RatpadzGS Mousepad Review

Product: RatpadzGS Mousepad
Author: Weiye Zhou
Date Published: 07/17/04
Price: $16.49 + Free S/H

Introduction

Considered to be one of the best gaming mousepads by many people, I decided to give it a whirl. What's so special about this mousepad? Well, it has a very unique design as you'll see later in this review, is washable, durable, and long lasting. Ratpadz.com is currently owned and operated by Hardocp.com.

Visual Analysis and Pictures

First thing I noticed when I recieved this mousepad was it's textured plastic surface. It has a very rough, but unique feel to it; like sandpaper, but smooth. The thickness of the mousepad is roughly a quarter of an inch. Next, the back of the mousepad has nine rubber feet to keep it in place and ribbing to make it harder to break. Finally, there's that unusual "U" shape cut out at the bottom of the mousepad for your hand.

Here's the surface of the mousepad with the logo on the upper right.



Back of the mousepad, nine rubber feet and ribbing.



Bottom: Destrukt GamingMat; Middle: RatpadzGS; Top: Standard mousepad with P4EE logo.



A close up of the textured surface on the mousepad.

"Performance"

Initially, I didn't like this mouse at all. I thought the surface was too rough and that it would damage the teflon tape on my mouse. I also felt that it was too small since I had grown accustomed to using a large mousepad (Destrukt GamingMat). After playing UT2004 and Farcry for a while with this mousepad, I slowly changed my mind. The surface of the mousepad hadn't damaged the teflon tape like I thought it would and the size of the mousepad was just right. There are times when my mouse rolls off the mousepad, but I'll get used to it as I use it more. What surprised me was how smooth the mousepad was, despite the textured surface. It feels like the mouse is on ice, the same feeling I had when I first got the Destrukt GamingMat. However, the smoothness of the Destrukt GamingMat has degraded over time due to use and because of the cloth material it's made out of. With the RatpadzGS, if it ever gets too dirty I can simply wash it with warm soapy water or glass cleaner as suggested by the Ratpadz Website. Finally, I can't say it will give you more frags... It depends on how good you are.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a good mousepad and is money well spent. You might not like it at first, but over time you'll change your mind. This mousepad is very durable (very hard to break), long lasting, washable, and extremely smooth. There isn't much more I can ask of a mousepad. If you're in the market for a good mousepad, this one would be an excellent choice.

Pro's

Solid mousepad
Durable
Long lasting
Washable
Extremely Smooth

Con's

None!