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Introduction
For those who aren’t in the know: VAXEE is a company that was founded by a lot of the same people who were behind the original ZOWIE. Up until now the brand has been putting out new, original designs, which left fans wondering if they would ever revisit some of the legendary shapes that they helped create. That time is now. The newest addition to the brand’s lineup is a reimagining of the legendary EC shape. In our full VAXEE E1 Wireless review, you’ll find out if it’s worth your time and money.
At A Glance
VAXEE E1 Wireless
Used by 19 players ()-
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Chronicle
The VAXEE E1 Wireless will feel like coming home for a lot of tactical shooter gamers. It’s the brand’s take on the iconic EC shape and it’s a really good one.
Pros
- Amazing shape
- Great build quality
- Great gaming performance
Cons
- Clicks might be too light for some
- Expensive
- Battery life isn’t great
Specs
| Sensor | PAW3950 |
|---|---|
| DPI | 400, 800, 1600, 3200 |
| Polling Rate | 500 / 1000 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
| Button Switches | Huano |
| Button Force | 56.8g |
| Connection | Wireless |
| Shape | Ergonomic |
| Length | 12.0cm |
| Height | 4.2cm |
| Weight | 60g |
| Width | 5.7cm |
First Impressions
Packaging
Inside the box of the VAXEE E1 Wireless, you’ll find:
- The mouse
- USB-C charging cable
- 4K receiver
- QR code which leads to an online manual.
I don’t have anything against bare unboxing experiences, but at this premium price point it would be nice to see a set of extra mouse feet. I would personally also love an actual printed quickstart guide. However, I do understand that VAXEE might be going with just the QR code for environmental reasons, which I cannot fault them for.
The Mouse
The VAXEE E1 Wireless is currently available in white, black, navy blue, red, pink, and light blue. I got the red version for testing. Notable are the new navy blue and red colors. Previously, VAXEE’s colored options were all kind of ‘washed’ looking, as if they had been desaturated. These new colors are a lot deeper and more colorful, which is something that I like. The particular shade of red that they’ve used here has a sort of hot rod red (minus the gloss) hue to it which I am partial to.
Aside from the lovely new color, another thing about the mouse that stands out immediately is the shape. This is unmistakably an EC-inspired design, and those who are familiar with EC mice will feel right at home with the E1. I usually try to stay away from ‘comparison-based reviews’ (that’s what the alternatives section is for at the end of the review) but it’s hard to ignore here, given how closely tied both mice are.
In case you aren’t familiar: the CEO of VAXEE was part of the team that designed the original ZOWIE EC mice way back in the day. This E1 is a modernized update of that legendary shape.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
My hands are 18×10.5 cm and I use a normal (neither relaxed, nor aggressive) claw grip.
Shape vs the ZOWIE EC
As I mentioned, the E1 is extremely heavily based on the ZOWIE EC. In fact, it’s pretty much the same shape as the EC save for one thing: the back. The VAXEE E1 has a shorter back section that’s more rounded, whereas the EC’s back section is longer and protrudes more. Both mice feel very similar in the hands, but the shorter back does make for some differences when playing, so it’s not a 1:1 copy. If I were to compare the E1 to the ZOWIE mice, I’d say that it’s something in between the EC2 and EC3. The EC2 feels a bit more locked in than the E1, which feels a bit more nimble.
For me personally, the ZOWIE EC3-CW is the best of the bunch as far as these types of ergo shapes go, but I absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to use the E1 as my main mouse.
Shape
With this mouse being based on the EC, a lot of gamers will probably know what to expect. The EC is a legendary shape for a reason, after all. What you’re getting with this mouse is an ergonomic shape with extremely natural curves. At no point does the mouse force your fingers into a certain position, which allows you to use a variety of grip styles comfortably.
There are subtle comfort grooves in both main buttons which -along with the curves for the thumb and ring finger- give the mouse a very comfy fit.
The back hump is rather gradual, so if you’re looking for a locked-in, palm-filling type of fit then this might not be the mouse for you. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic ergo shape.
It’s pretty tough to describe what exactly makes this shape the GOAT of ergonomic shapes for a lot of people. All I can say is that it’s an extremely well thought-out design that flows incredibly well that I am huge fan of. There are tons of mice that have tried to copy that legendary EC design, and none have quite managed to match it.
