What do expensive Mouse Pads offer?

[Zach_01]

Surely the cost of those wipes would exceed the cost of a mouse pad pretty quickly?

I'm not avoiding pads to avoid cost. I find them totally inconvenient and restrictive to movements.
I would use 1 wipe per day anyway to clean my desk so...

 

[Synthwave]

So I've been using James Donkey JD900 for about a year without any issues, but I just wanted to buy famous Steelseries Qck series mousepad. However apart from being expensive, I've not yet witnessed any difference between these two mousepads. Do you think changing mouse pad with a known and respected brand is futile? Why should I care a better brand?

I don't want to come off as degrading, but I'll be frank: looking at this picture, that JD900 surface looks painfully low end, so as that stitching. You simply can't get a good brand new pad for like ~7 bucks, not even an S sized (something like 25 x 20 cm or so) one.

The SteelSeries QcK is really the lower end of usable pads. It's a slow mud pad, which is fine, if you want that, but durability-wise it's not the same as it was 10-15 years ago, especially when it had the old Steel logo. I would call it the bare minimum, nothing special or exquisitely lovely, but I guarantee you that it's not the same as that Donkey stuff. Anyways, you can only go up from here.

Try a PureTrak Talent (this is dirt cheap for what it is, go for a 6 mm thick one, without stitched edges), an X-raypad (Aqua Control+ maybe) or an Artisan (doesn't matter which) for example, but with proper virgin grade PTFE feet like Corepad/Hyperglide/Tiger ICE stuff, or even ceramic/glass skates (I guess synthetic sapphire crystal would be really an overreach in this case).

If you won't feel a difference, it really isn't beneficial for you to spend money on these things, even though they actually matter, quite a lot, since the glide, the initial friction, the stopping power (or the lack of that in case of speed pads like the Artisan Raiden or the glass-cloth hybrid Artisan Shidenkai), the rubberized base (well, nothing beats Artisan's Poron foam though), the comfort, the stitching (if it has) and even the durability is in a completely different realm than these 3 dollar flea market tablecloths. Humidity also matter in terms of pad feel, but not in case of every pad; Artisans for example are known to resist it spectacularly, it doesn't affect them.

Mind you, these are cloth pads (well, we touched hybrids briefly with the Shidenkai), but there are other materials out there, like Cordura, plastic, aluminium or glass, with completely different characteristics and pros/cons. Basically you can write a small book about the topic, but Iain M Banks already gave you a compact tl;dr on the previous page.

On a sidenote: coated pads CAN BE an option if you're looking specifically for them for certain characteristics, but keep in mind, that they tend to be not really too durable, since the coating will wear off with use, but that also depends on many factors (what skates you use, how hard you push the mouse into the surface, how light/heavy your mouse is).

 

[sLowEnd]

I'm not avoiding pads to avoid cost. I find them totally inconvenient and restrictive to movements.
I would use 1 wipe per day anyway to clean my desk so...

If you find movement restrictive, you probably haven't used a large enough mousepad before. They come in all sorts of sizes now, from the old 20cm x 20cm tiny ones to gigantic ones a meter long and half a meter deep.

 

[Zach_01]

If you find movement restrictive, you probably haven't used a large enough mousepad before. They come in all sorts of sizes now, from the old 20cm x 20cm tiny ones to gigantic ones a meter long and half a meter deep.

Yes I am aware of those big pads. No fan of them either. Pads are restrictive to me no matter how you look at it.
I may want to move around keyboard, monitor, and all shorts of stuff on my desk, mount/unmount steering wheel while having the mouse on different convenient to me places with different space size depending the game I play or whatever else I'm doing.

 

[Regeneration]

So I've been using James Donkey JD900 for about a year without any issues, but I just wanted to buy famous Steelseries Qck series mousepad. However apart from being expensive, I've not yet witnessed any difference between these two mousepads. Do you think changing mouse pad with a known and respected brand is futile? Why should I care a better brand?

That's true, but expense is a relative thing. If the end user is into competitive gaming, then every little bit of help is beneficial.

