The best mouse is key to a good setup for work or gaming (and yes, that includes the best mouse for laptops too). The best mouse can help you work and play more comfortably, it can give you more accuracy, and it can even improve productivity. Bundled mice that come with PCs aren't usually very ergonomic, nor do they have advanced workflow-boosting features, but, happily, there's a range of good options out there.
Below, we list the best mouse options for different uses and different budgets. For each one, we've outlined its strengths and weaknesses and provided links that track the best current prices. If you're an Apple user, you might also want to see our specific guides to the best mouse for MacBook Pro and Air.
We've made our own pick of the best mouse options by looking for the best specs combined with sound ergonomics. We've sought out mice that reviewers rate as comfortable for long periods of use while offering smooth and accurate tracking – which can help avoid the frustration of having to redo wonky selections. We've also looked for devices with adjustable levels of sensitivity and programmable buttons for shortcuts that can boost the efficiency of your workflow. For other options, see our guide to the best USB-C mouse options.
The best mouse available now
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If you need the very best mouse and you need it now, we'll save you a bit of time. The Logitech MX Master 3s is our clear favourite – at least if you're right-handed (there's no left-handed version, unfortunately). We find its ergonomic design makes it comfortable for all-day use. It has ample programmable buttons, not to mention a thumb wheel, which allows shortcut profiles to be setup for our favourite apps so we can blaze through repetitive tasks more quickly.
We find the MX Master 3s tracks accurately on pretty much any surface we've tried it on, and 4,000 DPI will be plenty for most creatives. It charges for minutes over USB-C and should keep going for up to 70 days. Best of all you can connect it to several devices and switch between them instantly. You also get Logitech's Bolt wireless technology, which brings better reliability in crowded workspaces while bringing down latency.
Another great thing about the Logitech MX Master 3S is that it's an incremental improvement on the 3. That means that you're more likely to be able to get a discount price on the 3, even though it's pretty much the same as the S (and the 3 used to be our top pick on this list).
While the MX Master 3S is the best mouse for designers overall, it won't be to everybody's tastes; some may find it just a little too big and chunky, and that thumbwheel can feel like it's in the way if you're not making use of it. For a more compact and streamlined alternative perfect for taking with you wherever you go, the Logitech MX Anywhere 3 is just the ticket. Functionally, it's very similar to the MX Master (with the exception of the scroll wheel), and its simpler design makes it more suitable for use in either hand.
The only real downside is that it might be just a little too tiny for some. Designed with portability in mind, it comes in a bit smaller than the average desktop mouse and could prove to be just a little cramped for all-day use. If you have small hands, though, it should be the perfect fit and an ideal everyday option.
If you're familiar with Razer's other mice you might do a bit of a double-take at the sight of the Pro Click, which has a much more restrained design than you might expect. Razer's best known for its gaming peripherals, but this one's aimed at a more general audience and the styling's been toned down to match.
The Pro Click boasts an ergonomic design developed with Humanscale, a company known for its ergonomic office furniture. The mouse has eight programmable buttons and an adjustable DPI that goes all the way up to 16,000, making it roughly ten times more sensitive than you're ever likely to need. This is a mouse that's designed to be used all day, and with a battery life of up to 400 hours it'll keep on going for weeks until you need to plug it in for a recharge. It's the most expensive option in our list of the best mouse options, but we think it's well worth the money if you want superior ergonomics.
Who can resist the classics? The Microsoft Intellimouse was a desktop favourite back in the days when mice had balls rather than optical sensors, and now you can get a recreated version that retains its feel (complete with a cable) while bringing the internals bang up to date.
The Microsoft Classic Intellimouse echoes the original design and combines it with great responsiveness, with an adjustable DPI that goes up to a creditable 3,200. It's a well-performing and comfortable mouse with pleasingly old-school styling, and for many the fact that you won't ever have to think about batteries will be a definite plus.
If constant clicking's giving your carpal tunnel cause for complaint, upgrading to one of the best mouse options with a proper ergonomic design can make a world of difference. Vertical mice look a little strange, but if you're serious about ergonomics, they're well worth trying because they keep your arm in a more natural neutral 'handshake' position. It can take a while to get used to, but it can be very beneficial for the wrist.
The peculiar-looking Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse ticks all the ergonomic boxes, and if you can get along with it you should find that it's an effective way to reduce the risk of RSI without compromising on performance since you get five programmable buttons for productivity shortcuts.
If a vertical mouse doesn't tickle your ergonomic fancy, perhaps a trackball would be more suitable; it keeps your hand in one place, and you move the pointer around by spinning the ball with your thumb. Like a vertical mouse it's an option that you'll need to get used to, and we wouldn't recommend one if you're planning on using it for gaming as well as work. However, if you fancy giving one a go, the Logitech MX Ergo Wireless is an excellent option.
