The Logitech MX Ergo S Has Just One Real Flaw

Logitech’s MX Ergo S trackball mouse has earned a permanent spot on my desk. While it’s going to share that spot with my gaming mouse and MX Master 3S, for most of my day-to-day work it looks like I’m a trackball guy now.

Price and Availability

The Logitech MX Ergo S retails for $119, but is often on sale for a few dollars less. It comes with the trackball mouse itself and the Logi Bolt Receiver. No USB-C cable is included.

Design: The Most Comfortable Mouse I’ve Ever Used

My Logitech MX Master 3S is extremely comfortable, and the MX Ergo S shares the same ergonomic DNA, but since it requires no wrist movement at all, it means my wrist and elbow endure less strain, making the MX Ergo the more comfortable of the two.

The Ergo S uses a magnetic metal plate to let you switch between a more vertical and pronated hand position. I personally prefer the vertical position the most, but I can see the benefits of both.

Since you’re not meant to move this device around, your hand size doesn’t really factor into how comfortable it is, though of course lefties need not apply. Traditional trackballs have an ambidextrous design, but in the pursuit of ergonomic improvements, this one is right-handed.

It’s a sizable mouse, but its footprint isn’t much larger than a typical ergonomic mouse, and since it doesn’t need to move, it requires less space than a traditional mouse. You can use it on a couch, or even on your leg with little effect on comfort or usability.

The Silent Buttons Work as Advertised

My wife uses the non-S MX Ergo in her daily video editing work, and the right-and left-buttons on that mouse click as you’d expect any mouse to do. One of the key selling points of this MX Ergo S, is that the main buttons (not the additional buttons) don’t have an audible click.

This is absolutely true. Obviously, they aren’t completely silent, but they are so quiet they may as well be and there’s no “click” sound. You do get adequate feedback that you have “clicked” a button, it just doesn’t make any noise. They sound and feel pretty much exactly like they do on the MX Master 3S.

The real question is whether this matters to you or not. I have a mechanical keyboard, so that makes far more noise than a mouse. If clicking annoys you or you work in a shared office where it might annoy someone else, perhaps this is important. If it’s not important, it might make more sense to pick up the non-S version of this mouse on sale instead.

Connection and Battery Life

Logitech rates the battery life of this trackball mouse at up to 120 days. I charged it fully before using it, and as I write this I’ve been using it for just over a week and 15% of the battery level is gone. Going by that math, it seems I might get around 60 days before needing a recharge, but I’ve been using it for 12 hours a day switching between multiple devices on Bluetooth. Having to charge the mouse every two months or so is hardly an issue in anyone’s book, so there’s nothing to see here folks.

The trackball has two Bluetooth profiles, so you can switch between two saved devices easily. I would have preferred three as some other Logitech mice have, but for most people two will be fine. You can choose between using Bluetooth or the included Logi Bolt receiver. Depending on your needs, the Bolt receiver may be more reliable and performant, but all my computers have recent Bluetooth versions and I had no issues that would justify giving up a USB port for. However, if you have a desktop computer or some other device without Bluetooth, the USB dongle is obviously a godsend.

I have very little negative to say about the MX Ergo S—other than the scroll wheel. Coming from the superlative, life-changing metal scroll wheel on the MX Master 3S, I found it very hard to accept the wheel on the trackball. It feels cheap, resistant to scrolling, and requires too much effort to move through long documents. You can adjust the scroll speed using the included software, but that doesn’t make the wheel itself feel any better.

I also miss the presence of a side-scrolling wheel, but Logitech have cleverly included a solution where, if you hold the DPI-selector button above the ball, it will change the scroll direction of the mouse wheel. It takes some getting used to, but it’s pretty intuitive.

Precision Could Be An Issue For Some

This isn’t a criticism of the MX Ergo S specifically, but trackball mice in general have precision issues and that can make some tasks harder than they need to be. I found using my thumb to move the pointer perfectly functional on most cases, but sometimes when I had to select text in small fonts, or do some other precise mouse movement, it would prove a challenge. The MX Ergo S includes a DPI button you can press to slam the sensitivity down to almost nothing, letting you do these precise movements, but it does add an extra step that can feel like a drag.

Should You Buy the Logitech MX Ergo S?

With the Logitech MX Ergo S, the proof is in the pudding. When Logitech sent me this mouse, I was not a trackball guy, and would never have bought one for myself. I’d used trackballs in the past at university or that belonged to other people, but never liked them. After just over a week of using this trackball all day, every day, I won’t let it go.

I’m going to keep my beloved MX Master 3s nearby for when I need to tackle spreadsheets, project management software, or anything that relies on those wonderful scroll wheels, but for everything else, the Ergo S will be picking up the slack, and now I’ll probably be using it from the couch too!