The Top 5 Best Mouse Pads for Online Gaming
Game off because of delayed responses or a cursor that strays? Computer mouse not responding as fast as you want it to? If you’ve checked your computer and its accessories and have determined that everything is in order, it might be time you check the gaming mousepad you’re using.
Although it’s a minor computer accessory, a mousepad greatly affects the precision of your gaming responses and the control you have of the game, not to say your gaming convenience and the overall condition of your mouse and desk. A mousepad will give you some degree of grip and control on your playing, but the best one can help up your game to the next level. The secrets are precision, speed, and control.
The Benefits of Using a Mousepad for Competitive or Casual Gaming
A mousepad may seem like nothing more than a plain surface that you provide for your computer mouse to rest or glide on. However, there is much that goes into the crafting of this pad – from the material and its thickness, to the surface and its back base. The right gaming mousepad can offer the following benefits:
It will allow your mouse to easily glide across the surface, maintaining the right balance between response speed and control. After all, as much as you don’t want a PC mouse that fails to respond as fast as needed, having one that moves everywhere and is out of control is as frustrating. A good mousepad can prevent that.
It will provide good traction on your mouse while maintaining an equally good grip on the surface it is placed on, ensuring that it doesn’t move in place while you’re playing so that you’re not distracted.
It will protect both your computer mouse and the desk surface. Placing and using a mouse directly on your desk is not advised, not only because irregularities in the desk will likely create a lousy mouse performance but also because it will likely cause either damage on the mouse or scratches on the desk.
The right mousepad can offer both increased gaming performance and protection for your mouse and desk. But which mousepad is right for you? In the next section, we review the top gaming mousepads in the market to help you decide which one to pick.
Only 5 Mouse Pads Made the Cut - Here are Our Top 5 Picks!
Performance, durability, and price – these are some of the things to check when deciding on a new mousepad. Selecting the right one is pretty straightforward if you know what to look for. Check out the following options:
Weapon Series Mouse Pad (Pulselabz)
This mouse pad from Pulselabz comes in medium and extra-large size options, built with a cloth surface and rubber traction pads at the bottom. The material is 3mm (0.12in) thick. It has a textile-weaved surface and is tightly stitched at the edges.
This mouse pad provides a great combination of performance and durability. It can be used in any surface and for both office and gaming purposes – the traction pads keep it steady in place while you play. The tight weaving of the cloth surface provides both a smooth glide and precise accuracy, making it ideal for high-DPI gaming. And with its reinforced stitching, you can expect the pad to last long without peeling despite heavy use.
PROS:
Built to endure heavy gaming
Traction pads guarantee stability
Allows optimal and accurate response
The extra-large size can cover the entire desk surface
CONS:
The size options are a bit minimal with only medium and extra large offeredThe design is plain, and there’s only one color option available - black
PRICE:
This is perhaps the cheapest mousepad for its size. The extra large variety is priced at around $20, much cheaper than other mousepads of the same specifications.
Cooler Master MP510 Mouse Pad
This series of mouse pad comes in four different sizes – small, medium, large, and extra large. It is made from its very own special Cordura fabric and crafted with anti-fray stitching. It also has the Cooler Master logo, which glows in the dark.
This pad is specifically built to withstand abuse while optimizing game performance. Its Cordura fabric is waterproof, built to withstand long hours of gaming and guaranteed to repel all the moisture from your sweaty hands or from liquid spills. Its anti-fray stitching also prevents peeling and fraying around the edges no matter how long you’ve been using the pad. And for those who want something cool in their workstation, the glow-in-the-dark logo is a plus.
PROS:
Built for performance and durabilityThe Cordura fabric it is made of is waterproof and splash-proof
Anti-fray stitching prevents fraying
Glow in the dark logo amps up its gaming vibe
CONS:
The material takes getting used to. It’s rough and coarse, and some users have complained about their wrist being irritated.
Depending on the user and the mouse, it may take some time – and some tuning – for the mouse to track properly.
PRICE:
This one is a bit pricey, with the medium mousepad priced at around $15, large at $20, and extra large at around $35.
Razer Sphex v2
This is an ultra-thin gaming mouse pad that measures only half a millimeter in thickness, designed for both the laser and optical mice. The pad is made from a combination of polycarbonate surface and an adhesive base.
The Razer Sphex v2 mouse pad is built for gamers who want undistracted, unobtrusive gaming so they can focus on their performance. This ultra-thin pad will do its work without getting in the way of the game. It’s built for high tracking capability, and the polycarbonate surface is lab-tested to ensure resistance against tears, rips, and other damage that may be caused by high-intensity gaming.
PROS:
Built for optimum control and speed – tracking is excellentUltra-thin and hard mouse pad allows for seamless gaming
Polycarbonate surface resists various types of damage
The pad is designed for both laser and optical mice
CONS:
The adhesive backing is extra strong. Once you attach it to a desk surface, removal and reattachment to another surface may not be possible.
Due to the strength of the adhesive backing, there’s a chance the surface material of your deck may come off when you peel off the pad.
There are limited size options, and there is no available pad for users who may want a bigger surface.
PRICE:
This mousepad is priced at around $15, comparable to the medium pad from Cooler Master.
SteelSeries QcK
This mouse pad series is offered in three sizes (S, M, and L) and made from the brand-exclusive QcK micro-woven cloth. It measures 2mm in thickness and is also washable. The surface is optimized for both low- and high-DPI tracking while the base is made from non-slip rubber.
This mouse pad is built for high tracking capability, the secret being it’s micro-woven fabric – the high thread count makes for the ideal surface for optimum mouse tracking, whether for laser or for optical mouse. This surface performance is paired with the non-slip, solid silicon rubber base that offers maximum stability during a game. The pad is designed for gamers with mid to low DPI settings.
PROS:
The micro-woven cloth surface is perfect for speedThe silicon rubber base keeps the mouse in place all throughout a game
The pad is washable and easy to clean
It comes in three sizes, so there are options available for users
CONS:
The basic QcK pad is built with no stitching at the edges, and there were users who mentioned about peeling at the edges after a few weeks or months of use. For those who are particular about this, there are other QcK version that are offered with stitching at the edges.
PRICE:
The price ranges at around $7 to $99 depending on the size.
Corsair MM600
This mouse pad is made from aircraft-grade aluminum core. It comes with two different surfaces – one side has a heavy texture finish to help users achieve maximum control while the other side has a sleek finish for mice with a high-speed glide. To keep it in place, it is equipped with rubber grips at the four corners of the pad.
This is perhaps one of the very few dual-surface mouse pads being offered in the market, catering to the different needs of a gamer. The aluminum core provides the pad with a heavy-duty quality that is perfect for long hours of intense gaming. Meanwhile, the rubber grips keep in it place no matter how extreme the mouse movements are during a game.
PROS:
This mouse pad is built for different gaming needsThe aluminum core ensures durability and toughness
The rubber grips at the edges keep the pad secured in place
CONS:
While there are rubber grips at the pad’s corners, the edges are made from metal and may be slightly uncomfortable for some users.The pad is also rather big, and there is no smaller option – it may not fit a small desk surface.
PRICE:
This pad is priced at around $40.
Shopping for computer parts and accessories can be one of the most fun, or the most stressful, parts when setting up a gaming station. Good thing mouse pads are simple, straightforward accessories that don’t take a lot of time to consider. However, don’t forget that the simplest and smallest things can affect your gaming performance.
When shopping for a mouse pad, check out basic factors such as the surface materials the pad is made of, the thickness, the base, as well as extra features that may add to your overall experience. Start your search by checking the information above to help you find the right mouse pad for you.
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