What is the best mouse? Well the answer to that question will depend on your needs, but whatever those needs are you’ll find an ideal option in this list. We’ve got ergonomic, gaming, productivity, trackball, wireless, and more. Plus, if you’re left-handed there are a few choices too.
All the mice in the list below have been thoroughly tested and reviewed – we don’t make best of lists of products we haven’t actually used. The exact testing will depend on the type of mouse and its intended purpose but rest assured the below choices are the best in their category (a little personal preference aside).
If you’re looking for more options for each mouse category, you can also check out our best gaming mouse guide and best trackball mouse guide.
Why you can trust us ✔ Custom PC has over 20 years of experience testing hardware. We share honest, expert advice to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.
Find the best mouse in 2024:
- Logitech MX Master 3 – the best mouse overall, the best productivity mouse, the best wireless mouse overall, and the best mouse for Mac users.
- Razer Viper 8KHz – the best mouse for gaming
- NZXT Lift – the best budget mouse for gaming
- Logitech G Pro X Superlight – the best wireless mouse for gaming
- Kensington Expert – the best trackball mouse
- Posturite Penguin – the best ergonomic mouse
1. Logitech MX Master 3
The best mouse overall is the Logitech MX Master 3. It’s also the best wireless mouse, best productivity mouse, and best mouse for Mac users.
Logitech MX Master 3 specs:
Weight | 141g |
Dimensions (mm) | 84 x 125 x 51 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | Logitech Darkfield (200-4,000 DPI) |
Buttons | 7 (left, right, scroll wheel, 2 x side buttons, thumb wheel, gesture button) |
Cable | USB-C |
Battery life | 70 days |
Extras | Connects to up to three devices, supports Logitech Flow, thumb scroll wheel |
Pros
- Tracks on almost any surface
- Comfortable design
- Loads of genuinely useful features
Cons
- Quite heavy
- Pricey
- Right-handers only
The Logitech MX Master 3 is productivity perfection thanks to its comfortable design and great feature set. This highly contoured mouse supports your hand for long working day comfort and has a soft and grippy rubber finish. It also includes metal scroll wheels for vertical and horizontal scrolling making for easy document navigation. The vertical scroll also cleverly flips between a freewheeling or notched mode for fast or precise scrolling. Add in the useful Logitech Flow software ability to copy and paste between devices (including support for Apple and PC products) and a sensor that even works on glass and there’s little reason to look elsewhere. Find out more in our full Logitech MX Master 3 review.
2. Razer Viper 8KHz
The best mouse for gaming is the Razer Viper 8KHz.
Razer Viper 8KHz specs:
Weight | 71g |
Dimensions | 67 x 127 x 38 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | Razer Focus+ – optical, 20,000 DPI, 50G acceleration, 650ips |
Buttons | 7 (left, right, scroll wheel, 2 x back, 2 x forward) |
Cable | 1.8m, lightweight braided, fixed |
Battery life | N/A |
Extras | RGB lighting, DPI button on underside, 8KHz polling rate |
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Great shape
- Truly ambidextrous
- Solid performance
Cons
- 8kHz polling is rather pointless
- Quite expensive at launch price
- Basic feature set
The best gaming mouse is the Razer Viper 8KHz. Its design is truly ambidextrous with back and forward buttons on both sides of the mouse, so it’s an easy recommendation for both left-handed and right-handed users. Its overall shape is also really comfortable for a wide variety of hand sizes and grip styles, plus it’s decently light at just 71g. Its rubber-coated sides further aid grip, making this mouse effortless to fling around in the heat of battle. A superb optical sensor also provides flawless tracking and it’s a great-looking mouse too.
The Viper 8KHz’s price was high at launch but it’s now readily available for $50, which is great value. Find out more in our full Razer Viper 8KHz review. For more gaming mouse recommendations, check out our best gaming mouse guide.
3. NZXT Lift
The best budget mouse mouse for gaming is the NZXT Lift.
NZXT Lift specs:
Weight | 67g |
Dimensions (mm) | 67 x 127 x 38 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | PixArt 3389 optical, 16,000 DPI, 50G acceleration and 400 IPS |
Buttons | 6 (left, right, top, scroll wheel, pair of side buttons) |
Cable | 2m, lightweight braided, fixed |
Battery life | N/A |
Extras | RGB lighting, customizable color options |
Pros
- Versatile, comfortable shape
- Lightweight
- Great button layout
- Excellent performance
Cons
- Minimal button selection
- Not truly ambidextrous
The best budget gaming mouse is the NZXT Lift. A fantastic shape, low weight, simple but functional button layout, excellent sensor performance, and smart styling add up to making a truly excellent all-round gaming mouse. It also looks great in both its black and white color variants, with its RGB lighting shining out from the mouse’s bottom edge. It may not be the absolute cheapest mouse going but it’s still excellent value. Find out more in our full NZXT Lift review.
