Mousepads.
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Caporegime
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I have settled on a real leather deskpad from an Etsy seller in Ukraine...not cheap (£80) but it feels so nice. I am tired of all mousepad start to wear / worn where the mouse goes over the most and it turns like a grey colour? I try cleaning it by scrubbing it with soapy water under the sink but it doesn't change it much. I've gone through a couple of Razer and forgot the others. After a year or so, they are all the same.
Leather...it just shines like leather. I can also clean and condition it with leather cleaner and conditioner. I don't play FPS games though so I can't say how good it is on that but it is fine with general use.
Leather...it just shines like leather. I can also clean and condition it with leather cleaner and conditioner. I don't play FPS games though so I can't say how good it is on that but it is fine with general use.
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Have used Artisan pads since around 2018, not sure there’s any better for a pure mousepad but they’re not cheap and the website is a pile of tosh to use.
Currently using an orange Zero soft XXL which is fantastic. I usually buy 2 every 18 months or so and will typically get something new to me as well as something I know I like.
Currently using an orange Zero soft XXL which is fantastic. I usually buy 2 every 18 months or so and will typically get something new to me as well as something I know I like.
Had a boogiebug aimpad xl for years, now got one of the OcUK desk ones, could be 10 years old easy. Looking a bit second hand now.
May have to investigate a Ukrainian leather deskpad…or put my existing one in the washing machine again, usually helps.
May have to investigate a Ukrainian leather deskpad…or put my existing one in the washing machine again, usually helps.
Caporegime
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I have only had this one a month. But I have another at work which is a lower quality one from China for over a year. This one from Ukraine is so much better.
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Not ashamed to say I probably spent many days of my life looking into mousepads the past couple of weeks.
I just hate it and being in the UK we're in the worst possible scenario.
No matter where you look it's "Oh just get an Artisan"... yeah let me just look through the 18 quintillion different versions that Artisan has. Zero, Hien, Hayate Otsu, Raiden, Key 83 it goes on and on. Don't forget you have to then figure out what softness of base you want (X Soft, Soft, Mid) so multiply that choice again by 3. Even if you somehow then figure that out, good luck actually getting it. The actual Artisan site seems completely broken and afaik there are no UK retailers. You're talking about £80 if you import which is ridiculous. OcUK if you read this I know you stock Glorious and EGG pads but apparently Artisan are looking for retailers. The main thing putting me off Artisan though is the substantial differences in x and y axis. I can tell they look well made but what good is it being well made if the weave is so ridiculously biased in one axis that you constantly overshoot or undershoot.
You then have to look elsewhere because I'm sorry but £80 for a mousepad is just bonkers. Further searching leads you to stuff like the LGG Saturn Pro which you might be able to get for under £60 but still... meh.
It lead me to look into glass mousepads. At first I was like that seems way too far out and weird but the more I thought about it I liked the concept. I can have a pad that will just always stay the same and now being in the UK is actually a massive advantage for glass. We don't have these ridiculous humid environments so likely don't need arm sleeves or similar. Some brand called Tekkusai is getting a lot of traction and it's not ridiculous at about £50 for the soon to be released Singularity.
If I was forced to go cloth (which I might still) I think the Endgame gear EMC or EMB would be my pick. EMC is very close to Saturn Pro and price is reasonable and I give points to a company for actually having proper UK distribution (done via OcUK).
I just hate it and being in the UK we're in the worst possible scenario.
No matter where you look it's "Oh just get an Artisan"... yeah let me just look through the 18 quintillion different versions that Artisan has. Zero, Hien, Hayate Otsu, Raiden, Key 83 it goes on and on. Don't forget you have to then figure out what softness of base you want (X Soft, Soft, Mid) so multiply that choice again by 3. Even if you somehow then figure that out, good luck actually getting it. The actual Artisan site seems completely broken and afaik there are no UK retailers. You're talking about £80 if you import which is ridiculous. OcUK if you read this I know you stock Glorious and EGG pads but apparently Artisan are looking for retailers. The main thing putting me off Artisan though is the substantial differences in x and y axis. I can tell they look well made but what good is it being well made if the weave is so ridiculously biased in one axis that you constantly overshoot or undershoot.
You then have to look elsewhere because I'm sorry but £80 for a mousepad is just bonkers. Further searching leads you to stuff like the LGG Saturn Pro which you might be able to get for under £60 but still... meh.
It lead me to look into glass mousepads. At first I was like that seems way too far out and weird but the more I thought about it I liked the concept. I can have a pad that will just always stay the same and now being in the UK is actually a massive advantage for glass. We don't have these ridiculous humid environments so likely don't need arm sleeves or similar. Some brand called Tekkusai is getting a lot of traction and it's not ridiculous at about £50 for the soon to be released Singularity.
If I was forced to go cloth (which I might still) I think the Endgame gear EMC or EMB would be my pick. EMC is very close to Saturn Pro and price is reasonable and I give points to a company for actually having proper UK distribution (done via OcUK).
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It's not that pricey for Artisan pads, it's just always worth buying at least two pads as the shipping costs are a 'flat' cost regardless of how many pads you order. They also include customs now as part of the shipping choice (DHL) so my last order was August last year for 2 pads (Zero Soft XXL and Hien Soft XL) and it cost 16,000 Yen - which came to 82 quid.
So 41 quid per pad - and the latest Steelseries QCK Performance pads are 45 quid (also meant to be a really good pad and I'll likely try one out soon!).
There's plenty of information online to help with a buying decision for Artisan too, particularly with what pad suits what sort of games (i.e. flick heavy games vs. sustained tracking) as well as the thickness and the impact it has. Boardzy is worth looking at on YouTube, and he's always really clear as to what games suit what pad/thickness.
