Finding the right gaming mouse amid all the options available can be a struggle. There are a lot of factors to consider, like how it looks, how it feels in the hand, the button selection and arrangement, the quality of its sensor, and whether you want a mouse that’s wireless or wired. These details, minor as they may seem, can have a major impact on your experience with the mouse you choose to buy. On the other hand, sometimes mice have features that get overblown and don’t actually work as well as advertised.

If you’re looking for a wireless gaming mouse, you’ll want the best that your budget allows for. We’re going to make this decision easy for you. The best wireless gaming mouse is Logitech’s G502 Lightspeed. It’s the most well-rounded choice if you want comfort, a long-lasting battery, and the best selection and arrangement of buttons. The model’s design accommodates multiple grip styles, and Logitech’s companion software is unobtrusive and a breeze to use. It also has rock-solid wireless connectivity so you don’t have to deal with a wire entangling your gameplay.

If you are looking for the best wired gaming mouse, look no further than the Razer DeathAdder V2. It’s unbeatable in the ergonomics department, with a design that feels like a natural extension of your hand. And while this model has a fairly simple layout and button selection, it’s all just within reach and responsive.

Like our guide to the best gaming headset, what follows focuses mostly on newer models that you’re more likely to see on store shelves as opposed to older models, which may be tougher to find in stock — even if they might still be worth your money.

The best wireless gaming mouse: Logitech G502 Lightspeed ($120)

The Logitech G502 Lightspeed is a great gaming mouse for discerning gamers who don’t want to compromise on much of anything — or for casual users who just want a good, solid mouse. It’s comfortable and feature-packed, and even though it’s wireless, it’s a fast and accurate performer that doesn’t feel at a disadvantage against wired mice.

At $150, the best doesn’t come cheap (though you can sometimes find it for around $100 these days). But if you’ve tossed around the idea of making an investment in a high-end wireless mouse, no other model that I tested for this buying guide justified its price so easily. The G502 Lightspeed has the best features of Logitech’s gaming and general-use mice all rolled into one. The main buttons deliver a satisfying bounce response when you tap them, and unlike some other popular models, they click easily no matter how you grip your hand on the mouse.

This mouse also features a quick-release button, a feature borrowed from other Logitech consumer-focused and gaming mice. By default, the scroll wheel staggers down a single webpage with each step, which is how you expect a scroll wheel to work. Tapping the button releases the mechanism gripping the wheel, allowing it to freely sail to the bottom of a long page. It’s a small feature, but one that gives the mouse more versatility in certain situations, like being able to quickly scroll through your inventory when in a game.

Another nice feature is the inclusion of 16 grams of weights you can insert into the mouse to give it more resistance. A mouse’s weight comes down to personal preference, and that could vary from game to game. This mouse is among the few modern wireless devices to give you the flexibility to change up the weight.

The fact that the G502 Lightspeed is wireless makes it that much easier to bring along with you wherever you go. But if you just can’t swing the $150 price, I suggest that you check out the $50 Logitech G502 Hero, which is the wired version of this mouse. It has almost every feature that you’ll find in the wireless model — except, you know, wireless capability.

Logitech G502 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse

• $111
• $150
• 26% off

Logitech’s wireless gaming mouse with RGB lighting, a 25,600 DPI Hero sensor, and 11 customizable buttons.

• $111

  at Amazon

• $111

  at eBay

• $111

  at Best Buy

The runner-up: Roccat Kone Pro Air ($110)

Roccat’s high-end gaming mouse, the Kone Pro Air, is easier on the eyes than our top pick, and slightly easier on the wallet, too. It’s a simpler mouse than the G502 Lightspeed, with fewer buttons and features overall. But if all that you want are the basics done right, this one is a comfortable, no-fuss option.

The Kone Pro Air originally sold for $129.99 but is on sale sometimes for $110. Notably, it features dual wireless connectivity with Bluetooth and 2.4GHz support. A switch on its underside can toggle between the two modes, and next to that is a profile-switching button (which you can program using Roccat’s companion software) and a slot for the USB dongle to rest in. The mouse supports USB-C charging and includes a braided cable that didn’t snag on my desk.

