It’s undeniable that wired products often perform at a higher level than wireless ones, even if just within the margins. However, the mobility and convenience of cutting the cord outweighs those small gains. These seven products exemplify why wireless reigns supreme in my daily life.
I kept items off this list that are inherently wireless in the modern day. So, whileI’m fond of my electric toothbrush and water flosser, and love the flexibility of a Nintendo Switch, they don’t fit the bill of products I could use wired but choose not to.
7Keyboards
In many ways, it doesn’t make sense for me to use wireless keyboards with my stationary PC. Not only do my keyboards never move, but I tend to keep the2.4 GHz receiversitting on my desk via a dongle attached to a cable. Further, my keyboard needs recharging often enough that it’s a borderline inconvenience to regularly wire it, and if I ever need to use customization software, same deal.
Still, there is intangible freedom in going wireless. Perhaps it’s something I notice thanks to the cleanliness of not having a wire snaking across my desk to the keyboard, or how I can set the RGB lighting to shut off when I’m using it, something that can otherwise be an eyesore. I can’t in good faith claim I’m gaining anything here on a practical level, but it just feels right, and that counts for a lot.
Lemokey P1 HE
A magnetic tenkeyless gaming keyboard with shine-through keycaps, a volume dial, and software-enabled gaming features such as rapid trigger and snap action.
6Gaming Mice
WhileI recently found a wired mouse that I quite liked, there is no world where I would daily-drive one. A great wireless mouse feels inherently better because it removes the friction, drag, and tug of a wire, while having no perceptible latency increase for my purposes.
Wired mice also tend to have great batteries, especially when used at a 1000 Hz polling rate (granted, this can nosedive athigher, unnecessary polling rates). I can go days of regular use without problem, and being in the position I am, there’s always another mouse in my repertoire in a pinch. In fact, I use a two-mouse setup that includes a standard gaming mouse and a mouse with a numpad on the side forFinal Fantasy XIV. A backup is always within hand’s reach.
The MMO mouse has its own story. While past Razer Naga models I used had internal rechargeable batteries, theRazer Naga V2 Hyperspeedin my current rotation runs on one AA battery. Since I have a set of rechargeable batteries, there’s always one charged and waiting to be swapped in, meaning no downtime whatsoever.
Razer Viper V3 Pro
Razer’s flagship ultralight wireless gaming mouse (54 grams) with a simple but comfortable layout, an exceptionally responsive optical sensor, and low-latency optical switches.
5Game Controllers
There is one type of game controller I will never use wirelessly:fight sticks. Every other type of controller is a 100% wireless endeavor for me.
This is all but a given with modern consoles. I always keep a second wireless controller at the ready in case one dies, which is a must due to the poor battery life of the PlayStation 5’s DualSense. In instances where I’ve tried a wired controller on consoles, such as aHori Fighting Commander OCTA, having a wire slung along my floor proved untenable, and I would regularly rip the controller from the console’s USB port.
When PC gaming, I used to stick with wired controllers as Bluetooth latency was a no-go, but 2.4 GHz wireless upended that. Getting exceptional responsiveness while removing a tether between me and my rig was freeing. There are other benefits too, such as how storing a wireless controller on a dock behind my monitor is a slicker storage solution and not needing to fear the controller cord being yanked off my desk by my leg if I put it down (my toes have not forgotten). You just need to get a controller with a battery that can reliably last a normal session, which is most of them.
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller
PC and Android gaming controller with TMR joysticks, a tactile D-pad, tactile bumpers, trigger locks, and mappable L4/R4 bumpers and back paddles. It also includes a gyroscope for motion controls.
4Headphones
When Apple ditched the headphone jack on iPhones nearly a decade ago, I was furious. I had never known anything other than the set on my head or the buds in my ears being wired to the phone in my pocket. In retrospect, I can’t imagine how I ever tolerated the tether.
Whether it be AirPods Pro for walking around my backyard (called New York City) orSony WH-1000XM4for focused listening sessions at home, wireless headphones still feel like a game changer all these years later. This is especially true when listening to audio from my laptop, which previously required me to impractically carry it around. Being able to listen to music or podcasts as I get things done around the apartment without needing to swap over to my phone is a convenience I now take for granted, and I’d have it no other way.
There is one caveat, though: I use open-ear wired Sennheiser headphones for PC gaming. For 13 years, the time-testedHD 598s’cable had the problem that it was longer than I knew what to do with, and on theHD 490 PROsI use now, the opposite is true. Yet as tough as a short leash is to swallow in a wireless headphone era, the stationary nature of PC gaming makes it largely a non-issue, and the comfort and sound quality of open-ear headphones is worth it.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
Enjoy significant enhancements to the Apple AirPods Pro with this 2nd generation release, powered by Apple’s H2 processor. Delivering twice the active noise cancellation, spatial audio, USB-C charging, and more.
3Wireless Charging
I may be stretching the parameters of this list a bit with wireless chargers, but they’re a crucial part of my tech lifestyle. I can’t remember the last time I put a cable in my iPhone or AirPods Pro case for the sake of charging, power banks when on-the-go aside. Wired charging may enable faster speeds, but that’s just not relevant enough in most situations for me to even consider anything other than slapping my phone on a MagSafe-compatible charging pad.
Charging stations are a win in every way: they place your phone at a comfortable viewing angle, save desk space by lifting it off the ground, include charging pads for other devices like AirPods and Apple Watches, and are mindlessly quick and easy to dock and undock from. Portable wireless chargers are also winners as they reduce the number of cables and outlets you need. The upsides justoutweigh the downsides.
Twelve South ButterFly SE
A Portable 2-in-1 wireless charger for the iPhone and Apple Watch that folds on itself to create stands for both devices.
2Vacuums
I can’t imagine any task where wires get in the way more than cleaning, so it baffles me that wired vacuums still exist. Not only is the tether a deficit in mobility and culpable of getting in the way, but it also presumes you have an outlet available for every corner of your house or apartment. Many wireless vacuums do suffer from poor battery life, but I’ll take that any day over the alternative.
There’s also a healthy living element to wireless vacuums. The ability to grab my vacuum and immediately start cleaning at any given moment leaves me more prone to spontaneous cleaning than I would be if I had to plug into an outlet. Taking away the friction from completing home upkeep tasks has been a huge boon for my quality of life beyond just the convenience of vacuuming itself.
I’ve also tried arobotic vacuum cleaner, but unfortunately it just doesn’t work well in my apartment. However, it’s still great for cleaning dust from under the couch, something that is awkward if not impossible with a handheld without moving furniture.
1VR Headsets
The Meta Quest headsets have revolutionized the accessibility of VR games through native gameplay, eliminating not only link cables but also PCs from the equation. Personally, I still enjoy connecting to my PC for a higher fidelity experience, but the taste of native wireless play on the Meta Quest 3 meant I could never settle for the potentially dangerous clumsiness of a link cable.
If I’m going to put myself in a situation where I completely impair my vision, I want every reassurance that I’m not going to damage myself or my surroundings. A cable can only get in the way, let alone be uncomfortable and immersion breaking if it begins to tug. Thankfully, playing over Wi-Fi usingVirtual Desktopand aPRISMXR Puppis S1 access pointis silky smooth to the point that nothing feels lost in the process.
Frankly, I’d even extend this sentiment to lighthouse tracking systems. While more precise than inside-out tracking, having to set up nodes around my VR space every time I want to play will just result in me not playing at all. Convenience is everything in this wireless world.
Meta Quest 3
Discover Meta Quest 3: the ultimate VR headset with cutting-edge performance, stunning visuals, and an all-in-one design. Explore immersive games, apps, and experiences like never before.