Happens everytime after some time of use. That's SteelSeries QcK (small) if you don't recogznie.

 

[Synthwave]

View attachment 264363 View attachment 264365 View attachment 264364

Happens everytime after some time of use.

Geez, what do you do with dem mousepads?

 

[sLowEnd]

Geez, what do you do with dem mousepads?

Likely nothing unusual. My two QcK pads ended up like that after a couple years too.

 

[AlwaysHope]

View attachment 264363 View attachment 264365 View attachment 264364

Happens everytime after some time of use. That's SteelSeries QcK (small) if you don't recogznie.

If I'm interpreting those pictures correctly, it looks like the users forearm or wrist has been rubbing against the desk/table right where the edge of the mouse pad is located?
IF this is the case, I don't see how it's the mouse pads fault.

 

[Regeneration]

If I'm interpreting those pictures correctly, it looks like the users forearm or wrist has been rubbing against the desk/table right where the edge of the mouse pad is located?
IF this is the case, I don't see how it's the mouse pads fault.

What about the left side? There is no edge to rub against there...

Where else would you place a mouse pad if not the edge of the table?

Also happened on a office table with round edges.

 

[Vario]

I don't want to come off as degrading, but I'll be frank: looking at this picture, that JD900 surface looks painfully low end, so as that stitching. You simply can't get a good brand new pad for like ~7 bucks, not even an S sized (something like 25 x 20 cm or so) one.

The SteelSeries QcK is really the lower end of usable pads. It's a slow mud pad, which is fine, if you want that, but durability-wise it's not the same as it was 10-15 years ago, especially when it had the old Steel logo. I would call it the bare minimum, nothing special or exquisitely lovely, but I guarantee you that it's not the same as that Donkey stuff. Anyways, you can only go up from here.

Try a PureTrak Talent (this is dirt cheap for what it is, go for a 6 mm thick one, without stitched edges), an X-raypad (Aqua Control+ maybe) or an Artisan (doesn't matter which) for example, but with proper virgin grade PTFE feet like Corepad/Hyperglide/Tiger ICE stuff, or even ceramic/glass skates (I guess synthetic sapphire crystal would be really an overreach in this case).

If you won't feel a difference, it really isn't beneficial for you to spend money on these things, even though they actually matter, quite a lot, since the glide, the initial friction, the stopping power (or the lack of that in case of speed pads like the Artisan Raiden or the glass-cloth hybrid Artisan Shidenkai), the rubberized base (well, nothing beats Artisan's Poron foam though), the comfort, the stitching (if it has) and even the durability is in a completely different realm than these 3 dollar flea market tablecloths. Humidity also matter in terms of pad feel, but not in case of every pad; Artisans for example are known to resist it spectacularly, it doesn't affect them.

Mind you, these are cloth pads (well, we touched hybrids briefly with the Shidenkai), but there are other materials out there, like Cordura, plastic, aluminium or glass, with completely different characteristics and pros/cons. Basically you can write a small book about the topic, but Iain M Banks already gave you a compact tl;dr on the previous page.

On a sidenote: coated pads CAN BE an option if you're looking specifically for them for certain characteristics, but keep in mind, that they tend to be not really too durable, since the coating will wear off with use, but that also depends on many factors (what skates you use, how hard you push the mouse into the surface, how light/heavy your mouse is).

In my testing, I prefer a mouse pad with a strong warmer body and an earthy bouquet, possessing faint notes of lemon and aged tobacco. A hint of chocolate reveals the subtle character and tonal separation of a mouse pad of this caliber.

 

[xtreemchaos]

im using a full desktop one which my son in law got me from Game for £15 about 10 years ago and its still going strong and it do smell of shag tabacco cus that what i smoke in my pipe with some exotic green stuff for medicinal.

 

[Synthwave]

In my testing, I prefer a mouse pad with a strong warmer body and an earthy bouquet, possessing faint notes of lemon and aged tobacco. A hint of chocolate reveals the subtle character and tonal separation of a mouse pad of this caliber.

