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Using your laptop’s dedicated track pad can make your wrist curl up like an armadillo and your arms resemble those of a T. rex. That may not be a problem for short periods of time, but if you’re on a laptop all day, using a separate wireless mouse will help maximize comfort and minimize muscle strain. In addition to making your workspace more ergonomic, a wireless mouse can also make it easier to navigate certain software programs or websites because they often have more features and functions than a trackpad without extra buttons can offer. But it’s important to find one that actually supports your ergonomics, because, “the wrong mouse-and-keyboard setup can wreak physical havoc on your hand, wrist, and forearm,” says Dr. Scott Weiss, a physical therapist and board-certified athletic trainer.
Carrie Schmitz, a certified health coach who’s currently a wellness and ergonomic research manager at Ergotron, says that when you’re working, you want your elbows tucked in so you’re not reaching far away and taking yourself out of a neutral posture. “The neutral posture is going to be one where you have the most amount of balance and power,” she says, “which means there’s going to be less stress and strain on your muscular skeletal system.” A good wireless mouse will be comfortable to use while making it easy to keep that neutral posture.
To help you pick the right one, I conducted my own testing and also spoke with a range of experts including WFH professionals, tech writers and YouTubers, ergonomic researchers, and gamers.
What we’re looking for
Connectivity
A mouse that lags and drags can be super-frustrating to use. Every mouse on this list is able to quickly register movement, which makes scrolling and clicking feel as seamless and precise as possible. A good mouse should also work well on a variety of surfaces, whether or not you are using a mouse pad — from a wood or bamboo desktop to a granite or laminate kitchen countertop. The mouse should slide easily without too much friction that causes you to constantly reposition your hand. Almost every mouse in this guide connects via Bluetooth or comes with a USB radio frequency (RF) receiver that you can plug into your computer for a quick and easy setup. If you want to use a mouse with more than one device, whether multiple computers or a computer and a tablet, look for one with the option to connect to and swap between multiple devices.
Handedness
If you happen to be left-handed, shopping for a wireless mouse can be a bit tricky, as a majority are designed for right-handed users by default. But some have more symmetrical designs that make them more ambidextrous, and being able to switch hands may help protect your wrists and hands from injury.
Buttons and scroll
Every wireless mouse on this list has at least two buttons — the standard left-click and right-click buttons. Some also have multiple scroll wheels and/or side buttons that work as forward and backward buttons when clicking in a browser tab or a document. Most allow you to program some or all of the buttons to perform whatever functions are most useful and comfortable for your specific workflow. The level of customization depends on the model and the number of buttons available.
Battery
Every wireless mouse on this list has either a built-in rechargeable battery or requires AA or AAA batteries. Battery life will depend on usage; rechargeable options can last up to a few months before they need topping up. In some cases, a wireless mouse may have disposable batteries, but even those models can last over a year before needing a replacement
Best wireless mouse overall
Connectivity: Bluetooth or RF | Handedness: Right-handed | Buttons and scroll: 7 buttons | Battery: USB-C rechargeable with included cable, approx. 2.5 months per charge
I’ve been using the MX Master 3 for the past seven months, and it’s my favorite mouse to date. It’s comfortable to use for extended periods of time, the battery lasts for months on a single charge, and its precision adjustments let me tailor it exactly to my liking. It’s also dead-simple to set up, and when I had someone house sit for me, they were able to pair the mouse to their computer without any hassle. For multi-user households or offices, that simplicity will save a lot of time and headache.
Four of the five experts we spoke to recommended the Logitech MX Master 3. What makes Logitech’s mouse unique is its ergonomic thumb rest and widely praised programmable thumb-scroll wheel on the side of the mouse, which allows you to quickly and precisely scroll side to side on the screen, whether you’re looking at documents, editing video timelines, or touching up a photo. There’s also a more typical scroll wheel at the top of the mouse for vertical scrolling. Sara Dietschy, a tech YouTuber and video creator, says she uses the MX Master 3 in both her office studio space and at home. “Having that horizontal scroll to move throughout a video timeline is huge for me, and in Excel spreadsheets or editing web pages, it’s extremely helpful,” she says, adding that she likes that it’s a big mouse that doesn’t feel cramped. Tyler Stalman, a photographer, tech YouTuber, and podcaster, agrees it has “all the features you want and nothing extra — it’s not covered in extra clutter,” and Justin Tse, a tech YouTuber, also praises its 70-day battery life.
