It may seem odd to review a mousepad in the age of the mobile tablet, but I recently purchased the SteelSeries QcK gaming mousepad since my aging IKEA desk has started to cause some problems with picking up the laser on my Logitech G500s. I decided to give SteelSeries a shot due to the popularity of the brand within the gaming community. Typical of most Steam users, I have a sizable allotment of games I’ve picked up for pennies on the dollar during previous sales. Thus it seemed like a good opportunity to see if the SteelSeries mousepad lives up the hype.

Design

A traditional mousepad is approximately 7.5″ by 9.5″ providing about 71 square inches of space. The SteelSeries QcK measures 10.6″ by 12.6″ providing about 133 square inches of space. Not quite double the size, but fairly close. The extra space is definitely ideal when gaming or when moving between a dual-screen monitor setup. Also, the lower third of the mousepad makes for an excellent wrist rest do to the slight padding of the mousepad. I found the size of the QcK ideal for my needs, but you can go even larger with the 15.7″ by 17.7″ QcK+. However, that will take up quite a bit of space on your desk.

The QcK mousepad is made out of a smooth, woven cloth and includes a rubber base to keep from slipping around on a desk. It’s an ideal mousepad for travel as well, since you simply roll it up before stowing it away in a laptop bag. It’s packaged in a thin box and takes about a day to completely lay flat on your desk the first time.

After a couple weeks of use, you will notice that keeping the QcK clean is a constant process. Quite often, lint, dust and hair will get stuck to the mat and requires a quick brush every few days to keep it looking new and fairly clean. You can also wipe it down with a bit of soapy water for a deeper cleaning.

Performance

Over the past couple weekends, I’ve tested the SteelSeries QcK with a variety of PC games and it’s tough to find anything to complain about. Those games include Batman: Arkham Origins, South Park: The Stick of Truth and FPS Borderlands 2. I tested the QcK versus a standard hard mousepad, a textbook with a shiny purple surface as well as my white desk surface.

Hands down, the QcK performed the best, especially during fast action sequences. I’m not a big multiplayer gamer, but I can definitely see how the QcK could provide a slight edge during matches. At the bare minimum, the mousepad provides a level of comfort that’s helpful during long sessions at your PC. The glide is ridiculously smooth, vastly better than any mousepad I’ve tried in the past 10 years.

Should You Buy It?

If you have a desktop setup at home or work, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t pick up the SteelSeries QcK. It’s a solid performer and ideal if you spend lots of time sitting in front of a computer each day. It’s also competitively priced for a gaming mousepad.

While the MSRP is around $10 to $13, you can often find sales in the $5 range. Since customization is a popular trend on the gaming market, you can also find game-specific designs printed on the Steelseries mousepads, if that’s your thing. However, if you want a nice looking mousepad for your home or office, I recommend the standard black model.

Check Ben’s Bargains for Deals on QcK pads

Glide On: SteelSeries QcK Gaming Mousepad Review