Glass mousepad

[Ramoson]

Hey All,

I’ve been looking to upgrade my setup a bit, and with Black Friday around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to grab something high-quality but budget-friendly. Specifically, I’ve been wanting a mouse pad that can give me really smooth tracking with a durable surface—no more dealing with the fabric pads that start to wear down after heavy use.

I came across the FlashBeyond glass mouse pad (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DJ8NQC5V?th=1), which seems to have great build quality and a price that doesn’t break the bank. I’ve heard it’s comparable to the Wallhack in terms of smoothness but with a much more competitive price. It’s supposed to be ultra-smooth, which is a huge bonus for me since I like minimal drag when gaming. I haven’t seen a ton of reviews on it yet, so I was wondering if anyone here has tried it out or knows anything more about its long-term performance?

I don’t have a strict budget, but I’d definitely like something that’s going to last without dropping a huge amount. I’d appreciate any recommendations if there’s something better out there for the same price range, or if you think this is a solid buy.

I’m in the US, by the way. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[9087125]

I have been using steel series glass since the days of vista and honestly mouse pads are not something i place any real importance on. Glass is tough, stays smooth its whole life, easy to clean so thats also why I have kept it. Over the years two big issues have plague glass for me, the first is they are noisy when moving the mouse, the second is the mouse pads easily get clogged and it feels and sounds like sand in between the mouse and pad. Seems much more of a problem on glass. I use to occasionally hit the feet with 2000grit wet sand paper to fix that. They certainly are smooth but glass has a noticeable high associated friction to it and especially with ones hand, any kind of moisture causes friction as that's what water tends to do, slightly wet skin clings to glass and can impede the movements. Interestingly surfaces like glass have more friction when they are smooth and glossy, while less when matte and scuffed (broken in) microscopically.

 

[de.das.dude]

i... dont use a mousepad anymore..... for some reason the wood veneer on my table is just perfect in everyway

 

[Onasi]

Glass is fine if you want a lot of speed and it does theoretically last forever. One thing I would advise, regardless of your mouse, is to stock up on mouse skates since textured glass will eat them up at a solid rate. But hey, you can get basically a lifetime supply of something like Jade dots or donuts off Ali for like 10 bucks, so it’s not a huge detriment.

 

[Macro Device]

fabric pads that start to wear down after heavy use

I use my PC for at least 40 hours a week. Bought my fabric mousepad about four or five years ago. I not only fly my mouse around (yet I don't play vidya that need you to fly it actively), I also spill whatever fluid I have in my cups on it (mostly strong tea and coke), and apart from looking like it's been to the Vietnam war, it's completely usable. Totally smooth experience. I think I'd have a glass one died faster because I'm likely to drop it for no apparent reason lmao.

 

[Onasi]

@Macro Device

Please just let it die.

 

[Bill_Bright]

i... dont use a mousepad anymore..... for some reason the wood veneer on my table is just perfect in everyway

Same here - though not sure my keyboard tray would agree.

 

[Shrek]

I prefer mice mats with stitched edges, so they can be washed without peeling and I would not be happy with a glass mat wearing down the feet on the mouse.

 

[sneekypeet]

They do make what is called a hard mouse pad of various plastics and like materials. They do not seem as popular these days, but when I tried them, they were slick and easy to clean.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The biggest problem as I see it is tracking. Some mice track better on some surfaces but not on others. I have a "blue" laser Logitech mouse that tracks perfectly on the upholstered arm of my chair, my jeans pants leg, the carpet, but not on a leather mouse pad. The MS mouse in the image above refuses to track on shiny surfaces.

I much prefer no mouse pad mainly so I don't have to adjust positioning so I don't run off the edge of the pad.

 

[Onasi]

Tracking should not be a problem on anything that’s actually decent nowadays. Both 3395 and 3950 track fine on glass. 3950 is allegedly even optimized somewhat for glass pads, but I wouldn’t sweat about it.
That’s all for actual “gaming” mice, obviously. Anything that’s office targeted may use older sensors that have issues. But, hopefully, nobody who is considering a Wallhack-like pad is unironically running an old office mouse.

 

[sneekypeet]

Many of the mice come with software that allows for the sensor to be retrained for any surface used (calibration).

 

[Calenhad]

I have used glass mousepads before. They are great if you want a very low friction surface. And frosted glass is great for tracking as well. I still have a Steelseries Icemat in a box somewhere, but I don't use it anymore. I have moved to a deskpad. I do miss the smooth surface though

 

[Onasi]

@sneekypeet
That’s a gimmick at best. I’ve tried several such solutions and saw no difference. Best it can do is somewhat reduce CPI deviation based on surface. But if the sensor outright won’t track you can’t really fix it in software. If your mouse sensor implementation is good it won’t need that.

 

[sneekypeet]

@sneekypeet
That’s a gimmick at best. I’ve tried several such solutions and saw no difference. Best it can do is somewhat reduce CPI deviation based on surface. But if the sensor outright won’t track you can’t really fix it in software. If your mouse sensor implementation is good it won’t need that.

You had the wrong software then. I used to test many mice, and I could always tell the out of the box to a recalibrated sensor. I guess its like a high refresh rate. Some people can tell, some cant.

 

[Onasi]

@sneekypeet
Define “wrong”. Razer and Logitech were what I used. And a lot of modern enthusiast brands don’t bother with the feature at all. Hell, Zowie has no software whatsoever and I don’t hear anyone complaining about the sensor.

