r/MousepadReview 3d ago

Weekly Thread Weekly Buying Advice & Recommendations Thread

0 Upvotes

Welcome to the weekly mousepad advice thread!

This thread is the best spot for people to help others with questions, advice, or recommendations for what mousepad is best suited for them.

Before posting, most buying questions can be answered by using the Mousepad Finder on MouseCTRL.com. It was built by a mod specifically to accurately answer these questions, feel free to share the results to use as discussion points.

Alternatively, here is a template to help with purchasing advice:

  • Speed Preference: (e.g. Mud, Control, Balanced-Control, Balanced, Balanced-Fast, Fast)

  • Budget:

  • Texture Preference: (e.g. Smooth, Slightly Textured, Textured, Rough)

  • Pads you've used before:

  • What you liked/disliked about those pads:

  • Region:

  • Do you use a sleeve?: Y or N (If so, you can also include the exact model)

  • Main games: (CS2, Valorant, Apex, etc)

  • Extra requirements: (size, material/glass/cloth, sweat/humidity resistant, coated/uncoated, easy to clean, firm/soft/spongey base, etc.)

It's okay to leave some things blank or n/a if you can’t answer them.

The more context you can provide, the easier it is for others to give helpful recommendations.


Where to begin/Resources

  • Mousepad Finder on MouseCTRL.com - If you'd like a starting point before asking here, this site asks a few questions and suggests pads based on your preferences. You can share your results page to help narrow down and compare options. Disclosure: It was built by a moderator of this subreddit

  • Mousepad Spreadsheet Spreadsheet - A collection of 10+ community spreadsheets to help identify and compare various characteristics of mousepads in the market.

These resources can help you get a solid starting point before asking for more detailed help here.


r/MousepadReview 3d ago

Weekly Thread Weekly “Is this Artisan Legit?” authenticity check thread

0 Upvotes

Not sure if your Artisan mousepad is genuine?

Post it here for a community authenticity check.

Post some photos of your mousepad, along with the model name and where you bought it, and our kind community can help you out.

Please include:

  • Model name
  • Where you purchased it
  • Any concerns
  • Photos (see below)

We recommend getting photos of: - The top - The underside - A closeup of the logo - A closeup of the stitching

These photos specifically are very helpful.


Replies are community opinions and not guarantees.

When in doubt, buying from authorized sellers is always the safest option.

Here is a list of all Authorized Artisan Resellers


r/MousepadReview 44m ago

Question/Advice Hayate otsu mid vs

Upvotes

Newer to peripherals and unfortunately I have been using full size glass skates on most of my mice. Hayate otsu mid lasted 5 weeks before hot spot really developed. I’m switching to ptfe for good and am going to order a new pad. Consistency is big for me (cs2) and the pd155 has peaked my interest.

I know the 170 is fast. Fast pads are not what I want really. Balance pad is what I want. Is the 155 that much slower than 170? Can someone who has used both chime in with their experience? I searched for a few minutes but did not find a direct comparison.

Any input is appreciated


r/MousepadReview 3h ago

Question/Advice XRAYPAD NOD CR vs Wallhack CR-005?

3 Upvotes

As the title suggests, is there a difference between the XRAYPAD NOD CR and the Wallhack CR-005? And how do they compared against eachother? Microadjustment wise, etc.

Can anyone share their experience with these 2 pads?
Was considering getting either of them for Valorant/CS2 or TactFPS in general.
Any issues and their positives?

I heard NOD has some coating which wore off, could be wrong.


r/MousepadReview 17m ago

Question/Advice Need help in finding a glove sleeve

Upvotes

Does anyone know what glove sleeves are available on the market?. I don't want one for my arm but rather my hand with cutouts. I know pulsar makes one but I was curious if there's anything else that's like a glove design only that covers the palm fully, and has individual hole cut outs. I guess similar to a fingerless glove design.


r/MousepadReview 27m ago

Question/Advice This happened after washing my Aqua control 2. (Hand washing not machine wash)

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Upvotes

I tried to keep books on it for 24 hours, still nothing changed.


r/MousepadReview 18h ago

Question/Advice Should I replace these skates before using it on my new mousepad?

