I found the best productivity mouse for work

Ingrained in lifestyle, the mouse must be considered an extension of the hand. And if your days blur into a showroom of spreadsheets, documents, and browser tabs, then right-clicking may just be the real game-changer. Desk cluttering? You’re tired of hitting an empty key? It’s time to go cordless. Not just about freedom, wireless mice today pack the features and comfort that you will wonder why the name didn’t sound so good to you earlier.

Are you fed up with this very workflow situation, wedging your way through molasses? Enter the productivity mouse. With it comes the realization that every click and scroll is effortless and every control can be custom-ordered for your use-wrist pains are a nightmare of the distant past of fairy tales. Some mice have been designed to beautifully complement the sleek lines of a Mac setup, while others cater to the needs of lefties, those seeking silence, or design minimalists. Whether recharging via USB-C or running on AA, the ideal productivity mouse is not just any peripheral-it’s the actual key to moving around life smoother, faster, and entertaining.

Quick Overview

Best wireless mouse

Logitech MX Master 3S

$100 at Amazon

Best wireless mouse for gaming

Razer Viper Ultimate Hyperspeed

$129 at Amazon

Best small mouse

Logitech Pebble M350

$24 at Amazon

Another good mobile option

Logitech MX Anywhere 3

$70 at Amazon

Another good gaming option

Razer Orochi V2

$48 at Amazon

Honorable mention

Microsoft Arc Mouse

$91 at Amazon

[### Honorable mention

Microsoft Mobile Mouse](https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&itemId=amazonB086QQ59GC&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=pnr-product-module&featureId=product-url&itemName=Microsoft+Mobile+Mouse&merchantName=Amazon&itemSourceId=B086QQ59GC&brand=Microsoft&price=69&salePrice=69&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL01pY3Jvc29mdC1Nb2Rlcm4tTW9iaWxlLU1vdXNlLUtURi0wMDAwMS9kcC9CMDg2UVE1OUdDP3RhZz1nZGd0MGMtcC1vLWlwLTIwIiwiY29udGVudFV1aWQiOiJjOGY2Nzg4OC03ZGJhLTRmYmEtOGQzYy03MWE2NTcxYTk5NzAifQ&signature=AQAAAXdwquMgCok9SJVZ-2xHl2SyF7rp_XubhUAV7hgQDxy&contentUuid=c8f67888-7dba-4fba-8d3c-71a6571a9970&refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2Fcomputing%2Faccessories%2Fbest-wireless-mice-pc-gaming-mobile-150027822.html&uuid=lRYfzomeDyFWQZY419477)

$69 at Amazon

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James Trew / Engadget

The internet has spoken. When searching for the ultimate PC or productivity mouse, one title always rises to the top: Logitech MX Master 3 (and now, the sleeker MX Master 3S). Sure, you might flicker by mentions of Razer Pro Click or Surface Precision Mouse. Yet the chorus of reviewers always sings songs praising the MX Master. The more recent MX Master 3S polishing the champion with a sharper sensor and clicks that bring great joy from their silence. Consider this guide officially updated – that exceptional mouse continues to hold its crown.

Comparing these three mice is equally splitting hairs. Each contender, at around $100, offers comfortable ergonomics, programmable buttons, and a strong batter life. But, and there time for some ambiguity, we might want to take a moment on it. Logi gives a fantastic “70 days” for the MX Master 3S. Razer, however, offers a “200-400 hour” time period for the Pro Click, depending on whether you used the USB receiver or Bluetooth. That means around 8-16 daysmaybe, but hard to say whether that all meant constant use or simply sitting there on your desk.

According to Microsoft, the Surface Precision Mouse has a battery life of “up to three months,” an odd statement delivered so awkwardly that one might question if the company could even back up this claim. Three months of furious clicking, or sitting idle on a desk? Thankfully, these mice can be charged while working. The MX Master 3S has the longest run time in my experience, but the alleged seventy days feel like a distant dream; barely five to six weeks can be stretched from the record before frantically searching for a charging cable.

