Review: Bluetooth Silent Mouse - Logitech M590
When COVID-19 hit, most of us were forced to work remotely. I knew there would be a lot of adjustments but I was pretty confident about it since I was somewhat digitally ready. Or so I thought. My work revolves around management consulting and education so I do a lot of talking when I am in video calls. Most of the time, these are webinars or even lectures wherein the audience communicates with me through chat. To improve my practice, I always try to ask for feedback. And this is where it all happened.
Most of the feedback that I would get would be about the clicking sound of my mouse.
Some even thought that I was angry every time I would click my mouse to go to the next slide.
The Logitech MX Master
And on the days I would go to the office, my co-workers would tell me that the people that they are talking to online are distracted by my mouse’s clicking noise. And this is with social distancing! If you are wondering, we have a semi-open office space design. And the mouse that I was using was a Logitech MX Master.
I really liked the the MX Master (Except for it’s bulkiness and some connectivity issues). But it had to go. Being an asian (or maybe it’s a Korean thing?) I feel uneasy when I inconvenience others. Do you feel uneasy when others are inconvenienced?
Then I remembered an ad for a mouse I saw in Korea sometime in 2018. I took a picture of it before because it was funny. Little did I know that this ad would actually push me years later to buy a silent mouse. Congrats Logitech! Your ad actually worked.
Quite please! Quite an effective ad!
So I got a grey Logitech M590 online from Lazada Philippines because it had all the features I needed:
Bluetooth (very important since Apple decided to make everything usb-c and it’s annoying to forget to bring your dongle and not be able to use the mouse)
Vertical and horizontal scroll (for spreadsheets and design work)
Middle click (for 3D work and navigation)
Two separate customizable buttons for show desktop and mission control on the mac. (I can’t work without it specially when I am dealing with multiple applications and files)
And something that is portable since I will be bringing it around with my laptop and my keyboard.
It’s been more than a month since I have been using it everyday. And here is what I have to say.
The click does not give you a fully tactile feedback. It also does not have the “clicky” sound that is satisfying to some people. So there was a bit of getting used to.
The grip is pretty comfortable considering that I came from a full size mouse.
I tested it out by clicking it rapidly during a call and no one seemed to ask what the sound was because it was so faint that the mic couldn’t even pick it up.
Here is a sound comparison of the different devices in the same working environment placed in direct line of the microphone. I used the built in microphone of my MacBook Pro without any filters to simulate using it while being on a call or at work. The sound recorded was six consecutive double-clicks. The sound was exported at max volume so that you can hear the M590.
I actually prefer that it is battery powered since it lasts longer than the rechargeable ones. My previous mouse was rechargeable and the battery would not last a month.
But for some reason, the mouse completely freezes and from time to time starts jumping when I use it with my Samsung Galaxy Buds+ with the microphone on. I think it has to do with some bluetooth interference. To be fair, all of the bluetooth mice that I used act the same way. So I guess it’s a Samsung Galaxy Buds+ issue.
Overall it is a decent mouse that I have been using everyday. Never did I say, oh I miss my mouse before.
Here is a quick summary!
Form
Is it nice to look at?
Yes. I think it complements my laptop. And it does come with two other colors, red and black.
Function
Does it do what it's supposed to do well without effort?
Yes.
Do the features complement what it does?
Yes.
Do the materials used complement what it does?
Yes.
Maintenance
Is it easy to maintain?
Yes! But in the long run, the rubber material of the lower half of the mouse might deteriorate, get dirty and even get sticky. I will update as soon as I reach a year or so.
Pros for me:
Buttons are customizable with the Logitech Options application that works both for PC and Mac.
It can easily switch between connected bluetooth devices just by pressing a button on the top.
Cons for me:
There are some bluetooth interference and connectivity issues specially when using bluetooth microphones. Or other bluetooth devices.
Great for office but the bluetooth latency (which you can’t really feel when it comes to office work) might have some issues for gaming.
Conclusion:
If you want a silent portable mouse that has bluetooth connectivity, backed up by a reliable brand, this is it. Buttons might be too mushy for some but it’s really personal preference. I actually like it. This might be the perfect mouse for people living with others, specially when you have to work late at night.
Always remember, before wanting to get anything, even if my reviews say that it is the most magical thing in the world.
Ask yourself these three questions.
1. Is the price fit for you? (You may want to use the Object Usage Worth formula in my previous posts)
2. Does it complement the look of your other items?
3. Do you have space for it?
Happy clicking!