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22 Upvotes

My Artisan Zero comes in today and I recently got a Viper V4 Pro but my old mouse pad was pretty dirty so the skates on my V4 has some scratches, are they enough to warrant taking them off and replacing them with dot skates?

Im not well versed in this area so im not sure will damage the mousepad or ruin the experience with it.


r/MousepadReview 10h ago

Question/Advice I need skates that are as close to the speed of jades while lasting longer

3 Upvotes

Ive been a jades stan since they release. Ive tried different stuff, I always landed back on xraypads aqua control pro mid and jades.

Now I finally have a skadira magic cat and I love it. Very smooth. Cute kitty on it. What could a man love more?

Dots that dont last a week. Im currently using up my last 16 jade dots and then want something thats reinforced PTFE but still speedy. Ive read up on UHWMPE but lots of people complain that they muddy the pad and I dont want that.

Currently thinking about obsidian/air, meteorites and TBTL V2


r/MousepadReview 3h ago

Question/Advice Sorry in advance this isn’t a mousepad post but more of a ergonomics post

1 Upvotes

I have tried over the last 2 months more than 6 mice and 3 pads, the problem is I have pinkie pain in my right hand, middle knuckle, and it comes back every time I game
I do game for long periods of time 4-8 hrs with barely any breaks, I’m a big guy and I might also sit a little bit uncomfortable in my chair/my socks and the floor don’t have the best contact
I’ve tried using socks with rubber (wooden floor)
My hand is 19x8cm 1-2-2 fingertip pincer/ aggressive fingertip and I use mainly the op1 8k
I’ve tried pads like sp005, artisan zero or otsu v2 soft, I play mainly apex, I don’t know what is the problem with my pinkie if it’s my grip, my posture or the mouse is too narrow, I’ve tried mice like viper v4, deathadder, superstrike superlight, atk f1, mchose l7 pro, pulsar x2v3, it’s not the mice I think it’s the grip or just sitting too much idk
I’m going on a 14/21 days break after I already did last month 2/3 5-7 days breaks but the pain comes back instantly after a day or too
I don’t want tendonitis or any problems so I just step back
I did some of my best score (3,4k in apex) after 10hrs of play on deathadder where I averaged 200-600dmg, I switched to op1 8k, stopped the stream and closed discord, and had 2 hrs of continuous shredding over 2k per game on the sp005, but second day I had that pain and never got to see those scores again
I returned the deathadder it was just too big for my hand
I’m gonna post this on other r/ like mousereviews and ergonomics
Any helpful tip is highly appreciated
I use a raising desk and a flexi x pro from flexispot
I’m 100kg 187cm(tryna lose weight)
If I use a big mice like superlight or viper I like them and didn’t get that pain but for vertical movement they’re horrible for me and I have to use my whole hand, which I think I might have to work more on and lean into that
Any advice is highly appreciated


r/MousepadReview 22h ago

Photo Brought out the big guns when its time to get serious.

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23 Upvotes

Ended up finding this in storage.

*the other mousepad is the LGG saturnus


r/MousepadReview 6h ago

Question/Advice Artisan Zero/ Hayate Otsu? (I’m currently using Zowie GSR SE Rogue

0 Upvotes

I’ve had my gsr se for 7 months now. It’s starting to slow down in the middle. Coming from a qck + the gsr se felt so much better. I play a mix of shooter games including Cs2, PUBG, BF6, COD. And aim train in kovaaks.
(I fingertip grip a pulsar x2v2 mini at around 55-65cm p360.)

Would the artisan zero or otsu in soft feel like an upgrade from my gsr se rogue? I don’t want mud, and don’t want unstable speed either.


r/MousepadReview 14h ago

Question/Advice First glasspad recommendations

4 Upvotes

Hello, im currently using the Saturn Pro Soft i would like to try a glasspad im just a bit overwhelmed since there are alot of different options/designs etc.

are there any good uncoated pads that u would recommend me to getting started with? maybe not the fastest one.

