Logitech Master series for Mac: still the best for work

One can’t really blame most Mac users for loving all of Apple’s products, even the ones that are nowhere near as good as they should. See, the Macintosh has always been Apple’s iconic, most cherished and protected product line – through thick and thin, for over 30 years – so its owners are fiercely loyal to the company as a result. But even Mac users can’t deny that Apple’s wireless keyboards or mice are more often than not just passable to mediocre (even downright bad at times), especially by modern standards, and that others have been offering far superior such products focused on Mac computers for a long time now.

Logitech, for instance, has been expanding its productivity-focused keyboard and mouse offerings for Apple’s desktops or laptops to the point where they are now broadly in line with their PC equivalents. Yours truly loved the company’s latest such products on PC – has been using both the MX Mechanical and the MX Master 3S daily, in fact – and was curious to see how the Logitech Master series for Mac, the Mac versions of these, feel like and perform on the same productivity software when running under macOS 15 instead of Windows 11.

These hands-on impressions apply to the MX Mechanical Mini (space gray) and the MX Master 3S (pale grey), both of which where kindly provided by Logitech for this story.

MX Master 3S: point and click excellence, currently unmatched

First things first: the Logitech MX Master 3S is, for all intends and purposes, the same product Windows users have been enjoying on their platform – and that model also works in macOS “as is”, in the sense that it can be used as a normal Bluetooth wireless mouse without any issues. Unlike the PC version, though, the Mac version does not come with the USB-A Logi Bolt receiver.

This makes sense (since modern Macs are in the process of ditching USB-A entirely) but it’s worth noting because if anyone is ever in need of using the same MX Master 3S for Mac on a PC too, then he/she may have to purchase a Logi Bolt receiver separately (since the PC in question may or may not support Bluetooth Low Energy).

A couple of other differences: the Mac version comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging, not a USB-A to USB-C one (which also makes sense) and the configuration software follows a slightly different layout on macOS (but the options on offer are pretty much the same). Other than that, this is still hands-down the best productivity mouse available right now: build quality is top-notch, ergonomics are great, performance – speed, smoothness and pointing accuracy – in apps is exceptional, operation is trouble-free and quiet.

To be honest, Logitech has pretty much perfected the MX Master to the point where it’s hard to find anything negative to say about the latest version really. Yes, the MX Master models are just that good and have been for some time. The only reason why any consumer doing serious work on a Mac daily would consider not getting this particular mouse is if he/she’s left-handed (the thumb-accommodating curve on this mouse is designed for righties only). Oh, and the MX Master 3S is not really made for gaming, as its polling rate is quite low by that category’s current standards. But, then again, it was never designed with that in mind, so that’s hardly surprising.

For people who need a mouse capable of pulling double duty – that is, excel at work and play – Logitech offers a couple of worthy alternatives, like the new, ambidextrous G309 LightSpeed or the popular G305 LightSpeed. Neither of those are a match for the MX Master 3S when it comes to productivity, though.

MX Mechanical Mini: a veritable Magic Keyboard-killer

The MX Mechanical Mini for the Mac is different to the PC version in the ways one expects: the Alt and Windows keys, for instance, are replaced by the Command and Option keys respectively (past Logitech keyboards used to have both symbols on the same keys but not anymore). The configuration software works a bit differently on macOS 15 too (yet it does offer the same functionality and features).

Other than that, this is extremely similar to the keyboard yours truly has been using with his PC since the tail end of 2022 – the “full-size” MX Mechanical – the only difference being the type of switches employed. I personally went for the linear kind (red) while, as far as I can tell, the MX Mechanical Mini for Mac uses the tactile quiet (brown) kind. Mac owners do not get the three choices PC owners do with the “full” MX Mechanical, but chances are that the tactile quiet would be the most popular type among Apple fans anyway, so… not a big deal, really.

Both types of mechanical switches work great and Mac users will enjoy the feel of the MX Mechanical Mini compared to not just the Apple Magic Keyboard (that’s a given) but to any other productivity keyboard available for their computers too. General responsiveness and keystroke feedback are far superior here – as expected from a mechanical keyboard – while the MX’s footprint is a bit bigger than the Magic Keyboard’s but the key layout and key spacing are both way better as a result. People who have tried working with proper Enter or arrow keys and Magic Keyboard Enter or arrow keys for any amount of time know exactly what yours truly is talking about here.

The only reason why anyone would think of going for the Apple keyboard instead of the MX Mechanical Mini is none other than TouchID, which Logitech – or any other manufacturer for that matter – is not allowed to implement for obvious reasons. Some people may feel they absolutely need that as a security (rather than convenience) feature, but given how many hours a day many of us spend on our keyboards doing work these days, it makes more sense to go for a model offering a better typing experience, higher performance and configurability than to go for one sporting a specific useful feature while being inferior in every other way.

Professional tools at professional pricing, totally worth it

Since no tech product is absolutely perfect, both the MX Master 3S and the MX Mechanical Mini versions made for Mac owners could be better in a couple of ways. Logitech’s mouse, for instance, would initially move the cursor in a laggy, imprecise way if two other Bluetooth devices (e.g. a wireless keyboard plus a wireless headset) were connected on the same Mac at the same time. A quick Web search revealed that one has to disable a specific macOS setting in order to solve this issue, but less savvy consumers might get confused by this at first. Purchasing a Logi Bolt receiver also takes care of this, but it’s obviously not ideal.

The MX Mechanical Mini did not exhibit this behavior at any point, but there’s something else to keep in mind if one plans on using it for many hours at a time daily (especially at night): its built-in backlight for the keys tends to considerably reduce the device’s battery life. Logitech claims that the keyboard can work for 15 days straight with the backlight on, but yours truly experienced less than 10 days of non-stop use before the LED indicator started blinking red (despite the built-in sensor turning the backlight off when the user’s hands are not near the keyboard). Recharging it is thankfully really quick – especially with a fast charger and accompanying cable – and consumers can always turn the backlight completely off, in which case they’ll get many months of uninterrupted operation out of a single charge.

There’s no question, though, that both the MX Master 3S and the MX Mechanical Mini will seriously upgrade any Mac user’s productivity setup and daily workflow. The fact that they are designed to look and work great together is a definite plus. Neither of the two is cheap, granted, but they happen to be the best available options right now for professionals looking to replace Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse with alternative products that are superior in every way that matters.

Given the fact that the mouse and keyboard – along with the accompanying screen – are actually the parts of a modern Mac its owner will be interacting with the most on a daily basis, these products are investments that will make a difference in one’s work routine. For that alone, they are worth their asking price.