Logitech MX Anywhere 3's New Scroll Wheel Dethrones the Master 3? A Hands-on Review

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When asked about the best mouse in the market, what comes to mind to most who know their mice - the Logitech MX Master 3 would come to mind. And it is indeed a justified choice with its ergonomics, powerful customization and input options, and flexibility in tracking surface and multi-device syncing.

However, after using the Logitech MX Anywhere 3 for the last two weeks, I am seriously reconsidering this verdict. Did junior just dethrone it's older brother for the throne of best professional mouse? Here is my real-life evaluations of Logitech's latest travel mouse.

MagSpeed Electromagnetic scrolling: Top of the Class Scroll Wheel Experience

The Logitech MX Master 3 had an out of this world scroll wheel - the MagSpeed Electromagnetic scrolling technology is something else as the classic mechanical clicking is replaced with magnetic resistance, which can be toggled on and off for high speed inertial scrolling. It represented the best of what Logitech had to offer.

However, when starting to use the latest MX Anywhere, I immediately noticed something superior in the user experience. The weighted steel scroll wheel is familiar, but the split-second lag that I could feel with the MX Master 3 in Windows 10 - is now gone, replaced with a latency-free scrolling experience. Together with Logitech Option software's Smooth-Scrolling option enabled, this truly brings MacBook's well-known fluid two-finger scrolling to a Windows 10 mouse.

The difference this makes to day-to-day work is enormous as scrolling is the thing that most us do the most, second only to the left-click. To have a smooth and responsive scrolling experience is like when I first tried out the inertial scrolling on the iPhone - it's a whole new level of interacting with my computer.

The scroll wheel is made even more amazing because of the MagSpeed Electromagnetic system that creates the clicking feel magnetically. The degree of clicking is even adjustable through the Logitech Options App, so you can decide how 'clicky' you want your scrolling experience to be.

Arguably the biggest advantage that the MX Master 3 has on the Anywhere 3 is the 'thumb-wheel' that allows you to scroll horizontally - which is an indispensable feature for audio and video editors, but Logitech figured out a simple but ingenious work-around for this: you can hold the 'forward' button with your thumb and toggle the scroll wheel between scroll vertically and horizontally.

When compared to the Anywhere 2, a major change is that the toggle between hyperfast scrolling and click-to-click scroll now uses a dedicated button instead of being toggled via pressing the scroll wheel down. This makes more intuitive sense and also frees up the wheel to be used as a middle button - what most people would expect.

One last thing to note is that the middle button key travel is now much shallower on the Anywhere 3, even shallower than normal mice. The new tactility does take some getting used to, but it does register reliably when pressed and didn't cause any significant disruption in my workflow.

Professional Performance in a Travel Mouse

Carrying the same 'MX' moniker as Logitech's flagship Master 3, if you expect a matching performance of the Anywhere 3 mouse - you won't be disappointed. In my experience, unless you need the extra buttons that the Master 3 offers, the Anywhere 3 mouse matches the Master in every way.

The resolution and responsiveness of the Anywhere 3, like the Master 3 is almost indistinguishable from a wired mouse - whether it's connected via the included Unifying dongle or Bluetooth. This is particularly important for those doing video, audio or graphical content making and editing where each pixel movement of the cursor matters. The Anywhere 3 can satisfy professionals who need that level of precision.

To live up to its name, the Anywhere 3 mouse also needs to be able to perform precision tracking on virtually any surface that it is used on, and it really does. After using the Anywhere 3 as my main work mouse for the last two weeks, I can say that the surface it's used on is irrelevant to its tracking ability.

From a Oakywood's Felt and Cork Desk Mat to a wooden desk to even trying it on a glass window pane, Logitech's darkfield sensor technology offers consistent precise tracking.

Professional mouse in pink? You got it

Having mostly catered for 'serious' professionals, the MX series usually did not stray from the black, grey, white, going only as far as navy blue. But this year's latest Anywhere offering has gone off in a tangent and includes a pink (Officially: Rose) version of the Anywhere 3. The pink matches up nicely with others in Logitech's range like the K380 Bluetooth Keyboard for people who are after a pastel concert on their desktop.

Even if pink is not your thing, the availability of the color opens up the Anywhere 3 as a great gift choice in the upcoming holiday season for an endeared one.

Final Remarks

Logitech's MX series has been around for quite a while, and it is pretty much the go-to when someone wants the best productivity mouse. While the MX Anywhere 3 is meant to be a travel mouse - a 'simplified' edition of its flagship, I feel the team has instead produced a winner by retaining all the powerhouse features of the MX Master 3, while giving it a performance upgrade in scroll wheel responsiveness, making it the best of the best.

Sam is a production engineer turned tech writer who specializes in seeking out gadgets that enhances productivity while still looking sharp. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Home Productivity.