Best Bluetooth Mouse of 2021
The Tecknet BM308 Wireless is our favorite option in the fleet. Not only is it offered up at an excellent price, but it offers some of the best value, given its quality of features and design. For a traditionally flat-oriented mouse, this sculpted design was one of the most comfortable we tested. It was quick and easy to connect via Bluetooth and had a reliable sensor on all surfaces tested. The DPI (dots per inch) sensitivity button was easy to reach and adjust mid-use seamlessly on photo editing projects when switching from macro-scale editing to airbrushing small details. Lastly, this mouse is still of a conceivable size to travel with, making this an excellent option for a full variety of users.
The BM308 has ergonomics that are somewhat hand-size specific. The shape is ideal for small to medium-sized hands, which helps maximize the design's comfort; those with larger hands could find it relatively fatigue-inducing. Ergonomically minded mice can be more challenging for a one-size-fits-all design, and this mouse is no different. The Tecknet is best for those with moderately sized hands who are seeking an all-arounder mouse.
The Apple Magic Mouse wins our award for the best mouse for general computer use. We define general computer use as activities like writing emails, working on spreadsheets, writing documents, etc., and in that context, the Magic Mouse excels. The sleek touchpad design offers fluidity when scrolling in all four directions and dons a clean look given that there isn't a formal button anywhere on this mouse. The latency/connectivity was flawless in testing and connects to Bluetooth incredibly easily. The features of this mouse are generally standard with adjustable sensitivity (dots per inch), but there is a unique feature called smart zoom, where double-tapping on the mouse zooms the computer's view into wherever your cursor is. This feature was beneficial when working on larger projects in a spreadsheet, audio engineering, or photo editing.
While the Magic Mouse offers relatively simple features, they will require software to be installed to utilize such features on a PC. Additionally, this low-profile design is not the most ergonomic if you use the mouse more heavily while doing activities like gaming. Lastly, this mouse is more expensive than other contenders that are award winners, so this option is for the less budget-conscious user. This option is recommended for shoppers seeking quality, with less of a focus on the price.
The FENIFOX Slim Mini earns recognition for its reasonable price and its slim design that makes it great for travel. We prioritized three things in this travel-specific category, above all else: size, weight, and basic functionality. The Slim Mini meets those priorities with ease, being the skinniest and lightest mouse we tested. For a mouse prioritized for travel, it can virtually fit anywhere in your luggage and most certainly won't weigh you down if you're hoofing it across an airport or a city. As far as functionality, it offers a no-frills design besides a rechargeable battery, a silent click design, and adjustable sensitivity (DPI). The designers put all of their eggs in the travel basket, but this will be exactly what some are looking for.
The Slim Mini appears to prioritize size over comfort. With prolonged use, this option could potentially encourage hand fatigue. Also, in the name of travel, Fenifox put the DPI adjustment underneath the mouse, which is a bit cumbersome while adjusting sensitivity. This option is best for those needing an incredibly tiny mouse that still offers a few basic functions.
The Tsmine Rechargeable Bluetooth is a good option for those seeking an affordable and rechargeable travel mouse. At a similar retail price as our favorite mouse, the Tecknet, this is one of the most affordable contenders in the review, and it offers some basic functionality, including an adjustable DPI button on the top of the mouse (unlike the Fenifox, which put its DPI button on the bottom). The silent click feature gave the mouse a nice click feel, and for those that want to be able to click quietly, this feature will be a nice positive. The sensor and slide of the mouse performed well enough, given its slim shape and would suit many traveler's needs.
The Tsmine is not the most ergonomic design, which is a common theme in this review of mice, where designs that prioritize size need to compromise comfort. Having said that, the Tsmine offers better ergonomic comfort than the Fenifox though it's not as slim, which is why the Fenifox took the best in the category for travel. Choose the Tsmine if you like a slim, affordable travel mouse but want a bit more comfort than the smallest travel options.
Given that a more Apple-specific product made it to the award list, we wanted to make sure we gave some focus to PC-specific mice as well. The Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Mouse wins our award for Windows users. Microsoft did an excellent job creating a mouse that offers simplicity yet functionality with four-way scrolling, and their windows button doubles as a touchpad for forward-back paging and as a programmable button. Additionally, the connectivity is reliable and consistent with other award-winning mice; this mouse is very easy to connect via Bluetooth and maintains a connection.
