NZXT Lift Elite Wireless Mouse and Mousepad review — Light and speedy

Most people seem content with laptops and tablets, but personally, I need a desktop computer. A big reason behind that is gaming, yes, but it also helps a lot to have work stuff in a specific place that I cannot move. It lets me more easily take breaks without being plugged in all the time. Speaking of unplugging: the NZXT Lift Elite Wireless Mouse! I prefer my mice wired, but untethering a device can be very handy sometimes; thankfully, this mouse does both.

The Lift Elite came with a few things: a lengthy UBS-C to USB-A cable, a C to A adapter, a wireless dongle handily stored within that adapter, and grip tape for left and right click. NZXT also sent over a large mousepad, which I’ve been testing alongside the device itself. The Lift Elite doesn’t require you to download any software or drivers before using it, it’s simply plug-and-play which I appreciate.

The design of the mouse is nice and subtle. I’m not a fan of RGB, so thankfully the only light on the device is a battery indicator when the device is plugged in. It’ll glow green when fully charged, and turn off when in use wirelessly. The light is nicely tucked within a small separation between the part where your palm rests and the left and right mouse buttons. It’s a good look; a bit more ostentatious than a typical office mouse, but not so “gamer” as to be distracting.

Given the name, you’d expect the Lift Elite to be light, but using it I was very surprised at just how light it is. Look on the bottom and you can see why, a lot of the mouse is hollow. This does make it much lighter, but consequently makes its build feel a bit cheap. Like a mouse that, if you squeeze too hard, would fold in on itself and break. Thankfully it is much sturdier than it feels, and won’t bend in the slightest no matter how you hold it.

On the bottom is also the DPI (Dots Per Inch) button, which essentially changes how fast the mouse cursor moves in relation to the mouse itself. There are a few settings the device toggles between with each press, though I never found any of them to be comfortable for me. I stuck with the fastest speed since that felt closest to what I’m used to, but to get it perfect would require some tweaking within Windows (or your equivalent operating system) itself.

Or, you can download NZXT’s CAM software, which gives you the ability to tweak a variety of settings and save them to the mouse’s onboard memory. I appreciate that this software isn’t required to use most of the device’s features, as I already have so many .exes for specific pieces of hardware. It’s probably worth downloading to update the firmware at least.

The Lift Elite has the requisite left and right click as well as the scroll wheel, but also two buttons on the side. These are pretty standard on mice nowadays, and they’re implemented nicely on the device. The two have distinct shapes and sizes with a small gap between them, making it easy to tell the difference without needing to look. They’re comfortable to use, and not so sensitive as to accidentally press them. Just like the DPI settings, you can customize what these buttons and the DPI button do in the CAM software.

I imagine the main draw of the Lift Elite is its wired and wireless capabilities. I used the mouse wired for a while, simply by plugging the included cable into the USB-C port on the front of the mouse (the port is recessed a little so the cable won’t get in the way), and it feels just like using a normal, wired mouse. For wireless mode, you need to unplug the mouse and insert the dongle into your computer. Going from wired to wireless is seamless, but trying to start wireless presents a bit of a problem. Sometimes the mouse will start wirelessly with no problem, but other times it needs to be plugged in first.

There was no manual included, which is frustrating, but I eventually found one once the product page went up. I received the mouse early, so I had no way of knowing that holding the DPI button for a few seconds would turn the device on and off. It’s frustrating that users need to go out of their way to search for documentation.

As a final note, let’s talk about the mousepad. The one NZXT sent over is a large, square shape, giving you more than enough room for mouse movement. So much so in fact, that it doesn’t really fit in my current desk setup as it is going up against the stand for my monitor. This has pros and cons. On one hand, it being this big allows me to use it as an armrest for my right arm while still having room to spare. On the other hand, it’s so big and thick that half of my keyboard also needs to be resting on it, making the right side stand up at a slightly awkward angle. Unless you know for a fact you can fit this comfortably on your desk, I’d recommend a more rectangular shape.

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