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The mice you actually want in your house
No other computer peripheral is available in as many shapes, sizes, styles and prices as the humble mouse. Ranging from £10 to more than £200, finding the right one for you can be a tricky business.
How many buttons do you want? Are you after a basic, ergonomic or gaming design? Trackballs or vertical? And that’s before you consider connectivity or right-handed, left-handed and ambidextrous designs.
A bad mouse can result in a rotten user experience, no matter how good the rest of your kit, so it’s worth taking your time to choose your preferred style. You’ll find my reviews of the best mice below, followed by some answers to frequently asked questions. But to get you started, here’s a quick look at my top five:
The best mice: At a glance
How to choose the best computer mouse
Think about how you plan to use your mouse. For navigating spreadsheets or creative programmes, look for a mouse with programmable secondary buttons. You’ll want a scroll wheel that has both a freewheel and a notched action for fast and accurate scrolling, respectively.
If you anticipate spending long periods with your hand on your mouse, an ergonomic design allows for a more natural and relaxed posture. For super-fine motion, many prefer a trackball, where the on-screen movement comes from your fingers or thumbs rather than your wrist.
If you plan on using your mouse for gaming, then a faster and adjustable movement speed is desired. This is usually specified by the Dots Per Inch (DPI), which measures a mouse sensor’s sensitivity in terms of how many pixels the cursor moves on screen for every inch of physical movement.
In terms of connectivity, you have a choice between wired and wireless. The advantage of Bluetooth is you don’t sacrifice a data port to connect; the disadvantage is the slower speed of connection and reaction time so most gamers prefer USB-wired mice, for example. For wired mice, a textured paracord cable could last longer than a typical plastic cable, and could prevent cable-drag.
Lastly, I’m left-handed but always use a mouse in my right hand. If you want a dedicated left-handed mouse, or one you can use in either hand, make sure you pick a mouse with a fully symmetrical layout.