Verdict
While nailing the compromise between portability and long-term usability, the Cherry Gentix BT still struggles to keep up in other environments. It’s brilliant for most people, but clearly not for everyone.
Pros
- Year-long life with included batteries
- Slim, wide design for comfortable fit and portability
- Premium-feeling tactile click
Cons
- No button on the right side for lefties
- DPI can’t be customized
- Looks as cheap as it is
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Multi-device supportThe Cherry Gentix BT can handle being paired to three devices at the same time, with a button beneath for quickly switching between them. -
Long battery lifeDepending on usage, it’s easy to expect a full year of runtime from the included AAA batteries. -
Slim and wide designThe Cherry Gentix BT is slim enough to carry around easily, but still wide enough to use comfortably for extended periods.
Introduction
Cherry is back at it again, this time with an incredibly low-profile Bluetooth clicker that focuses on being travel-friendly without sacrificing comfort.
Retailing for around £20, the Cherry Gentix BT is a an excellent buy in most situations. But does it rely on the usual drawbacks of cheap and cheerful Bluetooth mice that can hurt its long-term value proposition?
Design
- Plenty of colours to choose from
- Portability doesn’t impact fit and feel
- Ample rubber grips
The Cherry Gentix Bluetooth follows in the footsteps of its wired cousins. It’s a unique shape that gets very narrow at the end, but gradually shrinks from such a wide space at the knuckles that it remains comfortable.
Cherry has managed to make a Bluetooth mouse that’s both practical and portable, steering away from simply making it as small as can be.
Of course, that could mean it’s not the best for using with a laptop on the tiny tray of a plane or train, but it’s a dream if you work more from an iPad or other smaller devices.
While the top shell largely focuses on a single colour — of which there are many — it does feature another along the outer edge and straight through the middle, which keeps it from looking a little too generic even with its unique shape.
There’s plenty of thick rubber on the edges to hold onto, and the side buttons, while tiny, are very easy to find and press, with a tactile click you’ll always feel.
The very soft cherry blossom-style pink one I tested wasn’t the most attractive. But if you like to accessorise with your peripherals, want to brighten up your desk, or work in a space where a fun flair of colour makes all the difference, it’s nice to have the option.
Underneath the scroll wheel is a DPI toggle, ideal for those who bounce between multiple machines and tasks; from large web pages to intricate spreadsheets.
Underneath is where you’ll find a toggle for bouncing between three different Bluetooth devices. Having this on top would have made more sense for multi-machine setups. And no, you can’t remap it to the DPI switch if that’s what you’re thinking.
Performance
- Capable tracking
- Strong battery life
- Solid wireless performance
The Cherry Gentix BT is a portable productivity mouse through and through. The main buttons offer a satisfying click with minimal travel that’s not too sensitive or loud.
Though capable of climbing to 2000 DPI sensitivity, which is generally enough for most outside of frantic video games, you can only toggle between that and 1,000 — it can’t go lower, and it can’t go anywhere in between.
That limits its uses outside of the office and can make it hard to get to grips with if you have reason to use another mouse.
It also caps out at 125Hz polling, making it fall into the same struggles of the popular Logitech MX Master mice.
Again, it’s fine for the vast majority of people, but starts to feel floaty and unresponsive if you’ve upgraded to a higher refresh rate screen to avoid eye strain.
At the end of the day, though, tracking is what matters. Thankfully, the Cherry Gentix BT uses a solid Pixart sensor that’s unlikely to struggle.
It tracks well on multiple surfaces – though the feet aren’t thick enough to glide across more textured spots – and the Bluetooth connection remained solid no matter how many other wireless devices were around it.
Battery life is also strong: it didn’t cut out once throughout several weeks of testing. It doesn’t use a rechargeable battery though, instead It includes two AAA cells. This can be a blessing for some, but it means you’ll have to have more on hand in the rare chance they conk out during a busy moment. There’s no USB port here to hook it up if you forget.
Cherry has two different software suites you’ll need to differentiate between to adjust the Gentix BT. Even once you’ve figured it out, however, you’ll be met with very little you can tweak.
Assigning a new purpose to the side buttons is about it. If you’re adamant that changing the DPI isn’t for you, you can reassign that button.
Lighting isn’t anything you’ll need to worry about. There’s zero RGB flair with this one. Personalisation comes at the point of purchase: pick your colour and you’re off to the races.
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Should you buy it?
You want a no-frills mouse that just so happens to be perfect for travel
The Cherry Gentix BT doesn’t strive to be tiny for utmost portability. Instead, it’s smart in its space-saving efforts, making it as easy to use on the go as it is on your desk.
You want a do anything, anywhere sort of mouse
Down to its reliance on disposable batteries and the inability to easily tailor its sensitivity to your liking, the Cherry Gentix BT can’t quite do it all.
Final Thoughts
In taking a smarter approach to portability, the Cherry Gentix BT is one of the more compelling clickers around. It’s comfortable to use anywhere, but it’s not the best at everything.
So long as you’re not looking to play a competitive game on a work trip, the Gentix will serve its purpose: and look good doing it. But with few ways to easily tweak its speed and accuracy, there’s a chance it could always just feel a little off.
If you can get away with a bulkier on-the-go clicker, the Keychron M6 is the cream of the crop. And if you don’t mind the smaller stature (and the much higher price tag), the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S could be the way forward. Check out our roundup of the best wireless mice for more ideas.
How we test
We use every mouse we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by playing a variety of different genres, including FPS, strategy and MOBAs.
We also check each mouse’s software to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
Used as a main mouse for over a week
Tested performance on a variety of games
FAQs
You can get the Cherry Gentix BT in Black, Green, Pink, and Silver.
The mouse can remember three different Bluetooth devices at a time.
