Logitech MX Wherever 3S evaluation: A quiet mighty mini mouse

What’s the distinction between the Logitech MX Wherever 3 and the Logitech MX Wherever 3S? Should you can inform simply by wanting, you may have higher eyes than I do. Logitech’s top-of-the-line journey mouse is bodily indistinguishable from its final launch, which isn’t a foul factor. However beneath the hood it now has the “quiet click” tech of its greater MX Grasp 3S brother, plus a brand new 8,000 DPI sensor. It’s additionally utilizing the brand new Logitech Bolt proprietary dongle as an alternative of the Unifying Receiver.

These modifications in all probability don’t imply a lot to you, until your PC monitor is the dimensions of a eating desk and you’ll put that boosted DPI to the check. However even at a really barely diminished worth (the Wherever 3S not features a dongle, however stays the identical $80 retail worth), it’s nonetheless probably the greatest small mice round.

Utilizing the MX Wherever 3S

The MX Wherever 3S is on the smaller facet, clearly, however not so small that it’s uncomfortable to make use of for prolonged durations of time. My medium-sized male mits have been in a position to make use of it for major computing duties for greater than per week, although after all, I favor one thing beefier. At a bit lower than 4 inches lengthy and, maybe extra crucially, about an inch and 1 / 4 excessive, you’d need to be a really small grownup to contemplate this as your major mouse.

Michael Crider/Foundry

However that’s okay, this mouse is designed to journey in any case— “Anywhere” is correct there within the title. And with the graceful pebble form, it’ll slide simply into any bag, and even in your pocket if you have to transfer in a rush. Vast, forgiving major buttons are cozy all day, and the facet buttons are a bit stiff, however you received’t click on them unintentionally. A single non-standard button, which switches between customary scrolling and super-fast scrolling for the properly knurled mouse wheel, rounds out the bundle.

Can the MX Wherever 3S actually go anyplace?

The opposite a part of the “Anywhere” model is that the mouse works on something, as much as and together with glass. Personally I discover that my pants leg is a way more frequent mousing floor on the go, however the Wherever 3S handles each simply fantastic. In reality I’ve obtained a toilet scale that simply occurs to have a full mirrored floor (so I can examine my weight and my nostril hairs on the identical time, I assume?), and the MX Wherever 3S tracked on it with solely minimal skipping. So in case you want a mouse that actually works anyplace, yeah, this’ll do it.

One other function of the mouse’s travel-friendly design is the flexibility to swap between three gadgets with a button on the underside. As with earlier MX mice, this works flawlessly, whether or not you’re utilizing Bluetooth or Logitech’s proprietary Bolt USB dongle. (The brand new “S” variants of those mice ditch the older Unifying Reciever.)

Michael Crider/Foundry

The shortage of a dongle within the field could be a sticking level, because it was included with the MX Wherever 3 on the identical worth. However since it is a journey mouse, and most of the people can be utilizing straight Bluetooth for his or her gadgets slightly than consistently occupying an increasingly-rare USB-A port, I can see the logic.

How did the MX Wherever 3 carry out?

Other than the 70-day battery life — which I couldn’t stress check throughout the evaluation interval, however having owned the Wherever 3, I don’t doubt it — the mouse’s different distinguishing bodily function is the scroll wheel. It truly is super-nice, particularly for a smaller mouse, feeling heavy and stable beneath my finger. And the flexibility to change between customary notched scrolling and speedy scrolling with the contact of a button is one thing you solely respect after you’ve used it for some time…and end up lacking on different mice. Don’t need to swap? Fantastic, scroll quick sufficient and the mouse is wise sufficient to let it spin freely all by itself. This function has been round for a number of years, however is not any much less spectacular for that.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Talking of which, in case you dive into the Choices+ driver software program you’ll be able to truly alter the power of the notched scroll mode, from barely there to a way more satisfying near-click. It is a function the earlier mannequin had, nevertheless it’s nonetheless tremendous cool. One thing the older mannequin didn’t have is “quiet click,” and certainly, the 3S is a lot quieter than the final mannequin, identical to the MX Grasp 3S. It’s extra of a “tap” sound than a “click.” Which you favor is a matter of style, however I’m positive anybody subsequent to you on an extended enterprise flight would respect the much less noisy choice.

The extra superior 8,000 DPI sensor — double the DPI of the final mannequin, equal to the MX Grasp 3S — is sweet. I assume. I by no means used it at something close to that sensitivity, and I can’t think about doing so, particularly in a cellular setting. I think that is merely a case of Logitech consolidating its elements bin, which is ok.

MX Wherever 3 software program

When it comes to software program, Logitech Choices+ is surprisingly nice. It’s definitely attainable to make use of the mouse with out it, however you’ll be doing your self a disservice. Logitech Stream stays an important software for anybody who has to maneuver between a number of machines, and the choice to alter some or the entire button performance for triggered functions is way appreciated.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Technically the mouse works with Logitech’s new Good Actions system, however in contrast to keyboards or the large MX Grasp, I don’t suppose there are sufficient buttons to make it actually helpful right here. You may simply have the ability to get some extra performance out of Gestures, which helps you to maintain the button and transfer up, down, left, or proper for extra actions. However once more, this looks like extra bother than it’s price when most of these (many, many) choices are only a click on or a keyboard shortcut away already.

Must you purchase the MX Wherever 3?

The MX Wherever 3S isn’t an enormous change over its predecessor, nevertheless it doesn’t need to be. The quieter clicking in all probability isn’t price an $80 buy all by itself…until your coworkers or important different are asking for that particularly.

Michael Crider/Foundry

Nonetheless, in case you’re out there for a small journey mouse and also you don’t thoughts paying a bit above common for the top-of-the-line, you’ll be able to’t do higher than this. Even in case you don’t truly must apply it to a mirror.