Package

This mat is HUGE - 44 x 38 cm is big by anyone's standard. One of the key features of the G-TF mat besides the surface which is designed in cooperation with "SpawN" is the triple-stitched edges which eliminate fraying. Zowie claims that this mat is as fast as plastic mats, we will see how that turns out in our testing, but I have my doubts. Since Zowie ships the mats very tightly rolled you have to place it on a level surface for a while to get rid of the curling, since we did not have enough time for this to happen we helped the process by applying gentle heat from a blow dryer, do not use a high powered one or a heat gun since it could harm the polymer coating.

Closer Examination

The surface has a fine texture and feels slightly faster than the surface on a SteelSeries QcK mat, or a standard cloth mat for that matter. No matter what you do you cannot get a faster glide than on a plastic mat, I tried several mice with different types of Teflon feet including Zowie's own mice and with the same results. The glide is better than on a QcK, but inferior to that of a QPAD EC-R, SteelSeries 9HD, or S&S. One thing that does work incredibly well on the mat is the stitched edges. They essentially solve all the fraying issues commonly associated with cloth mats and they are non-obtrusive. I think the stitched edges add real value to the mat because it is basically the second largest killer of cloth mats next after spillage.


Like the majority of soft mats out there, the G-TF has a natural rubber foam base. Zowie’s base layer is not threaded which means that the surface layer is not sealed. This could make a difference in the long run in terms of more wear and tear.


Behold logo galore. The red spawn logo is annoyingly ugly, the top right logo is alright to look at. Of course with a branded gamer mat logos are to be expected. I would rather that they left the gaming surface free of plastic print which renders the area unusable, plus a pure black mat would look way better.