Nearly a decade ago, Tony Montana and computer mice had one thing in common: they were judged by the quality of their balls. Thicker, heavier balls were better at tracking on your desk, but most people had to use cloth mousepads to get the most grip out of their mice.
Since the dawn of optical and laser mice, cloth mousepads aren’t as necessary, but still offer a comfortable cushion that many users prefer. There are still cloth mousepads available today, but they are rather small and are usually promotional items for local businesses.
Ulti-Mat feels they have improved upon the classic cloth mousepad with their Breathe F-X3 mousepad.
Specifications
The Ulti-mat (Heavy) Breathe F-X3 is our new fabric mouse pad manufactured specifically with you, our customer in mind. Over the years, our customers have provided us with feedback and enhancement requests which proved instrumental in the creation of this new and innovative mouse pad. Breathe F-X3 provides you with the high quality fabric your are accustom to, on a much thicker non-slippery rubber base that keeps this mouse pad steady on any surface, even under extreme use. Breathe F-X3 is the perfect choice for hardcore gaming and graphic designing. The Ulti-mat Breathe F-X3 is compatible with all types of mice and is specially designed for users who require a larger mouse surface. Our Breathe F-X3 provides you with a high quality cloth mouse pad at an affordable price.
Material: HEAVY Fabric
Size: 380 mm x 320 mm x 4 mm HEAVY (14.97inch x 12.61inch x 0.15 inch)
Compatibility: All
Packing: Blister + Carton with holder hole
Technical information:
- Fabric surface
- Natural rubber 4 mm (0.15 inch)
On the next page we try out our new pad…
The extra-large mousepad comes in a plastic clamshell, which is inserted within a cardboard box, which is windowed to show off the texture of the product. The clamshell is easily opened (no staples or permanent seals), and the pad comes right out without a fight.
Like any other cloth pad, the F-X3 is very flexible and can be easily rolled up and stuffed in a bag. This property makes it rather portable and can easily be stuffed into a backpack or your favorite LAN bag.
This mousepad is also oversized, but not as large as the SteelSeries QcK Heavy (reviewed here).
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Honestly, the SteelSeries QcK was way too big, and a lot of the pad went unused. Ulti-mat’s offering is still oversized, but can fit onto your desk or assigned LAN cube more easily.
Many plastic mousepads have several unfortunate properties: they make your hand sweat like a Brazillian prostitute and they tend to have a sharp edge (amazingly also like many Brazillian prostitutes). Cloth mousepads can be more comfortable because not only do they track well, but they have “more cushion for the pushin’”. Since the pad is just cloth and rubber (I’ve run out of innuendos), there is no sharp edge that can push into your wrist.
The pad also has good grip on your desk surface. You can’t move the pad if you move your hand from the top, but if you push from the bottom then it will creep. Some mousepads (especially thinner and lighter ones) tend to creep towards the edge of your desk, which can then push into your wrist. A heavier cloth mousepad doesn’t need any extra texture or “reusable adhesive” as used in the Razer Sphex because its weight and oversized surface area keep it relatively in place.
The pad is completely black, except for the Ulti-Mat logo in the bottom right corner… how else would you know which end was supposed to be up?
We tested all of the optical and laser mice we have in the OCMS labs on this mouse, and all of them tracked perfectly, as one would expect. The reason to choose an oversized cloth mousepad is for its inherent properties. It doesn’t require special technology to keep it in place, advanced micro-surficants, prismatic reflecting diamond dust, or any of the other gimmicks that warrant a $50 price tag.
The one bad property of cloth mousepads is that they tend to pick up stains, dirt and sweat from your hand, and over time the pad develops “dandruff”. Cloth mousepads also tend to fray their edges over time. Mousepads are like a new car or your first wife: they look their best when they’re brand new. Just something to keep in mind.
Let me just state the obvious: the Ulti-Mat Breathe F-X3 is a tried and true cloth mousepad. It’s like your best friend from the neighborhood where you grew up. It does its job well without any gimmicks or expensive technology.
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