Zowie FK1 vs Zowie EC1-A

The standard lift off distance on a cloth mouse pad is 1.5-1.8mm though it will be a bit higher when using a plastic pad being 2.2 - 2.4mm. To enable the plastic pad setting a certain button combination has to be pressed on the gaming mouse itself.

The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an Avago 3310 optical sensor which is regarded as one of the best in the world. It has no built-in acceleration and no angle snapping. It’s practically jitter-less when set at 125 and 500Hz polling rate, and has barely noticeable jitter at 1000Hz.

The Avago 3310 has no native CPI, it is made to have each step of 50 CPI work as well as the previous one. With CPI steps of 400/800/1600/3200 for the FK1, all CPI choices should work equally well.

The Zowie FK1 gaming mouse uses an ambidextrous design with a wide base for the palm rest.

FK1 has a very universal shape and size, making it a safe choice for most people regardless of grip type and hand size. Except for people with large hands who use the palm grip, who may need a larger model of the mouse.

Zowie has kept the mouse remarkably simple. There's no RGB lighting, adjustable weights, or superfluous buttons that end up only getting in the way. It's plug-and-play and requires no additional software. You can customize only the essential settings such as lift off distance, polling rate, or switch between left or right-handed modes with just a combination of specific button presses.

The Zowie gaming mouse has an extra pair of mouse feet in the box so users can replace their old ones when the time comes.

The Avago 3310 sensor used by this mouse is exceptional. It delivers a true portrayal of mouse movement with no jitter, acceleration or prediction. The available DPI choices of 400/800/1600/3200 are all native and should ensure an equally good performance, regardless of which one is chosen.

Though it may look tame, the mouse’s shape is quite ergonomic. Its subtle curves help your fingers position themselves while also allowing various grip types. For the same reason, the bulge of the mouse is located strictly in the middle, making it accommodating for the most amount of people, and even more for gamers that have big hands. Nevertheless, it may be more suited for palm grips because of the subtle curve at the right side which provides support for the ring and pinky fingers.

The EC1-A delivers accurate mouse cursor movement that is essential to any gaming mouse. Virtually flawless, it has none of the precision-altering flaws that are apparent in other mice.

Although the buttons have Huano switches, which are more stiff, the shell of the mouse somehow negates this and makes them click easily, just like typical Omron switches.

The mouse comes with two mouse feet that are larger than normal and ensure smooth movement over the mousepad.

The EC1-A includes a set of thumb buttons which are standard for most mice.

The switches don’t randomly break down, no component excessively rattles and the scroll wheel doesn’t degrade easily. Although the mouse has a rubber cable which is quite vulnerable to bending and damage, the mouse as a whole is well built and can be expected to last.

The mouse has a smooth plastic coating that doesn’t feel slippery. You can easily hold the mouse with a comfortable grip even without the rubber sides.

The EC1-A has only a few customization options, all of which are sensor related. It is possible to change the lift off distance, polling rate and the DPI settings (400/800/1600/3200).