You'll either love it or hate it – we'd strongly advise testing one out first to see how you get on before spending any money. If it suits you, you'll find that the find that the MX Ergo Wireless is an effective, comfortable and precise option.
The Razer Viper 8KHz was named best mouse in the Creative Bloq Awards 2022, with the panel of judges noting that the 8K really makes a difference, providing for smoother cursor movements and lower click latency. That makes for an incredibly fast and responsive gaming mouse. The judges also praised its simple but comfortable ambidextrous design and its options for customisation.
It’s lightweight and truly ambidextrous owing to the two buttons on either side. Its low profile is good for a fingertip grip suitable for most hands, although smaller hands may not be able to reach all buttons at once.
While the Microsoft Surface Mouse would be the obvious choice for anyone looking for a mouse to go with their Surface, the Surface itself isn't obligatory. As long as you have a computer or tablet with a Bluetooth connection, the mouse should work just fine, and that includes Macs and Android devices.
We wouldn't say this is a mouse to be using all day, every day – we'd recommend one of the more ergonomic options on this list for regular use. But it's stylish and looks the part, especially if you're doing client presentations or similar. The metal scroll wheel is a delight and the mouse feels wonderfully accurate.
Our favourite portable mouse is the Logitech MX Anywhere 3, but given the price you'd definitely kick yourself if you left it on the train. For a more reasonably-priced alternative that you can chuck in a bag and take anywhere without too much fear of losing it, we'd go for another Logitech option, the Pebble. It does the job, it's compatible with just about everything and it's cheap enough to lose without it being the end of the world.
Of course, you're not getting anything fancy for this price. While the symmetrical design can be used in either hand (good news for lefties), if you're going to be using it for long hours you might want to consider something with a more ergonomic design like, yes, the MX Anywhere 3 – or scroll down the mouse below.
Another great option for using anywhere you like, Microsoft's Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 is a little more ergonomic than the Logitech Pebble and cheap enough to take with you anywhere without fretting about losing it. It's easy to set up on any Bluetooth-equipped device, and it just one AA battery will keep it running for up to a year.
The low price, long battery life and compact design make this one of the best mice you can buy if you tend to travel a lot. It means you'll never have to leave home without a reliable pointing device that's a pleasure to use.
We've already mentioned a couple of the best mice from Razer, but if you like a gaming look, here's the Razer DeathAdder Chroma, which was very clearly conceived as a gaming mouse. If you can live with such striking looks, you'll find that it's an excellent wired mouse (doing away with the need to worry about batteries or wireless interference) that boasts customisable RGB lighting and a whole lot of DPI.
We rate it as a great-value, responsive and comfortable mouse that gives better performance than you'd get from a wireless mouse at a similar price point. If you don't mind the cord running across your desk and the styling doesn't turn you off, it's a smart choice.
How do I choose the best mouse?
What makes the best mouse? It may be subjective to an extent – some people swear by the improved ergonomics offered by the best vertical mice, while others just can't get used to the change. However, there are a few things you definitely want to look for, and which we considered when making our choice of the best mouse options above.
You'll need to choose whether to go wired or wireless, and there are advantages and disadvantages of each. The advantage of a wired mouse is still that you don't need to worry about battery life, but the batteries in the best wireless mice now last for months, and wireless mice aren't as bulky as they used to be. On top of that, many wireless mice let you turn up the DPI and report rate to make them more responsive for a spot of after-hours gaming.
The other big thing to look out for is programmable buttons, since these allow you to create shortcuts for some of the actions you perform most regularly, helping you to speed up your workflow once you get used to them. Just note that with some mice, some of the buttons may not work on all operating systems, so always check the specs.
What is the best DPI for a mouse?
We'd generally recommend a DPI of around 1,000 for day-to-day use. There's a bit of a DPI war between gaming mouse manufacturers trying to eke the biggest DPI out of their sensors, but ultimately these huge numbers are impractical. The 16,000 DPI you can get out of the Razer Pro Click seems impressive, but if you tried to use it in real life the tiniest nudge of your mouse would send the cursor flying across the screen. An adjustable DPI can be useful however, allowing you to change the DPI for different tasks, increasing it for gaming for example.
What type of mouse is the most ergonomic?
Ergonomics is important, especially if you'll be using your mouse for long periods of time. Many of the best mice have specially sculpted bodies that are designed to fit your hand in a very comfortable way. The problem with that, however, is that these often aren't suitable for using in both hands. Some brands do make left-handed version, but not all do, so the options are more limited for left-handed users – and you might even have to pay more.
Vertical mice and trackballs make great ergonomic options, but they do take some time to get used to because we're so accustomed to the shape and movement of a traditional mouse. Vertical mice look unusual, but some people swear by them since they keep your wrist in a more natural, neutral position. We'd recommend trying one out to see if you can get used to it. Whatever option you go for, don't underestimate the ergonomic benefits of investing in a mouse mat with a wrist rest.
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