Logitech MX Keys + MX Master 3 Review: Desktop Nirvana

Logitech has long made some of the best keyboards and mice in the biz, but I’m not sure any have ever been as impressive as the company’s new MX Keys and MX Master 3. It’s the best desktop combo I’ve ever used.

And while you can use either one by itself—the MX Keys keyboard can easily be paired with any other mouse, and the MX Master 3 can sit alongside your favorite keyboard no problem—they’re perfect for each other. Both aesthetically and ergonomically, it’s clear that this pair was designed to go together.

But, for simplicity, we’re going to look at each component individually.

MX Master 3: The Perfect Mouse Made Perfecter

I’ve been using the original MX Master for at least a few years now. It’s a fantastic ergonomic and comfortable mouse that packs most of the features one could want from a mouse. And while the MX Master 2S was a nice little update from the original Master, it wasn’t enough to warrant picking up a new mouse (at least in my opinion).

The Master 3, however, changes that. The case of the mouse has been redesigned, so it has a better overall feel. The original Master was ergonomic enough to help prevent RSI (repetitive stress injury), but the Master 3 takes that up another level. It still feels pretty similar, but as soon as you put your hand on it, you can tell it’s just better.

But that’s not even the best part. The biggest change with the Master 3 is the scroll wheels, which now use electromagnets. That means both the main wheel and the thumbwheel are smoother, faster, and generally just better. According to Logitech, you can scroll 1,100 lines in one second with the new MagSpeed wheel. I’m not sure how often you need that sort of scrolling power, but by God, it’s there when you do. But it’s also buttery-smooth even for short scrolls. It’s so good.

Otherwise, the thumbwheel is larger, and the back/forward buttons have been moved below it for better accessibility—instead of being in an awkward arrow pattern beside the thumbwheel, they’re now below it. The gesture button and also still present on the bottom of the mouse, and it’s still fully customizable using the Logitech Options software.

As for the sensor, the Master 3 is packing the same 4,000 DPI Darkfield sensor as the 2S, which works on pretty much any surface. No upgrade there, but one wasn’t really warranted either—it’s as good as any high-quality mouse out there for anything outside of gaming.

One of the most significant improvements on the Master 3 comes in an unexpected place, however: the charging port. Gone is the dated micro USB charging port, which has been replaced with a much-needed USB-C port. A one-minute charge will supply three hours of battery life, while a full charge gets the mouse up to 70 hours of use. So, theoretically, if you throw it on charge one night per week, you should have plenty of battery to get you through even the longest of workweeks afterward.

Oh, and if you happen to use the mouse with multiple computers (it can work with up to three at a time), you’ll be happy to know that it has Logitech Flow onboard for instant use and file transfer between multiple machines. That’s neat.

Finally, I want to touch on the color for a second. While you can get the mouse in a more traditional Graphite colorway, the Mid Grey model I got for review is freakin’ sexy. Can a mouse even be sexy? Before the Mid Grey MX Master 3, I would’ve said no. But now, well, I’m not so sure.

MX Master 3: The Keyboard for the Rest of Us

I’m going to tell you something that may shock you: I’m not a mechanical keyboard guy. I often have to deal with some backlash from my peers about that, but it is what it is—I could never get used to them. Too much travel, too much noise, and too little desire to adjust.

In fact, I generally prefer laptop keyboards, with the Pixelbook packing my favorite keyboard of all time. So, as a result, I find myself preferring soft-touch keyboards with around 1 mm of key travel (for reference, the Pixelbook has 0.8 mm of key travel). While Logitech hasn’t published the specific key travel of the MX Keys, I can tell you that it’s well within that zone of what makes an incredibly comfortable keyboard for anyone who is into short-travel typing.

And really, it makes sense—the MX Keys’ overall design is basically the same as the Logitech Craft, a premium keyboard with a big ol’ dial on the upper left corner for use with Photoshop and similar software. If you look at the two side-by-side, the MX Keys is just the Craft without the dial. It’s also $100 cheaper, which makes it perfect for anyone looking to get the most premium typing experience Logitech has to offer but doesn’t need the dial.

Also, like the Craft, the MX Keys has backlighting that senses when your hands are getting close and automatically turns on (it turns off automatically, too). And if you’re in a room with constant shifts in lighting conditions, the MX Keys will adjust accordingly. Or, you know, you can adjust it manually.

Before I get too ahead of myself, I want to talk for a second about the layout. Two of the last three keyboards I’ve owned were “tenkeyless” (meaning they have no number pad). These were the K800 and a low-profile mechanical keyboard from Hexgears. I moved to the K780, which came with a number pad but still featured a compact layout that crammed the arrow keys into a weird position. The MX Keys has a full layout with a number pad and regular arrows. While the lack of a tenkeyless option may be offputting to some, I love the full layout. I didn’t realize how much I missed full-size arrow keys until I got this keyboard.

If you plan on using the MX Keys on multiple computers, you’re in luck: it can pair with up to three at a time and also features Logitech Flow for seamless transitions between them. It can connect over Bluetooth or with the included Logitech Unifying dongle (which I’ve found to be the superior connection over Bluetooth just in general).

Like the Master 3, the MX Keys charges over USB-C, moving us closer to a “one charger for everything” world. The battery life is pretty stellar, too—especially if you don’t use the backlight. It can go for up to 5 months on a single charge if you keep the lights off completely, but if you’re a sucker for backlighting (and ugh, who isn’t?), then you’ll get ten days worth of use out of a full charge. I’d ultimately just throw it on the charger one night per week to make sure it never runs out of juice.

As absolutely fantastic as the MX Keys is, there’s one thing I’d like to see: a Mid Grey model to match that sexy-ass mouse. Can’t win ’em all, I guess.

MX Palm Rest: Type Comfortably

There’s one last piece of the MX puzzle, and that’s the MX Palm Rest. I’ve never been a big fan of palm rests for keyboards, but the one designed for the MX Keys has made me a believer.

It’s a pretty simple thing: a gel palm rest that is designed to sit in front of the MX Keys to provide a better wrist angle and improve support for long typing sessions. It’s made of memory foam, has a nice non-slip bottom, and an incredibly satisfying soft-touch top. Like, it just feels really good. I like to touch it.

Anyway, yeah—it’s a $20 add-on, and for that, it’s worth it. If it were more expensive, I’d probably tell you to pass, but at nothing more than an Andrew Jackson, it’s a nice addition to your desktop setup.