I’ve tested dozens of mice, and these are three features I wish every mouse had

Seenda MOU-302 Vertical Wireless Mouse in ming and purple colour way with yellow accents photographed on a blue background.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Like a lot of people, I have a sedentary office job, which means I spend most of my day sitting down and remaining stationary at my desk. This also means that I spend nearly eight hours, five days a week, with a keyboard and a mouse. Both of these peripherals help me do a good job and make my dough for the day.

Over the years, I've come to realize that the importance of having the best mouse can't be overstated — whether that's for gaming or for work. And in my current role as a reviews writer, I have tested my fair share of computing rodents, but there are always some mice I keep going back to, some that have become my daily drivers.

So what makes a mouse "perfect" in my eyes? Well, it needs to have three features that I believe aren't talked about enough and are often overlooked by shoppers. Let me take you through them and make buying a new mouse easier.

An ergonomic design

A black Logitech Ergo M575 ergonomic mouse with a teal trackball on the left side — (Image credit: Future)

One of the most important features — if not the most important — I look for when judging whether a mouse is good or not is its ergonomics. You can get traditional mice, like the Keychron M3 Mini V2 8K, or you can get a rodent with an ergonomic design, like the Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic.

Ergonomically-designed mice

The Anker 2.4G Wireless Vertical Ergonomic Mouse on a stone surface with a blue wall in the background — (Image credit: Future)

There are a few variations of "ergonomic mice," such as trackball mice and vertical ones. Vertical mice allow your hand and wrist to rest in a more upright position, which is similar to your hand's natural resting position, and this reduces pressure in your wrist and arm, which can help circumvent RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). The inside of the mouse has a groove that provides support for your thumb, too.

Or you can get a trackball mouse, like the Logitech Ergo M575. A trackball mouse usually sits at an angle between that of a vertical mouse and a traditional one, and not having to move your wrist every time you want to shift your cursor is a blessing in disguise. It aids in maintaining wrist and hand health, just like a vertical mouse. I'd recommend an ergonomically designed mouse over any other any day.

Onboard dongle storage

A black Keychron M7 wireless gaming mouse — (Image credit: Future)

Okay, this may not be on everyone's list of priorities when they're buying a mouse, but hear me out.

Many mice come with 2.4GHz dongles for wireless connectivity, and you need to plug these dongles into your PC to use the mouse. All is fine as long as you aren't taking the mouse traveling with you, and the dongle stays plugged in all the time.

Mice with dongle storage

A Glacier Blue Corsair M75 wireless gaming mouse for Mac — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

But what happens when you're someone who's constantly traveling to meet clients or working on the go? Where do you stash your mouse's dongle? Surely putting it in your bag's pocket isn't the most secure, and the chances of it getting lost are high.

That's why some mice come with a slot on their bodies for you to store the dongle. This negates the chances of it getting lost in the kerfuffle and gives you some peace of mind (as many brands don't offer replacements for lost dongles). I believe this is a very important but overlooked feature — and the absence of which leads me to knock a point off when I'm reviewing mice.

Scroll wheel functionality

The last feature on this list pertains to scroll wheel functionality. Many mice don't give you a lot of flexibility while scrolling, but some do. For instance, the Cherry XTRFY M50 Wireless has a 4D tilt wheel, enabling you to move it side-to-side for horizontal scrolling.

Mice with great scroll wheels

A white Cherry XTRFY M50 Wireless gaming mouse — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Not only is this beneficial to navigate spreadsheets at work, but it's handy in games too, making quick work of scrolling through chunky in-game menus or inventories.

Also, a mouse like the Razer Pro Click Mini comes with an infinite scrolling function. The free-spin mode on this mouse comes in clutch when dealing with a long spreadsheet, as you can scroll from the top of a spreadsheet to the bottom in an instant.

If you're someone who deals with many spreadsheets or is part of many Slack or Teams chats and channels, having a mouse with a versatile scroll wheel is a necessity. It'll change how you work, trust me.

My top mice recommendations...

The Logitech MX Master 3S has very little going against it. It’s on the expensive side, sure, but it packs a design and features that befit its price tag. It’ll be a brilliant purchase for anyone needing a productivity mouse, but in particular, those with large and/or complex workflows. Its scroll wheel is especially lovely, in either ratchet mode or infinite scrolling at 1,000 lines per minute. It also features 8,000 DPI sensitivity and quiet clicking — major upgrades over the original MX Master 3.

Read our full Logitech MX Master 3S review.

More from Tom's Guide

Nikita is a Staff Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.