 

[sneekypeet]

@sneekypeet
Define “wrong”. Razer and Logitech were what I used. And a lot of modern enthusiast brands don’t bother with the feature at all. Hell, Zowie has no software whatsoever and I don’t hear anyone complaining about the sensor.

It isnt anything about the sensor complaints.

Razer is a plague on your PC as far as software goes and early on I refused to test their products because of all the hidden shit you have to remove after use. Logitech, depending on the time frame. Early in their software was ok, but got much better as time went on.

The thing is, I could feel a mouse not tracking properly. You dig into the software, find the calibration option, and that slow draggy motion on screen went away. I mean hell, reviewing peripherals for the better part of a decade, most companies did a great job out of the box, but for those instances where you have a goofy setup of an odd surface, calibration does fix things. I cannot say it is a gimmick based on my experiences.

 

[inquisitor1]

tried the neoprene pads, not great. too much looseness there. its why I dont use gloves when at the gym. the foam part is spongy and creates flex.

there was one pad- FUNC f10.s . thin and super slippery. they went out of business. I guess I was the only one who bought them. now as @de.das.dude noted, desk and vaneer is decent enough. I sanded the area where the mouse is with 2000grit. in the summer sweat and gunk builds up so I take some wet wipes and wipe it down and its G2G again. once a week.

I also had the idea of glass mousepad years ago. but they didnt track well. had the logitech g9 mouse. maybe a matte/frosted bottom would be better.

but 1 thing that bothes me are desk 90 degree edges. when I ordered my desk, I ordered a rounded edge. much more relief for long term use. I once had a 90 degree edge. hurt my wrist over time of using mouse.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Tracking should not be a problem on anything that’s actually decent nowadays.

Well obviously tracking "should" not be a problem - just like there "should" not be any difference from "in theory" and "real world" in any scenario. But the reality is, theory and real world don't always gibe and not all mice track with the same precision on all surfaces.

And people everywhere, and in particular, on this site need to stop assuming their anecdotal experiences in their own little bubble universes apply to everyone.

Not everyone us a gamers Many hard core computer enthusiasts are NOT gamers. Many users have different requirements for their mice, depending if using their laptop, or their PC or even just how they use their laptop or PC. Many balk at spending $20 on a mouse, many have no problem plopping down $100+ for a mouse - and both are perfectly justified for their beliefs and expectations.

What is "decent" these days is totally subjective - other than buttons "should" work, tracking systems "should" track, and the connection (whether wired or wireless) "should" stay connected.

 

[LabRat 891]

Glass is fine if you want a lot of speed and it does theoretically last forever. One thing I would advise, regardless of your mouse, is to stock up on mouse skates since textured glass will eat them up at a solid rate. But hey, you can get basically a lifetime supply of something like Jade dots or donuts off Ali for like 10 bucks, so it’s not a huge detriment.

Stock of mouse skates and a flooring tile from the hardware store (<$1-10) works fantastically.

I wanted a glass mousepad, wasn't willing to pay $50+.

 

[Onasi]

Anyway, this thread went off the rail with people posting about shit that has nothing to do with OPs question.
Getting to the point - Wallhack is considered to be the “best” glasspad currently. How much different would be the budget option linked in the OP is a question of testing. My recommendation would be to try and return if unsatisfactory. Pads I definitely CAN vouch for are stuff from GLSSWRKS, but those are very pricey and limited. Wouldn’t recommend the Razer Atlas - it felt muddy for a glass pad. I absolutely wouldn’t recommend just using the desk for anyone remotely serious about competitive gaming.

The thing is, I could feel a mouse not tracking properly. You dig into the software, find the calibration option, and that slow draggy motion on screen went away. I mean hell, reviewing peripherals for the better part of a decade, most companies did a great job out of the box, but for those instances where you have a goofy setup of an odd surface, calibration does fix things. I cannot say it is a gimmick based on my experiences.

Fair. Perhaps I just never used a pad that would affect tracking to such a degree so it would be noticeable. I confess that perhaps once using a GPX on a Glide 21 the calibration MIGHT have tweaked the LOD a bit compared to stock, but if it did I really can’t say I noticed it in actual practice in-game.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Getting to the point - Wallhack is considered to be the “best” glasspad currently.

LOL Says who? That's just your opinion. Many would consider the Pulsar Superglide the best. Others would say the Razer Goliathus Extended is best.

 

[dgianstefani]

Pleased with my white Razer Atlas. Great texture and quality.

Careful with your choice, you may find pads can vary signficantly for something that is otherwise just "glass".

 

[bonehead123]

mousepad...ummm....whadatiz ?

Seriously though, I haven't used one for almost 7 yrs now, ever since 2 things happened:

A) Sensors became sensitive enough to work on practically any smooth surface....AND
B) I bought 2 extremely heavy-duty work benches that I use as a desk/workstation, which have a super-slick, super-durable spar urethane finish on them, which causes almost zero wear & tear on the skids.. and I have 2x Logi MX 2's that are over 6 yrs old, still with the original skids to prove it !

 

[Onasi]

LOL Says who? That's just your opinion. Many would consider the Pulsar Superglide the best. Others would say the Razer Goliathus Extended is best.

That was why "best" was in quotes - just a general opinion that I see in the mouse community. Pulsar is slightly slower, while OP asked for smoother glide. Goliathus is not even a glasspad, so I have no idea why you even bring it up.