The Sculpt Comfort Mouse is a bit too PC-focused in just one respect, given that the Windows button is not programmable with Macs. Additionally, the Windows button didn't respond consistently when used as a touchpad. We loved the idea of a button that doubles as a touchpad but found it to be a setback in our features metric, given its variable functionality. You'll be happiest with the Arc if you are a PC-user wanting four-way scrolling and a thumb touchpad.
The Logitech M535 wins our award for the most versatile mouse. It connects simply and easily to any device and has a shape that is friendly enough to use at home or on the road, which we found to be somewhat of a rare size. It offers a reliable connection, and we didn't experience any latency issues.
The M535 is travel-friendly, which also doesn't make it the most ergonomic mouse. Having said that, this offers far more comfort than the Fenifox, which put all of its eggs in the travel basket rather than diversifying with more ergonomics. The M535 is best for those seeking a true all-around mouse from a reputable manufacturer.
The Microsoft Arc is the only mouse in this review that is a true folding option. When not in use, this mouse can be completely flattened, fitting almost anywhere your heart desires, though it's still not as compact as the Fenifox Slim Mini. The touchpad style design is an excellent feature, boasting the ability to scroll in four directions with the swipe of a finger — similar to the Apple Magic Mouse. The touchpad also gives the mouse a clean and sleek look.
The Arc Mouse is one of the most expensive mice in the review and unfortunately lacks the value that other pricey mice like the Apple Magic Mouse offers. The sensor occasionally lagged when testing the mouse on a plastic kitchen table, and we found the touchpad to be a bit lethargic when side-scrolling. For smaller hands, the unfolded position caused a relatively acute angle in the wrist and encouraged fatigue even in shorter sessions. The Arc has its quirks, but large-handed shoppers seeking a foldable mouse with a ton of features will be happy with it.
The Vssoplor Rechargeable Wireless Bluetooth can be connected in three different ways — Bluetooth and radio frequency through USB Type C & USB. This gives users the most options available in the wireless mouse market. This connectivity also allows one to switch between three different computers, and while that might constitute specialized use, this capability is quite rare among Bluetooth mice. While this mouse has a slimmer design, it still offers ergonomic support and is encased in a rubber coating that reduces sweating, at least relative to mice with a glossy finish.
The Vssoplor is a decently built mouse, but turning the mouse upside down to switch connections on the bottom of the mouse takes away from some of its functionality. For many, switching back and forth between different computers may not be a dealbreaker, but a slight design switch in the future is something we hope to see from Vssoplor. This mouse is for you if you're wanting the option of connecting with Bluetooth or a dongle on one single device.
Why You Should Trust Us
Spearheading the testing and research of this review is Zach Joseph. Zach has spent the better part of a decade in administrative roles for a variety of different companies in the outdoors industry when not working in the field. These administrative roles have involved heavy mouse use in content management, graphic design, and extensive photo editing. Zach has a great deal of experience in the mouse world and brings a wealth of knowledge.
We tested each mouse by running them through the paces of four types of computer uses from a computer game to audio engineering, to photo editing, to general use of sending emails and navigating through work calendars. We've included a series of metrics by which we've tested each contender and report on our findings.
Analysis and Test Results
To determine the best mice, we created five metrics to weigh each mouse against one another. These metrics include latency/connectivity, ergonomics, features, value, and surface slide/sensor quality.
Bluetooth Vs. Radio Frequency (USB Dongle)
Throughout a shopping experience for a wireless mouse, one will be presented with two options for wireless connection: Radio Frequency (USB Dongle) and Bluetooth. Radio frequency (RF) mice utilize a USB dongle and transmit information up to eight times faster than Bluetooth, so what capacity someone is using a mouse is critical. Bluetooth mice have a few advantages over RF, including the ease of connection (Bluetooth will not take up a usb port on your computer) and better security. A Radio Frequency dongle, to the skilled hacker in your next coffee shop, serves as an entry point into your computer and anything on it. While there are additional ways to hack into someone's computer with Bluetooth, it is, at least to some degree, more difficult.
Latency/Connectivity
A Bluetooth mouse, first and foremost, must be able to attach to a device, whether a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and remain connected while in use. Second, a Bluetooth mouse needs to be able to continuously talk to your device's cursor without lagging. To test latency/connectivity, we spent hours with each mouse meticulously noting how and when latency occurred. This test was conducted in various uses from lower demands of connectivity like emailing to high demands of connectivity like gaming. We'd recommend that serious gamers rethink purchasing a Bluetooth mouse; however, gaming in this review allowed us to truly test each mouse's latency far more quickly and thoroughly.