Weight
With a weight of ~60 grams, this mouse isn’t exactly breaking any records. I wouldn’t mind if the mouse were a bit lighter, but I am not someone who is always chasing the lightest mouse out there. In fact, I’ve spoken to multiple manufacturers now who have stated that pros generally like their mice to be between 50-60 grams. This might change in the future (standards evolve with time, after all) but I think the weight makes perfect sense here.
This depends on your tolerances, but the mouse definitely doesn’t feel heavy or cumbersome to me.
Coating
I don’t know if it’s due to the color, the colder season, or if it’s just placebo, but the coating on the E1 feels slightly better than coatings of other recent VAXEE mice to me. VAXEE’s coatings have been top performers in the grip department for a while now, but I always had a slight issue with the way they felt when things got a bit sweatier.
That isn’t the case anymore. This E1 feels great to use under all circumstances, and it handles sweat and fingerprints rather well. I have no remarks here: the coating feels and performs great.
Mouse Feet
The feet that VAXEE have put on the mouse feel smooth right out of the box. They’re not the slickest stock feet in the business, but as someone who likes a more controlling mouse setup I actually like that. There’s not a lot to say here: these are good and perform as they should.
Note: the mouse comes with a protective blue film on the feet, which is shown in the image below. The actual feet are white PTFE. Make sure to take off the blue film before using the mouse.
Recommended Grip Types
In theory, the VAXEE E1 can work for all grip types due to its safe shape. With that said: if you’re a claw gripper I would recommend looking towards ambidextrous mice first, as those shapes offer a more natural fit for that playing style. Both palm and claw grippers should be able to find a comfortable home here with little to no issues though. If you like a super filled palm, you may want to look elsewhere, but other than that, this is a shape that will work for a ton of people.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
Since their last release, VAXEE’s button grinding issues seem to be a thing of the past. There is a tiny bit of side travel on mouse 1 but that’s not something that can be felt when gaming unless you press that button at the very top right, so it’s a very nitpicky complaint.
Additionally, both pre- and post travel are dialed in perfectly, with no excessive travel on either end of the spectrum.
While the implementation of the buttons is done pretty much perfectly, I do have one complaint and that is that the buttons are too light for me. I know that click tensioning is subjective, but for what it’s worth: these are the lightest buttons I’ve tested on a mouse so far. During the first couple of days of testing, I even made a ton of accidental clicks.
You could argue that that’s a skill issue or a subjective problem, but I guess I just don’t understand why VAXEE went from perfectly ‘middle of the road’ clicks on the XE-S Wireless (their previous release) to these very light ones. I eventually got used to the clicks and now I have no issues with misfires, but I far prefer the clicking tension on most of their other mice.
Scroll Wheel
VAXEE’s scroll wheels have been great for quite some time now, and that’s no different here. The steps between scrolls are very nicely defined without feeling rigid, it’s easy to click without accidental scrolls, and it’s nice and quiet when operating. To top it all off, there’s some thick and grippy rubber on the wheel itself, which makes using it even easier. I love this wheel.
Side Buttons
The side buttons feel and sound a little bit less clicky than the main buttons, but aside from that there’s not much to say. Post travel is very minimal, and the same can be said for pre travel. The buttons are also conveniently placed and easy to tell apart in the heat of battle. For me, these are very good.
Build Quality
When shaking the mouse, I can hear a light rattly sound near the scroll wheel. Other than that, there’s absolutely nothing to remark about the build quality of the VAXEE E1. The shell doesn’t flex at any point, and I can hear no creaking or other unwanted noises when using the mouse normally.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor
The VAXEE E1 Wireless is the second mouse by the brand to use the 3950 sensor. That is today’s ‘it’ sensor, and it’s implemented perfectly here. I found no polling rate inconsistencies, experienced no latency issues, and DPI deviation is well within acceptable margins.
Right out of the box, you can use the E1 Wireless with a polling rate of 4000Hz. Whether that is a net benefit for your gameplay or not remains a topic of hot debate in the community, but it’s good to see that VAXEE’s mice come with a 4KHz dongle right out of the box.
Whatever polling rate you end up using: the E1 Wireless translates all of your movements and actions with perfect precision.
