The best mouse in 2023

Logitech MX Master 3 mouse being used on a table, our top pick for best mouse
(Image credit: Logitech)

The best mouse can make even the dullest work a little easier to glide through, so it's worth taking time to find the one that works best for you.

While just about every office job will offer you a cheap, forgettable peripheral, you don't have to settle for a subpar computer mouse — in fact you shouldn't, especially if you do a lot of creative work. This guide will help you find the right mouse for you, based on our own testing and reviews as well as reviews from thousands of users.

(Check out our best gaming mouse  and best wireless gaming mouse selections if you're more interested in how it plays than how it helps you work — although a good gaming mouse will usually work well for productivity, and vice versa).

 The best mouse you can buy today 

Why you can trust Tom's Guide? Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

Logitech MX Master 3 on a blue background

(Image credit: Logitech)
The best mouse overall

Specifications

Max DPI: 4,000
Buttons: Six
Size: 4.9 x 3.3 x 2.0 inches
Weight: 5.0 ounces

Reasons to buy

+
Comfortable design
+
Helpful extra buttons
+
Innovative scroll wheel

Reasons to avoid

-
Some software issues
-
Expensive

The Logitech MX Master 3 is the best mouse, at least on the productivity front, as well as the best wireless mouse. It's comfortable, feature-rich and lasts an amazingly long time on a single charge. This sleek gray peripheral is the latest iteration of Logitech's MX Master series, and everything the company has learned from the previous iterations is on full display. The buttons give satisfying clicks, the grip is pleasant to hold and the horizontal thumb wheel makes scrolling through documents a breeze.

The software is where the MX Master 3 shines, however, as it comes preinstalled with a variety of different functionalities for popular programs. From Photoshop to Excel, Logitech has already predicted how you might want to use the horizontal scroll wheel and gesture controls, and developed optimized profiles for each program. You can also use the handy Logitech Flow feature, which lets you drag and drop files between two totally different computers, as though they were connected via USB.

Read our full Logitech MX Master 3 review.

Logitech M325 on a blue background

(Image credit: Logitech)

2. Logitech M325

The best budget mouse

Specifications

Max DPI: 1,000
Buttons: 3
Size: 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.5 inches
Weight: 3.3 ounces

Reasons to buy

+
Inexpensive
+
Sleek and portable
+
Great wireless connectivity

Reasons to avoid

-
No customizable features
-
May be too small for very big hands

If you walk into an electronics store and make a beeline for the laptop mice, the Logitech M325 is probably the first thing you'll see. This mouse is inexpensive and ubiquitous, but it came by its popularity fairly. This small gadget is optimized for laptops, making it ideal for frequent travelers, or workers with limited desk space at home. It's also extremely comfortable, according to user reviews, and provides a DPI just high enough to comfortably scroll across a screen without overshooting your target. It's arguably the best wireless mouse for the price.

Thanks to a durable 2.4 GHz wireless dongle, you can use the mouse wirelessly anywhere — and with up to 18 months of battery life, you'll rarely have to replace the peripheral's single AA battery. Another cool thing about the M325 is that, unlike many other productivity mice, it comes in a variety of colors: red, blue, purple and pink. Logitech also produces extremely similar mice under its Party and Doodle collections, which adorn their mice with floral and cartoon patterns.

Logitech MX Vertical mouse on a blue background

(Image credit: Logitech)
The best ergonomic productivity mouse

Specifications

DPI : 4,000
Buttons: 6
Size: 3.1 x 3.1 x 4.7 inches
Weight: 4.8 ounces

Reasons to buy

+
Unique ergonomic design
+
Robust, programmable software
+
Could reduce wrist strain

Reasons to avoid

-
Polarizing shape
-
Expensive

The Logitech MX Vertical flips the idea of an ergonomic mouse on its head — well, more accurately, on its side. This mouse is essentially what would happen if you squished a productivity mouse, then made it stand upright. It's a little hard to describe, but once you see the MX Vertical in action, you'll know right away whether it's for you. If regular mice strain your wrists through small, repetitive motions, the MX Vertical might offer some relief. This is because it forces you to move your whole hand around, thus minimizing the strain on any one muscle.

Aside from that, the mouse is classic upscale Logitech goodness, from its adjustable DPI, to its durable build quality, to its robust software that lets you drag and drop files across two computers with Logitech Flow. It might just be the best wireless mouse for workers who struggle with wrist strain.

Read our full Logitech MX Vertical mouse review.

SteelSeries Rival 3 gaming mouse on a blue background

(Image credit: SteelSeries)
The best cheap gaming mouse

Specifications

Max DPI: 8,500
Buttons: 5
Size: 4.8 x 2.3 x 0.9
Weight: 2.7 ounces

Reasons to buy

+
Great value
+
Good performance
+
Decent software

Reasons to avoid

-
Some sensor oddities
-
Not ambidextrous or ergonomic

I've always maintained that a good gaming mouse is also a good computer mouse in general, and that's definitely the case with the SteelSeries Rival 3. This sleek, medium-sized peripheral features a no-nonsense, semi-ambidextrous design with two programmable thumb buttons and a pretty LED strip on the bottom. The Rival 3 is the only mouse on this list with programmable RGB lighting, and while that won't make you any more productive, it will make your desk look a whole lot prettier.

The reason the Rival 3 works so well for productivity users, though, is because of its programmable DPI and robust software. You can set up profiles for individual apps, and customize convenient macros for the thumb buttons while you're at it. The Rival 3 is also very cheap, making it a robust option for the same price as many smaller, less versatile mice.

Read our full SteelSeries Rival 3 review.

How to choose the best mouse for you

There are three things to consider when choosing the best mouse for your particular situation: features, size and price.

Features vary from computer mouse to computer mouse. Some, like the Logitech M325, have no extra features whatsoever. What you see is what you get. Others, like the Logitech MX Master 3, have tons of extra buttons and entire software suites, which let you customize just about every aspect of the mouse's performance. If you do a lot of graphic design or video editing work, a feature-rich mouse is a boon; if you stick mostly to typing and Internet browsing, a simpler computer mouse will work just as well. If you're looking to reduce desk clutter, the best wireless mouse for your setup is a worthwhile consideration.

Size is also a consideration, although this is strictly a matter of personal preference. Mice like the Microsoft Classic Intellimouse are long-bodied, and appeal to users who hold mice with their entire palms. Smaller mice lend themselves to a "claw" grip, meaning you can comfortably hold it with three fingertips.

Price is related to a mouse's feature set. Complex mice cost a lot of money; simple mice are cheaper. But beware extremely cheap mice, especially those from second- or third-tier manufacturers; they won't last long.

You can also check out our guide to the best wireless keyboards here. 

Alex Wawro

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

  • MartiG
    I believe this review incorrectly states that the Logitech MX Master 3 has an ambidextrous design. The Office Depot description notes that it is for 'right handed' use. Just as seen with the Logitech MX Vertical, these recent interesting designs from Logitech are only available in right handed models. I can only assume that the population blessed with dominant left hands are not of a sufficient number to justify design and production of left handed versions. Not a big deal as I've always found Logitech's actual ambidextrous products to be excellent products.
    Reply
  • Marshall Honorof
    Hi Marti. You're correct: the MX Master 3 is right-handed only. Long story short, we were adding pros and cons from a different document, and they got mixed up with another device. I've added the proper ones here, and the story should now be accurate.
    Reply
  • ander
    As far as I can tell, your Amazon "View" link for the Logitech MX Master 3 actually points to the Logitech MX Master, a lower model.
    Reply