Razer’s Pro Click touts eight programmable buttons, narrowly outranking the MX Master 3S’s seven or does it? Logitech cleverly incorporates a thumbwheel, so vital a feature to efficiency that workflows are often named after it. While Razer counts clicks on the side of their scroll wheel as individual buttons, really doing what the Logi thumb dial does a little differently, in practical terms, the MX Master 3S wins. The thumbwheel switches desktops with a snap, a function that would otherwise consume two precious Razer buttons. In short, for the power user moving between multiple desktops, the MX Master 3S delivers that crucial bonus point of control.

James Trew / Engadget

To satisfyingly touch tech, here’s another contender named MX Master 3S. Click sounds virtually unheard-it’s something truly special. From then on, all other mice are like a jackhammer convention in the ears of the user. That magic silence carries with it probably the smoothest transitions while one-achieving-a-desktop-achievement-of-work, which could be a bit mundane nowadays in distractive shared spaces, or simply while yearning for a calm computer ambiance.

The button at the MX Master 3S sits comfortably where your thumb rests and is fully programmable. It may be programmed for almost any application, but by default, it is set up to give you a whole new world of “gesture control”: Imagine swiping your way through productivity! I really gave these gestures a workout, and at first, they almost felt revolutionary. The honeymoon ended rather soon, though, as I realized that my success rate wasn’t exactly stellar. Let’s just admit it: there was a lot harder to master than I had anticipated.

With six buttons packed into it, this mouse means business. It has the left and right click (even the scroll wheel has a click function!) and then three side buttons placed into some very joyful spots. Its solid contender puts it on the verge of being in the same league as Razer. OK, maybealmostas tweakable as the Logitech MX Master 3S for those of us who obsess over every single click and bind. Then you realize it is good-to-go: entirely, surprisingly truly comfortable. The ergonomic nature of the button layout and the design made this mouse very much an ergonomic choice.

Each company manufactures software to support its mice, though Microsoft’s is conveniently baked into Windows. Logitech splits these offerings: sleek, professional software for office mice, and a powerful suite for its game beasts. If you’re choosing between Logitech models, the software and its features are a major differentiator.

With Options, a wonderful balance is struck between usability and customization. Take your pick from well over a hundred Windows commands, media controls, shortcuts, and navigation tools. Not in the list? You might as well make your own function out of custom keystroke combos. The beauty of it is application-specific buttons; think about it: you basically transform a common right-click menu in Windows into something more useful in Photoshop. Chrome gets a special version of right-click, too. In other words, Options won’t give you full macros, but you do have pretty much unlimited customization.

James Trew / Engadget

Customizations based on apps and a huge slew of pre-programmed media and OS shortcuts, all in Razer Synapse, while it probably doesn’t scream Options. But laggers and half-step-rewinding macro whizzes, don’t fold just yet! Synapse actually allows you to mash through every sequence of actions and condense them into one devastating click. For the truly ambitious, “HyperShift” offers an additional array of commands that can be set atop any chosen button, effectively transforming your mouse into a beastly command center.

Division of a surprising punch goes to Microsoft’s Mouse and Keyboard Center. More than just basic shortcuts, there’s support for macros and customization for specific apps. While it lacks the might of any granular control offered by Logitech and Razer software suites, one could call it a very worthy opponent.

Switching over to MacOS gave me the convert-idolistic-into-natural-scrolling. While normal scrolling is fine, scrolling could be reversed with Logitech and Microsoft mice. Sadly, it seems that Razer mice don’t have that feature native, though I’m happy to say there are workarounds you can look into should you insist on living that reversed scroll mentality.

Not only are these mice wireless; they’re chameleons. Feel free to switch smoothly between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz, and if you are a puritan for precise work, do file in the wire. Handling multiple devices? The mice make it simple by connecting to more than one at a time. If you are into that kind of multitasking magic, of course.

