Logitech G435 Review
A great lightweight gaming headset
Verdict
If you’re in the market for a headset and your absolute priority is finding one that’s light as a feather, the Logitech G435 obliges. It’s extremely comfortable and offers solid sound. The lack of a fully-fledged microphone isn’t as big a drawback as expected either.
Pros
- Really, really light
- Solid sound and acceptable microphone
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Feels noticeably flimsy
- Microphone could be way better
Key Features
- Extremely lightweightWeighs just 165g, making it incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods
- Solid soundImpressive sound quality for its price point, although isolation could be better
- Interesting microphoneNo microphone arm, using beamforming instead
Introduction
Logitech has a huge range of headsets available for gamers, and each of them can feel like they tick a different box – if that’s accurate to its approach, it’s easy to figure out which box the Logitech G435 is aiming for.
It’s extremely lightweight, aimed square at those who want to feel like they’re wearing almost nothing at all as they game, and in pure weight terms, it feels like a success on that front. However, as always, a low weight and reasonable price means there are compromises to be had. There’s also some key competition to contend with. So, how does it sound and feel to actually use? Here’s my full review.
Design and Features
- Three colours to choose from
- Extremely light with solid comfort
- No extendable microphone arm
The G435 is a good-looking headset, built almost entirely out of plastic with some fabric elements to give it character.
It’s available in black with yellow accents, a vibrant blue and pink version, or the white and pale blue colourway that I tested.
In all cases, it’s a slick silhouette with an exposed wire by each earcup, with the headband covered in soft fabric. The earcups themselves are split down the middle by the arm of the headband, which can be extended to flex for the size of your head.
The cushions are covered in that same fabric, and everything else is plastic – something that plays directly into how light the headset is. It comes with a natural downside, though, which is that this plastic doesn’t exactly feel premium.
The whole headset has a lot of flex to it (and even a hint of creaking), which might not be too offputting but it can’t pass for being any more premium than its price. Still, if solidity matters to you particularly then you might not be interested in such a lightweight option in the first place.
It’s worth underlining that plastic is very much the standard at this price point, with headsets from Turtle Beach, in particular, feeling comparable in terms of build. The Recon 70 might be wired, but it’s in the same ballpark where materials are concerned, for example.
The G435 charges by USB-C and promises 18 hours of battery life, which held up in our testing, but its design also betrays probably its most interesting feature – there’s no microphone protruding out here, or being folded away.
Instead, there’s a dual-mic beamforming system, one that you can easily see on one of the earcups, which does help that design stay clean and is interesting to use.
There’s no noise cancelling to speak of here, which is no surprise at this price, but you do get some limited controls in button form, including volume and a power button.
From a software point of view, there’s also nothing to speak of – there’s a method by which you can update the headset’s firmware with a wired connection to a PC, but you won’t be able to use it with Logitech G Hub or any other customisation platform, which also means no EQ customisation at all.
Sound and Microphone
- 40mm drivers sound solid enough
- Decent detail but a lack of raw power
The G435 is a capable headset from a sound point of view – it’s got plenty of detail and is a great partner for casual play.
Comfort doesn’t impact sound quality directly, but it does mean that you can listen for longer periods without getting fatigued, which works for the lightweight G435.
There’s a lack of oomph in terms of bass and overall power, but this is typical for a sub-£80 headset and nothing disqualifying. The 40mm drivers being used here might look solid on paper, but they’re not exactly world-beaters.
I tested the headset with a bunch of Helldivers 2, a smattering of Call of Duty: Warzone, and a healthy slice of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, and in each case it met our expectations.
Helldivers’ cacophony of shrapnel and explosions was solidly represented, while Rebirth’s sweeping orchestral score swooned impressively too. Warzone showcased the headset’s limitations a little, though – its precision can’t compete with a more expensive option, like the Logitech Astro A50 X, but that wouldn’t be a fair fight in budget terms.
The microphone, meanwhile, is an interesting mixed bag. On the one hand, for a beamforming array, it’s extremely solid – our voice chats sounded far from terrible and were better than any other beamforming solution I can remember trying.
However, a great beamforming system is still well behind a mediocre traditional microphone with an arm to get it near your mouth – I sounded clear enough, but also very echoey, with our party of players wondering if we were playing in an empty room or something, such was the reverb.
This won’t be a dealbreaker for plenty of people – it doesn’t have to matter to you, especially if you don’t play online with voice chat enabled very often. However, if you’re a big social player, it’s worth knowing that you won’t make any friends with your choice of mic.
Connectivity is extremely simple, with the included dongle or by Bluetooth, although the former is the better bet for both range and response time.
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Should you buy it?
You want a lightweight headset above all
If weight is your priority when you try out a headset, the Logitech G435 could be a great budget choice.
You play socially a lot, and microphone quality matters
For pure sound quality, there are obvious compromises with the Logitech G435, and the microphone is middling.
Final Thoughts
If you want a headset that’s light as a feather and consequently really comfortable, and you’ve got a budget that can’t stretch towards £100/$100, the Logitech G435 is a solid choice.
In the wearing and using, it feels a little like it made compromises just to keep the weight as low as possible, which leaves it feeling slightly flimsy and with sound quality that isn’t truly the best in class. Its microphone solution is similarly middling, an interesting choice that holds no terrible controversy but didn’t quite win us over completely. This leaves it as a safe option that isn’t outstanding.
However, it does top our current favourite budget pick, the Turtle Beach Recon 70, in terms of style, connectivity and audio. But, this headset is almost three times the price. If something remarkably lightweight isn’t your preference, it’s worth considering similarly priced options like the Sony Pulse 3D and Xbox Wireless Headset. Both of these first-party headsets impressed us a bit more in the audio and microphone departments. For more options, have a peek at our best gaming headsets guide.
How we test
We use every headset we test for at least a week. During that time, we’ll check it for ease of use and put it through its paces by using it in a variety of games, as well as playing music in order to get the full experience.
We also check each headset’s software (if applicable) to see how easy it is to customise and set up.
Use as our primary gaming headset for at least a week.
Tested with a variety of games.
Also tested with music playback.
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FAQs
Yes, along with a USB-A dongle for connections, you can also use Bluetooth to connect to the G435, which also works with the likes of the Nintendo Switch
Full specs
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
