Logitech MX Master 3 vs Mx Anywhere 3 : Which one should you buy?

Few days back I was looking to buy a mouse for my brother. Initially I wanted to buy the new MX Master 3s for him. As he travels a lot and needs to carry his laptop, I looked around a bit for a lighter mouse and found MX Anywhere 3. After using the mouse for a month I finally decided to share my thoughts about the question, which one should you buy? The MX Master 3 or MX Anywhere 3?

If you want a straight out answer from me, I would say, if your hands are not really small, you don’t travel a lot and don’t need to carry that mouse with you, and if you can afford that extra 20$ price tag then by all means, go and buy MX Master 3. If you are a gamer and wants a mouse that would help you in playing, then neither is for you. In that case you can go for Logitech G series mouse or any other optimized for gamers. If you want a mouse for ant other reason i.e. office works, creative works etc. then keep reading.

If you want to know the difference in important specifications between the two mouse, you can skip near the end of this post to to Specification Differences column. If you want to learn why you should choose one or the other based on real life experiences, keep reading. With the new MX Master 3s mouse released, most of the pros and cons of the MX Master 3 is applicable on the Master 3s and vice versa. If you are interested in the differences between MX Master 3 and MX master 3s, go through this article.

Let us First discuss the similarities that’s important and play a vital role in choosing the perfect mouse for you.

Feel

Yeah, I know, this may not be the most important thing for many, but for me, who uses computer for most of my works (except when I am out there shooting), the feel of my mouse (and keyboard) plays a very big role in my life. When I first got my MX Master 3, I was blown away by it’s feel out of the box. Its rubberized texture is unlike any mouse I have ever held in my hand. It’s ergonomic shape makes that manifold better.

MX Anywhere 3 comes with the same texture with the same rubbery feel. Its shape is an universal one as opposed to ergonomic in MX Master 3 and its smaller form factor fits it much better in the hands of someone with a smaller hand. If you have medium to large hands, MX Master 3 would feel obviously better in your hands compared to the other. But if you have smaller hands, MX Anywhere 3 should be the way to go for you.

MagSpeed Electromagnetic scrolling

With the infinite scrolling feature Logitech has changed how we scroll, forever. Ever since I started using Logitech MX Master 3, I was just amazed at how awesome the scroll wheel feels. After being habituated with regular mouse for over 15 years, this was phenomenal. Being able to scroll 1000 lines in a second just by applying a little harder pull on the scroll wheel makes the life a lot easier while working with large document sets and web pages. The wheel also comes almost silent so that I have nearly forgotten how scroll wheels used to sound like since I started using the mouse.

It’s really a great thing that the MX Anywhere 3 comes with the same Magspeed wheel with the capability to scroll through 1000 lines in a single second, in smart shift mode change from ratchet mode to infinite scrolling at the flick of a finger and that nearly silent feel. So, there’s no compromise there.

General Features

They both come with Bluetooth and Logitech unifying software in Windows version(the unifying receiver included in the box) whereas with only Bluetooth functionalities in the Mac version. Both comes with an USB-A to USB-C charger in windows and USB-C to USB-C charger in Mac which doubles as connector in case the mouse runs out of battery in a case of emergency. They both boast 4000 dpi sensor resolution. As Logitech claims they can go upto 70 days in a single charge and 1 minute of quick charge can give these enough juice to run another 3 hours. So, you never have to worry about batter running out much. If you are confused about buying windows or mac version for yourself, you can read this article here.

Now let’s talk about differences that really matter.

Horizontal Scroll Wheel

This is the most important feature of the MX Master 3 for me. Before getting myself a MX Master 3 I was skeptical about this unique feature and was unsure why I might need a horizontal scroll for. Fast forward one month and I was already inseparable from the horizontal scroll. I incorporate this in all of my workflows. Even when I am just watching movies, I use this to control the volume. In case of excel sheets, photoshop and premiere pro, this open up a whole new world of possibility.

Sadly, In MX Anywhere 3, they had to compromise with the horizontal scroll to keep the form factors small and portable as Logitech advertises this mouse as a portable one that you can carry anywhere. There is a way around though. You can press & hold any of the side buttons and use the main scroll wheel which converts it into horizontal scroll instantly. Although that gives you the features in hand and does a great job so that you still get all the versatility of the horizontal scroll, it just doesn’t feel the same as using the wheel. Well, I may be a little biased as I have been using the horizontal wheel for so long. But in the hands of one who hasn’t used it ever, won’t feel any lack of feel from MX Anywhere 3, I guarantee that.

Gesture Button

Due to different design styles, The Anywhere 3 lacks the gesture button that comes with Master 3. It doesn’t lack the functionality though. The top mouse button in Anywhere 3 can be set to act as the gesture button via the logi options+ software. Yes it gives the mouse the capabilities of the gesture button but as the same can be done in MX Master 3 too, it means we are left with one less button to customize in MX Anywhere 3. It might not be much important for many, but if it matters for you then you might consider going the other way. For most people, they will be ok with or without the gesture button for most of their needs.

Portability

Those who travel frequently, we know how 30-40 gram weight cutting can make a lot of difference because well, the weight adds up in tiny amounts in various and suddenly you have a 2 kg heavier bag. And what matters more than weight for those that prefer to travel with a single backpack or all around smaller luggage? The space. The MX Anywhere 3 comes with a perfect shape and form factor that you can slide into any corner of the bag as opposed to MX Master 3. The design of the MX Master 3 which isn’t exactly convenient for travel along with its bulky size and more weight makes MX Anywhere 3 a clear winner in this category.

Weight

The weight is one field where the MX Master 3 doesn’t really impress many. Many people don’t want to use is just for it’s weight as it can feel quite heavy in the hand of anyone that is used to using other mouse in their day to day usages. That’s where the Anywhere 3 shines. It weighs about 99 gm i.e. 42 gm lighter than 141gm of Master 3. If you have issues with heavy mouse, you might want to go for the Anywhere 3 instead of the Master 3.

Scroll Force Feature

That’s a feature a lot of reviewers forget to mention. The Anywhere 3 comes with a Scroll force feature that enables users to minutely adjust and customise the “Ratchet” feel of the scroll wheel as per their taste. In case of Master 3 you are stuck with the setting that comes originally in built with the mouse. That being said, I never felt any issues with or any need to change its feel in one way or the other. If you never used an Anywhere 3 before, you will probably be ok with any of the mouse in this case.

Comfort

Although both the mouse seem comfortable at a first glance, one feature sets the MX Master 3 apart, the thumb rest. It is really helpful for people that uses the computer at a stretch for hours. It is positioned at such a position that anyone irrespective of hand size can get relief from the thumb rest that you never know you needed. The Anywhere 3, with a smaller designs, lacks in this department.

In case of overall comfort, I have large hands and the Anywhere 3 felt uncomfortable after around 2 hours. But I think one might get used to it if used regularly. I would say people with a larger hand will be more comfortable with the Master 3 and those with smaller hands would be better off with the Anywhere 3.

Specification Differences

Common Strengths

• The texture on both of these feels great
• Each comes with Magspeed Electromagnetic Scrolling with infinite scrolling features and it;s almost silent.
• They both come in Windows an Mac versions
• Both comes with 4000 DPI
• Can go for 70 days in a single charge and 3 hours with a quick charge of 1 minute
• Can be used as wired mouse if charge runs out
• Can be customized by Logi Options+ Software