Configuring The Mouse
All of VAXEE’s mice are driverless, which means that all configurating is done on the mouse itself. Basic operations like changing the DPI, polling rate, and click debounce time can be done via a single button press on the bottom. More complex configurations (such as changing the LOD) require you to press a variety of buttons at the same time.
This means that intricate macros and button rebindings are out of the question with the E1. If you’re someone who likes to do these things, it’s good to know that this isn’t possible here.
Battery Life
Unfortunately, the battery life of the E1 isn’t anything to write home about. At competitive mode (which is the mode that the mouse comes in by default) you get 38 hours at 1000Hz, 34 hours at 2000Hz, and 30 hours at 4000Hz. You can extend the battery life to 110 hours at 1000Hz if you use standard mode, but I don’t think anyone who pays premium prices for a hardcore competitive gaming mouse is going to want to gimp its performance.
I mainly tested the mouse at 4000Hz and had to recharge it quite frequently during my testing. It’s not a huge deal, but it’s a bit annoying that you can’t even drop the polling rate to make the battery last a bit longer, as even at 1000Hz you’re only getting 38 hours.
With that said: pretty much every gamer has USB-C cables lying around in all corners of their house in this day and age, so plugging your mouse in after a day of gaming isn’t a big hurdle of course.
Alternatives
VAXEE E1 Wireless vs ZOWIE EC2
I’ve already discussed this in the ‘shape’ section of the review, but the E1 has a shorter tail than the EC2, which gives it a more nimble feeling. Aside from that, both mice are pretty much similar. This makes the E1 probably the closest EC alternative I’ve seen in recent times.
As far as specs go, the EC-CW is heavier, has an inferior sensor, and is only capable of polling rates up to 1000Hz. With that said: ZOWIE is releasing DW versions for pretty much their entire lineup, bringing 4KHz as well as weight improvements to their mice. Nothing is confirmed at the time of writing this review, but it’s very likely that a 4KHz EC will be releasing in the (near) future.
VAXEE E1 Wireless vs VAXEE OUTSET AX
The E1 and OUTSET are both ergonomic mice from VAXEE, but their hand feeling is quite different. The OUTSET AX is shorter and has a much higher hump. This makes it feel a lot more filling and locked-in than the more nimble E1. Additionally, the AX is also heavier, all of which makes it feel like a far more substantial mouse when playing.
See our VAXEE OUTSET AX Wireless review
VAXEE E1 Wireless vs Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro
Despite the fact that both are ergonomic mice with a similar-looking design, the DeathAdder V3 Pro feels drastically different. It is larger in pretty much every way, giving it a completely different feeling when in use. However, if you like what you read about the the E1 Wireless and you’d like to go for a bigger mouse, the DA V3 Pro might be something to consider.
In addition to that, the DeathAdder V3 Pro is more technologically advanced due to the fact that it has optical switches and is capable of polling rates of up to 8000Hz. Those differences would be very hard to tell ingame though.
See our Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro review
Conclusion
The VAXEE E1 Wireless will feel like coming home for a lot of tactical shooter gamers. It’s the brand’s take on the iconic EC shape and it’s a really good one. What you’re getting here is a more nimble-feeling EC shape due to the shorter tail, but other than that it feels almost the exact same. There’s a reason the shape this mouse is modeled after is so iconic, as it’s one of the best ergo shapes of all time.
In terms of technology and build quality, I can be short. It’s all done really well. From the buttons (even though the clicks are too light for me) to the sensor to the build quality: it’s all done to incredibly high standards. VAXEE really do produce some of the best competitive gaming mice out there at this point in time.
You do have to pay a pretty penny if you want to have that quality in your hands. In the US, the E1 Wireless is priced at $139.99. That’s tolerable for a high quality mouse these days. However, in the EU (where I am at) this same mouse would cost $167.75 when converted to dollars. That is a lot of money. For that type of cash I would love to see at least some additional mouse feet in the box, for example. Value is subjective and you do get a fantastic mouse if you decide to purchase it, but I do believe that this price point is keeping a lot of potential buyers away.
With that said: the VAXEE E1 Wireless is yet another fantastic mouse by VAXEE, and I do love the products that this company has been putting out.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