I've bought 2 Artisan pads every 18 months since 2018 and genuinely have found the website, whilst annoying to use, not totally impossible. It's just a bit of a website you'd expect to use in 2009, not in 2025!
Haha, I found this company called Matrova that has 7 different surfaces and 7 different bases. The choice paralysis was insane. I did end up getting one of their pads,but with so many combinations, I can't help but wonder if I got the best one. Still reasonably happy with what I got.
Caporegime
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Well, it's more a Deskmat than a mousemat, it's custom made to size for my desk at 73cm wide.
Associate
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I loved my Ikea leather mouse pad, used it for years - bought it back in 1999. Too small for gaming these days. Still got it remained in good conditional despite not really taking care of it. The best feature is has a metal plate to provide the shape.
I've been using "SteelSeries QcK Mini Gaming Mouse Pad"s for ages. I find them really soft and comfortable. I've not tried one of these modern expensive ones, but I struggle to imagine how anything else could be much better than what I've already got. It's only a mouse mat after all, diminishing returns kicks in pretty quick!
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I've never been one to go with the easily available options when I can complicate things for myself, so I eschew commercially available mouse mats and make my own instead. The most recent one is made from a sheet of carbon-filled Teflon, which I integrated into my "desk" so that it can't move. It works really well! Very low friction, easy to clean, and it was pretty cheap. Better than any of the other materials I've tried before. It looks like this:
Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
"For DHL (not EMS) shipments, up to two pieces can be shipped at the same shipping cost."
So max 2 pads.
You sure? This is what I see:
First of all "Includes COVID emergency surcharge"... LOL.
"Customs duty and sales tax/VAT are not included"
I also forgot you have to give your credit card details to them and only have a debit card so literally impossible to get an Artisan for me. Maybe if someone wants to take the risk and order 2 Artisan pads I'll pay like £55 for one. Net yourself approx £15 taking your pad down to about £26.
Shame that it's down to 2 pads max, although I still think it's a good choice to order 2 at once if you can.Doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
"For DHL (not EMS) shipments, up to two pieces can be shipped at the same shipping cost."
So max 2 pads.
You sure? This is what I see:
First of all "Includes COVID emergency surcharge"... LOL.
"Customs duty and sales tax/VAT are not included"
I also forgot you have to give your credit card details to them and only have a debit card so literally impossible to get an Artisan for me. Maybe if someone wants to take the risk and order 2 Artisan pads I'll pay like £55 for one. Net yourself approx £15 taking your pad down to about £26.
My last order was August last year and was for 2 pads - so it might have been the case then and I never saw it. My order before then was 2022 and I ordered 3 - and according to my receipt shipping was the same there as it was for the 2 pads I ordered last time.
In terms of the 'includes covid emergency surchage' - assuming it's just legacy text left over, much like how when I call my local council I get told due to Covid they have less a less active phone response in place.
There are no custom charges for the UK. The UK will only charge you customs charge if the shipment cost is over the value of £135 (https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad/tax-and-duty) and I've not paid any customs for Artisan pads since they moved to making DHL the only shipping option (and that handled all customs etc.).
In 2018 I ordered one pad and it all came via Royal Mail - and I did pay import fees on that.
Also not sure where you're seeing credit card details and not debit, I've only bought the pads with a debit card...
If you are keen for one I'm likely going to do another order later this year (around August if I'm judging my current wear correctly?) and last time I ordered 2 and just posted the other one on to my mate once it arrived. Super simple to do as they come all packed nice and flat!
Soldato
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I had an ocuk value desk mat, which served me well for 3 years, I was going to get another when it's day was out,but I saw one of these in B-grade for cheap, nice mat tbh, I like the rgb rim, and the mat itself has a good feel/low friction, bit bloody expensive A-grade brand new though
My basket at OcUK:
My basket at OcUK:
- 1 x Corsair MM700 RGB Desk Gaming Surface - 3XL 1200x610x4mm (CH-9417080-WW) (SKU: GS-01R-CS) = £93.49
Total: £101.48 (includes delivery: £7.99)
I was using a Razer Gigantus V2 XXL (This Covers my entire Desk)
Trouble is, I found essentially having an “Infinity Mousepad” made my mouse movement and overall positioning inconsistent.
So now I am using a Steelseries QCK Heavy over the top of it.
I am however tempted to try the Wallhack Softpad SY-001 (Can be had for £33) Size is 490mm x 430mm x 0.4cm
Gaming Mice, Mouse Feet and Mousepads have a niche cult online over on YouTube, Reddit, Instagram etc.
I’m not quite at the point of an arm sleeve and glass mousepad yet
Trouble is, I found essentially having an “Infinity Mousepad” made my mouse movement and overall positioning inconsistent.
So now I am using a Steelseries QCK Heavy over the top of it.
I am however tempted to try the Wallhack Softpad SY-001 (Can be had for £33) Size is 490mm x 430mm x 0.4cm
Gaming Mice, Mouse Feet and Mousepads have a niche cult online over on YouTube, Reddit, Instagram etc.
I’m not quite at the point of an arm sleeve and glass mousepad yet
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I looked at X Ray’s Aqua Control Pad on Ali Express > XRay Official Store - 450x400x3mm in Black - £17.79 + £7.69 Shipping £25.47 in total.
Am I doing it right, or should it be cheaper?
I have just received the Wallhack SY-001 mousepad, and I have to give credit where it’s due for Wallhack’s shipping approach. The pad arrives completely flat in a protective cardboard box, which is a welcome change from the usual rolled up packaging.
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