Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The MX Master 3 refines what worked on the MX Master 2S and reaches near-perfection.
There's no shortage of options out there if you're looking for the best mouse, but it's fair to say that Logitech has had a lock on that designation for several years now. The Logitech MX Master 3 is the latest take on a formula that Logitech perfected with the previous MX Master 2S, and it's a resoundingly solid evolution. While it doesn't look to reinvent what works, it's full of refinements that add up to a fantastic experience.
That sort of iterative change is something that makes the MX Master 3 easily take the top spot among the best office mice out there, but it comes at a price. At $100, it's definitely on the premium side of things.
Is it worth the upgrade, or might you be better served opting for something a little cheaper? Read on to find out.
Logitech MX Master 3
Bottom line: If your goal is to snag the absolute best wireless mouse for general work and even a bit of light gaming, the Logitech MX Master 3 is the perfect pick.
The Good
- Great build and ergonomics
- Supports multiple connections
- Magnetic scroll wheel feels amazing
- Button profiles for popular apps
- Great battery life
The Bad
- Bulky for travel
- No storage for 2.4GHz dongle
- There are better options for gamers
Logitech MX Master 3: Price and availability
The Logitech MX Master 3 is priced at $100, which is definitely expensive when compared to most other "office" mice you'll find on store shelves. Because it's still relatively new, there haven't been any notable discounts to be seen, so you're not likely to see it drop below $100 in the near term. However, major sales events like Prime Day and holiday sales may bring that price down a tad.
As you'd expect, the MX Master 3 is available to purchase at Amazon and electronics retailers like Best Buy in both Graphite and Mid Grey color schemes. The mouse's ergonomics are one of its strong points, but you can get a feel for the design at most Best Buy brick-and-mortar locations if you happen to live near one. It's also available via Logitech's online store.
Logitech MX Master 3: What's good
There are a few standout features that made the previous Logitech MX Master 2S such a fantastic mouse: ergonomics, its electromagnetic scroll wheel, and the ability to connect to multiple PCs. It also worked great with Logitech's dedicated software, which opened up the option to tweak DPI settings and turn on Flow, Logitechs name for the system that let you jump between different PCs as if they were extensions of one another. The Logitech MX Master 3 keeps those great features in place while dialing things in to create an even tighter experience.
The most notable change here is in design. While you still have the thumb wing that extends out the left side of the MX Master 3, the mouse is slightly slimmer and more refined than its predecessor. The angled, almost polygonal texture on the left side of the MX Master 2S has been replaced with one that feels and looks more like ripples. There's also much less exposed bare plastic across the top and sides of the mouse, with Logitech trimming things down so that you get maximum coverage of the premium-feeling rubberized plastic.
The two buttons on the left side have also seen a revamp. Whereas they were stacked on the MX Master 2S, they're now in a more traditional horizontal alignment, reflecting how you'll be using them most: as forward and back buttons. I much prefer this orientation, as I've had fewer instances of accidentally clicking the wrong button.
Both photos: Logitech MX Master 2S (left) vs. Logitech MX Master 3 (right)
The left-side scroll wheel is still as silky smooth as ever, and it's a great option for horizontal scrolling or as a quick way to adjust things like brush sizes in Photoshop on the fly. The center scroll wheel, however, has seen more adjustments for the better.
The electromagnetic system for the middle scroll wheel is still here, but it, like all other things on the MX Master 3, has been refined. By default, it provides clicky tactile feedback when you're slowly scrolling, but flick it for a fast scroll and it opens up to a smooth, fast scroll with little fuss. Once it slows down again, it reverts back to a clicky scroll as you'd expect.
There's a button that allows you to manually switch between a clicky scroll and the more free-feeling open scroll. However, I've never felt the need to switch with both available in the default state. As ever, this mechanism feels amazing to use, and it's something you won't get out of any other mouse.
The electromagnetic scroll wheel feels amazing to use, and you won't get it with any other mouse.
Where Logitech has dialed things in is with the feel and noise of this system. To put it simply, it's now much quieter and smoother than before. The chunky clicks of the slower scroll mode have been tamed a bit, which has the side effect of making it quieter as well.
On the software side, Logitech lets you adjust the DPI of the MX Master 3 in 50 DPI increments up to 4,000 DPI. The software is also where you can download profiles for custom gestures and button actions in popular apps like Photoshop. You can also adjust the dedicated gesture button, which lives in the thumb wing and allows you to quickly do things like minimize all of your windows or open the start menu by holding it down and moving the mouse in a given direction.
