Mousepads are often given less thought than other computer component accessories and components, but they shouldn’t be overlooked. Mousepads come in different variations and picking the right one for you could make a big difference in your overall experience.
This is especially true for gamers who benefit from every aspect of increased performance. If you’ve been around for a long time, you’ve seen the evolution of mousepads go from boring gray mats to colored, sleek pads with different shapes and features.
This raises questions for buyers who’re left with too many alternatives. Today we’re focusing on the stiffness of the pad – should a mousepad be soft or hard?
Mousepads with a hard surface are swifter and more precise than soft mousepads because there’s very little friction.
Hard mousepads are often made of plastic or metal and offer more rapid movements because there’s less friction on them. Metal surfaces can scratch your mouse, removing its feet over time. Soft pads are more comfortable and provide support for your wrist but there’s more friction, which makes movement slower but easier to control. Both are good options, and in the end, it comes down to personal preference.
In order to understand the differences between the two pads, and which one you may benefit most from purchasing, we must go more in-depth. Hopefully, this will outline the pros and cons of both pads so clearly that you’ll have no doubts regarding your purchase.
What’s the Difference Between Hard and Soft Mousepads?
Mousepads come in many variations, from many different brands, and they’re also designed for different purposes. While we’ve taken a look at the differences between the two, there’s still a bit of information left to unearth.
Soft Mousepads
Soft mousepads are often made of cloth and are very gentle on mice, but they produce much more static friction than their metal counterparts. The surface of soft mousepads is affected by the humidity levels in the surrounding environment, which can impact the glide negatively.
Not all soft mousepads are affected by humidity levels, though. Reports from users in tropical areas have shown that there are soft mousepads that can be used in highly humid areas without having their glide affected by the climate.
Because of the cloth surface’s friction, most soft mousepad users set their mouse to relatively high sensitivity when compared to hard mousepads. The cloth surface also means that the mousepad needs to be cleaned and maintained on a more frequent basis.
They’re known for having a shorter lifespan than other mousepads made of sturdier materials. There’s simply more wear and tear when it comes to a soft mousepad. With that said, you can expect to use a soft mousepad for a couple of years before it has degraded enough for you to notice.
The material also provides a slight cushioning effect for your wrist, which can prove useful after hours in the same position. The pad is usually supported by foam or any other soft padding to make it more comfortable.
And while the material provides comfort, it can also lead to a bit of discomfort in warm temperatures. Moving your wrist in the same area for a long period of time will generate a good amount of heat, and cloth mousepads tend to hold on to that heat longer.
Soft mousepads come in a wide range of sizes, ranging from small 8-inch squares to behemoth-like mats covering your entire desktop. While soft mousepads were designed to cause enough friction to move the roller-ball contained within mice back in the 90s, they’re still fully functional with today’s optical devices.
Generally speaking, a soft mousepad will provide a good surface for your mouse when gaming. It will not be as fast as a hard mousepad, but it will offer more controlled movements because the friction will aid you in stopping at the precise moment you wish to.
Top rated soft mousepad: HyperX Fury S
Hard Mousepads
Hard mousepads are often made of plastic, aluminum, or glass. Their surface is often completely flat and quite frictionless. The lack of friction on a hard mousepad’s surface will cause mice to move much more rapidly than they would on a soft mousepad.
The rapid movement can be hard to adapt to at first, but with slight adjustments to mouse sensitivity and control, users tend to get the hang of it and benefit from the swiftness provided by the hard surface.
People who play first-person shooter games will probably find themselves adjusting mechanics to fit the new mousepad, but if it’s better or worse for your aim will come down to personal preference and ability to adapt in the end.
Because of the extra speed, most hard mousepads are much smaller than their cloth counterparts. This can prove useful for those who have limited desk space and, therefore, can’t make room for a large cloth mousepad. Instead, they would only need a small mousepad.
With that said, hard mousepads are available in XXL for those who prefer large mousepads and have no problem housing a larger pad. So, if you’re keen on larger mousepads and considering going with a hard mousepad, you’ll find a suitable candidate.
Some hard mousepads have two usable sides, meaning you can turn the mousepad over when one side has been worn out and continue using the other side until that too has been worn out. This could, however, take some time considering they’re quite durable.
The one thing that could spoil both the appearance and control provided by a hard mousepad is scratches to the pad’s even surface. Scratches can interfere with the mousepad’s ability to register movement and cause sudden friction.
