Logitech MX Master 3S review: The best wireless mouse gets slightly better

I've used the Logitech MX Master 3 as my primary productivity mouse since it came out in 2019. I've tested dozens of mice since, but none juggled a decent number of programmable buttons, advanced wireless capabilities, multi-device control, and long-term comfort as admirably as the MX Master 3. Today, Logitech released a revamped version, the MX Master 3S .

It follows in Master 3's footsteps of wireless mouse excellence but doesn't introduce enough improvements to warrant ditching my MX Master 3 and opening my wallet again.

As you might have guessed by the mild moniker modification, the 3S is slightly different from the 3. The new mouse has quieter left- and right-click buttons, and it supports higher sensitivity, so your cursor can move farther with less physical mouse movement—and that's it.

While the tech enthusiast in me would love to see innovation in the design and feature set, the MX Master 3S didn't need many changes from the predecessor to be the ultimate power mouse. Now, it's just a bit more future-proofed for an 8K or second 4K monitor.

Quieter clicks

The difference was apparent immediately when Logitech followed the MX Master 2S with the MX Master 3. But the mildly upgraded 3S looks identical to the 3, save for a white color option, but once I started clicking, the disparity was clear.

Clicking the 3S creates a soft thud, followed by a quieter noise as the button travels back up. Those sounds are purportedly 90 percent softer than the clicks heard when pressing the 3's left- or right-click buttons down and when they reset. A Logitech rep told me the company couldn't use these quieter buttons before because they weren't confirmed to last for 10 million clicks.

The MX Master 3's audible clicks didn't bother me before. I felt like they emphasized my clicks, making them feel sharp and precise but slightly more exhausting to press than the same buttons on other mice, such as the gaming-geared wireless Alienware AW720M .

However, the 3S's primary click buttons don't feel mushier or flatter than the 3's. They still have a discernible amount of travel to them, so I can tell when I've bottomed out, and they return rapidly. The mouse still has zippy clicks without the noise to prove it.

Extra sensitive for 4K and beyond

From 4K to 8K screens and multi-monitor setups, we often push ourselves to do more, multi-task, and keep an eye on projects across many pixels. With an optical sensor supporting a larger sensitivity range than before, the MX Master 3S makes it so you don't have to move your arm as much to move your mouse across your dual 4K setup... you just have to be okay with a more sensitive mouse.

The MX Master 3 supported a sensitivity range of 200 to 4,000 DPI (dots per inch, see our PC mouse terms explainer for more). The 3S model's optical sensor goes up to 8,000 DPI. That's pretty high for a productivity mouse. For instance, Microsoft's Surface Precision Mouse has a sensitivity range of 400–3,200 DPI. But gaming mice, like Alienware's AW720M, can go as high as 26,000 DPI.

With the 3S set to its max sensitivity, my pointer zipped across my 4K monitor and onto the farthest side of my second screen in a blink, compared to the couple of seconds it takes at my typical settings (about 2,500 DPI). By Logitech's calculations, I'm saving my muscles from work. A rep told me that to move the 3S across two 4K screens, you'd need to move it 4 inches if set to 1,000 DPI, 2 inches if set to 4,000 DPI, and 1 inch if set to 8,000 DPI.

Professionals working with many pixels (think dual 4K monitors, 8K displays, and setups with three or more displays) may feel less tired after a long work session. And with technological advancements like DisplayPort 2.0 just around the corner , extreme uses should, ever so slowly, become more common. But even then, not everyone will prefer a higher DPI, and making something better equipped to accommodate various people and use cases is always a good thing.

A higher DPI could also help counteract the heft of the 3S. At 4.97 ounces, it's heavier than the Surface Precision (4.76 ounces), Pro Click (3.68 ounces), and, less surprisingly, AW720M gaming mouse (3.41 ounces). Those with smaller hands, people who don't like to work much to move their mouse, or users, especially gamers, accustomed to ultra-lightweight mice may find the mouse tiresome to push around.

It could be easier to toggle DPI settings, though. I had to enter the mouse's Options+ software to change it, whereas some mice, especially gaming ones, have a dedicated button for toggling through preset DPI preferences. And if you're after even higher sensitivity, Razer's Pro Click Mini and Pro Click wireless productivity mice, hailing from a gaming brand, support up to 16,000 DPI.

I'm particular about mouse performance, so perhaps more exciting than the mouse's ability to reach 8,000 DPI is that Options+ now tells you the exact DPI you're using. The 3 only provides a figure from 0 to 100 percent.

The Ferrari of scroll wheels

The 3S's scroll wheel is the same electromagnetic one introduced in the 3. It can scroll 1,000 lines per second or perform notched, line-by-line scrolling. Regardless, it's near-silent. I set it so that it scrolls notched unless flicked, when it would automatically enter a free spin that's smoother and quicker than any other mouse I've used recently.

