In order to keep the SteelSeries SteelPad 5L working and performing at its best it will need a bit of attention from time to time. I've been using this mat for about a week now and I have cleaned it only once due to a lot of dust on the surface. I just wiped it off with a damped cloth and the mat was as good as new.
How about spillage? I've tried to poor some water over a small section of the mat. At first it seemed as though the mat was water repellent, but after a couple of minutes it started to take in a small amount of the water. After cleaning up the mat was still at bit wet because the cloth had soaked up some water. Once the mat was dry it seemed to perform as good as new, the surface wasn't damaged and the sliding ability was like before. This is the case with water, but if you are so unfortunate to spill Cola or any other soft drink over it you will have to scrap it. Cola will definitely make stains and impair the sliding ability of the mat, especially with all the sugar contained in it. I don't think that the mat will ever recover from such an accident.
The SteelSeries SteelPad 5L can stand some abuse, but due to its hard bottom it will snap if you bend it a lot. It has a hard plastic bottom so if you bend it just a bit it will pop right back into shape, this is a definite plus for the mat's durability.
Value & Conclusion
With a price tag of $39.99 the SteelSeries SteelPad 5L is a very expensive mat although it is worth every dollar.
Speed
Comfort
Size
Precision
Graphics
Size, might be to big for your desk.
Price tag (USD:$39.99 , EUR:37.95, DKK:279 + shipping).
Graphics. Some users may like the usual SteelPad Black better.
Durability. This mat won't stand a Cola accident.
I have to say that I was very positively surprised by this mat, even though my expectations were high.
It combines the comfort of a cloth based mat with the speed and precision of a hard plastic mat. The mat is very easy to get used to and after a very short amount of time you feel as if you have been using the mat for years.
This is a quite expensive mat, it costs about $39.99, but I definitely feel that it is worth every dollar you spend on it, and besides if you already spent a lot of money on a high quality mouse you might as well spend just that little extra in order to get one of the best gamer combinations on the market.
Due to the dimensions of the mat it might be too big for people's desks. My advice is if you can spare the desk space this mat won't let you down. My experience with the mat was very good, and the size is adequate for my use.