Ergonomics, customisation and a question of branding: Logitech Lift for Mac review

The Logitech Lift for Mac is an ergonomic mouse with more than a comfortable and natural holding position. Its near-silent right and left button clicks will make anyone who shares your office smile, while the four customisable additional buttons can add some welcome efficiency to your work routine. Switchable Bluetooth connections also bolster efficiency; the Lift for Mac can switch connections between three Bluetooth devices at the touch of a button.

The battery, though one disposable AA, is long-lasting, with Logitech promising that it'll run for up to two years. While this does require optimum conditions, it's nice to know that you won't need to switch out the battery every month. Even those who really hammer their mouse can expect a year out of it.

The Lift for Mac is an excellent mouse with few faults. However, there is some oddness around its similarities to the standard Logitech Lift. As explored below, the Lift for Mac and Lift are the same mouse, so if you like the look of its features and ergonomics, you should pick whichever is cheapest at the time.

Verdict: The Logitech Lift for Mac is an ergonomic, efficient mouse with long battery life and versatile Bluetooth connectivity. However, it's nearly identical to the standard Logitech Lift, making price the deciding factor for most.

Logitech Lift or Lift For Mac: What's the difference?

There is something odd about the Lift for Mac: it exists. To explain, we need to look at the original Logitech Lift. It has the same design as the Lift for Mac and is compatible with both macOS and Windows. It includes a Logitech Bolt USB receiver for computers without built-in Bluetooth. The standard Lift is also available in three colours (white, black, and rose) and in a left-handed version (black only).

The Lift for Mac is identical but only available in white, lacks a left-handed version and doesn't include the Bolt USB receiver (although, as the packaging notes, it is compatible).

The comparison table between the two versions on Logitech's website suggests that the Mac version isn't compatible with Windows. When I found this detail, I thought I had uncovered the difference, but it worked perfectly when I tested the Lift for Mac on a Windows laptop using its built-in Bluetooth.

The Logitech Lift is an excellent ergonomic mouse that I recommend to anyone who spends long hours on the computer, whether for admin tasks, spreadsheet work or photo editing. By extension, this means the Lift for Mac is an excellent ergonomic mouse.

When it comes to picking the one that is right for you, I think you accept that Logitech's whole 'for Mac' branding is an odd choice and just settle for purchasing whichever model is more affordable. Unless you're left-handed or require the USB receiver, in which case the standard Lift is the better option.

Visit Amazon.co.uk to see the current price of the standard Logitech Lift.

What's good?

The Logitech Lift for Mac boasts high build quality, featuring durable plastics and a rubber-like grip. Thanks to the smooth, near-frictionless skids on its underside, the Lift glides effortlessly across a mousepad. This easy movement is further supported by the device's light weight of only 125g.

The scroll wheel offers a smooth flow with the slightest hint of notching, enabling precise navigation through documents and web pages. The left and right mouse buttons provide a light yet crisp click, producing minimal noise, making the device virtually silent in all but the quietest environments. Initially, I found the lack of noise disconcerting, as I was accustomed to a mouse with a more pronounced click, but I soon grew to appreciate it.

The two buttons near the thumb are well-placed and set to control forward and back by default, which is ideal for web browsing. The single button beneath the scroll wheel is initially set to no action. You can customise these three buttons and the scroll wheel button to suit your workflow via the Logitech app. For example, you can set the centre button to open Chrome or mute your mic on a Teams call. You can also adjust the DPI in the app from 100 to 4000. All in, this makes it a decent choice as a mouse for work.

The Lift's ergonomic design is gentler than some options, such as Logitech's own MX Vertical, which, as the name suggests, has a steeper angle. While the Lift position took some time to get used to, I adapted to the Lift's ergonomic position and have really enjoyed it. The benefits of the ergonomic position will all depend on personal experience and physiology. In my case, I have mild tennis elbow, which can occasionally kick in when using a mouse extensively following a gym session. Interestingly, I haven't had any issues while using the Logitech Lift. While I can't definitively say the mouse has alleviated this, the timing has not slipped my notice.

Like many of Logitech's wireless peripherals, including the Logitech Signature Slim K950 keyboard we've reviewed, the Lift for Mac allows seamless switching between three Bluetooth connections via a control on the bottom of the unit. This feature is a real advantage for users like myself who work across multiple devices. During the day, I can connect to my work laptop and quickly switch to my personal MacBook in the evening without the hassle of navigating Bluetooth settings and computer menus.

What's okay?

This mouse uses a disposable battery, a slightly bitter pill to swallow if you've just purchased it at the full RRP of £70. It's a somewhat smaller pill at the often-found price of around £50, but it's still bitter. Looking through the Logitech catalogue, you will find that rechargeable batteries are included once you break the £80 barrier. While this doesn't make the Lift for Mac unusual, it's something to consider when weighing this up versus slightly more expensive options.

What elevates this to being an 'okay' factor rather than a straight negative is the fact that the disposable battery – one AA – will last for up to two years. That amount of time is determined based on ideal use conditions, so I am expecting mine to need a change in 12 to 16 months, but that is still acceptable to me. It's a simialr expereince to the Logitech Wave keyboard we reviewed, which uses two AAA batteries but can stay running for months at a time.

Any negatives?

The magnetic battery compartment hatch is a great feature for quickly accessing the battery and removes the need for fiddly – and potentially snappable – plastic clips. The hatch opens when a single pressure point is applied to a specific point. When doing so, the hatch opens up and pops off, as no hinges connect it to the mouse's body.

This design's shortcoming is encountered when you want to take the Lift for Mac with you in a bag for, say, commuting. The hatch can be knocked and opened, meaning you often find yourself – as I have – rooting around in the bottom of your backpack for the hatch lid.

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Who tested it?

William Austin-Lobley, the Digital Editor for What's The Best, tested the Logitech Lift for Mac. He has years of experience testing PC equipment. In fact, his first review for the site was on a Logitech mouse over five years ago.

How the Logitech Lift for Mac was tested

The Lift for Mac was swapped in for William's daily runner and has been used day in and day out for two weeks. It was used for office tasks as well as personal projects using Photoshop and Lightroom.

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William Austin-Lobley  is the Editor for What's The Best. Here, he oversees, curates and researches listicles and reviews as many products as his home office can handle.

He has spent nearly five years writing about tech, audio, outdoors and fitness and has reviewed everything from smartphones to ice baths. In addition, he's well-versed in sniffing out the best deals and savings the internet offers.

When not at his desk writing, reviewing or deal-hunting, he'll be relaxing with Japanese crime novels, bingeing some classic anime, strolling the countryside or at the gym listening to the heaviest metal Spotify has to offer.

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