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Ducky Feather Mouse Review

Tested using Methodology v1.2
Reviewed Mar 17, 2021 at 09:37 am
Latest change: Test bench update Dec 01, 2022 at 03:22 pm
Ducky Feather Picture
6.0
Office/Multimedia
8.2
Video Games (FPS)
6.8
Video Games (MMO)
8.5
Ultra-Light Gaming
4.9
Travel

The Ducky Feather is an excellent ultra-light gaming mouse. Its lightweight body feels well-built and comfortable to use, but it may be a bit too long for those with small hands. It has an ambidextrous design, as there are two buttons on either side, and you can easily switch between the left and right-handed profiles. The PTFE feet provide a very smooth gliding experience, and the cable is flexible. Click latency is low, and its sensor has a wide CPI range, but you can only adjust it to seven preset CPIs. Also, without dedicated software, you can't reprogram any buttons. Note that this mouse is hard to find at most retailers and we purchased ours from Ducky's page on mechanicalkeyboards.com.

Our Verdict

6.0 Office/Multimedia

The Ducky Feather is okay for office use. It feels well-built and very comfortable, but it may not be suitable for those with small hands as it's a bit long. It has two buttons on each side, but there's no software to reprogram any buttons, and its scroll wheel doesn't have L/R tilt.

Pros
  • Feels well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Doesn't have software to reprogram any of its buttons.
  • Not suitable for those with small hands.
8.2 Video Games (FPS)

The Ducky Feather is great for FPS gaming. It's a lightweight mouse that feels very comfortable to use, but it may be too long for those with small hands. It has very low click latency and a high max polling rate. It has a wide CPI range, but you can only adjust it to seven preset CPIs. The feet provide a smooth gliding experience, and the cable is flexible.

Pros
  • Low click latency.
  • Lightweight body.
  • Smooth gliding experience and flexible cable.
Cons
  • Doesn't have software to reprogram any of its buttons.
  • Not suitable for those with small hands.
  • Can only adjust CPI to seven presets.
6.8 Video Games (MMO)

The Ducky Feather is alright for MMO gaming. While it has two buttons on each side, this isn't nearly as many as dedicated MMO gaming mice. Also, without dedicated software, you can't reprogram any of its buttons. On the plus side, it feels very comfortable, and it has great low click latency.

Pros
  • Feels well-built and comfortable.
  • Low click latency.
Cons
  • Doesn't have software to reprogram any of its buttons.
  • Only two side buttons on each side.
  • Can only adjust CPI to seven presets.
8.5 Ultra-Light Gaming

The Ducky Feather is excellent for ultra-light gaming. Its lightweight body feels well-built, and it's also very comfortable to use. Click latency is low, the feet provide a smooth gliding experience, and the cable is flexible. It also has a high maximum polling rate of 1000Hz.

Pros
  • Low click latency.
  • Lightweight body.
  • Smooth gliding experience and flexible cable.
Cons
  • Not suitable for those with small hands.
4.9 Travel

The Ducky Feather is bad for travel. Although it's a lightweight mouse, it's still bulky to carry around, and you can't remove its wire. Fortunately, it feels well-built and shouldn't get damaged when you toss it into your bag.

Pros
  • Feels well-built and comfortable.
Cons
  • Not suitable for those with small hands.
  • Wired-only.
  • Bulky to carry around.
  • 6.0 Office/Multimedia
  • 8.2 Video Games (FPS)
  • 6.8 Video Games (MMO)
  • 8.5 Ultra-Light Gaming
  • 4.9 Travel
  1. Updated Dec 01, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update simplifies our Weight test and expands on our CPI test from Test Bench 1.1, resulting in changes to test results in both sections. For more details, you can see our complete changelog here.
  2. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.1. This update revamps our Click Latency test and results in changes to test results. For more details, you can see our full changelog here.
  3. Updated Apr 29, 2021: Minor text update for clarity.
  4. Updated Mar 17, 2021: Review published.
  5. Updated Mar 15, 2021: Early access published.
  6. Updated Mar 04, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  7. Updated Mar 03, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  8. Updated Feb 24, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Ducky Feather mouse in black, which is the only color available for this model. As of writing, it seems to only be available on Ducky's page on mechanicalkeyboards.com, but let us know if you see it sold elsewhere. You can see the label for our unit here.

