Logitech MX Master 3S Long-Term Review: 4 Years Later

Four years. That’s how long I’ve been using the Logitech MX Master 3S for my day-to-day work. When you’ve got a mouse that’s been part of your setup for years, you don’t write a review based on unboxing hype; you write it based on accumulated wear, muscle memory, and the sheer grind of daily productivity. The question isn’t whether it’s good; it’s whether it still works for the way I work now.

When I first got this mouse, it felt like the gold standard for productivity. The sculpted shape, the MagSpeed scroll wheel—it all seemed perfect for long sessions. But hardware ages, usage patterns change, and sometimes, what was once a ‘feature’ just becomes a point of friction. So, after all this time, does the MX Master 3S still earn its place on a desk stacked with newer, flashier input devices, or is it time to accept that its prime has passed?

The Feel: Comfort vs. Fatigue

The ergonomics are what people always rave about, and for a reason. The shape fits the hand, which is a huge win when you’re clicking through spreadsheets for eight hours straight. However, four years of use has taught me that ‘comfortable’ is relative. My wrist, after years of intense use, has developed its own set of complaints. While the overall form factor is still excellent, I’ve noticed that certain grips, especially when paired with a specific desk surface or wrist rest, can lead to cumulative strain. It’s not a sudden failure; it’s a slow, persistent ache that reminds you that even the best tools eventually require a break or an adjustment.

Performance Under Pressure

The core functionality—the tracking, the buttons, the scrolling—remains remarkably solid. The sensor tracks reliably across various surfaces, which is non-negotiable for anyone who moves between a polished desk and a worn wooden table. The side-scrolling wheel, that signature feature, still feels intuitive, even if I now find myself using it less often than I thought I would. The biggest performance question, though, revolves around the connectivity and the battery life. While the battery life has been impressive, the pairing process, while once seamless, sometimes feels like it requires a bit more ritual than it used to.

The Tradeoffs: Where It Falls Short Now

If I had to point to the biggest tradeoffs today, it’s twofold. First, the physical buttons. While the customization is powerful, the tactile feedback on some of the side buttons has softened over time. They don’t click with the same satisfying authority they once did. Second, and this is a big one for modern workflows, the software integration, while powerful, sometimes feels like it’s playing catch-up with the sheer volume of new software features coming out. It’s brilliant, but it demands a level of setup and tweaking that feels more like maintenance than pure productivity.

Final Verdict: Keep It or Go?

I’m not going to say this mouse is obsolete. It’s still a highly capable, reliable piece of hardware that performs its core job—moving the cursor and clicking buttons—without complaint. But I also won’t recommend it blindly. If your primary need is sheer, reliable, all-day comfort for standard office tasks, and you don’t mind the occasional software tweak, keep using it. If, however, your workflow has changed—if you’re now doing more high-speed, rapid-fire input, or if wrist fatigue is becoming a genuine issue—you might find that a different form factor or a mouse designed with more modern ergonomic considerations would actually save you some pain in the long run. It’s a fantastic tool, but even the best tools eventually require an upgrade path based on how you have changed.