Glass VS Metal Mousepad

[Pacifist]

Which one do you prefer?

For glass I'm looking at
Icemat
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STEELSERIES-53004-Experience-I-2-Frosted-Glass-Mouse-Pad-Pink-/380590673898?pt=US_Mouse_Pads_Wrist_Rests&hash=item589cf8cfea

and some Korean glass pad
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAXTILL-G-PAD-glass-pad-Transparency-approved-by-professional-gamers-/121240219065?pt=US_Mouse_Pads_Wrist_Rests&hash=item1c3a7aedb9

and for metal I'm looking at razer manticor
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Razer-Manticor-Gaming-Mouse-Pad-/191070142158?pt=US_Headphones&hash=item2c7caafece

and Roccat Alumic
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826994025

[Lastpilot]

Those glass pads look very tempting. I'm also curious what are some people's thoughts on it.

[Pacifist]

Those glass pads look very tempting. I'm also curious what are some people's thoughts on it.

The problem with Icemat is I can't find anything that isn't pink.

The problem with the Maxtill is nobody has ever heard of it so I'm not sure about its quality. But they have so many colors

[Lastpilot]

Those glass pads look very tempting. I'm also curious what are some people's thoughts on it.

The problem with Icemat is I can't find anything that isn't pink.

The problem with the Maxtill is nobody has ever heard of it so I'm not sure about its quality. But they have so many colors

There are a few reviews that show up on google. All positive from what I see, but they do look like older designs. I don't think the material changed though.

[Photoelectric]

I like this double-sided coated aluminum pad from monoprice very much.



The gray surface is smother, finer grit, and the black surface is more gritty but less scratchy.  Looks snazzy too, and it looks like new after a few months of use so far.

[Pacifist]

Those glass pads look very tempting. I'm also curious what are some people's thoughts on it.

The problem with Icemat is I can't find anything that isn't pink.

The problem with the Maxtill is nobody has ever heard of it so I'm not sure about its quality. But they have so many colors

There are a few reviews that show up on google. All positive from what I see, but they do look like older designs. I don't think the material changed though.

This one says that

Comparison with Steelseries experience i-2 (aka icemat i think):
First off, its textured glass, not just glass. So it has friction, its not completely smooth. It is more textured than the Steelseries Experience I-2 glass pad, but seems to have less friction. the steelseries experience i-2 seems to be stickier, if that makes any sense.

It also doesn't feel as cold to the touch, which is what glass pads seem to be famous for. That and the scratchy noise they make. Unfortunately, the mouse pad does make the scratchy noise, though its slightly quieter and deeper pitched than the I-2.

The edges are not sharp at all (except corners), much better finish than the I-2.

http://www.4seasonsgaming.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=2320

So I think I'll go with the maxtill and try it out

[All The Fire]

I have a Mionix Ensis silver aluminium pad. I hate it, had really high friction with the standard G9x feet ( are they teflon?). Took a lot more force to initiate movement than you should need.

[Melvang]

I have a razer aluminum one (don't remember the name of it).  It feels really nice except for when it gets cold in my office.  Then it is freezing on my wrist but it warms up pretty quick.  It is dead smooth but you will feel EVERY piece of grit on it.  Had it for a while now and now scratches.  Nice rubber non slip coating on the bottom.  The biggest reason I got it was because of how thin it is.

[Novus]

I have a alumic.
I wish I could tell you how it stacks up against the other things you listed but I haven't used any of them.

The alumic is quite nice, hard and sturdy.
The only thing I dislike is that the "surfaces" are actually just textured paper glued onto a hard metal pad which you can supposedly peel off.

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I like this double-sided coated aluminum pad from monoprice very much.

Show Image

The gray surface is smother, finer grit, and the black surface is more gritty but less scratchy.  Looks snazzy too, and it looks like new after a few months of use so far.

Very nice looking

[FreeCopy]

I like this double-sided coated aluminum pad from monoprice very much.

Show Image

The gray surface is smother, finer grit, and the black surface is more gritty but less scratchy.  Looks snazzy too, and it looks like new after a few months of use so far.

Very nice looking

I like this one as well. I might buy it myself.

I have a razer aluminum one (don't remember the name of it).  It feels really nice except for when it gets cold in my office.  Then it is freezing on my wrist but it warms up pretty quick.  It is dead smooth but you will feel EVERY piece of grit on it.  Had it for a while now and now scratches.  Nice rubber non slip coating on the bottom.  The biggest reason I got it was because of how thin it is.

I personally like that bit of cold sting I get from my metal pad. Feeling every bit of grit really aggravates me but the smooth glide and superb tracking is really nice.

[dmbr]

I prefer the glide of aluminum--the Razer Manticor and SteelSeries SX have divine glides, and are my favorites, having tried nearly every one on the market.

Sadly, aluminum pads wear out fast and hard, and the glide becomes inconsistent--the more used areas end up gliding less smoothly than the less used, so your mouse moves slower towards the end of big swipes.

If you go with glass, the SteelSeries I3 is your best bet over the Icemat...but I really recommend you go plastic. Try Logitech's hard pad; I've tried countless surfaces and it is essentially perfect.

[Kamen Rider Blade]

I prefer the glide of aluminum--the Razer Manticor and SteelSeries SX have divine glides, and are my favorites, having tried nearly every one on the market.

Sadly, aluminum pads wear out fast and hard, and the glide becomes inconsistent--the more used areas end up gliding less smoothly than the less used, so your mouse moves slower towards the end of big swipes.