The Kone Pro Air has a low arch and features thick, easy-to-reach thumb buttons. You might not totally jive with the feel of this mouse if your taste skews away from ergonomic-adjacent designs, but it’s comfortable to use with various grip styles. Aiding that comfort across play styles are the main mouse buttons, which cover almost half of the mouse’s topside.

Roccat Kone Pro Air

• $110
• $130
• 16% off

Roccat’s Kone Pro Air features Titan optical switches rated for a 100-million click life cycle, and its “Owl-Eye” sensor has 19,000 DPI.

• $110

  at Best Buy

• $110

  at Roccat

Throughout my time with the Kone Pro Air, connectivity was solid via 2.4GHz wireless, and it was a great companion for gaming. Its Titan optical switches deliver a satisfying click, while the force required to click and the bounce-back effect feel nicely tuned. The G502 Lightspeed’s scrollwheel is tough to beat, but Roccat’s model comes close — at least, in terms of feel. It’s an aluminum scrollwheel that yields a fine grip, and each step that it scrolls feels very tactile.

Roccat claims over 100 hours of battery life with this model, and indeed, I’ve gone weeks using the Kone Pro Air for work and play without having to recharge it. Its Rapid Charge feature via USB-C also meets the company’s claim that the mouse can charge a handful of hours after just 10 minutes of being plugged in. Roccat also sells a wired version of this mouse called the Kone Pro, with the same sensor and switches, but at $80, I recommend spending just a bit more on the Pro Air if you want to go wireless.

Other good wireless options

Corsair’s Dark Core RGB Pro SE ($89) is a good pick if you want oodles of features. It offers USB-C charging and supports Qi wireless charging. This mouse can switch between 2.4GHz wireless mode via its included USB dongle (cleverly tucked under its removable, magnetic wing), or Bluetooth. Of course, you’ll get better results by using the dongle, but it’s great to have options. I found that the battery life, while decent, wasn’t quite as long-lasting as the G502 Lightspeed or the Kone Pro Air.

Some smaller, but equally welcome, features here come in the form of that removable magnetic wing I just mentioned, which snaps onto its right side to let me comfortably rest my ring and pinky fingers. You might appreciate this most customizable design like I did.

AT just 66 grams, the SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless ($90) weighs significantly less than our top and runner-up picks. That’s a big perk, as is its USB-C charging, which is still a rarity among other popular models from Razer and Logitech. It can operate on a 2.4GHz wireless mode with its included USB-C dongle, or using Bluetooth, and features an IP54 rating to protect it from some water and dust. It isn’t as ergonomic as mice I’ve described above, though. While that might not be much of an issue for people who use it simply to game, it’s not particularly comfortable to use as an all-day device. Also, I noticed that it lost connection with my PC regularly. That wasn’t a connectivity issue — the Aerox 3 Wireless falls asleep to preserve power if you don’t use it for a few minutes.

The best wired gaming mouse: Razer DeathAdder V2 ($60)

Razer’s DeathAdder V2 is proof that a wired mouse doesn’t need countless features to be worth the money. It just needs to be extremely good at the fundamentals, including being comfy enough to use for hours at a time with games that require quick reflexes, having a simple assortment of buttons that take little to no time to master, and, of course, great performance. If this matches what you want in a mouse, the $70 Razer DeathAdder V2 is the one to get.

Of all the wired gaming mice that I tested for this buying guide, no other mouse felt like a more natural extension of my hand. That’s crucial when you’re playing a game that requires precision, and it’s good to have when you just want to feel support while you’re using your computer in general.

The DeathAdder V2’s design provides a lot of palm support, whether my fingers are flat and relaxed over the mouse or arched for faster reflexes. I use my index finger to left click and middle finger to right click; unlike most mice, this design gives me enough space on its right side to keep my ring and pinky fingers from dangling off the side and dragging on the mouse pad. That’s something I didn’t know I wanted out of a mouse until I started using this one.

