Microsoft Arc Mouse

Microsoft Arc Mouse — ultra-thin foldable Bluetooth travel mouse, capacitive touch scroll strip (no physical scroll wheel), Bluetooth 5.0, approximately one-year battery life on two AAA batteries, folds flat to approximately 7mm thickness for bag carry, works on most surfaces, instant pairing with Surface and Windows devices. Available at major online retailers. Bluetooth-only with no 2.4GHz dongle option — susceptible to interference in RF-crowded environments and higher latency than dongle wireless; the capacitive touch scroll strip provides no tactile feedback and requires intentional gesture rather than passive scroll, which some users never adapt to; not suitable for gaming of any kind — the click mechanism has limited tactile feedback and the shape is not optimized for rapid pointer movement; the fold hinge mechanism has documented wear failure at 2–3 years of frequent travel use; the asymmetric arc shape is a size fit issue for users with larger hands.

The Microsoft Arc Mouse solves a specific portability problem that no other mouse in this comparison addresses — folding flat to approximately 7mm thickness so it disappears into a bag without pressing against laptops, notebooks, or chargers. The capacitive touch scroll strip replaces a physical scroll wheel and works reliably for browser navigation and document scrolling once you adapt to the gesture rather than passive scroll. Bluetooth 5.0 pairs instantly with Surface and Windows devices, and two AA batteries deliver approximately one year of typical use without recharging. It is a budget-priced travel mouse. The honest tradeoffs: Bluetooth-only means higher latency than 2.4GHz dongle wireless and worse RF performance in crowded environments, the touch scroll strip has no tactile feedback so some users never adapt, and the fold hinge has documented wear issues at the 2-3 year mark with frequent travel.

▶ Video review

Microsoft Arc Bluetooth Mouse - 18 Month Review