Introduction
While still incredibly niche, glass mousepads have been getting more and more popular. We’ve reviewed a bunch already, and we’re also seeing more glass pads in the pro scene. As a consequence, many people are wondering what the fuss is all about. In this article, we’ll shed some light on this latest trend in the mousepad scene. We’ll tell you about the pros and the cons so that you can decide for yourself if a glass mousepad would suit your setup.
Pros
Consistent surface
One of the biggest reasons people use glass mousepads is because of the consistency. Glass is much, much denser and stiffer than cloth, which makes it a surface that’s a lot more reliable. With a cloth pad, factors like the surface of the desk, the humidity of the environment, and the age of the pad can all drastically alter the glide. Glass does not have that problem.
Some lower-quality glass pads have coatings on them that can wear down, but quality glass pads (even coated ones) can maintain the exact same glide for many, many years, under all circumstances. That consistency is a major advantage for gamers who want their setup to perform the exact same every time.
Another thing that glass has going for it is that it doesn’t bend or flex. Cloth pads (even very firm ones) always have a little bit of give to them, which can feel distracting for gamers who want a super consistent hard surface to game on. Glass can be a solution there.
Durability
Even the highest-quality pads wear down. You will have to replace a cloth pad from time to time, no matter how well you care for it. Some cloth pads take a matter of weeks before the original glide ‘breaks down’, others last a bit longer. In general, though, cloth pads lose their original (intended) glide much faster than many people think.
Glass pads don’t have that problem to that extent. Obviously, if you put eight hours on your pad every day for years, it will have to be replaced at some point, but glass mousepads last way longer than cloth ones. And, as a bonus, they also offer the exact same glide throughout their lifespan, which can’t be said for cloth pads.
If you care about consistency, that’s another major pro for glass.
Speed and unique glide
A glass mousepad, even a control-focused one, is very fast. If you’re someone who wants a mousepad with pretty much no resistance, glass is the way to go.
Within glass mousepads, there are different types. You have control glass pads, speed glass pads, and everything in between. So there’s quite a big variety of experiences within the realm of glass. But no matter what type of pad it is, glass pads are much, much quicker than the vast majority of cloth pads.
So if you feel like cloth pads hold your mouse back too much, or you want to have absolutely control over your mouse at all times without any input from the surface, glass can be a great choice.
Easy to clean
Cloth pads can be cleaned, but it’s quite an intricate process. Additionally, you can’t use your cloth pad for quite some time after cleaning because it has to dry completely.
Glass doesn’t have that issue. Get some water, clean it (do not use coarse sponges), dry it off with a soft towel, and you’re good to go.
Cons
Not good for skates
Glass pads might be more durable than cloth pads, but you will have to replace your mouse skates more often. Gliding a hard material over another hard material for hours quite obviously wears down the weaker one (plastic) so if you go glass, you should stock up on extra mouse skates.
Less portable and storable
The majority of cloth pads can be rolled up, or at least bent a bit. Glass pads obviously do not allow you to do that. Additionally, they can also break if you put too much pressure on them or drop them. Hence, they’re a lot more difficult to transport and store than cloth.
More expensive
For cloth pads, the $60+ range is considered to be the super high tier range. In the world of glass pads, you’re pretty much shopping in the extreme budget range with that money. Most glass pads cost around $100, with the majority of pads from known manufacturers costing even more than that. That’s a lot of money for a mousepad.
The noise
Glass mousepads are a lot noisier than cloth pads. Some glass mousepads have a coating to reduce the scratching noise that you hear when gliding, but that doesn’t fix the ‘bang’ sound that you hear every time you lift your mouse and place it on the pad again.
If you’re playing with a headset on and the volume on high, the noise mostly isn’t an issue, but it can and will annoy other people in the vicinity.
More maintenance required
Glass is a non-porous surface. As such, tiny specs of dust or drops of liquid just stay on the surface rather than being absorbed by the fibers like with cloth pads. This means that even the smallest hair can feel as if you’re running with a rock in your shoe when you’re using glass.
Additionally, a glass pad can become very sticky if you’re using it on hot days, since the liquid has nowhere to go. If you’ve ever set at a glass table with sweaty arms, you know how uncomfortable this can get.
This is a two-edged sword, however. You will have to wipe the pad quite a bit on sweaty days, but once you wipe off the sweat, it will feel the exact same. Cloth pads, on the other hand, can feel very different during a sweaty session, and there’s nothing you can do once they hit that point.
So glass pads do require more maintenance, but that’s something glass pad fans gladly take as part of the deal.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering whether you should try a glass pad, it’s important to remember that they’re not objectively better than cloth pads. They just offer a completely different experience.
If you feel like cloth pads (even speed pads) hold you back too much, or you want a mouse surface that feels extremely consistent at all times, it can absolutely be worth it to check out glass pads. If you’re shopping for your first serious mousepad, or you’re not particularly invested in the unique advantages that glass offers, we would recommend sticking with cloth, however.
Hopefully this article has helped you understand the unique properties of glass, but if you have any remaining questions, please feel free to reach out in the comments.
