Photo from: Amazon
Key Points
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Durable, high-quality construction ensures a long-lasting product that withstands wear and tear.
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A soft, smooth surface improves precision and reduces wrist fatigue during extended gaming sessions.
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A non-slip rubber base provides stability and prevents frustrating disruptions during gameplay.
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A water-resistant surface allows for easy cleaning and protects the mouse pad from potential damage caused by spills.
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Customizable LED lighting options with built-in memory functions enhance the aesthetics and personalization of your gaming setup.
In the world of gaming, every detail matters, and it's of the utmost importance for gamers to wield the right tools in order to optimize their gaming performance. One often overlooked accessory is the mouse pad. While it may seem like a simple decision since it's only a surface to glide your mouse across, a high-quality mouse pad makes all the difference.
TechRadar even says, "Without an excellent mouse pad, you could have the best mouse or the best gaming mouse and still not have the best gliding and pointing experience."
Mouse pads nowadays offer more than a smooth surface for your mouse to glide upon. Some come with RGB lighting while others offer wireless charging to wireless mice and even smartphones, offering a complete wireless experience.
Many alternatives exist for the perfect gaming mouse pad. However, look no further because the Large UtechSmart RGB Mouse Pad is best suited for gamers who require ample space for their mouse movements, as well as those who value aesthetics and customization in their setup.
This mouse pad caters to various gaming styles, whether you're a high-sensitivity FPS player, a MOBA enthusiast, or someone who simply enjoys immersive single-player adventures. Furthermore, the durable construction, water-resistant surface, and non-slip base make it an appealing choice for individuals looking to invest in a long-lasting mouse pad.
Finding the Right Gaming Mouse Pad
Gamers are not a monolith. Every one of them has a different preference. Some enjoy peripherals that catch the eye and illuminate a room with vibrant RGB lighting. Others prefer understated designs. It's all a matter of preference.
However, there are some universal key considerations every gamer needs to have when they go on the hunt for a new mouse pad. When scouring the internet and physical stores for a mouse pad, consider these important factors.
Size and Thickness
First and foremost, size plays a key role in accommodating your specific gaming style and available desk space. Larger mouse pads provide more room for more mouse movements. However, this may not work for those with limited space. In that case, a smaller mouse pad is more suitable.
Either way, you want a mouse pad that allows enough mouse movement for your preferred games. Measure your available space and consider your mouse sensitivity and DPI settings.
Some mouse pads come in the shape of a large rectangle while others are large squares. Some gaming mouse pads even come in a smaller size for those who favor games that don't require a lot of mouse movement.
Meanwhile, a thicker mouse pad offers more comfort and wrist support. While you want good wrist support to avoid future injuries, thickness also affects your gameplay. Choose a pad with an appropriate thickness that meets your preferences.
Surface Materials and Textures
The material used to craft a mouse pad is another significant aspect to consider, as it directly affects your comfort as well as the responsiveness of your mouse. High-quality, smooth surfaces enhance gaming precision while simultaneously reducing wrist fatigue.
Alternatively, a textured surface promotes better control and precision over mouse movements. Test different textures to find one that suits your gaming style and your wrist.
A subpar mouse pad inhibits your gaming performance. Common issues gamers experience with inferior mouse pads include a lack of precise control over in-game movements, an uncomfortable surface leading to wrist fatigue, or insufficient durability of the product.
Insufficient durability causes a mouse pad to wear out quickly. That means more money. Instead of opening up your wallet every few months, find a mouse pad that lasts for years.
Anti-Slip Base and Water-Resistance
A mouse pad's inability to maintain a stable grip on your desk throughout intense gaming sessions seriously hampers your overall experience. A non-slip base ensures stability during intense gameplay.
Meanwhile, a water-resistant surface ensures easy maintenance and a longer lifespan for your mouse pad. By understanding your unique needs and preferences, you are better equipped to find the perfect mouse pad for your gaming setup.
Additional Features
RGB lighting isn't the most important feature, and some gamers are pragmatic and frugal, where a simple cloth pad works for them and their mouse. However, other gamers prefer to game in style.
If you're the latter type of gamer, look for mouse pads with LED lighting. RGB lighting and customizable color options certainly add flair to your gaming setup.
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UtechSmart RGB Large Mouse Pad
By selecting a product that offers the appropriate size, material, and additional features, you improve your gaming performance, increase your personal comfort, and ensure you have a reliable setup for countless hours of gaming. A suitable mouse pad truly enhances your gaming experience, allowing you to focus on what truly matters — unlocking your full gaming potential while you enjoy your favorite games.
The Good
UtechSmart's RGB mouse pad offers numerous benefits that enhance your gaming experience, starting with its durable construction.
Durability
The high-quality materials used in designing the mouse pad translate into a longer lifespan and sturdiness while maintaining comfort and functionality.
The water-resistant surface is particularly useful, as it allows for easy cleaning and prevents potential damage from spills, ensuring that your mouse pad remains in top condition.
Its Unmatched Size
Any experience with UtechSmart's RGB mouse pad is an overwhelmingly positive one. One of the primary advantages of this mouse pad is its standout feature. The ample surface area, providing complete freedom of movement while gaming, allows enough space for not only your mouse but also your keyboard.
