For designers who prefer a computer mouse to a tablet or stylus, here’s our pick of the best computer mouse models to consider. The best mouse for your needs is one of the most important purchases you can make as you will be using the mouse every day to interact with your PC or laptop. That means you’ll want a mouse that’s comfortable to hold, while also offering you fast and responsive performance.
No matter what creative work you do, you need the best mouse you can to ensure your workflow is smooth and efficient. While you’re using your PC for hours, you’ll need something that’s fast, responsive, and most of all, comfortable to use.
So how do you find the right mouse for you? After all, there are thousands of computer mouse variations out there. Here we list eight of the best options to help you find the ideal device for your creative work.
Over 10 Best Mice for Graphic Designers
Just like everyone’s hands, when it comes to choosing the best mouse for their needs, everyone has different requirements. However, these are what I consider to be the best mice for graphic designers.
Choose your best ergonomic mouse model for design
1. Logitech MX Master S3
Built-in productivity
DPI: 4000 | InterfaceInterface: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wireless | Buttons: 7 | Guy: Dexterous
- Customizable buttons
- Amazing Tracking
- Non-ambidextrous
Logitech produces some of the most responsive computer mice on the market, which is very useful when you need a tool with precision. Its wireless Bluetooth mouse Logitech MX Master 3S wireless improves on almost every aspect of the original MX Master.
Offering unparalleled comfort thanks to its ergonomic design. You can comfortably use it for hours on end, and it features a super-responsive scroll wheel that allows you to browse web pages or documents at your own speed. Depending on how fast you move the wheel.
Buttons located on the side of the mouse also allow you to flutter between windows, and you can configure the buttons to help speed up your workflow. It’s also wireless, giving you more freedom when working at your desk. The only downside is that it’s expensive.
2. Apple Magic Mouse 2
The best mouse for Apple devices.
DPI: 1300 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 0 | Ergonomic: Ambidextrous | Characteristics: Multi-touch
- Looks fantastic
- Multi-touch is smart
- Costly
- Spectacularly uncomfortable (for us)
Apple was late to join the groundbreaking mouse party and then created the Magic Mouse. Its replacement, the imaginative title. Magic Mouse 2 has a super-lightweight design and laser tracking capabilities that make it easy to scroll between InDesign CC pages and make the smallest changes on virtually any surface.
However, the downside is that it is sometimes a little too sensitive. The multi-touch area on the top of the mouse, which allows you to scroll in any direction. Can sometimes become frustrating when you want to keep your finger in the same place for a long period of time. But for Magic Mouse evangelists, there’s nothing that comes close to this mouse.
As an alternative, many designers prefer the Apple Magic Trackpad 2. Which brings the pressure-sensitive Force Touch technology and the trackpad from the 2015 12-inch MacBook. Or for a cheaper option, try the old Apple Magic Trackpad.
3. Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse
The best ergonomic mouse for creatives.
DPI: 1000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Vertical | Characteristics:No
- Good for RSI sufferers
- Cheap as tokens
- Thumb buttons not working on Mac
- Unrefined
Of course, the Anker Vertical Ergonomic Optical Mouse looks weird. It is vertically aligned to encourage healthy and neutral ‘handshake’ wrist and arm. But once you get used to it, it’s a cheap and very convenient way to bypass the RSI. If you’re a digital creative who spends a lot of time using a mouse to work. Then it’s essential to have one that’s comfortable to use.
After all, if you get injured and can’t work, it could mean you lose money. That makes this odd-looking mouse a very smart investment, which is why we think it’s the best ergonomic mouse for digital creatives.
4. Logitech MX Anywhere 2
Versatile and feature-packed mouse
DPI: 1,600 | Interface: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless connection (pairs with up to three devices) | Buttons: 6 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Characteristics:Scroll wheel, Logitech Darkfield Laser Tracking, unifying receiver, easy change technology, gesture function
- Pairs with three devices.
- Compact and portable
- It has a free scroll wheel.