If you take good care of your mousepad and don’t put sharp objects on it you should be fine. It’s also worth mentioning that some metal mousepads “eat” mice’s feet. To clarify; computer mice have several (2+) rubber feet located underneath the mouse that act as pillars for the mouse to stand on.
When these are dragged across the metal surface back and forth, they will start to wear out more and more, until there’s nothing left for the mouse to stand on. There are plenty of hard mousepads that don’t do this, but I believe it’s worth mentioning so you can keep an eye out.
Hard mousepads provide little (or less) support for your wrist other than the support provided by your desk and chair.
For me, this hasn’t been a problem though, but I consider it worth mentioning as some people feel strain in their wrists quite easily. Of course, you can purchase additional cushions to support your wrist if needed.
Lastly, they’re colder than soft mousepads and not as convenient to transport because of their rigid structure. Metal, plastic, or glass mousepads are incredibly easy to maintain. Cleaning them is as easy as wiping them down with a damp cloth.
Top rated hard mousepad: Logitech G440
The Main Differences Between Hard and Soft Mousepads (Takeaway)
- Speed: Hard mousepads are faster than soft mousepads but provide less friction which can make it difficult to be precise.
- Durability: While both will last you quite some time, cloth mousepads are more prone to wear and tear than hard mousepads are.
- Size: Soft mousepads are available in a wide range of sizes while hard mousepads tend to be smaller.
- Comfort: Soft mousepads are more comfortable because of their rubber or foam padding but hard mousepads don’t harbor as much heat. Both can be equally comfortable by setting up your desk and chair properly.
- Purpose: Soft mousepads are designed for everyday work, gaming, and overall usage while hard mousepads are designed for fast-paced gaming but they can be used interchangeably.
Is a Soft or Hard Mousepad Best For Gaming?
What’s best for your gaming endeavors will absolutely come down to personal preference. You have options that provide different possibilities. The option that you can adapt to and learn how to maneuver the easiest is the best option for you.
You can most likely adapt to both, but they’re different from one another, and understanding what it is they do is a surefire way to increase the chances of making the right purchase. With that said, I’ll share what I’ve learned and what I think about the two.
Hard mousepads are good for gaming, but their main benefit is truly showcased when playing FPS games and games that require swift reactions while soft mousepads are viable options for all games. If you find yourself playing all types of games, the right choice might be a hybrid mousepad.
This will give you the best of both worlds. While the Artisan Hayate isn’t a 50/50 mixture of both, I think it’s one of the best mousepads I have tried, and many others seem to agree with me.
Does a Good Mousepad Make a Difference?
The quality of mousepads is often forgotten by those who don’t seek to improve the margins, but there’s actually more to a good mousepad than just being able to move your mouse more rapidly and precisely.
You can, however, expect a good mousepad to make a bit of difference when it comes to gaming. The mouse is often the primary controller in most computer games, for instance. Optimizing the surface on which the mouse is used upon will have an impact on the outcome.
When fractions of a second matter, a good mousepad will make a difference in gaming. It will also make a difference if you’re looking for something comfortable that reduces the load on your wrist.
I think the main areas of difference between a decent and a good mousepad are performance, durability, and comfort.
There’s a price difference, which I think is worth mentioning. Good, high-quality mousepads will cost a bit more than your regular office mousepads found at your general store but you can assume that a high-quality mousepad will last longer than your regular mousepad will.
Is a Thick or Thin Mousepad Better?
The way a mousepad is designed can vary in a lot of different ways, as you’ve probably understood by now. Aside from size and material, they can also differ when it comes to the actual thickness of the mousepad.
Some mousepads are thin enough to be rolled like a parchment scroll, while other, thick mousepads, are hard to bend because of how rigid they are. What’s the benefit of a thick or a thin mousepad?
Thick mousepads will nullify uneven surfaces, giving you a flat surface to control your mouse on, regardless of what’s beneath the pad. The added thickness will prevent anything underneath the pad to push through to the top, and provide a bit of comfort for your arm.
Everyone doesn’t like the cushioned support provided by thick mousepads, though. In that case, a thin mousepad is a better option. Thin mousepads will, contrary to thick ones, make uneven surfaces noticeable to the user.
There’s a debate regarding sinking, which I haven’t had any problems with yet, but I think it’s worth mentioning as some people seem to have issues with thick mousepads causing mice with small feet to sink into the thick padding.
Other than that, I think it comes down to personal preference here too.