between each device with the push of a button. You also have the option to connect via Bluetooth or a USB dongle. When using the more energy-efficient Bluetooth connection, this mouse can last for an extremely long time. Razer claims that two AA batteries can last up to 14 years in this mouse. We obviously haven't been able to test that yet, but we'll get back to you with the results. What we can say is this mouse will run on a single battery, even though it has space for two.
Even though it's a powerful and portable mouse, the Pro Click Mini might feel too small for users with larger hands. None of our testers had an issue with the size being too small, but we see how it may be an issue for some. We noticed the tilt-click side-to-side scrolling function scrolled too quickly left and right, and we were unable to scroll just a short distance between columns on a spreadsheet. Luckily, this issue was mostly alleviated when we turned our scroll speed down in the mouse settings on our computer. Additionally, this was a common issue with most mice that used the scroll wheel for up/down and left/right scrolling. If you're searching for an extremely portable and very capable mouse, this is one of the best. Those wanting a stationary desk fixture for their home or work office that maximizes ergonomics should check out the Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse.
The Razer Pro Click Mini is a great mouse overall, but its small and lightweight design make it a good travel companion.
Credit: Sam Schild
Compare Products
We tested all these mice in many head-to-head comparisons to see which ones were best.
Credit: Sam Schild
How We Test Wireless Mouse
We have been testing wireless mice at GearLab since 2020. In that time, we have researched over 100 different models and bought and tested over 30 products side by side. Each product was put through the gamut of mouse demands, from speed-intensive use like gaming to detail-focused tasks like airbrushing a photo. Furthermore, each option was evaluated through several lenses to determine which mouse is best for certain shoppers. To help you find the best product for your needs and budget, we spent hours clicking, dragging, scrolling, weighing, and measuring each mouse, all while taking note of their comfort, lag time, ease of sliding, sensor efficiency, and scrolling capabilities. For more on our testing process, check out our full How We Test article.
We test each mouse using the following five performance metrics:
Latency & Connectivity (25% of overall score weighting)
Comfort & Ergonomics (25% weighting)
Mouse Surface Slide & Sensor (25% weighting)
Features (15% weighting)
Scroll Capabilities (10% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
Leading this review's testing and research is Sam Schild. Sam has worn a lot of hats in his work life. He's worked as a newspaper journalist, an academic and college professor, a high school teacher, and an outdoor industry professional. In all of these roles, many of his duties were highly mouse-intensive. Whether he's editing photos, pouring through spreadsheets, crafting the perfect marketing messages, or working on his first novel, there's a mouse in his hand. With all that experience, Sam has grown quite knowledgeable about mice.
Zach Lovell also contributed a lot to this review. Zach wears several different administrative hats in the outdoor industry that are incredibly mouse-intensive, including graphic design, website construction, content management, audio engineering, and photo editing. After such a consistent tenure in mouse use, Zach has become incredibly knowledgeable about mice, their design considerations, and how to test their functionality.
Testing different mice while audio engineering.
While we didn't test any formal gaming mice we used gaming to test latency/connectivity and slide/sensor quality.
We spent hours with each mouse to thoroughly grade each product in every metric.
Analysis and Test Results
We created several objective metrics to properly score each mouse for an accurate evaluation. We used these scores to stick each mouse against each other in a battle of connectivity, features, value, sensor quality, ergonomics, and scrolling capabilities to discover the best mice.
What's the Best Value?
Every mouse we tested for this review works well for general tasks that your average computer user performs. However, some mice have special features that make tasks on a computer more efficient. Things like programmable buttons, the ability to pair with multiple devices, or better scrolling capabilities will add a lot of value to a mouse. These can save you time, which could save you money in the long run, even if you spent more on a mouse up front.
Overall, we found the Tecknet Bluetooth Wireless Mouse is a great value overall. With an easy-to-access DPI adjustment button, a great sensor, and forward and back browsing buttons, this mouse is a great value, especially when you consider its price. We also think the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse is also a great value for a vertical ergonomic mouse. When you consider this mouse also has one of the easiest-to-access DPI adjustment buttons and great scroll capabilities, it only goes up in value. Also, if price is your number one concern, it's hard to argue with the Amazon Basics Wireless Mouse, which brings a lot of value to the table.
Types of Wireless Connections for Mice
As you hunt for a wireless mouse, you will likely notice two options for connecting the mouse to a computer: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz radio frequency (with a USB Dongle). These options achieve the same goal of connecting a mouse to a computer without any wires. But, there are some specific considerations for each connection method. Bluetooth connections are relatively simple. As long as a computer has a functioning Bluetooth attachment, you simply turn the mouse on and pair it with the computer. After the initial pairing, a Bluetooth mouse will automatically connect to the device whenever it is turned on and within range. However, a Bluetooth connection is up to eight times slower than a radio frequency. For this reason, Bluetooth is not recommended for activities like gaming, where dozens of commands each second are getting sent from the mouse. However, since Bluetooth is slower, it is less energy intensive. A mouse connected via Bluetooth will need to be recharged or have its batteries replaced less often than a USB radio frequency-connected mouse.