4. Logitech G Pro X Superlight
The best wireless mouse for gaming is the Logitech G Pro X Superlight.
Logitech G Pro X Superlight specs:
Weight | 63g |
Dimensions (mm) | 64 x 125 x 40 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | Logitech Hero, 25,000 DPI, 40g acceleration, 400ips |
Buttons | 5 (left, right, scroll wheel, back, forward) |
Cable | 1.8m, un-braided |
Battery life | 70 hours unlit |
Extras | Dongle stowage on underside |
Pros
- Very light
- Fantastic shape
- Excellent performance
Cons
- Not ambidextrous like the G Pro Wireless
- Stiff, unbraided microUSB cable
- Very expensive
- No RGB lighting
The G Pro X Superlight is the best wireless gaming mouse thanks to its speedy wireless connection and flawless tracking performance. Plus, it is indeed super light and its design is fantastically comfortable and suits all manner of grip styles and hand sizes. You can also plug it in via its cable to carry on gaming while charging. It’s definitely not a cheap mouse, though, so it’s not great value; just the best you can get. Nonetheless, the Superlight is so good that it still earns a place on this list. Find out more in our full Logitech G Pro X Superlight review.
Meanwhile, if you’re a left-handed user, we’d recommend this mouse’s predecessor, the Logitech G Pro Wireless or Razer Viper Ultimate, as they include side buttons on both sides of the mouse – it’s a shame Logitech removed these for the Superlight.
5. Kensington Expert
The best trackball mouse is the Kensington Expert.
Kensington Expert specs:
Weight | 186g (without receiver or wrist rest) |
Dimensions (mm) | 63 x 125 x 39 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | Optical |
Buttons | 4 (left, right, back, forward) all programmable |
Connections | 2.4GHz USB dongle and Bluetooth |
Extras | Rubber wrist rest, DPI button on underside, 2 x AAA batteries |
Battery life | Up to 100 days |
Pros
- Class-leading trackball performance
- Comfortable design
- Effortless button operation
Cons
- A bit large for small hands
- Limited number of buttons
- Expensive
Trackballs can be the ideal way to relieve hand and arm discomfort as well as provide accurate control in confined spaces (unlike a mouse, the trackball doesn’t need space to move around) all thanks to their static design. The Kensington Expert is our pick of the bunch as its huge 53mm trackball offers supreme accuracy while its four buttons can combine to provide a host of extra functions. It’s also very comfortable to use. It is large and quite expensive, though so we suggest opting for the Kensington Orbit if you want a smaller, cheaper option. Find out more in our full Kensington Expert review. Or, for more trackball options, check out our best trackball mouse guide.
6. Posturite Penguin
The best ergonomic or vertical mouse is the Posturite Penguin.
Posturite Penguin specs:
Weight | 232g (large version) |
Dimensions (mm) | 121 x 154 x 98 (W x D x H) |
Sensor | Optical |
Buttons | 3 (left, right, scroll wheel) |
Stated battery life | Up to one month |
Pros
- Best vertical mouse design yet
- Relieves finger and wrist pain
- Available in multiple sizes
Cons
- Only two main buttons
- Mushy button feel
- Quite expensive for its basic features
The general idea behind most ergonomic mice is to allow your wrist to twist into a more relaxed position compared to most normal mice. That’s why the Logitech MX Master 3 has quite a sloped shape and you get mice like the Logitech Lift. The Posturite Penguin, though, takes things to the extreme, providing a fully vertical grip. It also has a flared-out flat base section on which to rest your hand, saving your arm rubbing on the desk.
This combination is easily the most genuinely relaxing hand position we’ve encountered on a mouse. Accuracy suffers from the fact you have to move your whole arm to move the mouse but you can compensate with a lower DPI. It’s not a cheap option and has few buttons, but if RSI is a problem, it’s one of the best solutions we’ve found for reducing it. Find out more in our full Posturite Penguin review.
If you’ve finally found your perfect pointer, why not check out our best gaming headset, best gaming keyboard, and best CPU for gaming guides to complete your setup.