PC Mice

Buying a PC mouse

Choosing the best mouse will ultimately come down to the volume and type of work you typically do but there are other considerations too.

Most standard mice designed for mainstream PC users will feature left and right buttons and a central clickable scroll wheel button in the centre. Some also include navigation buttons allowing you to click back and forwards while surfing the web. As well as these run of the mill mice, there are specialist mice aimed at specific types of users.

Travel mice

Travel mice are smaller, compact versions designed for portability that easily fit into a laptop bag or carry case. Many are wireless so need to be powered by batteries and the wired versions typically feature a shorter cable than a standard mouse. Because of their smaller size, they can be uncomfortable to use over an extended period of time as they don’t usually fit naturally into most people’s hand grip but can be ideal for people with smaller hands.

Gaming mice

Gaming mice are premium versions manufactured with high quality components that are optimised for gameplay. They typically have faster response times and more precise movement tracking than standard mice. Many gaming mice come with a lot of customisation features such as additional programmable buttons, DPI switches for cursor speed control and on-click resolution switching. Some also allow you to modify the chassis of the mouse to adjust the weight, height or centre of balance.

Ergonomic mice

Ergonomic mice are designed with usability in mind. Ideal for heavy users, an ergonomic mouse is contoured to fit naturally in your hand thereby reducing finger and wrist strains. There are ergonomic mice tailored for left hand users and vertical mice which can be gripped without the need to twist your wrist.

Wireless mice

Do you prefer a wired or a wireless mouse? A wireless model gives you a bit more flexibility as you are not tethered to the desk via a cable. Lag and interference used to be prevalent but have nowadays largely been eradicated and high end wireless mice offer response times that are equivalent to their wired counterparts. Wireless mice typically connect via an RF receiver that plugs into a USB port but if you don’t want to sacrifice a port, there are models that connect via Bluetooth as well. As well as reducing desk clutter, a wireless mouse allows you to control a PC from across the room (up to 30 feet away).

Wired mice

A wired mouse is more straightforward - simply plug in the cable and you’re ready to go. Wired mice draw their power via the USB cable unlike wireless mice which use batteries. Hardcode gamers may prefer the superior reliability of a wired mouse as there are no risks of a power outage mid-game due to flat batteries. Before buying a wired mouse, check that the cable length is long enough for your desk and PC setup.

Motion tracking

There are two types of technology used by mice to track movement; LED and laser. Optical mice use LED and can only really be used effectively on flat and non-transparent surfaces. Laser mice work on a wider range of surfaces and are more precise with movement tracking too. Mouse motion is commonly expressed in DPI (dots per inch) which measures how far the mouse pointer moves for every inch of mouse movement. For most people, DPI is nothing to worry about but gamers and people working with large displays or multiple monitors, a mouse with a high DPI allows for faster movement. If you mostly work with apps that need high movement precision such as Photoshop, a lower DPI is better.

Polling rate

Polling rate is another spec you’ll sometimes see reported. This measures how frequently the mouse reports its position back to the PC. The higher the rate, the more accurate the mouse and the smoother its movement will be but since the difference in practice is fractions of a second, this is typically only relevant to serious gamers.

Quality

One final distinguishing factor between mice is their build quality. Given how often you’re likely to interact with your mouse, it’s worth investing in one that will stand up to a fair amount of wear and tear. Things to look at include the overall shape and size of the mouse, the quality and feel of the buttons and the feet on the base of the mouse which should be thick and wide enough to help it glide easily without wearing down quickly.