Some mice, like the Razer Pro Click Mini, allow you to connect with either 2.4 GHz radio frequency or Bluetooth.
Credit: Sam Schild
2.4 GHz Radio Frequency, on the other hand, requires a USB receiver dongle and is even faster to set up than Bluetooth. To connect a mouse via a USB dongle, insert the receiver into a USB slot on your computer and turn the mouse on. The mouse should be connected now. One consideration with radio frequency is that a USB dongle can serve as an entry point into your computer for the skilled hacker at the next coffee shop you're working in. Also, you will need a free USB drive to use a wireless mouse of this kind. If you have a newer Macbook Air that's USB-C only, the sleek look of those small USB-C receptacles on your computer will be ruined by a bulky USB 2.0 adaptor. However, a USB dongle-style connection will be significantly faster than a Bluetooth one.
We tested mice on both Macs and PCs, doing a variety of tasks.
Credit: Sam Schild
Latency & Connectivity
A quality connection from the mouse to the computer is critical. We judged this metric by examining the mouse's ability to communicate with the computer. Any lagging with the cursor can render the mouse useless, depending on the severity of the lag. Additionally, this metric considered how simple or reliable it was to initiate the Bluetooth or RF connection for a session. We kept a running note tab on each mouse for their connectivity for the entirety of the testing period. Even the slightest lags were noted, describing the conditions of the lag and what mouse activities were being used. We utilized gaming especially to judge this metric, though technically, no mice are gaming mice. Gaming allowed the connectivity to truly be tested with a high number of mouse commands needing to be registered on the computer.
Mice like the Razer Pro Click Mini and the Logitech MX Master 3S topped the list in this category for higher performance demands, like airbrushing a photo in editing software or light gaming. Since both of these can be used as RF mice, it shouldn't come as a surprise that they scored highly, with RF's method of information transmission being far superior to Bluetooth. When we were testing each mouse under more relaxed conditions than gaming, like emailing or web-browsing, almost every mouse scored similarly well, with only a few outliers falling to the back of the pack.
The Logitech Ergo M575 Wireless Trackball Mouse connects as quickly to your computer as you can insert the USB dongle.
Credit: Sam Schild
Comfort & Ergonomics
Whether a mouse is used for one hour of web browsing or eight hours of graphic design, comfort plays a huge factor. Our ergonomics category was weighted by using each mouse for several short and several extended sessions, noting fatigue and discomfort in the hand, wrist, arm, and shoulders.
We were careful to address each mouse's intended function, particularly if there is a clear specialty that the mouse is designed for. For example, if a mouse is clearly meant to be a travel mouse, we tested it for the same length of time as every other product, but with the understanding that it was designed for shorter sessions. We were objective in scoring every product but were particularly ruthless in scoring mice that were clearly intended for extended use.
Most ergonomic mice are higher on the thumb side to prevent an unnatural tilt of your wrist.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse and Logitech MX Master 3S outperformed almost every other mouse in the lineup when tracking the amount of hand and arm fatigue, with the Logitech M575 Trackball and the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Mouse coming in just behind them. All of these mice were built with ergonomic design as a priority, with the Logitech Lift and Anker mouse in a comfortable handshake position and the M575 in a position in between the handshake and the standard flat mouse alignments. These mice open up the group of muscles, bones, and ligaments on the Ulnar (pinky) side of the wrist, which commonly gets constricted with a standard flat mouse.
The Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse is a less expensive vertical ergonomic mouse with similar ergonomic benefits to more expensive mice of its kind.
Credit: Sam Schild
The balance in the ergonomics category that can be hard to manage is size versus comfort, given that some of the most ergonomic mice are also the bulkiest that we tested. The MX Master 3S is the most comfortable option that doesn't attempt to redefine what a traditional mouse is shaped like. It's also small and portable.
Mouse Surface Slide & Sensor
We judged this metric based on the physical ease of sliding a mouse and how well the mouse's sensor worked on different surfaces. We tested the surface slide characteristics of each mouse by simply sliding each mouse on different surfaces without a paired computer — solely focusing on the resistance (or lack thereof) of each mouse's slide. The sensor quality was examined by using each mouse on several different types of surfaces, from wood to glass, to see how they each performed. We didn't begin examining the sensor quality until we understood the mouse's connectivity so that lag wouldn't get confused with a sensor issue and vice versa.