- Non-removable battery
- I can’t use it by cable
Smaller than Logitech’s flagship MX Master, the Logitech MX Anywhere 2 is the ideal travel mouse for digital creatives working on the road. It can connect to three different devices via Bluetooth, and it can last all day with just four minutes of charging.
Despite its small size, it still comes with the high build quality we’ve come to expect from Logitech. It’s not as ergonomic as other mice in this guide, but if you’re looking for a mouse to take with you, this is the place to go.
5. Logitech MX Ergo Wireless
The best wireless mouse.
DPI: 512 – 2048 | Interface: Bluetooth & 2.4GHz Wireless | Buttons: 8 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Characteristics: Trackball, USB device, Logitech ‘Flow’ software support for use with up to three PCs simultaneously, micro USB charging, precision mode
- Comfortable design
- Accurate trackball
- There is no left-handed version.
The tilt options are limited the MX Ergo Wireless is a clearly retro mouse with its trackball. While many mouse manufacturers have ditched trackballs in favor of optical laser mice, Logitech has continued to release trackball mice, and for that we’re grateful.
For many people, the touch trackball makes working on creative projects much more intuitive and comfortable, and the MX Ergo Wireless can be used flat or at a 20-degree angle.
6. Microsoft Classic IntelliMouse
The legend returns
DPI: 3200 | Interface: Wiring | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: classic design, programmable buttons, dim white lighting.
- Solid design
- Sensitive
- Non-wireless
For people of a certain age, the Microsoft Intellimouse will bring back strong memories of a real workhorse of a mouse, which was not flashy, but did the job brilliantly. Microsoft has tapped into that nostalgia with the Microsoft Classic Intellimouse.
Which modernizes the classic design and improves the sensor, allowing users to increase the DPI to 3200. It’s not wireless, but for a comfortable and reliable mouse, this is a brilliant upgrade to a computing icon.
7. Razer DeathAdder Chroma
A gaming mouse that feels great to use
DPI: 10,000 | Interface: USB | Buttons: 5 | Ergonomic: Right-handed | Features: lighting effects.
- Very comfortable
- Very accurate
- Lighting feels a bit gimmicky
- Software can be flaky
Just like designers, gamers need a responsive and accurate mouse. So it stands to reason that gaming mice are also a good choice for designers. And the Razer range of gaming mice is one of the most responsive out there.
Razer mice have three types of sensors: dual, laser, and optical, and an ergonomic shape designed to support the flow of your hand. The Razer Deathadder mouse is the best-selling (as well as the cheapest), and it features an optical sensor and rubber side grips. It also syncs with all your mouse settings stored in the cloud.
8. Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600
The best budget mouse.
DPI: 1000 | Interface: Bluetooth | Buttons: 2 | Ergonomic: Ambidextrous | Characteristics: No
- Really very cheap
- Comfortable
- Smaller than most mice
Microsoft’s BASIC Bluetooth Mobile Mouse 3600 is, in our opinion, the best budget mouse money you can buy these days. Although it has a rock-bottom price, it has an impressive build quality and is very reliable. This is because Microsoft is not only a software company, but it also has some very good peripherals, such as this mouse. It’s also small enough to easily take with you, which is useful if you do a lot of work on the road.
9. Redragon M908
Best Mouse with Great Battery Life
DPI: 12.400 | Interface:USB | Buttons: 8 | Guy: Dexterous
If you’re a graphic designer, the Redragon M908 is a great choice because it has incredible battery life and can sustain your creativity. by the hour. This mouse is manufactured with a maximum DPI of 12400 and 5 mobile DPI settings (500/1000/2000/3000/6200 DPI) to meet your various needs, whether for graphic design or gaming.
This peripheral comes with 18 customizable buttons, 16.8 million RGB LED color possibilities, and 5 memory profiles, each of which has a unique light color for easy identification. This mouse is appropriate not only for designers because it has an 8-piece weight adjustment kit that simplifies the adjustment of the weight to suit your activities. It has a high-end design and is made with soft and resistant TEFLON pads for maximum comfort.