Those design features keep things comfortable, but I think the part of the mouse that sold me is where my thumb rests. Many mice etch out an area for your thumb to relax and laze around. That’s fine, but I find that it necessitates more arm movement when the action ramps up. I prefer this mouse’s solution: its ergonomic design keeps my thumb wrapped around its side, naturally resting upon the edges of the customizable macro buttons. It’s good to have multiple buttons within reach, and the thumb location makes it easy for me to push the mouse around using just my wrist. It’s comfortable and has the dual purpose of keeping me limber in case I need to make sudden movements.

Razer DeathAdder V2

• $49
• $70
• 30% off

If keeping your hand supported during games is key, the DeathAdder V2 is one of the most supportive gaming mice you can find right now. It’s not full of fancy features, but this model nails the basics.

• $49

  at Amazon

• $50

  at Best Buy

• $70

  at Razer

The runner-up: SteelSeries Prime Plus ($80)

I prefer the feel of Razer’s DeathAdder V2 over any other wired gaming mouse, but coming in a close second place is SteelSeries’ new Prime Plus wired model. It could be a better choice than the Razer for people with smaller hands, or for those who prefer a gaming mouse that has a little more in the way of clever features.

The Prime Plus is the middle child in SteelSeries’ new made-for-esports Prime lineup of mice, yet it’s the most interesting and value-packed. It feels just like the others in that lineup, both in the way it fits your hand with a high arch that slopes to the right, as well as with what SteelSeries aptly calls “crispy” clicks. They’re a little louder than your average gaming mouse, and they have a more tactile feel.

What sets the Prime Plus apart from the others in the Prime lineup (as well as the other options below) is the OLED screen and controls built into its underside. There’s no driver required to change in-depth settings. You hold the bottom button once it’s plugged in and use the scroll wheel to navigate a menu that lets you change things like the brightness of the OLED and the LED illuminating the scroll wheel. More importantly, you can adjust sensitivity, polling rate (125Hz to 1000Hz), and liftoff distance right from this display.

SteelSeries Prime Plus

• $80

The Prime Plus wired gaming mouse weighs 71 grams and uses SteelSeries’ TrueMove Pro Plus sensor with 18,000 CPI. Its bottom-mounted OLED screen and controls let you customize the liftoff distance, polling rate, and more without the need for a driver.

• $80

  at SteelSeries

• $80

  at Best Buy

Other good wired options

As I mentioned near the top of this article, if $150 for Logitech’s wireless G502 Lightspeed is too much for you to spend, you might want to consider this wired version, the G502 Hero. It has the same design as our pick for the best wireless gaming mouse — actually, it’s basically the same in almost every way, down to the kind of sensor it uses and its adjustable weights. That makes it almost as good, though some might take issue with its thick braided cable and the somewhat slippery plastic used on the scroll wheel that isn’t on the Lightspeed model.

Logitech G502 Hero

• $45
• $50
• 10% off

Logitech’s G502 Hero has most of the same features of our top pick, the G502 Lightspeed — except it’s wired. If you’re okay with that, this is an excellent mouse that you can usually find for $50 or less.

• $45

  at Amazon

• $50

  at Staples

• $49

  at Walmart

The Basilisk V2 is the wired mouse that I’d recommend to people who want the advantages of a modern Razer wired mouse, like the thin, braided SpeedFlex cable, fast performance, PTFE feet that let the mouse glide across your mouse pad, and, of course, LEDs. Despite having a design that might not fit well in everyone’s hands, it’s a smaller mouse that has more features than the DeathAdder V2.

For instance, the Basilisk V2 has a removable sniper button that’s easy to reach. Perhaps my favorite feature here is the scroll wheel that has an adjustable tension. It’s not quite as cool as the Logitech G502’s free-spinning wheel, but you’ll probably love it if you want a custom feel to your wheel. One of the best things about this mouse is that it has most of the same features found in the more expensive Basilisk Ultimate, Razer’s wireless version of this mouse.

Razer Basilisk V2

• $38
• $80
• 53% off

Razer’s latest Basilisk is a solid option if you like the fit of Logitech’s G502 series mice but want something that looks a little more slick. Ergonomically, they’re very similar, and this model even has a scroll wheel with adjustable tension.

• $38

  at Amazon