Mouse Pads: Plastic, Cloth, Metal or Glass OH MY!!!

[EastCoasthandle]

I thought getting a mouse pad was a simple affair as it was something fairly cheap. However, as I begin to find out the various types of mice pads out there purchasing one was a clear as mud. So, I pondered on why I needed a new mouse pad having went through 2 so far. For me, both of them wore out. Creating a very smooth surface. Granted one still tracks very well gliding the mouse between rough and smooth portions of the mouse pad can mess with your aim. The other begin to peel off the mouse pad itself and simply didn't track very well. I further thought on the issue and realized that both of those mouse pads were made from one form of plastic or another.

So, I begin to look at cloth mouse pads and recall my dislike of the spongy feel of them. They are simply to thick for my taste. If I wanted a cloth mouse pad it would have to function as good as the plastic type and for me be very thin. I looked at quite a few different ones but have no idea wait the difference between 0.1mm vs 0.2mm actually means unless I try them 1st .

Next comes those mouse pads that are made from metal. They are very expensive and their maintenance and reliability are something I have to question for the price they are asking for. And to be honest, I don't see myself paying that kind of price for mouse pad.

The last type of mouse pad that I've come across is those made of glass. I've read that if you have a laser mouse it doesn't track well. However, at it's price point I have to put it in the same category as the metal mouse pad.


Here is what I've found so far:
-reliable (appears that metal and glass off the best reliability)
-durable (appears that cloth and glass are the most durable)
-glides easy (toss up as it depends on the who makes it)
-best tracking capability (toss up as it depends on who makes it)

What would you buy?

 

[Kantastic]

I've tried cloth, plastic, and metal.

Metal:
Razer Pro Pad (exact same pad as the eXactMat except white for Mac users)
- It's a very accurate pad but a little too bulky for my taste, probably one of the most accurate pads I've used. It did give my wrist a little trouble at first since it was thick by nature, the stand-offs that kept it in place made it even worse.

Plastic:
Razer Sphex
- Nifty little bugger, thinner than paper, never budges after you place it on the desk, and has just the right about of feedback for great control.
Razer Destructor
- Expensive... and a little too smooth for me. I sold my Sphex for this pad, but ended up going back to the Sphex.

Cloth:
SteelSeries Qck
- Worst $10 I've ever spent. It kept moving on my desk, it came all rolled up and wasn't completely flat even after 2 weeks of use, and it's smooth but not in a good way. It's hard to describe but it was, simply put, a bad pad.
Razer Mantis Control
- Not much different than the Qck, just thicker... I honestly feel cloth pads are inferior to their more solid counterparts.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Great post Kantastic, thanks!

 

[Kantastic]

No problem, I recommend the Sphex but this stuff is usually personal preference/hit or miss.

 

[newtekie1]

I've tried them all, and now I use none. I won't go back to using a mouse pad again.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Hmm, that ultra thin (something I like). Does it move around or does it stay pretty stationary?

 

[Kantastic]

Hmm, that ultra thin (something I like). Does it move around or does it stay pretty stationary?

The bottom of the Sphex is made of a unique material that sticks to your desk like tape, but doesn't stick to your hand. I think it's due to the little honeycomb like holes that act as mini suction cups. You can apply the pad to difference surfaces as many times as you want and it never loses it's adhesiveness. Oh and you can also wash it, just let it dry and it's as good as new.

Here's a great review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEyuntpNvzM

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Interesting, at it's price it's not a waste if it wears out. Good info, thanks!

 

[BumbleBee]

the whole point of lasers are to count more images on multiple surfaces with less power consumption but they have have been poorly implemented since their inception in 2004. the Avago ADNS-9500 (Logitech G500, G9x) is the first laser that can exceed the speed of the fastest optical sensor the S3668 (DeathAdder, DiamondBack, Boomslang CE 2007)

somethings I can't explain. Razer Mamba tracking improves when used with the SteelSeries Experience I-2 (Glass) tracking is also improved when used with the Razer Pro Pad (White) this may be due to the pigment white and it's absorbing properties vs. the pigment black and it's reflecting properties.

that being said I personally prefer a hard surface. some people swear by granite tiles.

 

[Kantastic]

the whole point of lasers are to count more images on multiple surfaces with less power consumption but they have have been poorly implemented since their inception in 2004. the Avago ADNS-9500 (Logitech G500, G9x) is the first laser that can exceed the speed of the fastest optical sensor the S3668 (DeathAdder, DiamondBack, Boomslang CE 2007)

somethings I can't explain. Razer Mamba tracking improves when used with the SteelSeries Experience I-2 (Glass) tracking is also improved when used with the Razer Pro Pad (White) this may be due to the pigment white and it's absorbing properties vs. the pigment black and it's reflecting properties.

that being said I personally prefer a hard surface. some people swear by granite tiles.

