Not every mouse has to be the fastest, lightest, or best. If you don’t play many PC games or feel compelled to “get things done” around the clock, a simple and comfortable mouse is all you need. Microsoft’s newest, wireless productivity model, the $49.99 Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse, is a solid example of that simple workaday mouse. This good looking, comfortable input device has a few power user features, but it isn’t a power user’s mouse. For most people, though, the Bluetooth Ergonomic is more than enough, and a strong upgrade from cheap office mice.
Minimalist Beauty
Like many of Microsoft’s productivity peripherals, the Bluetooth Ergonomic places high value on both aesthetic and functional simplicity. Visually, the mouse is an object d’art—curvy, with very few exterior seams. Delineated by a single line in the mouse’s center, the click panels fade into the chassis. The minimalist design gives the Bluetooth Ergonomic an air of sophistication, and the silver metal scroll wheel adds a classy touch.
It’s a simple five-button mouse: Two click panels, two side buttons, and a clickable metal scroll wheel. The underside features a power switch and an extra non-customizable button to toggle among Bluetooth channels. Measuring 1.81 by 3.00 by 4.59 inches (HWL), the mouse is both wide and tall, though that’s normal for a mouse touting strong ergonomics. Weighing 3.95 ounces, the mouse is a little on the heavy side, but just a little. It isn’t something you’ll notice while word processing or web browsing.
“Ergonomic” is in the mouse’s name, so the input device’s molded grip is its signature feature. The chassis is high and wide, with a strong hump under the base of your pointer finger. On the side, it has a wide thumb wing that lets your digit rest without actively gripping the side of the mouse or dragging on your desk. All these design elements work together to create a pretty comfortable shape that avoids cramping or overextending.
It isn’t perfect, though. The shape guides your hand to lie at an angle, as it should, but the drop off on the mouse’s right side is steep: Your hand may feel like it’s about to tumble off the right edge. Still, it’s a strong design that should be more comfortable than most everyday office mice. The Logitech MX Master 3, the Editors’ Choice for productivity mice, offers a better overall grip.
Under the hood, the Bluetooth Ergonomic has solid components. The mouse features the Pixart PAW3228, an optical sensor that Microsoft also used in its Arc mice. As a result, the Blue Ergonomic can track at up to 2400 DPI. That’s probably enough range for most people, though it is quite low compared to basically any other premium mouse made in the last two years. Again, it’s fine for casual, everyday computing.
On the wireless side, the Bluetooth Ergonomic keeps up with the standard set for high-end office gear. It features a multi-channel Bluetooth connection that lets you pair the mouse with up to three devices and swap among them on the fly. Overall, the mouse’s Bluetooth connection is strong and stable. That said, I noticed the mouse was occasionally slow to reconnect with my PC after I woke it from sleep. On a few occasions, the mouse was unresponsive on startup for 1-2 seconds. It’s a mild inconvenience, though it may be indicative of the mouse’s ability to perform in a room crowded with many Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless signals.
It also gets good, but unremarkable, battery life. Powered by two disposable AAA batteries, the Bluetooth Ergonomic should stay powered for up to a year from each pair of cells, according to Microsoft. (In my week or so with the mouse, my batteries held up without issue.) That falls in line with other mice that use replaceable batteries. As I’ve said on many occasions, I generally prefer to charge mice with internal batteries rather than replace disposable ones for both functional and environmental reasons, so this is less than ideal in my mind. Still, it seems to be the norm for sub-$80 wireless mice, so it’s ultimately a price-conscious concession.
The Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center
The Bluetooth Ergonomic features a modest set of customization options through Microsoft’s configuration app, the Microsoft Mouse and Keyboard Center. The app enables the mouse’s multi-device Bluetooth switching, as well as some limited button-mapping functionality and the ability to reset the device’s tracking rate. In addition to general settings, you can also set app-specific button maps.
Like the Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard, those options are somewhat restrained. You can only fully remap three of five buttons. (You can swap left- and right-click, but that’s it.) It also lacks some customization features I’d consider standard, such as some way to set preset DPI options and switch among them outside of the app.
Back to Basics
The $50 Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Wireless Mouse is attractive, offers a comfortable grip, and lengthy battery life, while everything else is good enough. The mouse doesn’t quite measure up to the Logitech MX Master 3, our Editors’ Choice for productivity mice, but it costs half as much. It’s a nice upgrade from a cheap office mouse.
