Logitech G435 Lightspeed Wireless Headset Review

We reviewed Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed wireless headset. How did it fare? Check out our review below to see whether or not it’s a headset we recommend.

Logitech has a lot of competition when it comes to headsets, with SteelSeries, Razer, and HyperX offering some of the best gaming headsets in 2021. And the new Logitech G435 Lightspeed in particular has its work cut out for it given its price. It currently retails for $79.99 on Amazon, which places it right next to other affordable gaming headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis 5.

For this price, you shouldn’t be looking for audiophile sound quality or a million-and-one features, but you should at least be looking for something that’s reasonably comfy and can spew out a half-decent soundscape for all your FPS gaming needs. It helps if the headset’s a little stylish, too.

So, how does the G435 Lightspeed fare in this regard? Pretty well, actually – providing you’re after convenience above all else. In fact, at this price point, this Logitech gaming headset might just be the master of convenience, offering a lightweight, wireless, cross-platform solution for your audio needs. If you don’t need this convenience, however, there are better options for the same price.

Check G435 Price on Amazon

Tech Specs

There are a few things of note about the Logitech G435 Lightspeed. First, at 165g this headset is about as light as they come, which makes for a very comfortable wearing experience despite its pretty cheap materials.

Second, it can connect via Bluetooth or Lightspeed USB – with no wired connectivity at all, unfortunately – and it’s compatible with PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, and Bluetooth devices like mobile phones.

Third, its battery life is great – I managed to get just over the advertised 18 hours out of it from full charge before it died. Finally, instead of an extended mic it has two beamform inputs on the outside of the left earcup.

Sound Quality

Specs don’t mean much unless they translate into a nice soundscape. On this front, Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed doesn’t disappoint for its price. For most gaming and music purposes this headset is great, with all frequencies being nicely audible with no distortion at higher volumes. I find it a little bass heavy but mids and highs are still very audible – I find most gaming headsets bass heavy, though, so take this with a pinch of salt.

When it comes to clarity the G435 Lightspeed is slightly lacking. For example, when playing music, I find kick drums to have all the weight of their bass frequencies behind them, but they don’t punch quite as hard as I’d like thanks to slightly muddy mid and mid-high frequencies. Similarly, in games, I find that I can hear everything well, but slight differences in enemy movements are more difficult to place than with my audiophile headphones.

For the price, though, these slight clarity issues are to be expected, and they’re not egregious at all. The G435’s sound quality is pretty damn good for its price.

Microphone Quality

The same can’t be said for the G435 Lightspeed’s mic, unfortunately, which is probably this headset’s biggest downside. The lack of an extended microphone arm is convenient, but you pay for this convenience with poor mic quality. It’s not the worst by any means – people on my voice calls could hear every word I said – but the mic is a little crackly and picks up on even the quietest background noises.

The best I can describe this mic is to say that it sounds similar to those earbuds that come packaged with phones which have a mic integrated into their cable. It’s passable for the occasional voice call or in-game team call-outs, but if you’re looking for something that your friends won’t mind hearing on Discord every day, you can do better for the price.

Build quality

Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed is mostly plastic, but despite this it doesn’t look or feel too cheap. When holding the headset, there’s no mistaking that it’s all plastic, but because this is intentional and its design is built around this idea, it doesn’t feel cheap. It has a retro feel thanks to the colourful coiled wires leading from the ear cups into the headband, and if you want to opt for something even more colourful than my ‘black and neon yellow’ version, there are ‘blue and raspberry’ and ‘off-white and lilac’ options available.

The buttons on the left ear cup – volume control, power, and mic mute – feel relatively sturdy, as does the adjustable headband. The headband adjusts with a smooth slide, and despite it lacking a locking mechanism it stays firmly in place once you’ve adjusted it to your preference. The headband itself isn’t padded at all, but instead has mesh fabric lining the two bands, and while there’s no padding on the drivers themselves, the earpads are memory foam coated in a breathable fabric.

Its wireless connectivity is stellar, too. You can switch between Bluetooth and Lightspeed USB by holding down the mic mute button, and it instantly connects over both connection technologies. I found its wireless range to be even better than advertised, as well. I had to walk out my house and down to the end of the garden before it eventually disconnected. And, to top it off, I noticed no latency at all over either Lightspeed USB or Bluetooth.

Comfort

Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed is surprisingly comfortable despite its lack of headband and driver padding. With a headset so light, it seems like you don’t need too much padding at all. And where that padding does exist – in its earpads – it works well, being comfy but breathable.

However, I have small ears, and I can imagine someone with larger ears perhaps finding the G435 Lightspeed not quite so comfy, because the width between the edges of the earpads is quite small. In fact, Logitech says that while the G435 “fits a wide range of players” it “is optimized for the comfort of younger players and those with smaller heads.” Others online have commented that it is a little less comfy on larger heads. But providing you don’t have large ears or a large head, this headset is very comfy despite its lighter materials and lack of padding.

Verdict: Great for Convenience, But That’s It

Our rating: 7.8/10

The elephant in the room for the Logitech G435 Lightspeed is the availability of similarly priced headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis 5. For about the same price as the G435, with the Arctis 5 you’re getting a headset with a retractable mic of much better quality than the G435’s dual beamforming setup, an extra 200Hz frequency on the upper end, and a more solid build.

But those who will be interested in this headset will be interested in it for its convenience. The G435 is ultra-lightweight and has instantly connecting, long-range, low-latency wireless connectivity both via Lightspeed USB and Bluetooth. It allows for mic communication without an extended mic, is compatible across multiple devices, and has a fairly long battery life. All while remaining comfy and sounding great for a relatively low price.

If you want something that can compete with traditional midrange and high-end gaming headsets on the build, comfort, sound quality, and mic quality front, this probably won’t be the choice for you. But if you want something that’s light, easy, and convenient to use on a range of devices in a number of different ways, Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed is a great choice.

Check G435 Price on Amazon