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Tech head-to-head

Keychron Q1vsLogitech MX Master 3S

Keychron Q1 and Logitech MX Master 3S average 8.4 and 8.3, and Performance comes out level. What is left is Durability, 9.0 to 8.2.

Keychron Q1

Keychron

8.4

A gasket-mounted aluminum board with QMK firmware, sold assembled instead of as a kit.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Logitech MX Master 3S

Logitech

8.3

The default productivity mouse, and the quiet-click revision fixed its most-cited flaw.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Durability, Keychron Q1 ahead 9.0 to 8.2. They come closest on Value, 7.8 to 7.6. Left of center is Keychron Q1, right is Logitech MX Master 3S.

Keychron Q1 versus Logitech MX Master 3S — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Keychron Q1 run left from the axis labels, bars for Logitech MX Master 3S run right. Keychron Q1: Performance 8.8, Value 7.6, Durability 9.0, Ease of use 7.8, Design 8.8. Logitech MX Master 3S: Performance 8.8, Value 7.8, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.4.Keychron Q1 (left)Logitech MX Master 3S (right)PerformanceKeychron Q1 — Performance 8.8 out of 108.8Logitech MX Master 3S — Performance 8.8 out of 108.8ValueKeychron Q1 — Value 7.6 out of 107.6Logitech MX Master 3S — Value 7.8 out of 107.8DurabilityKeychron Q1 — Durability 9.0 out of 109.0Logitech MX Master 3S — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2Ease of useKeychron Q1 — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8Logitech MX Master 3S — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2DesignKeychron Q1 — Design 8.8 out of 108.8Logitech MX Master 3S — Design 8.4 out of 108.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Keychron Q1

Leads on Durability and Design.

  • You want to remap every key without vendor software running in the background
  • Typing feel is worth more to you than portability
  • You expect to swap switches rather than replace the board

Take the Logitech MX Master 3S

Leads on Value and Ease of use.

  • Spreadsheets and long documents, where the free-spinning wheel earns its keep
  • Three computers and one mouse
  • You share a room and the old model's click was too loud

Performance scores identically, so that axis can't break the tie.

What each one gets wrong

Keychron Q1

  • You need it to travel — this is close to two kilograms
  • Wired-only, or the wireless variant premium, is a problem

Logitech MX Master 3S

  • Small hands — this is a large, high-backed shape
  • You want a symmetrical shape for left-handed use

Specs, side by side

SpecKeychron Q1Logitech MX Master 3S
Layout75 percent—
CaseCNC aluminum—
SwitchesHot-swappable—
FirmwareQMK and VIA—
Sensor—8,000 DPI
Scroll—Magnetic ratchet, free-spin
Connection—Bluetooth and Logi Bolt
Thumb—Horizontal wheel plus gesture button

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Only 0.1 separates them. What breaks the tie?
Durability does, at 9.0 against 8.2. That axis covers failure and fade reports past the one-year mark. Keychron Q1 takes Durability and Design; Logitech MX Master 3S takes Value and Ease of use. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about.
Why are the totals this close?
The total is the plain average of the 5 Tech axes, so opposite results cancel. Keychron Q1 averages 8.4 and Logitech MX Master 3S averages 8.3, a gap of 0.1, while the individual axes run as far apart as 0.8.
Which one ranks higher in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand"?
Keychron Q1 sits at #1 in "A desk that looks right, and what it costs the hand", Logitech MX Master 3S at #4.