Winner: MX Master 3S.

Gaming mice for everyday use

Let’s not get fooled by the “gaming” label. Some of the most productive mice carry that badge. Take Logitech G502 Lightspeed and G Pro X Superlight, for example. Or Razer Viper Ultimate. These do not get used to fragging noobs; they are precision tools to dispatch your workload.

Crossing into muter waters seriously downsizes one’s grip. Bricks? Featherweights! The G502 Logitech, a heavyweight in the area at 114g, is still lighter than your average productivity mouse like the MX Master 3S. However, the real magic is concluded with the G Pro X Superlight and Razer Viper Ultra. Holding the G Pro X Superlight is like holding a cloud at 63. The Viper is barely heavier, but that still forces one to feel the G502 as if it were a tank. Imagine that- the G Pro X is less than half the weight of its serious work-use Logitech sibling. All about speed and reaction time!

James Trew / Engadget

Something else to consider is the shape. Annoying for me, a lot of gaming mice lean neutral or ambidextrous. Much Chen gave the foolish justification of lighter weight. Went by caution anyway. Among my candidates, the sculpted, hand-hugging form of the Logitech G502 Lightspeed is overshadowed. It feels very less like holding a tool and more like the other half of my arm.

Speed is paramount for gamers. Even at 2.4GHz, it feels like wading through molasses, making Bluetooth an almost non-existent thing in gaming mice. Even the top-notch wireless options falter once in a while with their lag. If you ask me, it’s not a huge personal deal-breaker, but if every millisecond counts, consider yourself warned.

I was genuinely excited about the G502 Lightspeed. Imagine, the ergonomic comfort of the kind the MX Master 3S offers while slashing weight and packing 11 custom buttons! That’s control for real. Not small shortcuts, but full macros and an endless grip of keyboard commands within reach. Customization? This is a master class. While its professional-leaning competitor offers a good set of options, it is mostly overshadowed by it. No macro support, and the choices to assign keyboard commands can only faintly recall the power granted by Logitech’s G Hub software-a nice badge for the G502 to wear in the gaming world.

The G Pro X Superlight deserves a mention while talking about Logitech’s software ecosystem. While much of the software integration is similar to that of the G502, the design couldn’t be more different. Think ambidextrous-ish: palmable with either hand, but extra buttons are allowed for the right hand only. The G Pro X Superlight is stripped down and sleek, with a minimalist five-button layout.

So the real downer? Handling. Both mice at least kept me happy with their lightness. With the G502, though, it felt busy. The constellation of buttons around the clicky click and above my thumb created an illusion of a cockpit full of clicks; somehow, they never intuitively felt right aloft my touch. The MX Master 3S, in contrast, felt smooth and natural. And another story was the scroll wheel. Pointy was the word for the G502 and G Pro X’s scroll wheels, very demanding of conscious adjustment, absent in the graceful flow of the MX Master 3S and Razer Pro Click. But I wanted it to just glide with me, and neither did.

Scrolling on this mouse offers two modes of motion: a tactile click-by-click, ratcheted motion and a free-spinning glide with no clicks. The MX Master 3S has an edge, with its ratchet mechanism called “MagSpeed” that senses when you flick the wheel and automatically disengages into the free-spin mode. On the G502, the process of disengaging was a flow-killer for me in front of the task. The clicks were almost jarring. Whereas maybe gamers enjoy that deliberate feedback, in everyday browsing, it is a clear win for the seamless transition from the MX Master 3S.

Logitech G Pro X? It’s a featherweight contender with the minimalist approach. Its sleek looks and ambidextrous design are quite appealing. However, those two extra buttons felt a bit limiting. It’s a great mouse, yes, but for power users who demand customization, it’s like coming to a feast with only a spoon.

James Trew / Engadget

Forget favoring one hand. The Razer Viper Ultimate welcomes all hands; a true ambidextrous champion. But that’s not all it boasts. At a mere 74g, this mouse lazies along across your desk, thus becoming a fatigue heretic during those marathon sessions. And now, stamina! With the giant 70-hour battery life, it sits beside G Pro X with the throne being a little out of sight from G502 with its 50 hours.