How to Choose the Right Mouse for Graphic Design
Before you decide to spend your money on a new mouse for your needs as a graphic designer, there are a few details about the mouse that you should consider:
- Wired or wireless
- Laser or Optical
- Ergonomics
- Full size or travel size
- Programmable buttons
Wired or wireless
Whether you choose a mouse that is connected to your computer with a cable or via the computer’s USB port usually depends on your personal preference. After years of struggling and hating all the wires on their desk, some people choose to use a wireless mouse, which avoids the problem of tangled wires, but it ends at the wrong time.
While there are some wireless mice that come with docks to charge them, so that you don’t accumulate AAA batteries, you’ll still need to remember to place the mouse in the dock so that it can be charged. Some mice come with an on/off switch that will help extend the life of the battery you’re using, but again, that’s only useful if you remember to turn it off at the end of the day.
Wireless mice come with a receiver that allows the computer and mouse to “talk” to each other. Some mice come with what’s known as a nano receiver that can be placed flush with your computer’s USB port. Some come with a larger wireless receiver that protrudes a few inches from the USB port.
Those with nanoreceptors tend to be more expensive than their counterparts, but they’re worth checking out, especially if you travel a lot for work. While a wired mouse doesn’t have to worry about batteries or charging because they’re plugged into your USB or PS2 port, the downside is that it’s tied to your computer.
You have a limited length of cable to work with, which can be problematic, as well as having to deal with tangled cables that can damage the cable.
Laser or Optical
When you use the mouse, it works by tracking in dpi, also known as dots per inch. Optical mice typically register between 400 and 800 dpi, which is perfectly fine for the regular everyday mouse. However, a laser mouse will usually be about to track 2000 or more dpi.
While this number is quite high and not necessary for consumers who use a mouse for basic functions, such accurate tracking can be excessive and even annoying. For those who work in graphic design or those who are very fond of gaming. The precision and sensitivity that comes with such a high dpi can be a welcome feature.
Ergonomics
As the use of computers and mice has become the norm in society, so have the problems with hand and wrist pain that come from the odd angles we hold our hands at while working. That’s why the ergonomics of the mouse you choose is the most important thing to consider before buying not just a mouse but any peripheral.
For mice, in particular, correct ergonomics are important because they can help prevent repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Unfortunately, the ergonomics of a mouse aren’t one-size-fits-all, no matter what the manufacturer’s marketing department tells you.
The only way to know if you’ll be comfortable using a mouse for hours on end is the same way you know if your shoes fit you well in the store, which is to try them on. Now, with computer peripherals, many times products come packaged in boxes so you can’t “try before you buy” or anything like that, so your best bet is to make sure you do your research first, like reading this article. Good job!
When you buy the mouse, make sure you can return it and how long you’ll have it, so you’re not left with a mouse you can’t use. When you get home, try it during that time to see if it’s comfortable and doesn’t cause any pain in your arm or wrist.
A lot of people will choose a mouse based on how it looks, which is fine. However, in this case graphic designers will want to focus more on comfort than aesthetics.
Programmable buttons
Your standard mouse comes with two buttons and a scroll wheel in the middle. However, there are many mice on the market, designed for those working in specialized fields such as graphic design. That come with additional buttons on the side of the mouse.
These buttons are there for you to program, also known as “mapping” them for certain functions. An example of this is setting one of the buttons to be a back button when you are on the internet.
These additional buttons can be very useful, especially if you use the same programs over and over again. Assigning these buttons to a specific function isn’t very difficult, and you should be able to learn how to do it from the mouse manual or from the manufacturer’s website.
Final Thoughts
Part of success is having the best tools at your disposal to help you succeed. The right mouse button is part of this; Having it for your needs can make all the difference, no matter what you do.
We hope our list of the best computer mice for designers will help you ditch your old peripheral and choose the best upgrade that will help you succeed.