By Julian Duque
Manufacturer: PCXmods, LLC dba XTracGear
Product Name: XTracPads Ripper XXL Desktop Gaming Mat
UPC: 855360001187
Price As Tested: $31.08 (Amazon | Newegg)
Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by XTracGear.
If you are in the look for a mouse pad or desk mat you have probably heard of XTracPads. Unlike other big companies like Razer and SteelSeries, XTracPads’ focus is directed only to making the best mouse pad gear and accessories. Lately, the twelve year old company has made some changes such as updating their name to XTracGear and updating many of their lines of products. Luckily, they have sent Benchmark Reviews some samples to test. This time we will be testing their biggest product, the Ripper XXL.
With the introduction of the optical and laser mouse sensors we have seen a big decay in the mouse pad market as people do not generally need one because new sensors are compatible with almost all surfaces. So why do companies keep making better Mouse Pads? There are many reasons, many mainstream users use them because they have a sentimental value, but we are not here to talk about mainstream users. Us gamers and professionals who spend hours using a mouse really find a good mouse pad a need to achieve better mouse accuracy as well as for comfort.
- Size: 8.5″ x 11″ x 1/8″ (216mm x 280mm x 3.175mm)
- Base: Enhanced Sure Grip open celled rubber backing
- Surface: Polished Textile
- Edges: Fray Resistant Precision Cut Laser
So the XTracGear Ripper XXL lies in a category of very affordable mouse mats, at just $19.95. We have clearly seen mouse pads that are 1/4 the size of the Ripper XXL sell for twice the price. But does that mean that the Ripper XXL is worse than other mouse pads?
Let’s start with something we do not usually talk about but we belief deserves an honorable mention for this product. The packaging is far beyond that of any other mouse pad at this price point, it features a very firm carton box that is surrounded by a very soft plastic print, giving it the feeling of something you would expect from a really expensive product.
Edge fraying has been a problem for many cloth surface mouse pads but a close up picture of the edges reveals that the XTracGear Ripper XXL not only offers a clean laser cut with no overlaps but they also singed and cauterized the edges leaving no space for fraying. Our previous XTracGear mouse pads have lasted longer than most of our hardware, just an example of how serious XTracGear is about their products.
On the bottom we find the same rubber backing featured in other XTracGear products. At first, the huge amount of rubber did produce an odor that was not very pleasant but after a few hours after our unboxing the odor went away. The mouse pad grips really well to most surfaces including glass, perfect for those aggressive gamers.
At the top we find a surface that XTracGear calls “Polished Textile”. We will be testing it in the next section. It should be noted that cleaning it is a bit of a task as a regular rag won’t do the job, it is easier to just use one of those sticky rolls.
Mouse pad testing is subjective, since quantified performance results cannot be obtained from a benchmark. For this reason we are only going to compare it to other mouse pads at the same price range. We will be using a Mad Catz R.A.T. 3 Optical mouse to determine which mouse pad gives the best feedback, friction, and comfort. The Mad Catz R.A.T. 3 uses an Avago 3090 sensor which is compatible with all the mouse pad surfaces we will be testing.
-
XTracGear Ripper XXL (Semi-Soft)
-
Corsair Vengeance MM200 (Soft)
-
Razer Goliathus 2014 (Rough)
Each person has a different experience with each mouse pad. I am a more heavy user that prefers low DPI settings and more friction for better accuracy, others might prefer a slicker surface for better movement; this means that not all mouse pads are suitable for one person.
The Ripper XXL is made of the same material as other mouse pads from XTracGear, so we had already felt the polished textile while gaming. Both the Razer Goliathus and the XTracGear Ripper are thick, allowing you to rest your hands on top with a lot of cushion. If you run your fingers across them you will notice that the Ripper has a lot less texture. The MM200 on the other hand is very thin and resting your arms just doesn’t feel as soothing, however it is softer than the Ripper XXL, something to keep in mind when gaming.
Once you move your mouse on the XTracGear Ripper XXL you will notice that it is not so soft after all. The mat does provide some friction, not a lot, but enough to give it a very comfortable glide without too much slipping like with the MM200 were the friction was almost non-existent. On the other hand, the Razer Goliathus is really good for high DPI gamers as it provides a lot of friction, avoiding any unnecessary movements, but the king of the mid and lower DPI settings is the Ripper XXL, bringing you feedback without any drawbacks and being so big that we successfully played at 400 DPI without running out of mat space.
For everyday users you might not find any differences between any of our subjects while browsing your mail or the web, you will however find a benefit on the size of the Ripper as it prevents you from scratching your table when moving around your monitor or keyboard as well as providing a decent cushion to prevent discomfort after long periods of using your computer.
Change is not always a good thing, but in XTracGear’s case it is being very successful. The Ripper XXL desk mat is a very great product from the package to the quality of the material. It’s texture holds a very reliable place for most users by being soft yet providing enough feedback for most tasks which is suitable for almost anyone except high DPI gamers. It is also very comfortable by being super slick to the touch and thick enough to use as an arm rest. If you are in the look for a mouse mat we suggest you take a look at the XTracGear Ripper XXL which at $31.08 (Amazon | Newegg) brings a lot to the table; if it is too big for you we suggest you take a look at some of their other products which are also great contenders.
Most users looking for a mouse pad this big are probably not high DPI gamers and XTracGear clearly seems to understand that. They have developed a product that performs relatively great in the big mouse pad section, by providing really nice glide, and enough friction to give some feedback while still keeping the soft texture. The surface is very soft, and the friction is so low that after using a DPI setting of 3800 we just found it confusing to locate the pointer.
Considering that a mouse pad is something you will probably have to see and feel for many hours a day you should probably bring some attention to how it looks and feels. The XTracGear Ripper XXL although having a very intimidating name is actually a pretty simple fellow that prefers to be dressed in all black, a very nice feature if you are planning to use this at an office as it does not raise any eyebrows if you are in a professional environment.
If you have ever owned an XTracGear product, chances are that even if you bought it 5 years ago it is still functional to this day. The Ripper XXL stands out in this category because XTracGear has gone beyond what is needed, as they not only provide a laser cut edge like most companies, but they have gone ahead and cauterized the whole thing, meaning that this will probably be the longest lasting piece of hardware that you will ever own.
Mouse pads of this size are usually at the same price point, however comparing it to some of it’s contenders, the XTracGear Ripper XXL brings more square inches of mouse pad per dollar. Adding to that all the features really puts the Ripper XXL ahead of it’s competition in this market.
But does this XTracGear ripper XXL put it’s competitors to shame? We don’t think so, if you are in the market for a mouse mat you are probably most likely to buy most affordable or the one that is more aesthetically pleasing, The Ripper XXL probably doesn’t rip the competition apart, but buying a mouse accessory from a company that has been in the market for so long is probably a great idea.
+ Thick and comfortable
+ Big!!
+ Soft surface with some feedback
+ Anti fray edges
– Cleaning is hard
– No accessories like in previous models
-
Performance: 9.00
-
Appearance: 8.75
-
Construction: 9.50
-
Functionality: 8.75
-
Value: 9.00
COMMENT QUESTION: How important is a comfortable desk mat for you?
