EC Series has a serious competitor — RAWM ER21 Pro Review

The EC series has long set the standard for ergonomic FPS mice, shaping what many consider the ideal form for competitive gaming. The RAWM ER21 Pro enters this arena not as a tribute, but as a contender — matching the familiar silhouette while adding refinements aimed at today’s demands. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it does want to roll it faster and smoother.

Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me for testing purposes, though RAWM had no sway over the contents of this review.

Scenarios

Testing time: 2 weeks

Hand size: 21 x 12 cm

Grip: hybrid relaxed claw/finger

Humidity: 55–65%

Skates: stock skates.

Mousepads: Artisan Hien Soft, Teevolution Axis/Gravis, BerryMilk from Tenta-X.

Games: Battlefield 1, Battlefield V, QuakeWorld, Doom Eternal.

Official Specs and Features

In the Box

• RAWM ER21 Pro
• braided USB-A to C cable
• 8k dongle
• manual
• grip tapes

Unboxing

Shape and Grip

Shape-wise, it’s definitely inspired by the Zowie EC series — kind of like the EC1/EC2 baby — but it doesn’t push the curves or the hump as hard as some other ergo mice. It’s a solid pick if you palm grip and have medium to large hands. Medium hands can claw it comfortably, and if you’ve got larger hands, you might get away with a relaxed or aggressive claw grip. It’s a pretty good sweet spot for me, because EC1 was kind of too bulky for me, this one’s pretty amazing for my 21×12 cm hands.

One thing surprised me — the mouse is bigger than EC2, so all the humps and curves should be considerably bigger as well, but this time they are polished, and the natural curvature seems optimized, especially around the sides and back. That caught me by surprise, and being a bit prejudiced towards ergonomic mice, I kinda liked that.

That said, this is a perfect ergo mouse for a medium hand that will have no issues with the proper palm grip. Gamers with bigger hands will have to move the palm probably a bit towards the back and have a more relaxed position, and operate more with fingers. Yet, this mouse doesn’t feature a dedicated thumb or pinky finger rest.

Bottom line? A larger EC2 instance will cater nicely for medium and larger hands.

Buttons and Clicks

TTC Opticals are the main options here; they are optical and are definitely better than the Raeshas that RAWM used before. Their lifespan is said to be around 100 mln clicks. The general advantage of optical switches over mechanical ones is that opticals typically detect actuation via light interruption, which can reduce debounce delays and lower latency compared to mechanical contacts.

These switches in use are light and crisp — in general, they are supposed to have zero or almost no pre-/post-travel, and it’s true in general (according to other reviewers); however, my mouse 2 click has some small pre-travel. Nothing game-breaking, but I wish it were better. Of course, you can set the mouse 1 to be on par with mouse 2 in the RAWM software, but that’s now what we love to do as gamers. I don’t have any major issues with side buttons or scroll wheel — they are acceptable. Could they be better? Sure, but it’s still ok.

The main buttons have nice grooves for your fingers, which make the clicking experience more enjoyable. Overall, the clicks and buttons are really good, and I want to believe that the pre-travel I have mentioned is only in my copy.

Bottom line? Slight pre-travel on mouse 2 ruins the almost perfect, low-latency click feeling.

Build Quality and Skates

The RAWM ER21 Pro feels very solid all around, almost premium — I am not afraid to say it. The top shell is made from very smooth and solid plastic, so it’s got a really sturdy feel to it, while the bottom is all covered (no holes), just like any other RAWM mouse. The plastic base has zero flex, which is pretty normal for all mice that pretend to be premium, but you can also feel absolutely no give on the top if you really press down on the hump or palm area — no creaking, no other funny stuff either. No loose bits, no rattling, and the main buttons are tight with barely any side play. The white paint looks great too, and helps the mouse stand out visually. Hey, it is a mouse that can challenge Zowie and Vaxee in build quality, I have no doubts about that.

Skates are really good — I had no urge to even think about replacing them. They are solid, pretty thick, rounded, and medium fast, with a flair of decent control. They performed well on all mousepad surfaces I tested them with. I would be great to have a spare pair of them in the box, though.

Weight and Coating

The RAWM ER21 Pro comes in at just around 50 grams — impressively light for its size. It’s lighter than any Zowie mouse it’s clearly meant to challenge, yet it never feels hollow or cheap. The balance point sits almost dead center, maybe leaning a touch forward with the sensor placement around the 52% mark. That tiny shift gives it a slightly more aggressive handling feel — quick to react, but still stable when you settle in. The shape itself isn’t small, and that’s what makes the weight work so well. It feels natural, not like one of those ultralight shells that vanish in your hand.

