Logitech MX Master The Logitech MX Master is a wireless computer mouse that supports up to three different devices, but some features still need refinement.

Logitech MX Master

  • Pros


  • Cons

    Touchy adaptive scrolling. Gesture button and motions are unintuitive.

  • Bottom Line


The Logitech MX Master ($99.99) is a slick-looking mouse with a few extras up its sleeve, like multiple-device support, an array of connectivity options, and a long-lasting, fast-charging battery. Logitech has made some of our favorite mice, from the Marathon Mouse M705 to the Wireless Mouse M320, our current Editors' Choice. In the MX Master, the company has created a versatile multi-device mouse that has some unique features, but the implementation of these extras isn't perfect.

Logitech has trumpeted the design process that led to this mouse, but despite the hand-sculpted form, the blend of materials, and the visually distinctive look, it's not that large a deviation from the average mouse. The wireless design is nice, and there's a cord included, should you want to use it as a wired mouse—the cable is primarily for charging the battery, but it can be used either way.

Measuring 3.4 by 5 by 2 inches (HWD), the MX Master is meant for right-hand use, molded to fit the average hand, with the protruding wing of a thumb cradle on the left side. There are some definite similarities to the Logitech M705, aside from the thumb cradle. The mouse is constructed of plastic, with a rubber layer covering the palm rest and sides. The black-on-bronze color scheme is nice enough, but appropriately sedate—it will fit in nicely in a conservative office environment.

Logitech MX Master - Side

There are a few unique details, however. The sides sport a polygonal, faceted texture, which looks interesting and provides a reasonably comfortable grip. The right and left buttons and clickable scroll wheel are in the usual spots, and Logitech adds a button that switches the scroll wheel between a ratcheting action to a free-spinning scroll. It's a feature that is particularly helpful when scrolling through long documents. The scroll wheel also has a speed-adaptive scrolling feature that switches from ratcheting to free spinning when you flick the scroll wheel faster than an incremental scroll, without having to tap the button. I do, however, wish that there were some way to adjust the threshold point between ratcheting and free scrolling, as I would occasionally attempt to scroll a tad more quickly than usual and suddenly zoom through to the end of a document without meaning to.

There thumb cradle sports forward and back thumb buttons and a second scroll wheel. It's more like the thumb wheel found on the Mad Catz M.O.U.S. 9 than the thumb paddle found on the Roccat Tyon. This thumb-wheel provides side scrolling capability, which is sometimes nice to have, but what really stands out about the thumb-wheel is how it feels. The rotation is slow, and the wheel feels like it has some weight to it. The result is a very nice, extremely smooth scrolling action that works quite well if you have a less-than-dexterous thumb. Truth be told, I wish the primary scroll wheel was more like the thumb wheel.

There's a third thumb button, built into the rubber surface of the thumb cradle. This button is actually used to trigger gesture commands. It's a significantly different approach to gestures that we've previously seen, as many manufacturers simply opted to put a touch surface onto the body of a mouse, as with the Logitech Touch Mouse T620. Press the gesture button, and you can gesture by moving the mouse up, down, right, or left, with each move tied to a different action. In Windows, this extra action can be tied to such functions as window management, media controls, or customized with other actions (like copy, cut, and paste). In Mac OS X, the same button lets you swipe between apps, access Mission Control, or assign other two- and three-finger gestures.

The base of the mouse is also a bit different; instead of a Logitech MX Master - Connections
flat-bottomed design, it has a wavy surface. This doesn't have any functional aspect to it that I can tell. However, looking at the bottom of the mouse, you will suddenly be aware of the several features built into the mouse which are notably unique in the category.

The MX Master is made with multiple devices in mind, and is designed for use with up to three different devices. An Easy-Switch button lets you cycle through your existing connections, cycling through each device in turn. There are also three different ways to connect the MX Master to your devices: Logitech's wireless Unifying USB receiver, Bluetooth, or a USB cable. Between the device switching and the range of connectivity options, you can easily use the single MX Master as the mouse for your desktop, your laptop, and a Windows tablet.

Features and Software
The MX Master uses a Darkfield laser sensor, with an adjustable sensitivity that ranges from 400 dots per inch (dpi) to 1,600dpi. Adjustable sensitivity lets you dial in the speed of the mouse to what's comfortable to you, while the use of a Darkfield laser means that you can use the MX Master on a wide variety of surfaces, including glossy wood finishes and glass.