This gets me thinking.. I honestly loved my Pro Pad to death because it was so darn accurate. I might pick another one up just to test versus my Sphex.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

the whole point of lasers are to count more images on multiple surfaces with less power consumption but they have have been poorly implemented since their inception in 2004. the Avago ADNS-9500 (Logitech G500, G9x) is the first laser that can exceed the speed of the fastest optical sensor the S3668 (DeathAdder, DiamondBack, Boomslang CE 2007)

somethings I can't explain. Razer Mamba tracking improves when used with the SteelSeries Experience I-2 (Glass) tracking is also improved when used with the Razer Pro Pad (White) this may be due to the pigment white and it's absorbing properties vs. the pigment black and it's reflecting properties.

that being said I personally prefer a hard surface. some people swear by granite tiles.

Granite tiles? What has been said about granite tiles and what color should one get?

And what about the Func pads? Is that the pad that is related to the owner of [H]ardOCP?

 

[BumbleBee]

Granite tiles? What has been said about granite tiles and what color should one get?

no idea.

This gets me thinking.. I honestly loved my Pro Pad to death because it was so darn accurate. I might pick another one up just to test versus my Sphex.

ever seen a XtractPad? I have been seeing them more and more lately.

here it is in action.

this is great for low sensitivity gamers.

they make both soft and hard in all sizes.

 

[Kantastic]

That's not a pad.. that's a table top!

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Wow, nice. So you can cover areas for both your mouse and keyboard. Interesting. I've checked their website and they are very clear as to which mice works best with their pads.

 

[BumbleBee]

yeah but there is no rule of thumb that says you need a hard surface for a laser and a soft surface for optical.

this is the Avago ADNS-6010 the same sensor used in the Razer Copperhead, Logitech G5, Microsoft Habu, Microsoft Sidewinder X3, A4Tech X-750F and Dharma Tactile Mouse.

SteelSeries SX, SteelSeries S&S and AirPad Pro III are all hard surfaces respectively but completely different in construction.

 

[BumbleBee]

this is the Avago ADNS-3080* the same sensor used in the Logitech MX-518, Razer Diamondback (Original), Razer Krait, A4Tech X-718 and Dharma Tactical Mouse.

I think it all comes down to construction of the surface and the sensor because I can't see any patterns at all which leaves us at square one.

one other thing the graphs tell us is the people who manufacture their own surfaces at home with plastics, tiles and other materials because they are too stubborn or cheap to buy a commercial surface can actually be hurting the performance of their mouse. surfaces are about tracking and speed not to look and feel good on your desk, they are just as important as the mouse.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Thanks for the mouse pads but I am not sure what I am looking at. Can you explain them?

 

[BumbleBee]

counts per second is the engineering word for DPI, DPI is actually a marketing term. only SteelSeries and another company I can't remember use the actual term CPI.

metres per second is a measurement like inches per second.

the straighter the line the better the tracking, the raining icons is data saturation and negative acceleration (basically when tracking becomes inconsistent and craps out)

 

[EastCoasthandle]

Interesting so the aluminum mouse pad tracked the best.

 

[BababooeyHTJ]

It's all personal preference really. You may need to try a few. I love my QCK+ it's thin soft and very comfortable but it's relativity new so I'm not sure about cleaning. I have also used a metal rocketfish which I hear is a lot like the metal razor pads. It was ok but I wouldn't recommend it. I also have a Ratpadz XT which is by far the most accurate pad with the best glide that I have ever used but I find it to be a bit small and since it's so thick a little uncomfortable. If I spent most of my time with FPS games or it was considerably larger it would be the way to go. Keep in mind though YMMV.

I use an Ikari laser so I can't vouch for optical mice on those pads.

 

[erocker]

I've been using a Razer eXactMat for about a year now. At first I couldn't stand it, really I couldn't stand the wrist rest. I got used to it after a while and now wouldn't have anything else. The mat is basically aluminum with a smooth surface on one side and a bit rougher surface on the other. I find myself flipping the mat over depending on what game I'm playing.

 

[MK4512]

I can't imagine a glass mousepad would sense a laser mouse well as it would refract the light.

As for mousepads, I am into fabrics, but don't swear by my words as I get my mousepads from the dollar store!

 

[BumbleBee]

here is another chart

this is the S3668 Sensor (aka 3G Infared Optical Sensor) used in the Razer Boomslang CE 2007, Razer DeathAdder (Original), Diamondback 3G and the Razor Salmosa.

not only is the S3668 Sensor faster than the ADNS-3080* but has much more consistent tracking on multiple surfaces.

up until the Avago ADNS-9500 this was arguably and still is one of the best sensors available especially when you can get a Diamondback 3G (Green) brand new for $26 with Free Shipping on eBay.

Color Wavelength in Nanometers


Purple 400 - 450
Blue 450 - 500
Green 500 - 570
Yellow 570 - 590
Orange 590 - 610
Red 610 - 780

this is a interesting bit I came across on the razerblueprint forums about the LED in the mice. in case you were wondering which color was more dominant

 

[fenurch]

I think it comes down to personal preference over any advice or opinion but your own. I've had several mouse pads like QcK, 4D and Taito (which I'm currently using) but I haven't tried any metal or glass mousepads and I'm fairly happy with the Taito which is rather unique (it's made of weird texture, like a mix between plastic and cloth) so I really don't have a need for a new mousepad just yet. I suggest you go to some shops and see which one you like the best before you buy it.

 

[EastCoasthandle]

What sensor does the sidewinder use? The sidewinder uses 2 optics (never seen that before).