Logitech MX Master 3 review

Our Verdict

82%

The ultimate desktop productivity mouse, although it comes at a price.

The Logitech MX Master mouse has been the standard premium productivity mouse for many years now. Its combination of a comfortable (right-handed only) design, extra buttons, wireless convenience and work-on-any-surface sensor makes it easy to use for hours, while adding genuinely useful features for desktop use. Now the company’s back with its latest iteration, the Logitech MX Master 3, which brings a raft of tweaks to the formula.

Logitech MX Master 3 design and features

First up is the new design. The whole mouse has been smartened up, with a simpler line pattern replacing the triangles of old. The whole of the back of the mouse is also now covered in rubber for better overall grip and comfort, and the LED indicator for the battery level has been moved to a position behind the second scroll wheel, where it’s easier to see. The USB port has also been updated to USB Type-C, so it’s more likely you’ll be able to rely on a single cable for all your charging needs.

The second big change is the scroll wheel. It’s now a solid piece of steel, with the grip lines knurled right into its surface. What’s more, it offers a clever new scrolling system. Like previous versions of the MX Master, you can switch the mouse between a free wheeling or a click-by-click style of scrolling, but here the whole mechanism comes from electromagnets.

This allows Logitech to offer an intermediary mode, where the wheel clicks when moved slowly but freewheels when rolled quickly. A secondary all-metal scroll wheel sits under the thumb, which can be used for a variety of uses, such as sideways scrolling.

Under the thumb, on the large thumb-rest platform, is another extra button that can be used in conjunction with mouse movements to perform four extra functions. Hold it down and move the mouse up, down, left or right and you can set off one of dozens of functions, such as switching desktops or pausing media playback.

If you use Logitech’s Flow software, you can also copy and paste between computers (even between Mac and Windows). Just copy your content, move the mouse to the edge of the screen (you can setup the gesture in the software) and the cursor and content will appear on your other device.

It all adds up to a mouse that’s fantastically versatile when it comes to general desktop work, especially when you factor in its Darkfield sensor, which can work on just about any surface, including glass. However, we do wish there was just a little more freedom to completely customise the function of each button and wheel.

There are three main drawbacks with this mouse. The first is that it’s quite heavy by modern standards (141g), and the other is that a lot of the desktop features – Logitech Flow aside – can be replicated by keyboard shortcuts, which we found easier to use.

Logitech MX Master 3 pros and cons

Pros

• Tracks on almost any surface
• Comfortable design
• Loads of genuinely useful features

Cons

• Quite heavy
• Pricey
• Right-handers only

Logitech MX Master 3 specs

The Logitech MX Master 3 specs list is:

Logitech MX Master 3 price

The Logitech MX Master 3 price is $99, making it a fairly expensive mouse but it delivers great build quality and lots of useful features.

Price: Expect to pay $99 (£80)

Logitech MX Master 3 review conclusion

The Master 3 is a fantastically useful, easy-to-use and comfortable mouse that brings a wealth of genuinely useful features to your general desktop computing. It’s no good for gaming, it’s quite heavy and it’s also pricey, but it’s a great option as a day-to-day work tool. So good is the Logitech MX Master 3 that it’s our pick for the best productivity mouse in our best mouse guide.

Do you own the Logitech MX Master 3? If so, what do you make of it? let us know your thoughts and questions via the Custom PC Facebook page, Twitter page, or by joining our 400,000+ member Custom PC and Gaming Setup Facebook group.