Finally, battery life remains great with this iteration, with Logitech estimating 70 days of use on a charge and three hours of use out of a one-minute charge. Charging has also changed over to a USB-C connection, ditching the aging micro USB interface of the MX Master 2S
Logitech MX Master 3: What's not good
The Logitech MX Master 3 is, without hesitation, the best mouse you can buy, but that does come with some caveats that are worth noting. For general office work and most of what you'll do on your PC, it's great. However, there are some niche use cases where you'll want to look elsewhere.
The primary concern that crops up is gaming. If you take PC gaming very seriously, you'll probably want to go for a dedicated gaming mouse. The MX Master 3's DPI setting maxes out at 4,000 DPI, which is a far cry from the 16,000 DPI settings you'll see on some of the best PC gaming mice you'll find.
That said if you only play games casually, and especially if you don't play anything that requires fast-twitch movement, the MX Master 3 is more than capable of pulling double duty here.
The other area in the MX Master 3 that poses a problem is travel. Even though Logitech has slimmed things down over the previous MX Master 2S, this is still a bulky mouse. That makes it hard to justify throwing in a backpack or bag, especially if you're planning to use it to get some work done on a cramped plane.
It's also disappointing to see there's no place to store the 2.4GHz dongle within the mouse if you want to take it on the go. True, you can connect either to the dongle or over Bluetooth, but the lack of a dedicated cubby to stash away the dongle makes it harder to travel with if you prefer that connection method.
Finally, there's the price to consider. If you want a premium, great-feeling mouse, the MX Master 3 delivers at a reasonable price. But $100 is still on the high end for general office mice.
Logitech MX Master 3: Competition
If you're looking purely at mice for general PC use, including work and school, then there's no shortage of competition out there. The primary competitor, in both terms of general shape and price, is the Microsoft Surface Precision Mouse. Like the MX Master 3, you can connect the Surface Precision Mouse to up to three PCs at once and it feels super premium, but it only operates over either a Bluetooth or wired connection.
There's also the Microsoft Ergonomic Mouse, which is an excellent budget option if you don't mind staying tethered with a wire. Amazon also sells its Full-Size Ergonomic Wireless PC Mouse under the Amazon Basics brand, but at a much cheaper price. However, for that lower price, you'll end up sacrificing on DPI, the magnetic scrolling mechanism, and the lack of a side scroll wheel.
If you don't mind opting for a previous generation, the Logitech MX Master 2S is also still available and it can often be found for around $60. You're getting many of the same features, just with an older design. However, at $40 cheaper, it's worth considering.
If you need a solid travel mouse, you can stay within Logitech's MX series with the $80 MX Anywhere mouse. You'll get the same premium feel, along with magspeed scrolling and the same ability to use the mouse on any surface, but in a more compact frame.
Gamers also have no shortage of alternatives, particularly as the wireless gaming mouse space has gotten much better in recent years. The Logitech G502 Lightspeed features a sensor that tops 25,000 DPI with customizable weight, and it's frequently on sale for lower than its premium $150 list price. The Razer Viper Ultimate is also one of our favorite gaming mice, featuring a 20,000 DPI sensor, an ambidextrous design, and a super lightweight wireless shell.
Logitech MX Master 3: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want an incredibly comfortable mouse
- You value a premium feel
- You want one mouse for multiple PCs
- You want long battery life
You shouldn't buy this if ...
- You need a compact travel mouse
- You need dedicated gaming features
- You find $99 too pricey
The MX Master 3 retains its position as the king of mice for a reason: it's incredibly comfortable, sports long battery life, and feels premium all around. Anyone who spends long hours in front of a computer, whether for work or school, will find the MX Master 3 to be a fantastic mouse. If you take PC gaming seriously or need a super-compact travel mouse, however, then you'll want to go elsewhere.
In terms of value, $99 is pricey for any mouse, but it's a reasonable price for what you get here. The magspeed scroll wheel alone is one of those features that makes every other mouse feel subpar once you've tried it out. That said, the MX Master 3 is designed to be an amazing general-purpose mouse, but can fall short for niches like travel and gaming, depending on your priorities.
Logitech MX Master 3
Bottom line: The Logitech MX Master 3 is the gold standard for mice. As long as you don't need any more gamer-focused features, you can't go wrong with the MX Master 3.
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