Compared To Other Mice

The Ducky Feather is an excellent ultra-light gaming mouse that weighs about the same as other lightweight gaming models, but there are much lighter options available as well. It has side buttons on either side, which is rare, so it's a great choice if you're a left-handed gamer. However, it lacks dedicated software, so you can't reprogram any button; there are similar options with software, like the Razer Viper Mini and the GLORIOUS Model O. Also see our recommendations for the best gaming mice, the best mice, and the best FPS mice.

GLORIOUS Model O

The GLORIOUS Model O and the Ducky Feather are two excellent ultra-light gaming mice. They have a similar ambidextrous shape, but the Ducky has two buttons on the right side if you want to use it left-handed. The GLORIOUS has dedicated software, allowing you to reprogram a few buttons, which the Ducky doesn't have.

XTRFY M42

The Ducky Feather and the XTRFY M42 are both excellent ultra-light gaming mice. The XTRFY has a honeycomb design that makes it a bit lighter, but the Ducky has side buttons on either side, which is great if you want to use it left-handed. The XTRFY is also shorter, making it a better choice for those with small hands. Other than that, they each have low click latency and lack dedicated software to reprogram buttons.

Razer Viper Mini

The Razer Viper Mini is better for most uses than the Ducky Feather. The Razer is smaller and lighter, making it a better choice for those with small hands, but the Ducky is suitable for those with larger hands using claw and palm grips. They each have an ambidextrous design, but the Ducky has side buttons on either side. Lastly, the Razer has programmable inputs thanks to its dedicated software, which the Ducky doesn't have.

GLORIOUS Model D

The GLORIOUS Model D and the Ducky Feather are excellent ultra-light gaming mice with different shapes. The GLORIOUS has a right-handed design, while the Ducky has an ambidextrous design with buttons on either side. The GLORIOUS also has dedicated software that allows you to reprogram some buttons, while the Ducky doesn't have dedicated software.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Type
Standard
Lighting Color RGB

The Ducky Feather is symmetrical with two buttons on each side. It has a matte black body with a honeycomb design and grips on the sides. It has a fairly low profile that's just a bit smaller than the GLORIOUS Model O. There's an RGB logo on the back that disappears when the RGB is turned off, giving the mouse a rather plain look. The logo has three independent zones, and the mouse wheel also lights up. Since it doesn't have dedicated software, you can only choose from an assortment of preset RGB modes.

Design
Shape
Length 4.9" (125 mm)
Height 1.4" (36 mm)
Width 2.6" (65 mm)
Grip Width
61 mm
5.8
Design
Portability
Volume
18.00 in³ (295 cm³)
Cable/Receiver Storing
No
8.0
Design
Build Quality

This mouse feels very well-built. It has a solid all-plastic body and there aren't any loose parts. The side panels have a honeycomb design, and there are textured rubber grips as well. The mouse rattles a bit when you shake it, but it's not that big of an issue. Overall, it's very solid for an ultra-light mouse.

8.5
Design
Weight
Lowest Weight
67.3 g
Default Weight
67.3 g
Weight Distribution
Centered
Extra Weights
No

The Ducky Feather is a lightweight mouse that's only slightly heavier than the GLORIOUS Model O and should please most fans of ultra-light gaming mice.

8.5
Design
Comfort Of Use
Right-handed
No
Left-handed
No
Ambidextrous
Yes
Coating
Matte
Finger Rest
No

The Ducky Feather has a very comfortable ambidextrous design. There are two buttons and grips on either side, and the buttons are easy to reach. Overall, it's a comfortable choice if you like smaller mice. If you're interested in a mouse that's similarly lightweight but has an ergonomic right-handed shape, check out the ROCCAT Kone Pro or the BenQ ZOWIE EC1-C.

Design
Palm Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
No
Medium Hand
Yes
Large Hand
Yes
X.Large Hand
Yes

Those with small hands may have a hard time reaching the front side button using the palm grip.

Design
Claw Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
No
Medium Hand
Yes
Large Hand
Yes
X.Large Hand
Yes

Like with a palm grip, those with small hands using the claw grip may have a hard time reaching the front side button.

Design
Fingertip Grip: Hand Size Recommendation
Small Hand
No
Medium Hand
Yes
Large Hand
Yes
X.Large Hand
Yes

Once again, the front side button may be hard to reach for those with small hands using the fingertip grip.

0
Design
Wireless Versatility
Bluetooth
No
Receiver
No
Battery Type
No Batteries
Use When Charging
No
On/Off Activation
None
Receiver Extender
No
Battery Indicator No

This is a wired-only mouse that can't be used wirelessly.