Good for you.


Or not. )

 

[Sithaer]

im using a full desktop one which my son in law got me from Game for £15 about 10 years ago and its still going strong and it do smell of shag tabacco cus that what i smoke in my pipe with some exotic green stuff for medicinal.

I've bought one those bigger ones that can fit both the keyboard+mouse comfortably from Aliexpress like 6 years ago for ~15$ or so.
Still barely any damage on it and worked perfectly with various mouses I had since, edges have that sewing too.

Mainly bought it cause I got tired of the small pads moving around slowly + this has a Skyrim scenery image printed on it and I liked it. 'not the highest quality printing but not bad for the money'
I don't play competitive games and don't really do quick mouse turns/movements either so I aint spending more on such thing.

 

[Arco]

I've bought one those bigger ones that can fit both the keyboard+mouse comfortably from Aliexpress like 6 years ago for ~15$ or so.
Still barely any damage on it and worked perfectly with various mouses I had since, edges have that sewing too.

Mainly bought it cause I got tired of the small pads moving around slowly + this has a Skyrim scenery image printed on it and I liked it. 'not the highest quality printing but not bad for the money'
I don't play competitive games and don't really do quick mouse turns/movements either so I aint spending more on such thing.

Whenever my VERY BIG mouse pad gets worn out I flip it or move it around. (Double-sided) So far it's been working out really well.

 

[Vayra86]

How about this? It's pet heating pad, but you can glide your mouse on:
Mine goes around 60°C, does that suit your coffee?

View attachment 264132

https://www.amazon.com/pet-heating-pads/s?k=pet+heating+pads

Waterproof Dog Heating Mat for Cat.

And they put a fkn rabbit on it.

In my testing, I prefer a mouse pad with a strong warmer body and an earthy bouquet, possessing faint notes of lemon and aged tobacco. A hint of chocolate reveals the subtle character and tonal separation of a mouse pad of this caliber.

Don't forget to spit it out after tasting

 

[xtreemchaos]

I've bought one those bigger ones that can fit both the keyboard+mouse

heres mine its not doing bad with age i did give it a qwick wipe. it says Numskull on it well ive been called that before

 

[Synthwave]

heres mine its not doing bad with age i did give it a qwick wipe. it says Numskull on it well ive been called that before
View attachment 264414

That sure looks worn down tho.

 

[xtreemchaos]

That sure looks worn down tho.

thanks bud i love you too .

 

[dirtyferret]

expensive mouse pads offer a place for rich mice to live

 

[Synthwave]

thanks bud i love you too .

I'm not talking about love or anything of that sort, just a simple observation. : D

 

[xtreemchaos]

so show me the wear then bud, if your taking about the light and dark bits thats where i wipe it with a damp cloth, zoom in on the pic and show me the wear. its been in my workshop 10 years or more so it do get dusty and dirty from gpus being take to bits and reassemble.

 

[AlwaysHope]

What about the left side? There is no edge to rub against there...

Where else would you place a mouse pad if not the edge of the table?

Also happened on a office table with round edges.

Yes and? so what about the left side. That's got nothing to do with it unless they are a left handed mouse user.
My point was that wear n' tear could happen even without a mouse pad or with any kind of mouse pad for that matter. Not sure what your trying to point out there.
Your splitting hairs here in trying to discourage the use of a dedicated mouse pad.

 

[Regeneration]

Yes and? so what about the left side. That's got nothing to do with it unless they are a left handed mouse user.
My point was that wear n' tear could happen even without a mouse pad or with any kind of mouse pad for that matter. Not sure what your trying to point out there.
Your splitting hairs here in trying to discourage the use of a dedicated mouse pad.

Conclusion is not to waste money on expensive gaming mice pad.

Just get one that works in the size you need. Preferably black without any paintings.

 

[Vayra86]

View attachment 264501

Conclusion is not to waste money on expensive gaming mice pad.

Just get one that works in the size you need. Preferably black without any paintings.

Microplastic heaven! Yummy

 

[Kovoet]

Still use my old hard qpad