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How We Tested Wireless Mice

Wednesday August 21, 2024

Here at GearLab, we pride try our best to use our gear in a way that pushes it to the limits. From the typical use cases to the weirdest scenarios, we try it all with thoroughness. This is how we tested wireless mice for this review. We tested the following five metrics, pushing the gear to the limits as much as possible.

Latency & Connectivity


This metric measures how well each mouse connects to a computer. It quantifies the difference between the hardware cursor and last recorded mouse position on the screen. This metric also measures how quickly and easily a wireless mouse connects to the computer, whether that is by Bluetooh or 2.4 GHz radio frequency and a USB receiver.

wireless mouse - the logitech mx master 3s connects to any computer quickly by 2.4...
The Logitech MX Master 3S connects to any computer quickly by 2.4 GHz radio frequency and a USB dongle.
Credit: Sam Schild

Comfort & Ergonomics


We test comfort and ergonomics of each mouse by using them extensively. We used them each for a short period of time, one after another to get a feel for relative comfort. We also used each mouse for a longer time, usually the better part of a workday, and recorded how are hands, wrists, and arms felt during and after.

wireless mouse - the microsoft bluetooth ergonomic mouse has a thumb rest and subtle...
The Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse has a thumb rest and subtle rise on the thumb side of the mouse.
Credit: Sam Schild

Mouse Surface Slide & Sensor


We tested the mouse surface slide and sensor by sliding every mouse across multiple types of surfaces to see how well they did or didn't slide. Then, after getting a feel for every mouse's latency, we assessed how well each mouse's sensor worked on a variety of surfaces. We also researched the DPI (dots per inch) of every mouse and recorded this in our findings.

wireless mouse - we tested every mouse on several different surfaces, from cloth to...
We tested every mouse on several different surfaces, from cloth to wood to glass, to test how well the sensors worked.
Credit: Sam Schild

Features


To test features, we recorded what features every mouse has and then used every feature. We made note of which features were useful, and which were less useful.

With the most important feature of every mouse, the left and right click buttons, we tested to see how well they worked compared to other mice and recorded the volume of the clicks. Other unique features we simply used as they were intended as considered if they added usefulness to the mouse.

wireless mouse - the microsoft arc mouse bends into this curved arc shape to turn on...
The Microsoft Arc Mouse bends into this curved arc shape to turn on, but flattens to turn off.
Credit: Sam Schild

Scrolling Capabilities


To test scroll capabilities, we used each mouse's scroll bars and tested any side-to-side scrolling capabilities the mice had. We made note of how well all scroll functions performed in a variety of tasks, from spreadsheets to photo editing.

wireless mouse - the apple magic mouse has a unique glass surface top that allows for...
The Apple Magic Mouse has a unique glass surface top that allows for four-way scrolling similar to the touchpad on a laptop.
Credit: Sam Schild