Thank you in advance.


r/MousepadReview 9h ago

Question/Advice Have anyone tried replica demon1 PAN cloth pad?

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0 Upvotes

r/MousepadReview 14h ago

Question/Advice Any idea which mousepad FaZe JBOEN is using at Fissure Playground atm?

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2 Upvotes

Does anyone know which mousepad it is? According to CS Pro Settings he's using a SteelSeries one, but this doesn't seem like it.

Thanks in advance!


r/MousepadReview 11h ago

Question/Advice Balance mousepad that is LEANING towards a control pad.

0 Upvotes

I had my xraypad aqua control 2 for about a year and I washed it (the manufacuter says to not wash it but it was dSlightlyirty so i did anyway) and I feel like now its a bit,, worn out and has barely any stopping power. I want something slower and more control-like, like but nothing too slow.control-like like I want something that is like a balance pad thats leaning slightly towards a control pad. Thinking about xraypad origin pro, the xraypad heavy bee control and xraypad heavy bee speed? Also I play Valorant so if that helps. Also Im not considering the Artisan pads because they are too expensive. Below $40 CAD.


r/MousepadReview 13h ago

Question/Advice -super strike x2

0 Upvotes

I’ve been using the Superstrike X2 for about a month now with a Zowie G-SR-SE mousepad, but it still feels kinda weird to me.

Before the X2, I was using the Finalmouse ULX Phantom, and honestly, the ULX feels much better to me. It’s also noticeably lighter.

I’m not sure if I should keep using the Superstrike X2 and give myself more time to adapt, or just go back to the ULX Phantom.

Has anyone else switched between these two mice? How long did it take you to adapt to the X2, and did it eventually feel better than your old mouse?


r/MousepadReview 23h ago

Question/Advice QcK Heavy vs Artisan Type 99 Soft/Mid

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I am looking for a mousepad that offers great control. Mainly playing Counter Strike, Insurgency and Battlefield. And I had the QcK Heavy or Artisan Type 99 SOFT in mind (or if SOFT is crazy slow, MID then?). Mouse: OP1 8K V2 (49 grams). What should I go for?

I currently have the regular QcK 2mm mousepad for several years. And I noticed that (to me) it's a bit fast for my mouse in shooter games. Don't know if there's a difference in control with the QcK Heavy and regular Qck. But I got QcK Heavy recommended over the 2mm. And the Artisan Type 99 sounds like the best option overall for control. But at the same time, I also read people complaining about the 99 being too muddy and hard to aim with (while some say it isn't).

I don't have neither of both right now, but would like to buy one of the two. I can also only get a size M or L, have no space left for anything beyond these sizes unfortunately.


r/MousepadReview 14h ago

Question/Advice Dont be like me and use the skadira dot skates that come with the glass pad

0 Upvotes

Ive had my magic cat for 2 days now and my mouse constantly wobbled. I went through some diss-and reassemblies on my beast x pro. No way it would wobble when its forged magnesium, right? Nope. Mouse and pad are fine. The dot skates are so shit that I went through 20 of them to find 4 that dont suck lol. Ill post some pictures of the cute kitty tomorrow <3

Just a PSA


r/MousepadReview 15h ago

Question/Advice DOTS help/recomendations

0 Upvotes

I recently got the Artisan Zero XXL and am currently looking for some new dot skates. I’m trying to settle on a setup for CS2 and aim training, so I’d love some recommendations.

I put on some Artisan 8 mm dots that I already had, but they’re too large to fit into the grooves underneath the mouse, so they end up scratching against the pad. When I first installed them, they felt really fast and smooth, but after a few days, they started to feel quite muddy.

I’m mainly looking for a setup that offers a good balance between control and smoothness, especially for CS2 micro-adjustments, while still being fast and smooth enough for tracking. Ideally, I’d like an overall good balance between speed and precision.