31 inches in length and 11 inches wide means there's no risk of running out of mouse pad in the middle of a high-octane, fast-paced FPS game, even with your keyboard resting adjacent to your mouse.
Functionality
The soft, high-quality material not only enhances the precision of the mouse but also provides necessary comfort during extended gaming sessions. A comfortable surface reduces wrist fatigue, while the improved precision contributes to better overall gaming performance.
UtechSmart's extended mouse pad is carefully crafted with a nano-textured cloth surface that ensures every mouse movement translates into cursor movement. This feature is essential for gamers who rely on precise cursor control and quick reflexes.
Another significant benefit of the mouse pad is its non-slip rubber base. This base ensures your mouse pad stays securely in place even during intense gaming sessions, allowing for uninterrupted gameplay and consistent tracking performance.
Lighting
Additionally, the LED lighting options add a personalized touch that elevates the aesthetics of your setup while maintaining functionality. There are 14 lighting modes that allow you to choose from a wide spectrum of colors and patterns.
Whether you want a solid color to remain static or multiple colors to fade in and out in a breathing pattern, the choice is available. The built-in memory function for lighting settings is an additional perk that enhances the overall user experience.
Its memory function eliminates the need to rediscover a setting you like every time you boot up your PC. The UtechSmart mouse pad boots up with the recently used setting.
Price
With all of the features this mouse pad contains, it's surprisingly affordable. It's under $20 on Amazon, making it a steal and unbeatable by other mouse pads with a similar design.
The Bad
Despite the numerous benefits of the RGB Gaming UtechSmart Large Extended Soft Led Mouse Pad, it is not without its drawbacks. Nothing is perfect. Even the top-rated computers and peripherals have flaws.
Potentially Uncomfortable Size
One of its defining features might also be one that many gamers dislike. Its large size takes up a significant amount of desk space, making it unsuitable for limited desk space or gamers who prefer a compact setup.
If this is the case, several smaller mouse pads on the market get the job done.
Limiting LED Options
While its customizable LED lighting options add some style, it doesn't work with any existing lighting control software such as Corsair's iCUE, Razer's Synapse, or even SignalRGB. It's strictly controlled by a single button on the mouse pad and may be limiting for individuals accustomed to more options.
This also prevents gamers from syncing the mouse pad to their other RGB accessories such as their keyboard and mouse. Gamers love their equipment when they're in sync. For example, SteelSeries's QCK Prism mouse pad allows users to independently configure two different zones, giving the mouse pad a truly individual experience.
While numerous lighting options are a definite plus, those who prefer minimalist setups or are less keen on the colorful aspect may not fully appreciate this feature. This mouse pad's RGB feature also works great if you don't care about syncing it to other devices or have no need for hundreds of customization options.
Cable Management
Despite the look of some gaming setups that appear chaotic and in shambles, many gamers prefer fewer cables cluttering up their workspace. Unfortunately, UtechSmart's RGB mouse pad adds its own cable, requiring some strategy if you enjoy a wireless setup.
Cable management doesn't only improve the aesthetics of your gaming setup, it also improves functionality and accessibility and reduces the risk of accidents. With computers and their peripherals costing as much as cars, it's no wonder gamers are protective of their gadgets.
Again, it's only one cable. It's not detrimental to the entire setup.
Rivals
Speaking of SteelSeries, there are well-known brands on the market that create mouse pads with the same features and then some. However, it's difficult to beat the affordable price point at which UtechSmart's mouse pad sits.
Endgame Gear, on the other hand, launches a new line of mouse pads without any LED lighting in the autumn of 2023 that aren't as affordable as UtechSmart's mouse pad. These mouse pads are part of Endgame Gear's EM-C line of pads and they cost upwards of $40.
Logitech, for example, makes a hard mouse pad if you prefer something a little more stable. It's also smaller, allowing it to fit in compact spaces. Other mouse pads also offer unique features like wireless charging.
Wireless charging means you get to leave your mouse on the mouse pad when you're not using it and come back to it when it's fully charged. Plugging it in is optional. If UtechSmart finds a way to use that technology for the same price, that's the investment to make.
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The Verdict
Overall, UtechSmart delivers functionality and style with this mouse pad. It's a reliable choice for casual gamers and eSport enthusiasts alike. It's important to remember that no peripheral is without its flaws. Some mouse pads look good in theory but eventually lose their novelty after some use. That doesn't make them poor devices or even poor choices.
It has some limiting LED lighting, and it's a mouse pad that requires space to breathe. Despite these minor drawbacks, the overall benefits of UtechSmart's mouse pad far outweigh its cons.
The size, material, and additional features of this mouse pad contribute to a stable and enjoyable gaming experience. Gamers seeking a combination of comfort, functionality, and visual appeal have no need to shop further.
The combined benefits of durability, comfort, precision, and personalization make UtechSmart's RGB mouse pad a highly recommended choice for gamers seeking to improve their in-game performance while enjoying a visually appealing and immersive experience.
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