There's plenty to look into when you're shopping for the best work mouse for your needs, but we suggest you start by looking at ergonomics first. Even minor differences in the size, shape, and design of your mouse can help you work more comfortably for longer. Second, consider the kind of work you'll be doing and determine what features you may need to improve your workflow. If you work with documents and spreadsheets, you'll need a high-quality scroll wheel. If you're a programmer or design professional, it's helpful to have a good number of easy-to-reach, programmable buttons for macros. Some other elements you'll want to keep in mind are whether you need wireless capabilities, multi-device pairing, or if you have a preference for how you recharge your mouse. Also, you may want a more compact and portable model if you're planning on using your mouse on the go.
We've tested over 285 mice, and below are our top picks for the best work mice in multiple categories. If you're looking for a wider selection of different mice, see our picks for the best mice, the best wired mice, or the best wireless mice.
The best mouse for work is the Logitech MX Master 3S. Not only does it look sleek and professional, but it also feels very solid and sturdy in hand. It has a comfortable right-handed shape and a thumb rest with a hidden button that enables gesture controls. Compared to the previous versions in the lineup, it has an improved sensor with a higher CPI range, which will be a welcome change if you use a high-resolution monitor. Its most notable feature might be its pair of scroll wheels. The primary scroll wheel is almost silent, and you can set it to automatically switch to a faster free-scrolling mode when you scroll past a certain speed. The secondary scroll wheel on the left is designed to be used by your thumb and allows you to scroll horizontally. It connects wirelessly via Bluetooth or with its Logitech BOLT USB receiver, and it has an impressive advertised battery life of up to 70 days. You can also wirelessly pair up to three devices simultaneously, which is helpful if you need to use multiple devices throughout your workday.
Unfortunately, this mouse is fairly large, and if you have small hands, you may find it difficult to reach all the controls without shifting your hand around. Overall, it has a premium look and feel and has several extra features that are rare to find on other productivity mice, making it not only our top pick but also the best wireless mouse for work.
For a solid mid-range pick, we recommend the Logitech Lift. It's a vertical mouse, which means you hold it in a 'handshake position.' It can be a more ergonomic option, especially if you've experienced discomfort using a more conventional mouse. It has very quiet clicks and a scroll wheel that automatically switches between notched scrolling and a much quicker free-scrolling mode. This mouse is available in three colors that blend well into office and home setups. It doesn't feel as premium as higher-end options like the Logitech MX Master 3S, but its shape is much better suited for small and medium-sized hands. There's also a left-handed version available. It connects via Bluetooth or with Logitech's Bolt USB receiver and is powered by a single AA battery, while Logitech advertises up to 24 months of battery life. It's not as portable as slimmer dedicated travel mice, but it's an outstanding choice if you're looking for an ergonomic model for work or everyday browsing.
If you're not interested in a vertical design, we recommend checking out the Logitech MX Master 2S. It's very similar to the Logitech MX Master 3S, but the side buttons are in a less comfortable position, and it uses an older micro-USB charging cable as opposed to USB-C. While it's available for cheaper than newer models, it's starting to get harder to find in stock from some retailers.
If you're looking for the best mouse for office use on a budget, we recommend the Logitech M720 Triathlon. It offers many of the same features as our top pick, the Logitech MX Master 3S, but it doesn't have the same premium-quality feel. It has a right-handed, ergonomic shape with a small thumb rest, a gesture button, and three side buttons, the third of which switches between paired devices by default. It has a rubberized coating for added grip and is well-suited for a range of hand sizes. It connects wirelessly with its USB receiver or via Bluetooth, and you can pair it with up to three devices simultaneously. It uses a single AA battery for power and has an advertised battery life of up to 24 months. The scroll wheel also has a free-scrolling mode and left and right tilt inputs.
Unfortunately, its shape and high palm rest make this mouse pretty bulky, so it doesn't slip easily into laptop cases. Also, its mouse feet are on the thinner side and have sharp edges that can dig into softer mousepads. That said, it's a versatile option that combines many productivity features into an affordable package that's comfortable for just about all hand sizes.
If you're looking for something much cheaper and simpler, check out the Logitech M100. When shopping for this mouse, you may notice a very similar-looking model called the Logitech B100. They're the same mouse; the only difference is that the B100 has different packaging aimed at a business audience. Overall, this mouse is very inexpensive but isn't flimsy. However, the plastic doesn't feel as high-quality as that used on the other Logitech mice on this list. As far as controls go, there are two primary click buttons and a basic scroll wheel.
Unfortunately, it has a stiff rubber cable and tiny mouse feet that don't glide nearly as smoothly as our other recommendations. Besides that, it's small, but its shape is well-suited for using a palm grip if you have small or medium-sized hands. A fingertip grip works great for larger hands, but it may not be very comfortable if you're planning on using this mouse for a full eight-hour work shift.
If you're looking for a work mouse that you can use on trains, between meetings, or just at different desks, we recommend the Razer Pro Click Mini. It's a portable option thanks to its compact, symmetrical shape, making it easy to slip into laptop bags or even your pocket. It feels very sturdy, and its scroll wheel has both left and right inputs and a free-scrolling mode. You can connect it wirelessly with a USB receiver or via Bluetooth and pair it with up to four devices simultaneously. It also has a lengthy advertised battery life of up to 465 hours when using two AA batteries. This mouse also has surprisingly good sensor performance and click latency compared to other options, so it can do double duty as a compact gaming mouse when you finish working.
Unfortunately, while it has a symmetrical shape, it isn't a truly ambidextrous design, as there are only side buttons on the left. Also, this mouse is too small to comfortably use if you have extra-large hands. If you're looking for something much simpler, we recommend the Logitech Pebble M350. It doesn't approach the same level of performance or have the same wealth of features, but it has a very slim profile and is much cheaper.
May 02, 2023: We've gone through this article and confirmed the availability and pricing of all our picks. We haven't made any changes to our lineup with this update as all our picks continue to represent the best choices for their categories.
Mar 03, 2023: We've confirmed all picks remain in stock but made no changes to our set of recommendations as each mouse remains the best options for their respective categories.
Jan 03, 2023: We've gone through this article and confirmed all recommendations are the best picks for each category at this time.
Oct 28, 2022: We've evaluated this article and decided not to make any changes to our recommendations as they currently represent the best options available for their respective categories.
Aug 31, 2022: We've revamped the category names and our picks for this article to better represent the current market and to provide more insight for readers. We've also overhauled our Notable Mentions section to include fewer, more relevant recommendations.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best work mice for most people. We factor in the price (a cheaper mouse wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no mice that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our mice reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no mouse is perfect for every use, most mice are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.