Introduction
With ZOWIE’s DW line, the brand is bringing all of their current models into the world of wireless gaming mice. The EC series had already made the wireless transition around two years ago, but it’s now getting the DW treatment and being updated with more modern specs. If you want to know whether this iconic shape is still worth getting in its current iteration, read our full ZOWIE EC2-DW review to find out everything you need to know!
At A Glance
ZOWIE EC2-DW Black
Staff’s Choice
Pro’s Choice
If you’re looking for an ergonomic mouse with one of the gaming world’s most respected shapes, this has to be on your list. It’s got very little objective flaws, and its proven design has been used by top gamers for many, many years now.
Pros
- Great build quality
- Amazing shape
- Enhanced receiver that doubles as a charging dock is a great feature to have
- Great set of clicks
Cons
- Some people might not like the fact that it uses mechanical switches instead of opticals
- Coating can look dirty quite easily (but performs well)
Specs
| Sensor | PAW3950 |
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| DPI | 400, 800, 1000, 1200, 1600, 3200 |
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| Polling Rate | 125 / 250 / 500 / 1000 / 2000 / 4000 Hz |
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| Button Switches | Huano |
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| Connection | Wireless |
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| Shape | Ergonomic |
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| Length | 12.3cm |
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| Height | 4.2cm |
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| Weight | 60g |
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| Width | 6.5cm |
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First Impressions
Packaging
ZOWIE hasn’t changed their known formula with the EC2-DW. The box that the mouse comes in is plain black and red, same as every other ZOWIE mouse.
Inside this box, you get:
- The mouse itself
- A USB-C-to-USB-A cable
- A quickstart guide
- User documentation
- The enhanced receiver
- A regular dongle
- A pair of replacement speed mouse skates
- A pair of control mouse skates
That’s a very generous amount of extras, and I love the fact that you’re also getting additional skates. Kudos to ZOWIE for all the stuff they include in the box. Nice extra: thanks to the two receivers, you can quite easily use this mouse across two devices, as you can switch between the enhanced receiver and the regular one by flicking a switch on the bottom of the mouse.
The Mouse
ZOWIE mice are not flashy pieces of equipment. The EC2-DW is a matte black mouse with no holes in the shell and minimal branding. Towards the back, there’s a small red ZOWIE logo, and on the sides there’s a barely visible BENQ logo. Aside from these logos, nothing betrays that this is a gaming mouse.
Compared to older ZOWIE mice, there’s one big exterior change. The black mouse skates have made way for white ones, which are the brand’s speed skates. Aside from this, the mouse looks pretty much the exact same as its predecessors.
One important thing to note is that the EC line has been fully converted to the wireless realm. This means that all sizes (from the large EC1 to the smaller EC3) are available as wireless DW models. That is not the case with ZOWIE’s other mouse lines, which currently only feature one size.
Shape, Coating, and Mouse Feet
Shape
In case you aren’t aware: the ZOWIE EC is one of the most copied shapes in the world. That should already tell you everything you need to know about how good it is.
What you’re getting here is an incredibly natural-feeling ergonomic mouse with a centralized hump. It’s a rather curvy affair, but every little bump and dent feels seamless and like it is absolutely meant to be there. On some mice, you get the feeling like some sections force your fingers or hand into a certain position, but that isn’t the case here. No matter how you grab it, it feels good. If you like ergonomic mice with a tilted design, this will feel great.
It’s tough to describe the shape of the EC2 without getting into hyperbolics, but it’s just a shape that makes sense. For me, this is one of the absolute best shapes out there. Even after all these years.
Shape vs other ZOWIE mice
The EC is currently the only ergonomic mouse in ZOWIE’s lineup. All their other mice are ambidextrous mice with different defining features. I have reviewed all ZOWIE DW mice, so if you want to learn more you can always find them in our review section. Or you can ask away in the comments. I answer every single question.
Coating
The coating is ZOWIE’s standard finish. This performs great under pretty much all circumstances, but it’s not great at handling oils and sweat. ZOWIE mice have definitely gotten better at this, but I still find myself keeping a cloth in my vicinity whenever I’m using a ZOWIE mouse for a longer period of time.
With that said; if you don’t care about looks, you’re good to go. The coating never starts feeling dirty, and it provides a good amount of grip at all times.
Mouse Feet
ZOWIE’s DW mice come with their speed skates installed by default. That was a common request back in the day, so it’s good to see that they have listened to their fans.
In terms of speed, the new speed skates are a little bit faster than the more control-focused black ones, but I wouldn’t put any pair into the ‘speed skates’ category. Both skates glide smoothly and have no edges that need rounding off via a break-in period.
If you’re looking for the fastest gliding experience out there, you may want to go aftermarket. But for everyone else, these skates should do fine on all pads.
Recommended Grip Types
Since this is an ergonomic mouse, I would not recommend it for fingertip grippers. Claw and palm grip users should feel right at home when using the EC2-DW, however. It’s not the most palm-focused mouse on the market due to the central location of the hump, but if you prefer a lot of palm contact then you can always get the larger EC1-DW.
Buttons and Scroll Wheel
Buttons
ZOWIE mice use HUANO switches, and have done so for a long time. Despite them not being optical switches (which I prefer these days), I am completely fine with them. They offer a very substantial clicking experience and can feel quite a bit heavier than other common switches, but that’s exactly what I like about them. In games like VALORANT and CS2, they give you a reassuring feeling when tapping away at a distance, and given the fact that I mainly play tactical shooters, that kind of experience is exactly what I need.