Whether looking at or touching the extra-solid scroll wheel, you can immediately sense the better quality over rubberized wheels, and it also works much differently. Inside the wheel's opening are two electromagnets. They're in opposed polarity in ratchet (or notched) mode, so the magnetic fields interact with the inner gear's teeth, creating friction.

When free-spinning, the magnets switch polarity, so there's no magnetic field going through the gear's teeth or resistance.

Cable-free control over your many devices

As with its predecessor, you'll make the most out of the 3S if you use it with multiple systems. The mouse works with Windows, macOS, Chrome OS, Linux, iPadOS, and Android. It also easily pairs to and toggles between three PCs. Note that unlike with the MX Master 3, you don't need a particular Mac-only version of the 3S for it to work with your iPad.

The mouse has three Bluetooth channels, so you can connect it to three PCs and toggle through them by pressing a button on the mouse's underside. A clear image depicting computers one, two, and three lights up to let you know which computer you're connected to, making for advanced but simple wireless connectivity.

Better yet, the 3S uses Flow, which you can also find among some of its cheaper cousins, like the Logitech Signature M650. With Flow, I could simultaneously control up to three Windows or macOS devices—all connected via Bluetooth or via dongle and on the same Wi-Fi network. I just had to move my cursor to the edge of my screen in my multi-monitor setup.

Flow also provided me with an easy way to send files across my devices by dragging and dropping or copying and pasting. You can get the same effect (and control one more computer) with Microsoft's Mouse Without Borders , but management via Options+ is cleaner.

The mouse also comes with a USB-A dongle, if you prefer that to your wireless connection, and the latency gains of a 2.4 GHz dongle. But keep an eye on that little thing because the latest Master mouse still lacks dongle storage.

Battery life

I left the MX Master 3S on for about 170.5 hours with around 40 hours of active use, and its battery meter in Options+ claimed 90 percent.

According to Logitech, the MX Master 3S can last 70 days before needing a charge. For comparison, the Surface Precision claims up to three months, Alienware's AW720M gaming mouse claims up to 17.5 days, the Razer Pro Click up to 16.7 days, and the Logitech Lift vertical mouse claims two years before needing a new AA battery. That makes the MX Master 3S one of the longest-lasting rechargeable wireless productivity mice. For more battery life, consider Dell's MS7421W , a cheaper, smaller mouse with less programmability and a six-month battery-life claim.

Logitech says you can use the 3S for three hours after a one-minute charge. Speedy charging is courtesy of USB-C compared to other rechargeable wireless mice, like the Surface Precision that uses MicroUSB.

Note that none of these battery-life claims or capabilities are different from what the 3 offers.

Palm-gripping at its finest

One of the primary reasons my hand has stayed glued to the older MX Master 3 is it's very accommodating to palm-gripping, where your palm rests on the mouse and your wrist on the table. The MX Master 3S, like its predecessor, makes sure your palm is supported with 2.01 inches of height, compared to 1.7 inches for Microsoft's Surface Precision, 1.79 inches for Razer's Pro Click, and 1.49 inches for Alienware's AW720M. The substantial hump fills out my palm, so I'm not using any muscles to keep it hovering or, worse, making it uncomfortable with an awkward position.

I love palm-gripping this (as pictured), but it worked fine with a claw grip, too.

Credit: Scharon Harding

The generous hump will preclude small hands' pointer and middle fingers from reaching across the length of the primary buttons, though they'll still be clickable. At 4.92 inches, the 3S is longer than the Surface Precision (4.8 inches) and Pro Click (4.99 inches) and about as long as the AW720M (4.93 inches).

The 3S also inherited the 3's slightly tilted angle. That puts the hand closer to a handshake position with less forearm pronation but not nearly as much as with a vertical mouse.

The mouse's buttons were easy for me to press when working, and I didn't have to deal with accidental presses, either. The button on the thumb paddle is the hardest to press because I have to press it down with the side of my thumb, but I also save it for less frequently used actions, like showing the desktop.

A soft-rubber texture also ensured the mouse didn't get clammy or slippery over long hours, and the primary click buttons have a bit of PBT-like texture to them.

Very customizable

There are plenty of gaming mice with more programmable buttons, but the 3S still has more than most productivity mice without any RGB. The programmable buttons are: two side buttons, the thumbwheel above those, the primary scroll wheel, the button south of the scroll wheel, and the button on the thumb rest.

With Options+, you can make those buttons perform myriad actions: change the scroll wheel feel; perform a screen capture; open an app or file; open media control; and use gestures. There are also app-specific suggestions for apps with pre-made profiles (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Zoom, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word), which automatically activate when you open the app. You can also make your own settings for any other app.