Mice like the Tecknet BM308 performed consistently and reliably. As previously mentioned, anyone asking more of their mouse should consider looking at a radio frequency option rather than Bluetooth. When we were testing under more general computer use (word documents, spreadsheets, emailing, etc.), almost every mouse performed well.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics are weighted similarly to the latency/connectivity metric; a mouse is meant to be used with a hand after all. If it's uncomfortable, it ultimately won't serve its purpose. We kept track of hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder fatigue after using each mouse for sustained computer use. More travel conscious users will prioritize size and convenience over weight, but even the size-conscious mouse designs have better and worse options for ergonomics.
When tracking the amount of hand and arm fatigue, the Tecknet BM308 Wireless outperformed almost every other mouse in the lineup. It was built with a standard flat position but offered some of the most ergonomic comfort we felt in a standard mouse orientation. It's also a very travel-friendly design. The least comfortable mouse we tested was the Microsoft Arc; it has a steep angle, effectively putting the wrist at a relatively acute angle.
Features
In some cases, users will just be looking for a left and a right clicker; others will be looking for more from their mouse, including a dpi (dots per inch) adjustment back page programmable buttons to do whatever one wants, forward and back page buttons, zoom-in, or zoom-out buttons, etc. We examined the number of functions and the quality of those functions. If a mouse was advertised as having a programmable button, did it actually work? Were the buttons in the correct place? Were there any features that were unneeded? We scored this category based on the number of working and relevant features that the mouse offered.
Features that are truly needed will vary wildly depending on the type of use the mouse is put through, but all mice need three basic functions: left-click, right-click, and a scroller. We started with this basic need for all mice and progressed from there; even a travel-specific design like the FENIFOX Slim Mini came with a DPI (dots per inch) sensor adjustment. Other mice like the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort offered a complete slew of features for general computer use like four-way scrolling (being able to scroll right and left is huge) and a programmable button (for pc users only). The Apple Magic Mouse had a particularly handy feature outside of its four-way scrolling touchpad design, with the "Smart Zoom" function. This function gave users the power to just tap twice on the mouse to zoom into wherever the cursor was; for us, this feature was one we didn't even know we needed. The bottom line features that emerged as the review standard, outside of a right/left click and a scroller, were an adjustable DPI sensor and forward/back page buttons.
A mouse can vary in cost wildly, yet in our selection process, most of the mice tested ended up being under $40. This started a precedent across the review of what a quality mouse was truly worth. Our best overall mouse costs less, so for those in our review that cost 5-7 times more, we wanted to weigh whether the extra cost was worth it. Each mouse was weighed in this metric based on whether or not the list price matched our perceived quality of the mouse.
The Tecknet BM308 Wireless tops the list, offering great features and quality for a great price. On the pricier end was the Apple Magic, but we think some will find value in it given its unique design and the devout following that Apple has developed. Ultimately, most mouse users can find a product they'll love for under $40. For the budget-conscious, we'd recommend looking at a radio frequency USB dongle mouse, which generally runs less expensive than a Bluetooth option.
Surface Slide/Sensor Quality
This category is made up of two parts; first, analyzing the physical ease of sliding around the mouse on different surfaces, and analyzing the differences in sensors in picking up movement on various surfaces. We tested each mouse on marble, wood, glass, plastic, cloth, and a mousepad; this allowed us to determine how efficient the mouse was at sliding and sensing movement on common desk/table materials.
Almost every mouse held up to the test with a relatively similar level of ease of sliding, with one exception regarding the sensor. The Apple Magic offers some of the lowest friction while sliding, but its sensor had some difficulty when testing on the glass. This setback may be minor for many users, given the anticipated surfaces they will be using, but a consideration nonetheless. The Microsoft Arc took the prize for the worst quality sensor — operating lethargically on wood and plastic.
Conclusion
While picking a Bluetooth mouse can be daunting, we firmly believe that you can find the exact mouse you're looking for based on your needs. Compromise shouldn't be major — just like the price tag. We hope we've presented you with a variety of options and that you will be able to find the best contender to suit your needs, whether you're after a budget-friendly model or the best ergonomic option.
— Zach Joseph