9.0
Design
Cable
Connectivity Wired
Cable Length 5.5 ft (1.7 m)
Cable Type
Paracord-like
Permanent Kink
Yes
Port Type: Mouse End
No Port
Port Type: PC End
USB

The Ducky Feather has an outstanding paracord-like cable. It feels light and flexible, and even though it retains some kinks from packaging, it's not much of a problem and doesn't get in the way. The part that connects to the mouse is slightly angled upwards, so it works well with a bungee.

9.5
Design
Mouse Feet
Gliding Experience
Very Good
Material
Virgin Grade PTFE
Extra Included
Yes

The virgin-grade PTFE feet provide a very smooth gliding experience on both a mousepad and desk. It comes with an extra set of replacement feet, including around the sensor. You can also replace the four small feet with two large feet.

Design
In The Box

  • Ducky Feather mouse
  • Manuals
  • 4x small replacement feet
  • 2x large replacement feet
  • 1x replacement sensor foot

Control
4.5
Control
Buttons
Buttons Activation
Mechanical
Total Number Of Buttons
8
Number Of Side Buttons
4
Number Of Programmable Inputs
0
Profile Switching Button
No
CPI (DPI) Switching Button
Yes
Gesture Support
No

The Ducky Feather has a limited number of buttons, and without any dedicated software, you can't reprogram any of them. If you're using it right-handed, the top button on the right side acts as an 'Fn' key, allowing you to use the two left-side buttons as Home and End keys. The bottom right side button allows you to switch to left-handed use, which makes the side button functions reversed; the left-side top button then works as the 'Fn' key while the bottom button allows you to switch back to the right-handed mode. For a gaming mouse with similar performance and a dedicated CPI button behind the scroll wheel, check out the Dream Machines DM1 FPS.

8.0
Control
Click Latency
Expected Connection
7.7 ms
Wired
7.7 ms
Receiver
N/A
Bluetooth
N/A

The Ducky Feather has low click latency, making it great for most gamers. If you're interested in a similar mouse with even lower click latency, check out the ROCCAT Burst Core.

9.4
Control
CPI
SRAV @ 1600 CPI
-0.18%
SRAV @ 800 CPI
-0.17%
SRAV @ 400 CPI
-0.75%
SRAV @ Fixed CPI
N/A
Precision Error Between Speeds
0.42%
Precision Error Between CPI
0.81%
Worst Tracking Error
-5.00%
Minimum CPI
400 CPI
Maximum CPI
16,000 CPI
CPI Adjustment Steps
N/A
Control
Sensor Specifications
Sensor Technology
Optical (LED)
Sensor Model
PixArt PMW3389DM
Works On Glass
No
Minimum Lift Off Distance
1.2 mm
Maximum Polling Rate
1000 Hz

The Ducky Feather has a wide CPI range that you can adjust with the CPI button underneath to seven different settings: 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12000, and 16000. You can also adjust its polling rate with a button underneath to 125, 250, and 1000Hz. The sensor is a bit inaccurate when moving at a fast speed, but it shouldn't be an issue for most people. There's also a lift-off distance toggle underneath the mouse; setting it to L gets a lift-off of 1.2 mm, while we tested the other two settings at 2.4 mm. However, we can only test lift-off distance in increments of 1.2 mm, so we can't test if the D and H settings are the same. If you're interested in a similar gaming mouse with an 8000Hz maximum polling rate and a CPI setting that you can adjust by increments of one, check out the Corsair SABRE PRO.

Control
Mouse Wheel
Scroll Wheel
Notched Wheel
Scroll Wheel Steps
24 Steps
Scroll Wheel Tilt
No
Thumb Wheel
No
Thumb Wheel Steps
No Thumb Wheel

The mouse wheel feels standard with light tactility and well-defined notches. There's a rubber grip to help with scrolling. The middle click is on the sensitive side, so you may accidentally click it while scrolling.

Control
Noise
Click Noise
Quiet
Operating System And Software
0
Operating System And Software
Compatible Software Option
Software Name No software
Software Windows Compatibility
No
Software macOS Compatibility
No
Account Needed
No Software
On-Board Memory
No
CPI (DPI) Adjustment
No
Polling Rate Adjustment
No
Profile Configuration
No
RGB On/Off
No

There's no dedicated software for the Ducky Feather. If you're looking for a similar mouse with software for customization compatible with Windows and macOS, check out the Corsair SABRE RGB PRO.

8.3
Operating System And Software
Mouse Compatibility
Windows Compatibility Fully
macOS Compatibility Partially

The Ducky Feather is compatible with both Windows and macOS; only the Home and End functions don't work on macOS.