Then there’s the coating — a smooth white finish that’s surprisingly pleasant. Cool to the touch at first, but after a while, it kind of syncs with your hand temperature. Doesn’t matter if the room is cold or warm; it always finds that neutral spot. What’s even better, it stays clean. No greasy marks, no dirt buildup, no weird discoloration after long use. Just a clean, matte-white body that somehow refuses to get ugly. Honestly, it’s one of those rare coatings that look good and feel premium at the same time.

Bottom line? Perfect weight and balance, impressive coating.

Software and Battery Life

RAWM software has been one of the best ones I’ve had, with only the Rapoo drivers topping it, maybe. It’s clean, fast, works perfectly, easy to navigate, easy to understand, and easy to manage. There’s also the web driver, which makes it complete. Apart from the regular options that are normal to the 3950 sensor (macros, button remapping, Motion Sync, Angle Snapping, polling rate, and DPI customization), this one features the Gaming Mode, Wireless Connection Optimization, Glass Mode, Click Debounce Time, and Angle Tuning (auto-configured or set manually). That’s a great little set of options, everyone should be satisfied with.

The battery life is… a bit misleading. The declared 85 hrs in 1k polling is a stretch. My tests showed around 60 hours maximum in 1k, so these numbers are inflated. The good part is that higher values like 2k and 4k don’t divide this number proportionally, so the battery life with these rates are a bit higher than expected. But it’s just a 300 mAh battery unit, so don’t expect miracles. There’s no point in going to 8k because the latency gain is absolutely minimal, and the 8k polling rate is unstable — 2k and 4k look much better (very stable actually).

It can also be set up thanks to the Desk Hub, which we will discuss later.

Bottom line? One of the best software in the game, battery life official numbers are a bit inflated, 8k polling is unstable.

Desk Hub

This is a very interesting device. Short video here.

Look below now:

• Works as a smart receiver hub for RAWM peripherals.
• The LED display gives status info and configuration options.
• Handles dual 8K signal transmission.
• Supports both wired and wireless 2.4 GHz operation.
• Directional antenna with shielding for better signal and reduced interference.
• Not a charger, purely a connectivity and control hub.
• Compact size (~85×76 mm) and available in black or white.
• Acts as the central controller for devices like the RAWM ER21 Pro.

It decreases the transmission interference, so if you operate a few wi-fi devices around your desk, that is a serious device you’d have to consider. However, it does not increase the signal range: both the 8k receiver and the Hub tend to lose the signal at around 15m away in a straight line.

Bottom line? It helps you set up everything with the mouse and displays it on the screen, but it’s not a charging dock. However, you can plug a cable into it and charge the mouse.

vs Zowie EC2-DW

Summary — which one to pick?

→ Choose RAWM ER21 Pro if you want:

• The lightest possible EC-style shape (≈49 g) with near-instant click response.
• Cutting-edge specs: 8 kHz polling, 30 K DPI, optical switches.
• A faster, more experimental mouse with a snappier, lower-latency feel.
• A coating that stays cool and dry during long sessions.

→ Choose Zowie EC2-DW if you want:

• The most proven ergonomic shape in competitive FPS — trusted for years.
• Solid build, consistent firmware, and plug-and-play simplicity (no software).
• Classic Huano mechanical clicks with that distinct tactile feedback.
• A reliable wireless connection and a balanced 60 g weight that feels sturdy.

Bottom line: RAWM ER21 Pro is the next-gen ultralight EC-style contender — faster, riskier, and tech-driven. Zowie EC2-DW remains the benchmark for reliability and shape comfort — an essential tool for esports.

Bullet Points

• slightly bigger and lighter EC2 clone
• Yet, the best contender Zowie has ever had to face
• premium build quality
• Great for vertical aiming
• great stability in hand
• very low latency with optical clicks
• semi-controlled, rounded skates
• Desk Hub is handy and cool, and it improved the signal a bit…
• …but it’s not a charging dock, even though you can plug a cable into it and charge the mouse…
• … but I’d really recommend getting it (it’s really cheap)
• outstanding software, also web-based
• cool coating that warms up to your hand
• slight pre-travel on the right mouse click in my copy
• battery life shorter than advertised
• 8k polling rate is unstable
• It’s the best ergo mouse that is not called Zowie, and it’s capable of taking it down

Get this Zowie Killer from the RAWM website

Disclaimer: And remember, this is just one gamer’s point of view — no sponsorships, no ads, straight talk from someone who’s been in the game. This was my own opinion, and the manufacturer didn’t influence me in any way. Your mileage may vary, so take my words as a starting point, not gospel.