Anyone living in Europe and is into gaming will most likely have heard of QPAD (especially if you live in cold-ass Sweden). I first came in contact with QPAD products on the local lanparties when I had a nice talk with them at Dreamhack 2007 Winter edition. I figured it would be nice to get some extra information to the OCMS readers who haven’t heard of this manufacturer of premiere Gaming Gear.
I will be reviewing the QPAD CT Series, which is a cloth pad. It doesn’t feel like cloth at all, due to QPAD’s innovative “Hybratek” coating, which they describe as a mix of plastic and a cloth pad. The top feels smooth and slick like plastic, but has the softness of a cloth pad.
“For all users with high demands on precision, feel and functionality this is the mouse pad that delivers. CT series smooth Hybratek™ coating ensures that the mouse registers every detail of the smallest mouse movement. It offers a smooth and a controlled glide with an optimum level of friction. Whether you are a hardcore gamer or work with other demanding tasks such as graphic design or large spreadsheets, you’ll thrill to the task”
Now don’t worry: this isn’t one of those shaggy cloth things you get with a new PC which will come apart. The surface on this baby won’t come off for a while (or so the rep at Dreamhack told me), and I’m willing to believe them. The mat just feels like a quality product. On a side note the QPAD CT is available in 2 colors; black and white, and is delivered on your doorstep in a thin plastic tube.
In the anti slipping department you are covered as well. I’m afraid I need to write off my old Steelpad we reviewed, as the anti-slip coating on that one has disappeared so it gets nudged across my desk. The QPAD mat, on the other hand has a rubber under-coating (or more like a surface onto a rubber coat). The top surfance and base are vulcanized together making a virtually inseparable surface with a anti-slip base that will not wear out.
Another nice thing is that the mat comes with a small strip of their “Glidz” anti-friction pads to add to your mice. I’ve had multiple types of glider feet (Teflon tape, etc), but this one is the first one that actually improves the feel and movement over the mat, and it’s nice and thick so this won’t wear out as quickly as other tapes.
As you can see its size is on par with the Steelpad S&S and the Corepad Victory. The model we received is of Medium size, so if you need it a bit bigger than just get the Large size.
So how does it feel/perform? Well I like it… I like it a lot! The mat gives great feedback and feels nice, soft and smooth mouse movements as well. As an added bonus:this thing doesn’t move around my desk ;)
So are there any cons to this pad? Well I had to think hard of any but could only come up with one…. The smell! When you pop that mat out of the plastic container it just reeks. it’s a rubbery smell that can’t be missed. Another point of criticism was the packaging. The pad comes rolled up in a flimsy plastic tube, so if your local mailman has a bad day it’s prone to leave a mark on the mouse mat surface when pulling it out. Also there is no storage box/sleeve to transport the pad to Lanparties (like the Razer Destructor reviewed here or SteelSeries SP). Then again, the QPAD CT is cloth, so it can be easily rolled up, but I just feel more secure if it’s transported in a sleeve.
The finish on the rims of the pad are course and slightly hard, so it can chafe your wrists. Having a rim of your matt rubbing the hell out of your wrists isn’t pleasant. You can remove this sharp edge by running your fingernail along the edge a few times… but this could be something that slipped by Quality Control.
Except for that edge, the QPAD CT Gaming Surface is a great piece of kit and will last you a long time with a great surface.
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