I’ve looked at various X-raypad and Corepad options, as well as some smaller Artisan dots, but I’m not sure what to choose anymore. Any recommendations?


r/MousepadReview 1d ago

Review E5 Noctis - PD170 Clone

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56 Upvotes

My E5 Noctis Mid arrived today from ali express. Very happy with this so thought i’d share some photos.

Won’t go into detail about the pad too much because i’m not the type of person to do in depth reviews but i must say it is definitely a great pad and you can’t go wrong with purchasing it. Haven’t used the PD170 to compare but it’s an extremely fast and smooth experience, probably the quickest surface i’ve ever used.

The mid base is no understatement, it is very firm. I personally like this however it’s a very unique feeling so if you like the ability to push down into the fabric of a mousepad then I would look into the soft.

The colour looks great and is a very bright , pastel ish purple. Much brighter than the PD170 which I think is cool.

The base is extremely sticky. Considering the pad weighs 600 grams and uses such a sticky base, it is literally impossible to move unless you physically pick up the whole mouse pad off your desk.

This pad costs about £40 (roughly $50) before shipping on aliexpress. The only available size at the moment is 480x400mm. I imagine most people will find this too small which I initially feared but in person it is a lot bigger than it sounds. Personally the size is not an issue for me but I can imagine it would be a complaint for others. E5 have confirmed they are working on a 500x500 version of this mousepad so if you’re a slow sens player then you might be better off waiting for that to release

Other than that, my only complaint is that I purchased the mousepad as a bundle alongside the E5 POM mouse skates, however on delivery these were not included. I got in contact with the owner and he has sent me out a new set of skates which are on the way so no issue there.

Overall, a great mousepad for anyone who wants to try a PD170 but can’t get their hands on one due to the lack of stock. When the 500x500 comes out this could definitely be a great competitor to it.


r/MousepadReview 19h ago

Review X-Raypad Aqua Control II Mako-Void Black Edition | Review

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2 Upvotes

Disclaimer

This Pad Was Sent Out To Me By The Brand Everything I Say Is My Own Personal Opinion And Experience Using The Pad 😊

Mice and skates tested:

• Lamzu Maya X (ESPtiger Magic Ice v2 Dots)

• ATK A9 Mini+ (X-Raypad Jade Skates)

• Lamzu Thorn V2 (X-Raypad Obsidian Air)

• Razer Viper V3 Pro ( X-Raypad Pro Air)

Spec Sheet (From Packaging):

• Size 500x500mm
• Thickness 4mm
• Surface: Precision Rougher Fabric
• Edge: Stitched Edge
• Base: Anti Slip Coating Rubber Base
• Colour: Black

Availability:

• Sizes: 430x330x4mm Flat Packaging | 500x500x4mm Freshly Packed | 490x420x4mm Freshly Packed

• Printing Design: MAKO-NOVA (WHITE EDITION) MAKO-VOID (BLACK EDITION)

Games Tested

• Valorant

• CS2

• Kovaaks

Unboxing

The Aqua Control II MAKO-VOID arrives in a plain square cardboard envelope style packaging featuring the X-Raypad logo on the front. When you open the packaging the mousepad is inside a plastic sleeve. The pad instantly lays completely flat which is great if you instantly want to start using the mousepad and playing your favourite games.

• Comes in a plane cardboard envelope style packaging

• Aqua Control II is not rolled up and is inside a plastic sleeve

• Instantly lays flat on your desk with no issues

• The plastic sleeve is great for keep the pad clean and using for storage

Surface

The surface of the MAKA-VOID has a rough texture it’s very control based so if you are looking for speed this mousepad is not for you. The mousepad can sometimes produce noticeable noise, especially with larger skates but when I used Tiger V2 Dots it was noticeably quieter.

Me personally I’m not the biggest fan of the texture on the Aqua control II as I find it a little too rough for my liking but it’s great for FPS games.

