The Zowie FK1 and FK2 are two of the most widely used mice in eSports and competitive gaming.
If you are confused about which of the FK series to pick up then stick around as I compare the differences in this FK1 vs FK2 showdown.
For those of you wanting a quick answer, I recommend the Zowie FK1 with it achieving our GEM Rating Award. If you are interested in picking one up check Amazon prices here.
Zowie FK1 GEM Rating Award
Before we get into the details, measure your hand from the base of your wrist to the tips of your fingers (length). Then measure the width, including your thumb!
You will need these later to check which of the three FK mice are best for you.
It is also worth knowing what grip style you use. Are you a palm, claw or fingertip player? As this will help decide too.
If you are not sure about what kind of mouse grip you use, you can check out my article on the different mouse grips here. All of these questions will affect which of these mice will suit you best.
The Zowie FK1 and FK2 series are primarily targeted towards FPS players so I will be keeping that in mind throughout the comparison. Each of these mice are ambidextrous meaning you can use them whether you are left or right handed.
As you can see the specifications of the mice are almost identical. It really comes down to your hand size, your grip and personal preference. I will go into more detail below about how to pick one based on these criteria. But first, let’s talk about the mice specifications.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are important factors when selecting your mouse. When choosing between these mice the size is the main difference between them and is probably the most important criteria towards which one you should pick. You can check out the sizes above in our comparison table or see this overview provided by Zowie BenQ directly.
Optic and DPI (Dots Per Inch)
The FK1 series and FK2 use the Avago ADNS-3310 optical sensor which performs incredibly well. I have owned a huge amount of gaming mice over the years and I can say this is one of the best optics I have used.
The optic provides great flexibility with DPI increments of 400, 800, 1600 and 3600. The DPI can be changed using the button on the bottom of the mouse. Typically I use a lower DPI but it is nice that they provide the option.
There is an LED beside the button to indicate what DPI you have your mouse set to. This is a nice touch but I often found myself googling ‘DPI colours for Zowie FK1’ because I kept forgetting which colour mapped to each DPI value. A minor grievance, I know. Here they are in case you need them in the future:
- 400 – Red
- 800 – Purple
- 1600 – Blue
- 3600 – Green
Buttons
The left and right click buttons have great feedback and have a relatively average travel time compared to most pc mice.
The FK1, FK2 and FK1+ all have two buttons either side of the mouse. Each button has a nice tactile click and the travel time is fairly average. I was concerned I would accidentally press the side buttons on the right-hand side. This has never been an issue since my fingers sit comfortably below the buttons.
Lift Distance
Lift-off distance is important particularly if you play on a low sensitivity in game since you will be swiping your mouse often to change direction. This is another aspect where the FK1 and FK2 shine.
They both have a lift-off distance of around 1.5 to 1.8mm. This makes a huge difference because it means you have to lift the mouse less to maintain control which provides faster more accurate aiming.
Some mice have a lift-off distance of up to 2cm so that goes to show how efficient the Zowie family is.
USB
All three mice are powered by USB and have an adjustable report rate of 125/500/1000HZ. What is report rate you may ask?
Report rate or polling rate is how often the mouse reports its position to the computer. A mouse set to 125Hz will report its position 125 times a second or every 8 milliseconds. A 500Hz rate would mean every 2 milliseconds.
If you have a high report rate it can decrease the input lag between you moving your mouse(physically) and your cursor updating on screen. A higher report rate will use more CPU resources but not by much.
The higher rate doesn’t always mean better. It is personal preference and some people prefer a lower rate just like they prefer a lower DPI.
Now that we have got the specifications out of the way let’s talk about each mouse to see how each one might apply to you best.
Zowie FK1
- Best for medium sized hands (17.0-18.5cm x 8.0-9.5cm)
- Perfect for claw grip players but also suitable for the palm grip
- Ideal middle ground between the three mice
- Hits the sweet spot for most hand sizes
The standard size of the FK series is the Zowie FK1 which has achieved our GEM Rating Award for being the best overall out of the three mice. It has the most standard dimensions overall between the mice.
Suitable for hand sizes of around 17-18.5 cm in length. The arc of the mouse is smaller compared to it’s bigger brother and it weighs less at 90g.
Due to the smaller arc, it is the perfect mouse for claw grip users since they don’t require the higher arc of the FK1+ to rest their palm. Claw grip users tend to use their wrist more for aiming so the lighter weight is ideal since it allows for more agile and precise movement.
I have owned the FK1 for a while now since I have average sized hands and I am a claw grip user. It is easily my favourite mouse for FPS gaming on the market.
I have also featured the FK1 in my list of the best gaming mice for claw grip players. It is definitely the right pick if you are predominantly a claw grip player.
Zowie FK1+
- Best for large hands (17.5-19cm x 8.5-10.5cm)
- Suited for claw and particularly palm grip styles
- Better support for palm
The big brother and largest out of the three (hence the + in the name).
Ideal for those of you that are palm grip users and prefer larger mice. Suitable for hand sizes of around 17.5-19cm+.
Also, if you tend to aim more with your forearm rather than your wrist the FK1+ is the best fit for you.
It has the highest weight at 95g, meaning it supplements your arm aiming better since the lighter mice will be too easy to move.
The FK1+ is too big for my hands and due to me being a claw grip user it did not feel as nimble and lightweight as the FK1 or FK2.
Out of the three FK mice it is the least popular and I would usually recommend the FK1 or FK2 unless you have large hands. Generally a smaller mouse is better as it provides better precision.
Since each of these mice are basically exactly the same apart from their size, I would suggest choosing the FK1 or FK2 instead.
Zowie FK2
- Best for small hands (16-17.5cm x 8cm)
- Ideal for claw or fingertip grip styles
The baby of the Zowie family. Weighing the least at 85g and having the smallest dimensions it is somewhat noticeably smaller than the FK1+. Suitable for hand sizes of around 16-17.5cm.
It is worth noting that FK2 lends itself towards the claw and fingertip grips since it is the lightest so allows for very agile and quick movement.
Fingertip users look for light mice since they have little contact with the mouse itself. They aim with their wrist so don’t have their whole forearm for assisting the movement of the mouse like a palm grip user would. The FK2 is also applicable to claw grip users however.
It comes down to personal preference and the size of your hands when choosing between the FK2 and FK1 if you are a claw grip user.
Personally, I found the FK2 to be too small for my hands. It caused my hand to arch more and my fingers naturally felt closer to the side buttons which felt less comfortable than the FK1.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our direct FK1 vs FK2 comparison. Overall it comes down to how large your hands are and what type of mouse grip you use.
I would recommend going with the FK1 if your hands are around 17.5-18.5cm. If you have hands around that size or smaller then try the FK2. If you are a palm grip player then you should check out the FK1+. I would recommend it particularly if your hands are over 17.5-18cm.
Overall our GEM Rating Award goes to the Zowie FK1. The FK1 is the middle of the pack and will apply to most hand sizes and mouse grips as discussed above.
Check it out on Amazon below!
Last Price Update on 2023-05-29 / Data taken from the Amazon Product API
2 thoughts on “Zowie FK1 vs FK2 vs FK1+ Review And Comparison Guide”
please could you tell us your hand size for comparison? mine is 18X10, what would you suggest?
My hand size is 17.5 x 9 including the thumb. The FK1 fit me nicely personally but the FK2 was probably a better fit for my hand size.