Best Mouse For MacBook Air in 2024

Adding the best mouse to your MacBook Air setup can significantly improve your experience. Unlike adding an external keyboard, a good mouse can retain that sleek and stylish design that MacBook Airs are known for. Whether you want a mouse that supports all the macOS gesture controls or a lightweight mouse perfect for some gaming, there are many excellent options.

However, it does not mean that every macOS-compatible mouse is ideal for MacBook Air, as the limited software compatibility with the Mac may put restrictions on how you can use your mouse. A good mouse will allow various types of customizations and save the profiles on the system or cloud rather than having you save the profiles on the mouse’s onboard memory if it has any. Considering all such factors, here is the list of the best mouse to use with MacBook Air in 2024.

Updated on April 16, 2024 by Sarfraz Khan: It’s crucial to understand that even though a lot of mice on the market might work on a MacBook Air, not every mouse brings fully compatible software to macOS. This is why the list includes mice which have software almost fully compatible with macOS, letting you customize their features and functionality without having to rely on the default settings.

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Mice for MacBook Air in 2024

The Logitech MX Master 3S is easily one of the best productivity mice for all platforms and, and is our choice for the best mouse for MacBook Air users. The MX Master 3S’s performance can keep up with games and be incredibly accurate while working. Plus, the ergonomic shape makes this mouse comfortable to use for hours.

While this mouse doesn’t have a multitude of buttons on the side like most MMO mice, the buttons on the side and the extra scroll wheel are easily programmable and are surprisingly helpful in a multitude of apps. A small gesture button adds four more controls when moving the mouse up, down, left, or right. While the gesture controls are not quite as comprehensive as the Apple Magic mouse, these controls get the job done.

Logitech has their wireless connectivity down pat, and the MX Master 3S raises the bar even more. The battery-saving Bluetooth connection is perfect for laptop use, and with a button on the bottom of the mouse, users can easily switch between multiple devices. Using the Logitech Flow allows users to copy and paste between systems.

Our next selection is for the best wireless mouse for MacBook Air. Razer is known for gaming peripherals that are unapologetically gamer-centric, offering RGB lighting and design choices that would look out of place in an office setting. With the Razer Pro Click being part of its first productivity line, this mouse strips down the gamer-centric design but keeps superb performance for the best of both worlds. The Pro Click has everything a MacBook Air user needs to get things done effectively and comfortably.

Stealing the body shape from the popular Razer Basilisk lineup, this mouse offers an excellent blend of ergonomic support while not being too bulky, where it becomes a pain to carry around. However, anyone who prefers to use a claw grip might find this mouse a bit unwieldy. Under the hood, the specs have been a bit downgraded from the lofty specs of the Basilisk lineup, but with a sensor that supports up to 16,000 DPI, this mouse is more than capable of covering the whole screen of a MacBook Air, even in a tiny space.

Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless perform well with low latency and stable connections. For MacBook Air users, who will probably be using the Bluetooth connection, the battery life is an impressive 400 hours. That is four times the battery life of the Roccat Burst Pro Air but keep in mind that on the 2.4GHz connection, the battery life reduces to 200 hours, but this is still significantly higher than most wireless mice and provides a quick response along with letting you customize its functionality.

If you want the best portable mouse for MacBook Air, we recommend the Apple Magic Mouse 2. What could be better for the Mac devices except for Apple’s own peripherals? Even though Apple peripherals are quite expensive, they generally bring the best compatibility with Apple devices. This is why the Magic Mouse 2 is a great solution for users who don’t want any trouble with drivers or customizations. Magic Mouse 2 looks identical to the Magic Mouse, but it has some significant changes compared to the latter.

The major one is the rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which is built-in for the Magic Mouse 2. The first edition used AA batteries but the Magic Mouse 2 can be recharged using the USB-C lighting cable. One problem here is that whenever you want to recharge it, the mouse becomes unusable. This might be a problem for some, but overall the battery life is quite excellent, lasting up to a month depending on the usage. Apart from that, the Magic Mouse 2 carries over the Gesture control from the previous edition, allowing you to swipe, scroll, or tap.

Corsair’s Harpoon RGB mouse is an ideal choice if you are looking to spend no more than $50 and want decently customizable features. The Harpoon RGB weighs equal to the Magic Mouse 2 but brings dedicated software to play with. As of now, Corsair’s iCUE software is unmatched in ease of use and provides an interface to customize all Corsair devices from a single place. The Harpoon RGB provides up to 10,000 DPI, which is significantly higher than the Magic Mouse 2, and can be customized from the iCUE software and saved in a profile.

