Starting off our SteelSeries Aerox 3 review, I quickly knew what I wanted and needed after using my Razer and Logitech mice on and off between the years. Firstly, I hated hauling around big, sometimes chunky mice simply due to where I would want to use it more often than not.
Secondly, I wanted something that could be wireless but also even if I had to use a cord to charge it, the cord wasn’t proprietary. I found that and more in the SteelSeries Aerox 3 wireless mouse.
SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless
Manufacturer: SteelSeries
MSRP: $109.99 USD
With the SteelSeries Aerox 3 you can say goodbye to the days of having a sweaty mouse while working or gaming. One of the most distinctive things to notice right off the bat is the caged breathable design incorporated into the unit.
With this you can also see the innards a little bit more and see more lights rather than underneath, or on the sides. The main reason given for this design choice is to save on weight. This is in addition to the “200 hour compact high performance battery” which saves 13g along with the designs 18g of perforation.
The SteelSeries Aerox 3 is ultra-light and that means you can almost forget you’re using it, it makes other mice seem heavy by comparison. I also like to snack while I work or game, so sometimes it can get into your mouse, even when you accidentally spill your drink and it makes your clicks sticky.
Coming from this, the added AquaBarrier Protection is touted to make this the first ever gaming mouse ever to receive an IP54 rating – this means protection against dust, low pressure jets of water, oil, fur, and more.
I’m a dog owner so this definitely helps to clean out because of the open design, not that it gets anywhere near equipment like this but it is helpful. As far as charging, it uses USB-C. That’s it.
A struggle I had with other mice like the Razer one I own is that you can only use that cable specifically made for it. This is universally connectable and it doesn’t require replacing batteries, and fast charges for use.
A few things to note is that comparing the SteelSeries Aerox 3 to another mouse I use for a separate PC, this battery dies a lot quicker. I think the 200 hours estimate comes in from remembering to turn off the mouse when you leave your desk, because I could never achieve that number personally. Battery life is something that can be vital to someone taking this many places.
That being said, it won’t die when it’s charged while you’re on a plane trip or anything of the sort, but something to be conscious of. The up to 200 hours battery life is when connecting via Bluetooth instead of the low latency 2.4GHz which can make the difference when you’re gaming as well.
I had some disconnects for random reasons while playing a game, but it was solved by unplugging and reconnecting the dongle. Small things to be wary of but otherwise a great mouse that fits for all.
Ultimately, the SteelSeries Aerox 3 is one of my favorite mice that I can’t stop using and offers every bit of performance it can from the $109.99 price tag. I believe that this could be a little bit cheaper with the market it competes in but I feel the SteelSeries Aerox 3 is worth every penny for the regular person as well as the casual gamer.
SteelSeries Aerox 3 Wireless was reviewed using a review unit provided by SteelSeries. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here.