Almost every mouse held up to the test with a similar level of physical ease of sliding, with a few exceptions regarding the sensor. The Logitech MX Master 3S and Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse were standouts in this category as well. We tested all sensors on glass surfaces, but these were the only two mice that worked on a vertical window (not that you'd really be doing that).
The Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse keeps your wrist in a more comfortable position than a traditional mouse.
Credit: Sam Schild
Most mice we tested worked well on horizontal glass surfaces, but the Amazon Basics Wireless Mouse and the Fenifox Slim Mini Portable Mouse didn't perform as well on this surface. This setback may be minor for many users given the anticipated surfaces they will be using, but worth considering nonetheless.
Also, we think it's worth noting that the Elecom 2.4G Wireless Trackball Mouse and Logitech Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse are the most versatile mice in this category since they will work exactly the same on every surface. The trackballs in these mice don't rely on moving the mice around at all. You can use these mice with the same results on every surface.
The Elecom 2.4G Wireless Trackball Mouse will work on any surface, but it's also bigger than our hand.
Credit: Sam Schild
Features
We tested every mouse's features to see how they stacked up against one another. Some features, like left and right clicks and a power source, come on every mouse. Then, there are the extra features that make each mouse different. These extra features include forward/back page buttons, a touchpad, four-way scrolling, programmable buttons, adjustable DPI, sleep mode, a foldable mouse body, a rechargeable battery, smart zoom, and more. We determined what features each mouse had and then addressed whether those features worked and whether they were relevant.
The Apple Magic Mouse offers a truly unique feature known as smart zoom, which dramatically boosted the mouse's score in this metric. Smart zoom allows the computer to zoom into wherever the cursor is — an incredibly helpful tool for dozens of applications.
Other mice like the Fenifox didn't have many flashy features, but as a travel mouse, it offered a simple left/right click, and a scroller, while still managing to sneak in an adjustable DPI button regardless of its micro-size.
There aren't many mice that we reviewed that are USB rechargeable, though a few are. The rechargeable mice we tested are the Apple Magic Mouse, the Logitech MX Master 3S, and the Fenifox Slim Mini Portable Mouse. While this feature isn't a dealbreaker, we found it quite convenient not to have to go and find new batteries, especially as more and more pieces of technology move away from AA and AAA batteries.
The Apple Smart Mouse was one of the few we tested that is USB rechargeable.
Credit: Sam Schild
Of all the mice with replaceable batteries, we were most impressed with the versatility and claimed battery life of the Razer Pro Click Mini. Razer claims that two AAA batteries will last up to 14 years if you use the mouse with a Bluetooth connection. We haven't had over a decade to test this mouse yet, but we can confirm it works with only one battery.
The Razer Pro Click Mini works with only one battery, so it's more versatile than most mice in this regard.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Elecom 2.4G Wireless Trackball Mouse stands out in this metric for having the most buttons. This mouse has 10 buttons in total, and eight of those buttons are programmable. That's a lot of buttons. When you combine this with the massive trackball on this mouse, this is a pretty feature-heavy mouse. It's also the biggest and heaviest mouse we reviewed, though.
Scrolling Capabilities
While scrolling capabilities are certainly an important feature of a mouse, we found this feature to be especially helpful in many cases. So, we made it its own category. Most mice we tested have a scroll wheel, but those scroll wheels aren't all created equal. Also, some mice have left/right scrolling capabilities. We found this side-to-side scrolling very useful for editing photos, working in design programs, and when working with large spreadsheets with a lot of columns.
The Apple Magic Mouse stands out in this category with its touch glass design where the entire mouse top can be used to scroll in four directions. We found this mouse to be the easiest to scroll in any direction of any mouse we tested. The Microsoft Arc Mouse has similar four-way touchpad scrolling capabilities, but we didn't find the Arc Mouse worked as well as the Magic Mouse in scrolling overall.
We found the scrolling features on the Apple Magic Mouse to be some of the best.
Credit: Sam Schld
Also, the Logitech MX Master 3S has a separate left/right scroll wheel near the thumb. This is a unique scrolling feature among all the mice we tested. Most left/right scroll features are set to move far left and right, with little control for small movements like you'd need in editing columns on a spreadsheet. This mouse allows for small increments of left/right scrolling, but if you turn the wheel farther, you can get that big movement scrolling too.
The side-to-side scroll wheel on the Logitech MX Master 3S is among the best.
Credit: Sam Schild
The Fenifox Slim Mini Portable Mouse is another standout in this category for having the smallest scroll wheel. The minuscule size of this scroll wheel makes it harder to operate.
We analyzed every mouse on several surfaces, from wood to glass to marble, for thorough sensor/slide testing.
Credit: Sam Schild
Conclusion
With so many advances in technology and so many people working on the go these days, we hold high expectations for how a wireless mouse should perform, regardless of its intended use. With so many great options available, we hope this review helps you find exactly what you're looking for at a price you can afford.
