Packaging

Even though the 1337 RGB is a cloth mouse pad and can therefore be rolled up, it still comes in a flat box, which is really nice. I personally hate when manufactures roll up their pads even though I understand that it is the most cost and space efficient method. But some pads tend to stay wrinkly and uneven even after weeks or months of use. Thankfully, the 1337 RGB is not one of them.

The cardboard box has features listed in 14 different languages, some render pictures, and specifications. The contents of the package are the mouse pad itself and an instruction manual.

Size

The dimensions of the 1337 RGB are 359 mm x 279 mm x 3 mm (roughly 14.1" x 11" x 0.12"). There is only one size available, which is kind of a letdown if you fancy a different size. I like bigger mouse pads because I play on a lower sensitivity and need a lot of space for my adjustments. I hope Sharkoon will broaden the variety in the near future.

Surface

The top has a soft cloth microfiber material that resembles the look and feel of the SteelSeries QcK's surface. It's rather soft with a fair bit of texture to it. Friction-wise, I would say it's pretty fast, but I would not call it a speed pad. It has a fair amount of stopping power, and a mouse on it is very controllable—it is technically a mixture between a speed and control mouse pad. Of course, these categorical terms are broad and often misused because there is no proper definition to them.


Here's a closer look of the surface. The weaving is not extremely dense or too loose; it's right between the two.

Underside

The backing is a non-slip rubber. At least they claim it is. In reality, it tends to slip quite a lot. After a few bigger swipes with my mouse, the mouse pad did actually move around quite noticeably. As mentioned earlier, I play quite vigorously on a low sensitivity, moving and picking up my mouse a lot. If you are not such a gamer, there is a chance you will not have these issues (and there are some DIY fixes to the problem, such as spraying a small amount of hair spray on to the desk under the pad).

Comparison

I had zero tracking issues with the 1337 RGB. I tested it with A3090, PMW3310, and PMW3360 sensors, and all of them performed perfectly. I don't have many mouse pads (even though I did try a lot of them), but here are some comparison pictures with two of them:


HP Omen (exact same surface as SteelSeries QcK) vs. Sharkoon 1337 RGB


Zowie G-SR-SE vs. Sharkoon 1337 RGB