Out of Office: Best Travel Mouses of 2022

How We Tested And Why You Can Trust Us

To give you an in-depth look at each mouse on this list, we researched the travel mouses online, looked at brands that we’ve used in the past, and called in mouses to test and evaluate new, updated, and interesting pieces. We rounded out our first-person impressions with user reviews online to gather a comprehensive view. Also, we’ve pulled from our experience using travel mouses on the road and in the office over the last decade.

Who This Article Is For

This article is intended for people looking for the best travel mouses on the market, whether exclusively working or playing outside the home or as an everyday mouse.

How We Picked

We chose mouses that would be useful for a wide range of users for both travel and home use. We also looked for portable mouses, had a wide array of options, and fit into varying budgets. We arranged the mouse that we chose according to features that people may be looking for when shopping for travel mice. We also labored over whether “mouses” or “mice” is the proper nomenclature. The jury is still out on that.

Features To Look For In Travel Mouses

Portability - The defining factor in travel mouses is their portability. The whole purpose of getting a mouse for travel is to find one that fits in a bag or pocket as you go. Most of these mice achieve this portability by minimizing or doing away with cables and lowering the size, usually the mouse's height. If you’re looking for a travel mouse, look for a small travel mouse that connects to your computer wirelessly or has a retractable cable. As far as height goes, it pays to look for one that is as flat as it can be without sacrificing usability. Look for one around an inch, inch, and a half tall for a good compromise between usability and portability. If portability is the most important feature to you, look for one that stores flat, like Microsoft’s Arc series mouses.

Build Quality - Durability is a huge factor when it comes to choosing a good travel mouse. I’ve had travel mouses break while writing on the road and have had to use my laptop’s trackpad for the duration of my trip, and it can cause a huge drop in productivity. Not to mention annoy you to no end. As a tech piece, travel mouses can be delicate by nature, so it pays to be careful not to step on, crush, or drop it from an excessive height.

One of the main ways to determine how likely a travel mouse is likely to break down is to see if it has any click testing rating. The best travel mice usually have click test ratings of 3 to 5 million clicks. While testing this isn’t a job we’d envy, it goes a long way towards knowing how long a mouse will last you. A click test rating in the millions usually means you’ll be using your mouse for the foreseeable future. Or at least until you drop your suitcase on it.

Battery Type and Battery Life - Wireless mouses will often have either rechargeable batteries or replaceable ones, while wired mouses draw power from the computer that they’re connected to. You should be able to get several months out of each charge or battery replacement, especially if your mouse comes with any power-saving features like automatically shutting off after a period of inactivity. To maximize your battery life, check online to see if the mouse you’re looking at has any power-saving features. Some of these longer-lasting mouses are rated for up to a year and a half of use per charge or replacement.

Connectivity - Wired mouses and mouses that use a wireless USB receiver work similarly. A USB travel mouse connects with your computer via a USB port. This is usually a simple way to connect – most computers allow you to plug in the receiver or wire, and the mouse will be ready to go. If your mouse has more than the usual two buttons and a scroll wheel, you may need to install software drivers, however.

Bluetooth mouses require a bit more of a setup than USB mouses because you have to take your computer through the process of finding and pairing with your mouse for the first time. After that, the computer will automatically connect to your mouse every time you turn it on. Bluetooth mouses are generally more expensive than USB and the fact that not all computers have Bluetooth antennas. However, a Bluetooth mouse does not take up any of your computer’s USB ports and can work with devices that don’t have USB ports at all, which can make it an ideal travel mouse for laptop use or with tablets. If you can stomach the expense, finding the best compact Bluetooth mouse for travel is a worthy endeavor.

Tracking and Sensitivity - Instead of the tracking ball that mouses used to use, which rolled over a surface to track movement, current mouses use optics to track a mouse’s movement over a surface to determine how you are moving it. This makes it possible to use a mouse on just about any flat surface (and has decimated the market for mousepads).

Sensitivity refers to how responsive a mouse is to your movements. The higher the sensitivity, the more responsive to your movements the mouse will be. This can be a huge factor for gamers, which often require fast response times to nail a headshot or time a jump.

Retractable Cord vs. Wireless - For most uses, the best portable wireless mouse is a great choice for travel and ease of setup. However, a corded mouse tends to offer better responsiveness and a lower lag time, which can be useful in gaming or anything else that requires timing and precision. Wired mouses can also be cheaper as well.

Optical vs. Laser - Actually, all mice are optical in that they use optical sensors to track the mouse’s movement over a given surface. The main difference is whether the mouse uses an LED light or a laser to project light onto that surface. A laser is technically more accurate, which is ideal on flat, feature-free surfaces. However, it can be a little too accurate, finding hills and valleys on a surface that appears featureless to the naked eye. This can cause a jittery, less precise performance on the computer screen. This is a bigger issue in gaming, where responsiveness and accuracy are key. Some companies, like Logitech, primarily use LED-based mouses for this reason, even though LED mouses aren’t quite as precise. On the other hand, laser-based mouses can offer precise, swift movement that can be ideal on the right surface.

Overall, the difference between the two is minimal when looking for the best wireless travel mouse.

Ergonomic - Since you’re likely going to be spending a lot of time holding a mouse, it pays to have one that is comfortable in your hand. If you spend more time mousing than typing, it could be worthwhile to invest in one with wavy contours designed to provide a perfect fit. These are often bulkier than traditionally shaped mouses; you will be sacrificing some portability here.

I prefer a mouse with a rubberized texture on the top – it’s more tactically pleasing and doesn’t get slick if my hand gets sweaty.

Q: What is a travel mouse?

A: A travel mouse is a mouse that is built specifically for use outside the home or office. These mouses are generally smaller and more portable than regular mouses. They are often wireless to minimize space in a pack (and to eliminate tangling).

Q: What is the difference between a wireless and a Bluetooth mouse?

A: A Bluetooth mouse is wireless; any mouse that doesn’t connect to your computer via wire is technically wireless. The two main types of wireless mouses are USB and Bluetooth. A USB wireless mouse connects wirelessly to your computer via a USB receiver that plugs into your computer’s USB port. In contrast, a Bluetooth mouse connects wirelessly to your computer by sending a Bluetooth signal to your computer’s Bluetooth antenna (if it has one).

Q: Should I switch off a wireless mouse?

A: While many wireless mouses have auto-sleep features, you should shut your mouse off completely if you’re done for the day. It’ll further extend the life of the battery.

Q: What is the best surface for a wireless travel mouse?

A: Wireless travel mouses are incredibly versatile. They work well with most flat surfaces without highly reflective or transparent surfaces (no polished stone or glass).

Sources:

1. Bluetooth Mouse Vs. Wireless Mouse - Chron
2. How Do Optical Mice Work? – How Stuff Works
3. Optical Vs. Laser Mouse – Digital Trends