They have also been implemented pretty much perfectly. Pre- and post travel are easily within acceptable margins, and there is no sideways movement at any point.
People who like to play games where you’re constantly spam clicking might find these too robust, but for everyone else this is a fantastic set of main clicks.
Scroll Wheel
The days where ZOWIE wheels were a controversial aspect are long gone, and today I would rank them among the better wheels out there.
The wheel on the EC2-DW is still quite loud, but the tensioning between different steps is tuned really nicely. Furthermore, I can click the wheel quite easily without accidentally scrolling. Since I use the M3 button in the majority of my games, that’s always a nice extra.
The wheel has a roughly textured rubber strip on top, giving it a good grip at all times.
During my testing, I never encountered any missed scroll steps or any erroneous inputs, so for me this is quite simply a really good scroll wheel.
Side Buttons
The side buttons on modern ZOWIE mice feel great. If I’m being extremely nitpicky, I would say that M5 has a little too much post travel near the edges, but that is a really small issue.
Aside from that, the side buttons feel great. They’re easy to tell apart, and when you click them, you get a nice and crispy click. I don’t have any remarks here at all.
Build Quality
ZOWIE mice are known for their great build quality, and they deserve that reputation. I’ve tested a ton of ZOWIE mice over the years, and I’m pretty much always impressed by how solid they feel. That’s also the case here.
Tapping and squeezing the mouse reveals absolutely nothing. The bottom plate is a little bit more flexible than the shell, but that’s a non-issue for me, as that will never come into contact with any noteworthy pressure.
When I shake the mouse, I can hear a faint ticking near the scroll wheel, but that is something that happens on many mice. Seeing as you can’t hear or feel this during normal operation, I don’t consider it to be an issue.
In a nutshell: this feels like a well-built and extremely reliable mouse.
Sensor and Everyday Performance
Sensor
Under the hood, you will find the 3950 sensor. That’s one of the best sensors on the market today, and it can go up to 4000Hz on this mouse. That’s a big plus for consumers (previous ZOWIE mice only went to 1000Hz) but it should be noted that this is not something that will improve your performance in leaps and bounds. Gaming at higher polling rates can give you an edge in certain scenarios, but it’s small.
With that said: it’s always good to see brands following recent technological innovations, so it’s nice to see that all wireless ZOWIE mice are now 4000Hz capable. Whether you want to use these higher polling rates or not is up you, but the option is there.
In terms of implementation, everything checks out. Flawless sensors have been the norm for many years now, and this ZOWIE EC2-DW will translate all of your desk movements with pixel perfect precision. Things like DPI deviation and polling stability all seemed good across the board in my testing.
Configuring the mouse
All settings are configured directly on the mouse using small toggle buttons and LED indicators on the bottom. There’s no software required, and that’s intentional. This keeps the mouse plug-and-play, driverless, and tournament-ready. For some, that’s a relief. And personally, I like driverless products as well. But it would be nice if ZOWIE released a web-based driver for their mice at some point in the future. Other companies have done it, and it would be a nice option for people who use uncommon DPI levels.
On the mouse itself, you can change the DPI, LOD, click response time, and polling rate. Macros and button rebinding cannot be done natively.
Battery life
The EC2-DW will give you around 24 hours of in-game time before it needs to be charged. That’s not mind blowing (nor is it bad, to be clear) but what’s good to note is that the enhanced receiver functions as a charging dock. By simply placing the mouse on said dock, it will start to charge. For me, that’s an amazing extra.
In case you didn’t know: high polling rates require drastically more battery life. And with those polling rates becoming the norm, it’s kind of crazy to me that most other companies aren’t offering a charging dock feature. I know that it can add some weight, but the EC2-DW’s 60g can hardly be called overweight, so for me this is an appropriate trade-off.
In any case: the battery life is, in practice, pretty much endless. By placing the mouse on the dock when you’re taking a short lunch break, for example, you’ll charge it enough to last for multiple hours afterwards. I love the charging dock, and I really feel like more brands should implement something like this.
Alternatives
The EC2 is probably the most copied shape in the world, so there is a practically endless supply of alternatives. In recent times, I can think of the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro (a little larger and bulkier in the hand), the Pulsar Xlite V4 (practically the same shape), and the VAXEE E1 Wireless (different shape, but meant as a ‘successor’ to this design). All of these have their own unique features and design elements, but they’re popular options to consider if you like the EC2 design and don’t want to go for a ZOWIE mouse.
Conclusion
The ZOWIE EC2-DW doesn’t reinvent anything, and that’s its biggest strength. It brings wireless connectivity and high polling rates to one of the most beloved shapes in FPS gaming, using the same reliable internals as the rest of the DW line. This release pretty much addresses most issues that people had with the CW line of mice, without screwing with ZOWIE’s design principles.
This mouse will not be for everyone, but ZOWIE isn’t looking to please everyone. They address a specific market of mouse enthusiasts, and now they’ve taken their core design principles into the year 2025 with their full DW lineup. The fact that the brand has always stayed true to their principles (by not following along with the honeycomb trend, for example) is something that I respect.
If you’re looking for an ergonomic mouse with one of the gaming world’s most respected shapes, this has to be on your list. It’s got very little objective flaws, and its proven design has been used by top gamers for many, many years now. For me personally, this is one of the GOAT shapes, and it’s nice to see it being made up-to-date with this DW refresh.
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.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