The Razer Viper Ultimate snagged my top spot, a real shock, given my palm grip. Those two side buttons had come to a halt for me at first, with my ring and pinkie fingers. Forget about any clicks on those, I had to train myself to use thesideof my finger. Finally, however, despite the Logitech G502 seeming to meet all my criteria initially, I just fell for the Viper charm.

Overkill without an ounce of price in an everyday mouse: we can blame the infinite DPI scales and the polling rates anybody would never use in real life, but we still end up paying $150. In general.

Winner: Razer Viper Ultimate

Mobile mice

Definitely not a desktop replacement; mobile mice just refuse to be all things to all people. That is the magic. Liberated from their all-encompassing role, these little wonders can afford to be gloriously niche, wildly innovative, and really good at a few things that make the other’s mundane tasks an unexpectedly great experience.

Trying to make it through the dreaded “going back to office” day? Your trusty mouse could make the transition smooth (take that, trackpad!). Forget about elaborate comparison charts; here’s a rundown of five admirable competitors ready to take a stand on your behalf to increase your productivity.

Logitech Pebble

Logitech’s Pebble: Minimalism that Moves.

Okay, let go of the cavernous, full-featured mouse. Pebble stands for elegant simplicity for productivity on the go. Clocking at 100 grams with a fully satisfying heft despite its diminutive build, this thing really does take the cake. Three buttons: left, right, and click the wheel are all you ever needed, and Pebble does that without a lot of clutter. Bluetooth connections for setting up, or go ahead and use the included 2.4GHz dongle. Magically, the magnetic top plate not only opens up to reveal the single AA battery but also hides the USB receiver. So, dongle getting lost would be a thing of the past. (Rechargeable? Nope.) So there you have it: Pebble: No clutter, connected, and good to go.

The initial inclination of the Pebble felt like a gentle arch made by the hand in an attitudinal manner. The ambidextrous construction is indeed a plus, but the extent of comfort through long use remains questionable. Where the Pebble triumphs is an unheard battery life of 18 months (may vary with battery) and a wallet-friendly price of just $25, making a strong case for its supremacy in the budget mouse category.

Logitech MX Anywhere 3

Logitech MX Anywhere 3: a smaller, portable powerhouse inheriting all the best genes of the MX Master 3S. Where the bigger one becomes a fixture in your room, the Anywhere 3 mainly travels, flirting away with an ambidextrous design. It may be too small to be considered a permanent replacement for your desktop mouse, but the feel of the premium build is excellent for traveling. The MagSpeed scroll wheel is a showstopper that smoothly transitions between the crisp ratcheting and smooth inertia-free scroll – such an experience worth the $80 price tag.

Quite a few features make six buttons surprisingly customizable with this lightweight-inch weight champion. At barely 99 grammes, one really enjoys during protracted usage sets. Yet, lamentably, a single missing factor seems anathema to completeness that is normally cemented in this mouse design: a direct hideaway for the USB dongle. How baffling an omission feels this way for a mouse crafted for life on the move! Unless you prefer a hide-and-seek game with tinier USB receivers (and come on: really?), Bluetooth is the underlying option picked-up in absence of dongles.

Razer Orochi V2

The Razer Orochi V2: Stealth Mode Activated.

As you’re looking at a lineup of mice screaming for attention with flashy designs, the Orochi V2 nearly fades away into the backdrop. We say it is… subdued. From Razer? That’s blasphemy! The mobile powerhouse lurks beneath this boring facade. This is not your grandpa’s wireless mouse-it packs six programmable buttons, dual connectivity (Bluetooth and dongle, your choice!), and full support for Razer Synapse. Import your legacy macro library, or create new ones and unleash its full potential.With the Orochi V2, sometimes the quietest weapons are the deadliest.