There's also the question of supporting multiple operating systems, and this is where you may need to be a little more detail oriented. When connecting over USB—be it via the Logitech Unifying USB receiver or the included USB cable—the mouse supports Windows 7, Windows 8 and later, and Mac OS X 10.8 and later. Connecting via Bluetooth, however, limits the compatibility to Windows 8 and later, and Mac OS X 10.10 and later. If all of your devices are running current operating systems, this is no big deal, but if you're still using Windows 7 or an older version of Mac OS X, you'll need to pay attention to which supports Bluetooth and which requires wired or wireless USB.

Plug in the mouse via USB or the Unifying wireless dongle, and the device will be working within moments, offering all the basic functions you expect. However, for extras like gesture control or reassigning button functions, you'll need to download Logitech's Options software. The software is available as a free download from Logitech, and installs in less than a minute. It offers some of the simplest customization controls I've seen for a mouse, with a very intuitive, picture-based interface and simple check-box-style menu for assigning button function. Logitech covers the mouse with a one-year warranty.

Using the MX Master is quite Logitech MX Master - Angle comfortable. The plastic-and-rubber construction is reasonably comfortable in the hand, and the 5-ounce weight isn't noticeably heavy, an occasional problem with wireless mice. The buttons click cleanly, without too much stiffness or noise. The scroll wheel is alright, though I occasionally found the SmartShift adaptive scrolling feature a little too sensitive for my liking. Sometimes it would switch to free-spinning mode when I merely wanted to scroll at a slightly faster speed, a quirk that will leave you zooming through a document when you merely wanted to move a little more briskly. This can be solved by adjusting the SmartShift sensitivity in the Logitech Options software, but these sorts of features you expect to work well, right out of the box.

I also ran into some odd problems with the ratcheted scrolling. When scrolling through some websites and menus, it was nearly impossible to scroll smoothly; instead rotating the scroll wheel one click would leap down to a lower spot on the page rather than progressing through at a normal pace. I could still make do by using the scroll bar along the side, or by clicking through with the arrow keys, but both options sort of defeat the purpose of the scroll wheel. Again, this can be tweaked in the software settings by turning off smooth scrolling, but if I have to disable a feature to get it to work properly, I question whether or not that feature is really useful.

The gesture button is also a bit awkward to use, as the thumb press isn't the most natural movement, and the shift from a free-moving mouse to having only four directional gestures is nowhere near as instinctive as simple gestures on a touchpad. The gesture controls do work, however, so once you've gotten used to the thumb button and shifting in and out of Gesture mode, it does open up a few extra, customizable functions. Those extra functions are especially nice when using Windows 8 or a Mac, which both offer gesture controls that are unavailable using most mice.

The MX Master can be connected to a device via a wireless Logitech Unifying USB receiver, USB cable, or Bluetooth 4.0. During my testing, I used each of the three connection options—the Logitech Unifying USB receiver, USB cable, or Bluetooth 4.0—on several devices. Connecting over the USB cable was the simplest option, since the mouse works just fine as a plug-and-play device. Setup was quick, and basic functions worked just fine. Connecting wirelessly via the USB receiver was also relatively simple, since the PC treats it like any other USB connection. For extras, like the gesture functions, you'll still need to download Logitech's Options software.

The third option, Bluetooth, was the biggest hassle to set up, but not any more than the average Bluetooth device. Instead of plugging in a USB cable or dongle, you'll need to switch to Bluetooth, press the Bluetooth pairing button, and then find the device in the control panel, selecting it from whatever other Bluetooth devices are available. One complication, however, is that it requires Bluetooth 4.0 to pair, so if your laptop has Bluetooth 2.0, you're stuck using the Unifying USB receiver.

Switching between devices was also a snap, once those devices were paired. On any given day in the Labs, I'm testing four or five different devices at a time, so the opportunity to switch between three of them without having to switch mice had definite appeal. Once devices were paired, be it by wireless USB or Bluetooth, it was simple to switch between them. Simply press the Easy-Switch button on the bottom of the mouse to select device 1, 2 or 3, and the mouse switches automatically.

Logitech claims that the battery offers up to 40 days of use on a single charge. Obviously I haven't been able to test the veracity of this claim in the few days I've been using the mouse. That said, charging the battery is as simple as connecting the accompanying micro-USB-to-USB cable, and fast charging means that a few minutes of charging will be enough to get you through a full day of use.

The Logitech MX Master is a feature-filled mouse, built on a solid foundation, but loaded up with features that aren't all winners. While I love the fast-charging battery and the multiple-device support, the gesture controls feel too cumbersome for regular use, and the finicky scroll wheel would have been better without the adaptive-scrolling feature. The MX Master is still a good mouse, and definitely worth considering, especially if you want the multiple-device and multiple-connection options, but the simpler (and much less expensive) Logitech Wireless Mouse M320 remains our Editors' Choice general-purpose mouse.

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