I'm gonna talk about the advantages and disadvantages between hard pads and cloth pads. But before I do, I want to thank Case Throne for sponsoring this video. This one's particularly cool because there are adjustable RGB modes, you can instantly change with the touch of your finger. If you're looking to style your desk space and keep the mouse wire from interfering with your aim, check out the link in the description box. Case Throne has been kind enough to give some of these away to you guys. If you're interested in winning one, leave a comment in the description box with your discord name, and I'll send you a message. Unfortunately I can only ship these out to the U S citizens. So if you're not in the U S please don't leave a comment, I don't want to get your hopes up. Alright, now onto the rest of the video. During my early competitive career, I competed with all types of pads. One's made out of smooth flattened steel, a pad made out of frosted, matte finish glass, and two-sided reversible plastic pads. I even had a pro quake three friend who used a plastic cutting board as a mousepad. Basically any surface can work as a mousepad, as long as it isn't too reflective, which causes the laser and sensor to reflect back into itself. Alright, so here's what I believe are the advantages of hard pads. Number one, due to their super flat and hard surface, it is much easier to control the small micro motions because there is less surface friction, much less surface friction. I'd say it takes at least three times less force to move the mouse on a hard pad compared to a cloth pad. That's because the cloth pads are made of woven fibers. If you're a high sensitivity player, someone who is primarily a risk player and or you like using a claw grip, you may want to look into experimenting with the hard pad. Number two hard pads also glide smoother and more consistently , because the mouse does not indent into the pad, if you apply down force, for example, when using a cloth pad, because it's soft and has cushion. If you push down on the cloth pad with the mouse, it will sink into the pad and create a different glide. Number three, with hard pads, you don't have to worry about a rubber base that has a bunch of air pockets in it, which creates tiny surface inconsistencies. Cheaper cloth pads will have large air pockets check the bottom of yours. Number four, because hard pads are not made of porous material like cloth pads, they're much easier to clean, you don't have to worry about them absorbing sweat and oil from your hands, which dirties them over time and also changes the feel. As for disadvantages, they're generally more expensive, difficult to find in larger sizes and can cause more rubbing or skidding with sweaty hands. When I competed on hard pads, I used a small hand towel to rub off any moisture between rounds another small thing is that some hard pads have sharp edges. So I'd recommend covering them on some kind of nonstick tape like painters tape. All right, now let's talk about soft pads or cloth pads. on the surface level, One might think that all cloth pads are made the same, but I assure you they are not. They definitely have different surface frictions because some are more flattened than others. Some might use a different blend of cloth fibers, while others use different weave patterns, all factors that affect the feel. Here are why I believe cloth pads are so popular and also their advantages over a hard pad, soft pads are cheaper in costs, and you can purchase them in larger sizes with more design options. The larger sizes are great for those who prefer more forum placement and need a larger surface area for their swipes and flicks, a must have for low to medium sensitivity players. Number two, the cloth material and rubber base adds layers of cushion, which is much more comfortable than a hard pad. Number three, I think cloth pads are more user friendly because they aren't as high maintenance as hard pads. With hard pads there's definitely a need to constantly remove any moisture from the surface and the hand. Whereas cloth pads innately absorb moisture. A few disadvantages of cloth pads, is that the cheaper ones tend to fall apart at the edges If they are not stitched correctly. The feel of the surface friction changes over time as it absorbs sweat and oil from the hands and cloth pads are not as effective as hard pads in controlling micro movements. A quick tip before I end the video, if you're as OCD as me and feel every single lint or speck of dirt on your mousepad, you can use a lint roller to clean any of that up. If you're using a hard pad, use a microfiber towel that doesn't shed any lint.
