Logitech MX Mechanical keyboards and MX Master 3S mouse are the silent type

SponsoredA Tribe Called Cars merch

The new Logitech MX Mechanical keyboards and MX Master 3S mouse are here to make typing quieter or more clicky for gamers. Here is everything you need to know.

Logitech has unveiled two new wireless gaming keyboards known as the MX Mechanical and the smaller MX Mechanical Mini, which it claims are its quietest keyboards ever.

Also revealed is a successor to the Master 3 mouse known as the MX Master 3S, which retains wireless functionality and the same grey-based colour scheme.

The MX Mechanical (110 keys) and MX Mechanical Mini (84 keys) are available with three different switch types. Tactile Quiet (brown) is for reduced key noise and “a satisfying tactile bump”, so says Logitech.

Then there is Clicky (blue), which is meant for those who prefer an audible click and a more mechanical feeling when typing.

Linear (red), meanwhile, is for those who prefer “uninterrupted key travel and minimal spring force”. In other words, a smooth and speedy feel.

Logitech has in-built various clever touches to the MX Mechanical and its NUM-pad-less Mechanical Mini sibling, including a sensor that detects when your hands are near and initiates the under-key illumination.

You can actually personalise said lighting with six white options: Static, breathing, contrast, wave, random and reaction. That and dual colour keycaps to help separate areas of the keyboard should allow for faster and more accurate typing.

The MX Mechanical can be used flat or slightly upright when the two underside feet are deployed. Whichever size keyboard you choose, Logitech says to expect up to 15 days of battery life with the backlight on and up to 10 months with it off.

Once the battery runs out, it is just a case of plugging it in via the included USB Type-C cable, which charged the keyboard up in under an hour – although this will depend on the socket and how much the lithium-ion battery was depleted.

Unfortunately, the keyboards do not work in a wired configuration.

What about Logi Options?

The Logi Options software, available free, is useful for multiple reasons. Not just for adjusting the lighting, but also because it lets you use a mouse and keyboard on the same Logi Bolt USB dongle connection (included) plus one other device so you have more spare USB ports.

Bluetooth low energy connectivity is also possible across numerous operating systems such as Windows 10, macOS 10.15, Chrome OS, Linux, iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and Android 8.0 or later.

Said software lets you assign buttons, too, something especially useful if you happen to have the Logitech MX Master 3S (£119.99) wireless mouse and its seven buttons. However, it also applies to the MX Mechanical although not all keys are programmable.

Logitech MX Master 3S mouse

Speaking of which, the new Logitech mouse is 90 per cent quieter than its MX Master 3 predecessor. Not only that, it offers an 8,000DPI optical sensor that works on most surfaces including glass and is said to work better with high-resolution monitors.

As for those ever-important eco-credentials, Logitech says 45 per cent of its MX Mechanical keyboard and 47 per cent of the MX Mechanical Mini are made from post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic.

Those in the US and Asia can utilise a not-so-generous one-year warranty, while those in the Europe, Middle East and Africa areas and Japan get two years.

The Logitech MX Mechanical price is £169.99/US$169.99, while the Mechanical Mini is £149.99/US$149.99. It was available as of May 2022.

Is the Logitech MX Mechanical any good?

It is early days when it comes to testing, but my first impressions of Logitech’s latest keyboard are good. The key clicks of the brown mechanical switches are satisfying and the travel amount works well with fast typing.

Coming from a larger curvy Microsoft keyboard, it has taken some adjustment but already I am typing at least as consistently. It is just easier to miss the back button and hit the volume controls although I suspect this will fade in time.

Not that you rarely pick up a keyboard, but the MX Mechanical does feel hefty and well built. The 828g design is smart, too, as the gaps under keys makes it easier remove debris without taking the keys off.

I also find the design is pleasing if a little muted. The matte keys look the part and the understated mix of greys and silver is considerably more discrete than your average gaming keyboard – I would take white LEDs over an LED rainbow.

As for the MX Master 3S mouse, it feels comfortable in the hand and most buttons are easy to reach. I particularly like how smooth the two scroll wheels move and the soft click of the left and right mouse buttons feel excellent.

It also feels well-built and is heavy enough to make precision movements easy, yet I can still whizz across the 4K resolution over to my secondary 1080p monitor.

Whether or not the three new Logitech products last long enough to justify their higher price tag is unknown, but so far it is hard to fault the ergonomics while I have been editing video, writing scripts and gaming.

Logitech MX Mechanical technical specs

• Height: 26.1mm
• Width: 433.85mm
• Depth: 131.55mm
• Weight 828g
• Logi Bolt / Bluetooth Low Energy connectvity
• USB Type-A port
• USB Type-C recharging
• 110-key & mechanical switches

MX Mechanical Mini

• Height: 26.1mm
• Width: 312.6mm
• Depth: 131.55mm
• Weight: 612g
• Logi Bolt / Bluetooth Low Energy connectvity
• USB Type-A port
• USB Type-C recharging
• 84-key & mechanical switches

MX Master 3S

• Height: 124.9mm
• Width: 84.3mm
• Depth: 51mm
• Weight: 141g
• Logi Bolt / Bluetooth Low Energy connectvity
• USB Type-A port
• USB Type-C recharging
• 200-8,000DPI (adjustable in 50DPI increments)
• 7 buttons & scroll and thumb wheels
• 10-metre range
• Sensor type: Darkfield high precision
• USB Type-A port
• USB Type-C recharging