Surface Mouse vs. Surface Arc Mouse: Which should you get?

Microsoft makes many mice, and sometimes it's difficult to choose between them. Right now, Microsoft is selling two flagship mice, the Surface Mouse, and the Surface Arc Mouse. They're both great mice but are two very different kinds of mice. So which one should you choose?

• See Surface Mouse at Microsoft
• See Surface Arc Mouse at Microsoft

Surface mice specs

Surface Mouse

Surface Arc Mouse

Design

Both Surface mice are beautifully designed, with the Surface Mouse sporting a more traditional mouse-like shape and size. It has both right and left click buttons at the front, along with a metal scroll wheel in the middle that's cold to the touch and has small grating on it which makes it less slippery when you're scrolling.

The scroll wheel itself is quiet, which is significant for those who may be using it in a quiet environment. The mouse itself is built out of plastic, which I think feels a little cheap compared to other similarly priced mice that use more premium materials. On the flipside, the mouse is incredibly comfortable to hold thanks to its universal shape that fits in the hands of anyone.

The Surface Arc Mouse, on the other hand, is a very uniquely designed mouse. It features Microsoft's patented Arch design, which makes it incredibly thin which is good for travel. The Surface Arc Touch Mouse uses a single plastic touchpad at the front of the device rather than dedicated right and left click buttons, which also means it doesn't have a physical scroll wheel.

To scroll on the Surface Arc Mouse, you can use either one or two fingers like on a normal touch pad to scroll web pages. The touch pad itself is a click surface, so if you want to right or left click, just press down on either the right or left side of the touch pad, and the click will activate. I'd say the Arc Touch mouse is a more futuristic, elegant mouse compared to the Surface Mouse.

The mouse itself is available in multiple colors and is built out of plastic for the touchpad and a rubber-like material for the rest of the body. That's because the rest of the body actually folds flat, which enables easy carrying around in a pocket or a thin bag. Folding the mouse flat also disables Bluetooth, saving battery while you travel around. The Surface Mouse doesn't do this, making the Surface Arc Mouse better for travel.

Usage

I've used both the Surface Mouse and Surface Arc Mouse for a considerable amount of time now, and I have mixed feelings about both. I love how comfortable the Surface Mouse is, with its universal design that fits perfectly in my hand. I am a claw-gripper when it comes to mice, meaning when I use a mouse, my fingers are arched up over the mouse rather than directly against it.

As a result, the Surface Mouse is a much more comfortable mouse during daily use compared to the Surface Arc Mouse. Due to the Arc Mouse's unique design, there's nothing under the top of the mouse to keep my fingers evenly spaced out, and as a result, I end up gripping the underside of the bottom of the mouse with my ring and pinky finger, which can cause cramps.

At the same time, I still prefer the Arc Mouse over the Surface Mouse. The Surface Mouse is a great, simple mouse, but the Arc Mouse; with its crazy futuristic design and elegant touch pad on the front, makes for an overall more functional peripheral. For example, the Arc Mouse has a whole bunch of configurable options via Microsoft's Keyboard and Mouse Center app, where the Surface Mouse doesn't.

When it comes to behavior, both mice operate the same when it comes to tracking. I find the scrolling mechanic on the Surface Mouse to be a lot more reliable, however, with the Surface Arc Mouse sometimes not catching my swiping as a scroll. I can program the Surface Arc Mouse to do different things when I left, right or middle click with three fingers. I can also easily change the direction of scrolling, horizontally or vertically. The Surface Mouse cannot do vertical scrolling.

Price

The Surface Mouse and Surface Arc Mouse are priced differently. The Surface Mouse is $49.99, which is relatively affordable for a premium, standard mouse. The Surface Arc Mouse is $30 more, priced at $79.99. The Arc Mouse does more and is using more expensive tech such as a touch pad and flexible design that allows it to fold flat. As a result, it's slightly more expensive.

That $30 is a big different, and whether you should spend the extra cash depends on what you need from your mouse.

Which should you get?

Are you looking for a straightforward, simple yet sleek mouse that features traditional physical right, left and scroll wheel and a universal design that will fit great and comfortably in your hand? Then you are going to want to opt for the Surface Mouse. If on the other hand, you're looking for something a bit different, that's super easy to carry around and doesn't feature physical right, left and scroll wheel buttons, then the Surface Arc Mouse is for you.

I must say, I have enjoyed my time with the Surface Arc Mouse far more than I have with the standard Surface Mouse, likely because I prefer the unique design that grabs people's attention. While the Surface Mouse is more comfortable, the Surface Arc Mouse feels more premium in my hand, and I much prefer the touchpad over traditional physical buttons.

Being able to quickly power off the mouse by folding it out flat is also a nice addition. On the Surface Mouse, the only way to do that is to turn the mouse over and press the small Bluetooth button once. On the Surface Arc Mouse, I have that option in addition to being able to simply fold it flat. Neat.

All-in-all, no matter which mouse you go for, you're going to be getting a great experience, along with that beautiful Surface design, either way. Let us know which mouse you decide to go for below!

• See Surface Mouse at Microsoft
• See Surface Arc Mouse at Microsoft