Sometimes you’re just not in the market for a fancy mouse. There’s no shame in simply wanting something that gets the job and won’t break the bank at the same time. While this means you usually have to sacrifice some bells and whistles, it doesn’t always mean you have to sacrifice quality. Here’s a list of some cheap mice -- both wired and wireless -- on the market that are worth taking a look at, all of which are less than $50.
1. Microsoft Express Mouse
The Express Mouse from Microsoft has a pleasing design and a comfortable feel. Even though it’s an ambidextrous mouse, and thus has no ergonomic details, it proved to glide and click comfortably. As a plus, it features the company’s BlueTrack technology that enables mousing on nearly any surface. At an MSRP of $19.95, that’s hard to beat. It comes in a variety of colors and would make an attractive option for a kitchen or other highly visible computer area.
2. Logitech Couch Mouse M515
This one comes in just under the $50 benchmark, but it’s so comfortable that it’s a good thing it did. The M515 is the ultimate couch potato’s wireless peripheral. It also comes with some bonus features like an on/off switch, a nano receiver placeholder and the company’s Hyper-fast scrolling.
3. Genius Traveler 900
The Genius Traveler 900 is a small, slim wireless mouse that could also double as a child’s mouse. Although it has a price of just $24.99, the Traveler 900 manages to pack in some extras, such as a pico receiver placeholder (crucial for any travel mouse) and the company’s Magic Roller button.
4. Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 1000
With a $19.99 price, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 1000 is about as bare bones as it gets. It’s an extremely lightweight mouse, and although it proved to be quite squeaky during testing, it boasts an impressive 10-month battery life. With a battery life like that, you can knock the price down even further when you consider how much you’ll be saving on batteries.