Best less-expensive wireless mouse
Connectivity: Bluetooth or RF | Handedness: Right- or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 5 buttons | Battery: 2 AA batteries, approx. 24-month battery life
The Logitech M650 is an upgraded version of a compact wireless mouse from the brand that I used for nearly four years. It’s durable and small, so it won’t take up too much desk real estate. With a smooth scroll wheel that doesn’t stutter or lag when navigating large documents or web pages, and “silent touch” technology that makes button clicks quiet. So if you’re working in a library or a café and trying not to draw anyone’s attention with incessant clicking sounds, it’s a good choice. The M650 is also relatively inexpensive, and it comes in left-handed or right-handed options as well as two sizes, so if you have a larger hand and need more surface area to grip, you can easily pick up the larger size. It’s also fairly sleek and stylish, and the right-handed version comes in six colors including blue, red, and pink for those looking to go beyond the typical black, white, or silver. One gripe: It can only connect to one device at a time, so it lacks the ability to easily swap between devices like some of the other mouses in this guide.
Best wireless mouse for travel
Connectivity: Bluetooth or RF | Handedness: Right- or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 3 buttons | Battery: 1 AA battery, approx. 18-month battery life
The Pebble’s my go-to mouse when I need to take my laptop or iPad with me on a trip. It’s more comfortable to use for long periods of time than a trackpad, and it doesn’t take up much room in my bag. It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, but across four trips, I haven’t had to swap the batteries at all. It comes in a couple fun colors (black, gray, white, purple, pink, and graphite), and its low price makes it easily replaceable in case it gets lost through TSA check.
Strategist staff writer Ambar Pardilla also like the Pebble, saying it “just feels better to hold than, say, an Apple Magic Mouse — you’re not so much gripping as you are gently resting your hand on it, and if you have misophonic tendencies, the mouse doesn’t really have that annoying clicking sound that’ll slowly drive you insane as you try to get to inbox zero.”
Best wireless mouse for gaming
Connectivity: Bluetooth or RF | Handedness: Right-handed | Buttons and scroll: 11 buttons | Battery: Micro-USB rechargeable with included cable, approx. 60 hours per charge
Four out of the five experts we spoke to recommended gaming mouses from Logitech. Cameron Faulkner, a staff writer at the Verge, says that Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed is his current favorite. Despite being wireless, he says, the mouse doesn’t have any noticeable lag. The grip is comfortable, and he likes “that it includes customizable weights for a personalized feel,” if you’re looking for some more resistance while playing. The G502 has a DPI of 25,600 and 11 programmable buttons, so you’ll be able to react quickly in-game and personalize multiple settings.
In addition to Faulkner’s praise, the G502 hits all the marks of what Kahlief Adams, creator and host of the gaming podcast Spawn on Me, says a good gaming mouse should have. First, it should be light. If the mouse is too heavy, it can wear out your wrist during longer gaming sessions. (While most mouses weigh an average of more than 100 grams, ultralight models can weigh as few as 50 grams.) At just over four ounces, the G502 is light enough to move around without causing too much strain.
Next, check the mouse’s dots per linear inch or DPI, which is a number used to measure sensitivity. “Your mouse is constantly scanning wherever you’re placing it,” says Adams.“The higher your DPI, the more precise you can be in terms of your movement.” Gaming mouses DPIs tend to go into the tens of thousands, “so that they can accurately pinpoint where you want your mouse to be,” he explains. This mouse can go up to 25,600 DPI, depending on how sensitive you need your mouse to be for a particular game.
Finally, pay attention to how many function buttons your mouse has. “A mouse that has a lot of extra buttons is great for players who find themselves needing to multi-manage lots of different things,” Adams says. The G502 has 11 programmable buttons, which is more than any other mouse we recommend.
Best ergonomic wireless mouse
Connectivity: RF | Handedness: Right- or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 3 buttons | Battery: 2 AA batteries, approx. 24-month battery life
“Mice that allow for the natural internal rotation of the hand are best,” says Alice Holland, a physical therapist at Stride Strong Physical Therapy. She likes this one by Kensington, which features a large trackball for easy navigation without moving the entire mouse. It also has a scroll ring around the trackball, which functions similar to a scroll wheel and makes moving up and down websites and documents as easy as possible. It comes with a detachable wrist rest. Many of us using laptops tend to hover our hands over the keyboard, wrists extended, says physiotherapist Lyndsay Hirst, but the best option is to rest them instead, which reduces strain. It also has a completely ambidextrous design, which Joseph Santillo, director of industrial medicine at ReLive Physical Therapy, says is especially appealing whether you are right-handed or left-handed, as finding a mouse that you can use with either hand can also help minimize strain.