If you go with glass, the SteelSeries I3 is your best bet over the Icemat...but I really recommend you go plastic. Try Logitech's hard pad; I've tried countless surfaces and it is essentially perfect.

If that's the case Tempered Glass > Aluminum

My Icemat's haven't changed in 6+ years of usage.

[dmbr]

Trust me, it's true. The glide on every aluminum pad of the many I've tried wears within two weeks of vigorous use. I think it's the coating not the actual metal that wears so easily.

I prefer the I-3 over the Icemat because the latter has a bit of graininess to it; I like a pure glide.


Do note, by the way, that neither glass nor aluminum work with optical. If using optical, go with cloth. It is gentler on mouse feet, and wears out more slowly than plastic.

[vun]

Trust me, it's true. The glide on every aluminum pad of the many I've tried wears within two weeks of vigorous use. I think it's the coating not the actual metal that wears so easily.

I prefer the I-3 over the Icemat because the latter has a bit of graininess to it; I like a pure glide.


Do note, by the way, that neither glass nor aluminum work with optical. If using optical, go with cloth. It is gentler on mouse feet, and wears out more slowly than plastic.

You mean the I-2? There was no I-3 model.

Also, I've never had a problem with optical sensors on mine, I don't think I've tried all of my optical mice on it, but I do know that my G400 works flawlessly on my white I-2.

Don't have a lot of experience with alu, I have a small one that came with my old CM case that's seen a few weeks of use though. It's a fantastic pad, but it's too small for me to use these days.

[Lanx]

i have 3 icemats with all teflon mice skates. i bought a metal steelseries cuz of the ****ty madcatz 7 robomouse (returned that piece of ****) but i kept the metal pad cuz it worked smoother than the icemats. i think it's cuz it has oil in it... or whatever, the rag they give you to clean it is like oiled, mine is smooth.

[Oobly]

Steelseries SX is absolutely the best mouse pad I have ever experienced. It's an aluminium one with fiber polished hard anodised surface. Had mine quite many years now and there are no signs of surface wear. It's very slippery, quiet and all my mice glide (and track) beautifully on it, optical and laser.

Two downsides, though. You have to make sure it stays clean. Hard grit on the surface will get cught up by the mouse feet and end up wearing the surface. It's easy enough to notice when you get some, though. You can both hear and feel it. The other downside is it feels cold for a while where your hand touches unless you're in a really warm room.

My second favourite is a hard plastic one, the S&S. It's my portable mat and stands up to a lot of abuse. It's tough and a little rougher than the SX (not as smooth glide), but the surface has also lasted a good long time without much change in the feel or glide. It's more tolerant of dust and grit.

I haven't tried a glass pad, but I heard some mice (with laser sensors mostly it seems) don't track well on them.

[dmbr]

Really? Your SX didn't wear? I went through 3 :/

[IPT]

i have an icemat b4 steelseries bought them
its somewhere in my room at my parents house
i used to use it but found it slipped on my desk.

Also had some funky tracking when i had my MX518 and Deathadder 1st gen.

I use cloth now and it tracks more accurately imo

[vun]

i have an icemat b4 steelseries bought them

IceMat has always been a part of the same company as SteelSeries, they just decided to merge everything into the SteelSeries brand after a while, including renaming the parent company.

[IPT]

i have an icemat b4 steelseries bought them

IceMat has always been a part of the same company as SteelSeries, they just decided to merge everything into the SteelSeries brand after a while, including renaming the parent company.

now i know.
anyway yeah i bought it a few years ago and it came in a Styrofoam box lol.

[Oobly]

Really? Your SX didn't wear? I went through 3 :/

Just make sure there's no grit or dust on it when you use it. The teflon mouse feet don't put any wear on the aluminium oxide (essentially a very thin sapphire material) surface. I didn't reapply the oil when cleaning it, found the dust sticks too easily that way. Just wipe it with my hand to clear the dust off before every session.

It's also best to use a brand new mouse on it, rather that an old one which has been used on other surfaces, or to put new teflon feet on. Old feet can often have grit embedded in them.

I can't ever go back to soft or semi-soft pads now. The friction feels horrible, not to mention they create minor tracking issues by deforming as you move the mouse.

[dmbr]

Ehhh...the pad is coated, so it's not the aluminum that would be wearing.

After having tried countless hard pads, I've become a soft pad convert. The good ones are more durable and the glide is nicer--if you're bothered by friction you're probably simply using an inferior pad. Tracking problems only occur with laser mice, as far as I know.

[Oobly]

The "coating" is actually oxidised aluminium (aluminium oxide). It's what you get when you anodise the surface. It's really tough, much harder and tougher than aluminium. 9 to 9.5 on the Mohs scale, whereas aluminium is 2.5 to 3.

[dmbr]

Source?

[Melvang]

Ehhh...the pad is coated, so it's not the aluminum that would be wearing.

After having tried countless hard pads, I've become a soft pad convert. The good ones are more durable and the glide is nicer--if you're bothered by friction you're probably simply using an inferior pad. Tracking problems only occur with laser mice, as far as I know.

I haven't had any tracking issues with a Naga Epic and the razer aluminum pad.  No wear yet either and I have had it probably 6 to 9 months.  Doesn't have any scratches either.

[Oobly]

Source?

http://steelseries.com/products/surfaces/steelseries-sx

"The high quality fiber polished aluminum top with anodized oxide coating"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing

"It is commonly called alumina"

http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=52

" Wear and Corrosion Resistance

The high hardness of alumina imparts wear and abrasion resistance and hence it is used in diverse applications such as wear resistant linings for pipes and vessels, pump and faucet seals, thread and wire guides etc."