Comparison

Let's move on to the comparisons! Unfortunately, I am in no possession of other hard pads, so I could only compare the Balteus to a few rather well-known cloth pads. The QcK Edge has a standard SteelSeries QcK surface, which makes it a somewhat rough micro-woven cloth mouse pad. The QcK Limited, on the other hand, is extremely smooth and has a much denser weave. Lastly, the DM Pad XL is quite similar to the QcK in terms of look and feel.


Balteus Qi vs. QcK Edge


Balteus Qi vs. QcK Limited


Balteus Qi vs. DM Pad XL

As you can see in these pictures, the textured plastic is obviously a very different surface from the cloth variants. Once again, most hard pads are usually very fast, but the Balteus seems to feature more of a control-oriented surface texture.

Build Quality

I encountered zero build quality hiccups—everything is pretty much perfectly made, which can be considered as a minimum requirement at this price point. There are no bumps, valleys, or strangely uneven surfaces anywhere. Even the backside is perfect. The top panel seems to be quite sturdy; its ports don't seem to be loose at all. The braiding on the cables is nicely done too.