The RGB logo can be customized too, with various presets available in the software and the side buttons are remappable to execute more functions. Of course, you won’t get the gesture controls like the Magic Mouse 2, but the Harpoon RGB is an overall great choice if you also want to game in your free time. With an excellent sensor and low input latency, it provides a competitive edge over your opponents.

MacBook Air and other Apple devices are appreciated a lot due to their slim and lightweight construction. It’s going to be a pretty bad matchup using a bulky mouse, which will also be difficult to carry in a pocket. Thankfully, the Corsair M75 Air solves this problem better than Apple’s own Magic Mice. The M75 Air is even lighter than Corsair’s Katar Pro XT mouse, weighing just 60 grams. A simple yet durable shell hosts powerful components, which allows the M75 Air pretty fast in operations. Thanks to the Marksman 26K sensor, it’s highly responsive in the wireless mode.

Moreover, you can choose between the 2.4GHz and Bluetooth modes to connect to various devices. It’s best to use the 2.4GHz RF receiver as this results in ultra-low latency and allows you to use iCUE software on the MacBookAir to customize its DPI or program its thumb buttons. It’s going to be incredibly light and smooth on the mousepad and can run at a 2000Hz polling rate as well. However, it will take a pretty big chunk of battery life quickly.

The Logitech Lift is possibly the biggest mouse on this list, but it makes up for its larger size by being one of the most comfortable options as well. Regardless of whether people struggle with wrist pain, an ergonomic mouse is an excellent option to help reduce strain or help prevent developing wrist strain. The fact the Logitech Lift is not only one of the best ergonomic mice but also incredibly affordable makes it an easy choice for anyone looking to improve their ergonomic support.

The vertical shape of the mouse allows users’ wrists to sit in a more natural position, as opposed to traditional mice that put the user’s hand flat on the mouse. However, the vertical shape does take some getting used to when first switching over. For example, clicking can shift the mouse to the left, but putting a little bit of pressure on the left side with the thumb can prevent this.

Performance-wise, the Logitech Lift is not going to win any gaming awards, but for productivity use, this mouse has excellent performance. Plus, for users who plan to use this mouse on the go, there is no need to use a mouse pad for accurate tracking results. While there are not as many programmable controls as the MX Master 3S, the Lift does give users a good amount of customization.

Choosing the Best Mouse for MacBook Air

Buyers will want to consider several factors when choosing a mouse for their MacBook Air. These include connectivity, portability, and performance.

• Connectivity: MacBook Air is all about a sleek design, so having a mouse that needs an adapter or USB hub is not ideal. For the most part, the best mice for MacBook Air have a reliable Bluetooth connection. For fans of wired mice, there are adapters for single ports that keep that sleek look, or adding a USB hub to a MacBook setup adds a ton of expandability if gamers are okay with giving up a bit of the slim design.
• Portability: Most MacBook Air users want this laptop because of how easy it is to carry around everywhere, so the mouse should be just as easy to throw in a bag and be ready to go. That doesn’t mean users have to get the smallest mouse possible, but big, chunky mice severely limit the size of bags that can carry the whole setup.
• Performance: The mouse’s performance brings everything together for an overall excellent experience. While DPI is typically covered on gaming mice, mice with higher DPI are perfect for people working in coffee shops or at smaller desks because they don’t need as much space to cover the whole screen.
• Customizability: Mice that have customizable DPI, LEDs, and other such functions will improve the overall user experience. It’s highly recommended to choose a brand carefully to not restrict the software compatibility on macOS.

FAQ

Q: Can you use any wireless mouse with MacBook Air?

When it comes to basic compatibility, most wireless mice will work with a MacBook Air, but not all of them will support extra features like remapping buttons or controlling RGB lighting. The easiest way to check for this is if the software that comes with the mouse supports macOS.

Q: Why doesn’t the MacBook have a USB port?

With the trend of laptops being as thin as possible, making room for a USB-A port is quite the task, especially on a laptop as thin as a MacBook Air. Apple opted to use the thinner and more modern USB-C as many other laptops did. While it is more inconvenient for devices like mice, USB-C ports actually allow for more power and higher performance.