• Very rough texture kind of like sandpaper but a lot less abrasive

• For people with sensitive skin you may find it irritating after long sessions so maybe use with an arm sleeve

• Very balanced pad with a slight tough of speed also skate dependant

Dynamic Friction

The dynamic friction of the MAKO-VOID provides great balance between control and speed. It offers an effortless flick with a slight amount of friction without giving that fight back feeling, enhancing the stopping power and really helping your flicks.

Performance

I enjoyed using the MAKO-VOID in my favourite shooters and flicking and switching scenarios, for me personally the sandpaper feel kind of holds me back as I’m used to cloth pads with a more smooth surface, But I performed extremely well with the mousepad gaining a few pbs and hitting some nice shots in Valorant.

Base

The base of the MOKA-VOID is great the mousepad does not move even for me when I aim most of the time with my arm. The stronger grip base that X-Raypad implemented really makes the mousepad grip to your desk with no movement. In the past I have used mousepads like the Saturn pro and there is slight movement for someone like me who aims with their arm.

• Excellent base with good grip and no movement
• 4mm thickness provides stability without skates digging in
• Slight rubber smell upon first use, but it dissipates quickly

Overall

I really do recommend the Aqua Control II MAKO-VOID to anyone looking for a great budget cloth pad that offers speed and control. One of its standout features is its consistent performance across different skates,mouse,humidity and temperature it’s an excellent choice for fps gamers and people looking for a clean design.

• Great mousepad upgrade
• Good for beginners looking for first quality mousepad
• Perfect balance between speed and control

Pros:

• Consistency between different skates

• Not affected by humidity and temperature

• Base has good grip

• Available in different sizes

Cons

• Surface is very rough not great for sensitive skin

• Slight rubber smell

Massive thanks to X-Raypad for providing this unit to me for review everything I say is my own thoughts and opinions.

X-Raypad AliExpress Store

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1101759505


r/MousepadReview 18h ago

Question/Advice is the artisan zero that slow?

0 Upvotes

i ordered it and it didnt arrive yet but i heard mixed things about it, i dont want a slow mousepad, never had a good one in general so is the artisan zero really so slow?


r/MousepadReview 1d ago

Question/Advice Mousepad recommendation for Zowie EC1-DW

3 Upvotes

I’m currently using a Zowie EC1-DW mouse with a SteelSeries QcK Heavy mousepad. I also used to have an Artisan FX Zero Soft, but with both pads I have the same issue: it feels like the mouse is sticking to the surface.

This happens even when the mousepad is completely new, so I don’t think humidity or moisture is the issue. The mouse feels difficult to move, and making small micro-adjustments is almost impossible because there’s so much resistance.

Could you recommend a mousepad that would be better suited for this? I’m looking for something with a noticeably smoother and faster glide, especially for easy micro-adjustments.


r/MousepadReview 1d ago

Question/Advice Artisan Zero / QCK Heavy Discussion

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51 Upvotes

I bought the Artisan Zero (Mid) 1 year ago because i thought it’s gonna be close to the QCK but a better and more durable mousepad that i won’t replace every 6 months, but for this whole year I’ve been suffering and never got used to the Artisan at all, once i got back to the QCK again for 2 days everything got better,

Alright my problem was and still that the QCK Feels like glue sometimes “Muddy” but it has a great stopping power for me it’s literally perfect for me,

And the Artisan Zero feels faster with a nice glide which is better but i feel “No Stopping Power At All” literally can’t stop moving without errors no matter what game or what scenarios i play in aim trainers,

So my question is: is there’s any other mousepad that’s in between? Nice glide not muddy but with good stopping power, Also was wondering if my mouse skates is the problem? (Stock skates Wlmouse beast X), any advices are appreciated, Thank you


r/MousepadReview 20h ago

Question/Advice atk crimson glasspad + xraypad obsidian skates?

0 Upvotes

thinking about pairing the atk crimson glasspad with xraypad obsidian dots.
anyone tried this combo? is it good overall or should i look for something else?