Best ergonomic mouse for travel
Connectivity: Bluetooth | Handedness: Right-handed | Buttons and scroll: 8 buttons | Battery: 2 AA batteries, approx. 24-month battery life
Logitech’s MX Vertical mouse doesn’t provide as many options for interaction as Kensington’s, but it gets close and is more portable. It’s also not quite as travel-friendly or left-hand friendly as Logitech Anywhere, but it’s more ergonomic. It can pair with up to three devices, too, so it’ll work just as well on your desk as it will on a coffee-shop table.
This mouse’s vertical orientation orients your wrist into a neutral position, and after testing it side-by-side with Logitech’s MX Master 3S, I noted a significant difference in comfort. The Master 3S isn’t uncomfortable, but if you tend to feel some strain in your wrist after extended mouse usage, the Vertical provides a lot more relief.
Like the Kensington, the Vertical features a trackball that makes it easier to move around the screen without having to move the whole mouse, but it’s about the size of the tip of a pencil eraser, requires more precise finger motions, and its placement below the scroll wheel takes some getting used to.
Best wireless mouse for multiple connections
Connectivity: Bluetooth | Handedness: Right or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 8 buttons | Battery: 2 AA batteries, approx. 24-month battery life
If you want a wireless mouse that can connect to multiple devices at a decent price point, I highly recommend the Logitech M720, which I have been personally using for two and a half years. Like other devices on this list, it can also connect to multiple devices. It has a series of numbers near the back of the mouse that help you see which device you’re currently connected to and controlling. You can swap between those devices with a press of a button and it usually connects in under three seconds.
The M720 is one of the most affordable mice you can get at $35. It’s larger than the more compact Logitech M650 listed above, but it has a nice hand feel and is easier to grip. It is also fairly symmetrical in shape, so it may be suitable for left-handed users. It has a scroll wheel and customizable buttons, and it’s responsive enough for all of my day-to-day tasks. With a DPI of 1,000, you can even use it for light gaming (although you will notice an immediate difference if you use a dedicated gaming mouse).
Best for chatting in Slack
Connectivity: Bluetooth | Handedness: Right or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 4 buttons | Battery: 1 AA battery, approx. 18-month battery life
Logitech’s Pop Mouse features a customizable shortcut button right below its scroll wheel that you can use to trigger some of your most common computer functions (like summoning emoji). By default, pressing the button opens your computer’s emoji menu, but you can also use Logitech’s app to assign the button other common keyboard shortcuts (like copying or pasting, taking a screenshot, or hiding all your windows with one click).
The Pop is similar in shape to the Pebble, though it’s a bit taller and wider. That extra size makes it slightly less portable, but it’s also more comfortable to hold as it has a larger bump for your palm to rest on while you use it.
Unlike the Pebble, this mouse doesn’t have a wireless dongle to connect to your computer over infrared, so you can only connect via Bluetooth. Most computers and tablets have Bluetooth capabilities, though, so that shouldn’t be a problem. It comes in five color combinations, including a purple and green option, a black and yellow model, and a more subtle beige and gray option.
Best for using with an iPad
Connectivity: Bluetooth | Handedness: Right- or left-handed | Buttons and scroll: 1 Button| Battery: Rechargeable battery, approx. 1-month battery life
Any mouse with Bluetooth capabilities will work with an iPad, but if you want to get the most out of working from your tablet, you’ll want a mouse that supports easier navigating across the operating system. Apple’s Magic Mouse, which has about as slim a profile as the Logitech Pebble, has an all-glass surface that you can swipe your fingers across for doing things like scrolling down a web page, scrolling horizontally through apps, or sliding your finger to zoom.
Its one-month battery life is a bit shorter than the MX Master 3S but it’s built to support iPadOS and is the best mouse for it. That said, the glass surface is delicate, so if you plan on taking this mouse on the road with you, make sure you carry it with extra protection, either in a case or a padded pocket.
Our experts
• Kahlief Adams, creator and host of the gaming podcast Spawn On Me
• Louis Cheslaw, Strategist associate editor
• Sara Dietschy, tech YouTuber and video creator
• Cameron Faulkner, staff writer at the Verge
• Alice Holland, physical therapist at Stride Strong Physical Therapy
• Joseph Santillo, director of industrial medicine at ReLive Physical Therapy • Carrie Schmitz, wellness and ergonomic research manager at Ergotron
• Tyler Stalman, photographer, tech YouTuber, and podcaster
• Justin Tse, tech YouTuber
• Dr. Scott Weiss, physical therapist and board-certified athletic trainer
• Matt Workman, cinematographer
• Ambar Pardilla, Strategist staff writer
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