Forget trying to catch its lightning-fast charging. This mouse sips power, giving an unheard-of 425 hours worth of wireless 2.4Ghz connection, or nearly 950 hours of blissful Bluetooth Low Energy connection on just a single standard battery, either AA or AAA. Clocking in at a mere 60g, it glides smoothly across your desktop. I can imagine some eyebrows going up at the $70 price point since it’s bordering on desktop mouse territory; however, think about it: it is a truly comfortable, full-day working mouse. Another highlight is that, unlike some other premium competitors (coughMX Anywhere 3, MX Master 3Scough), its USB dongle is stored right away under its magnetic top cover, ensuring that your anxiety over losing a dongle is forever gone!

Microsoft Surface Arc

Forget those ho-hum peripherals. The Microsoft Surface Arc mouse is an extension of your persona. It smoothly transitions from the flat, thin, and portable version into an easy-to-arch version with one nice snap. That snap isn’t just to hear the sound effect; it is the power switch. But the magic does not just remain in the snapping. The touch-sensitive surface works just like Apple’s Magic Mouse, in which swiping is possible for left/right clicking and horizontal/vertical scrolling. If you want to get fancy, a triple-click feature comes with an extra customizable button. Style and innovation at around $55? You’ll be coveted by all the cafés around.

Worthy of asnapof satisfaction upon assembly comes an interesting ergonomic question from the Arc-mouse. The space under the arch, kept so for portability, has thumbs and pinkies going foraging for a resting place that just would not be there. The exaggerated curve tends to urge the hand into a claw grip all glitz and glam than into a relaxed palm hold. While it can be dealt with for a few minutes, I instead had doubts about its comfort for long-term use. The Arc, however, flourishes as a real travelling companion. With a sure profile and semi-trackpad abilities, it can really be your next-to-ideal alternative, particularly if you happen to like doing gesture-based navigation when on the road.

Microsoft Modern Mobile mouse

Forget clunky trackpads. Taking the portable mantle away from Logitech Pebble, Microsoft’s Modern Mobile Mouse enters the arena. With minimalistic beauty at the heart of its creation, the iron man features a sculptural thin line design, with weight and essentials. Bearing the curse of modern-day manufacturers, the dongle looks outdated amidst this sleek beauty. Whereas the Pebble will set you back by $25, this baby costs a mere $35. But do not consider it an underdog for one moment; Microsoft’s portable Sihoo can surprise you!

It really is a whole world apart. Forget those clicky-plastic pieces; this one is the very definition of metal in mass. Styling-wise, it is a definite stunner, if you ask me. The real magic, though, occurs with the grip: it naturally accommodates your hand in a comfortable manner while eliminating the awkward and strained feeling you get holding a small mouse. And there’s the beauty of this: with Microsoft’s Mouse and Keyboard Center, you can customize the controls depending on the app, enabling a surprisingly advanced level of sophistication. It is much cleverer than it looks.

Conclusion

James Trew / Engadget

My mistrust melted away amidst the showroom of unforeseen delights. Microsoft, not a word often associated with panache, has mobile devices to boast of, boasting style. Razer, that green-glowing bastion of gaming gear, builds surprisingly elegant and very productive mice. And then comes Logitech, the eternal north star, shining consistently across the whole equation of peripherals.

The MX Master 3S checks all the boxes for me with that brilliant thumbwheel, fulfilling all my needs. But unexpectedly, the Razer Pro Click caught my fancy. It does not have that second scroll wheel the MX Master is blessed with, but it competes in every other aspect. Lighter weight? I accept that as a bonus.

The choice for any milligram of extra freedom lies with the Razer Viper Ultimate as it offers a great balance between performance and aesthetics. For the simple needs of the purest lightness possible, then the Logitech Pro X Superlight lives up to its title. After so many hours of testing, I grew fond of both, more than willing to conquer digital worlds with either in hand.

Thanks for reading I found the best productivity mouse for work