When Glorious released their Elements mousepads some time ago they introduced all three pads simultaneously. There is the Fire, the Ice, and the Air. While the other two offered something new (for the brand) this Air pad reminds a lot of people of the Helios. The Air is a super thin hard pad that’s made for speed, with almost zero friction (or so Glorious says) and ‘enhanced durability’.
Our reviewer took a look at the Air and has condensed his findings into this Glorious Air review!
At A Glance
Glorious Air
The Air has pretty much no friction or texturing to it: this is pure speed. If that’s what you want then you should definitely take a look at the Air.
Pros
- Very smooth glide
- Adhesive base works great to help keep the pad in place
Cons
- Doesn’t handle moisture well at all
Specs
| Height | 38.1 |
|---|---|
| Length | 43 |
| Thickness | 0.5mm |
| Stitched edges | Yes |
| Material | Plastic |
| Glide | Speed |
First Impressions
The Glorious Air is the spiritual successor to the Glorious Helios, which is a pad that I rather liked. I later read on forums that it has some durability issues though (which is something that us reviewers sadly can’t really test for as we only spend a limited amount of time with any given product) and the Air is supposed to have a more durable surface.
Aside from that it’s pretty much a Helios at a different size. It’s still razor thin, has minimal branding, and has that sticky adhesive base that the Helios also had. The fact that it’s so thin is obviously the most eye-catching aspect of the pad; slap it down on your desk and it almost looks like a thin film instead of an actual mousepad. It’s a nice look, especially if you’re going for a minimal setup. I like the fact that Glorious have gone for a minimal design on all of their mousepads. You don’t see any crazy colors or bombastic logos anywhere: the Air, just like the Ice and Fire, just has a small Glorious bearded man in the bottom right corner.
Performance
It’s not that hard to summarize this pad: speed. If you’re looking for a pad with even the slightest hint of friction or stopping power you should skip this one. That’s not a bad thing, of course. There are plenty of pads out there that try to marry speed with control so it’s refreshing to see a mousepad that goes all out on the speed front.
I said before that it’s basically an upgraded Helios but this also seems a bit faster to me, though that might be because the Helios I’ve got lying around has been worn out a bit. In any case: compared to pretty much any popular pad on the market this is a speed demon. The polycarbonate surface is extremely smooth and provides a very fast glide with little to no micro control or surface friction. So much so that I actually had trouble clicking things without accidentally dragging when I first started using this mousepad.
Something that’s inherent to hard pads is that you’ll feel every little crumb or spec of dust on your pad so the Air will need regular wiping if you’re planning on using this pad. Luckily the glide is consistent: the x/y is the same from what I can tell, and even after sweaty gaming sessions I didn’t have a lot of issues with the glide. Sadly I can’t test for durability: I didn’t have any issues with the Helios wearing down during my testing period and I didn’t have a problem with the Air either. One more note about durability: hard pads are known to eat your mouse feet, so make sure you’ve got some replacement feet handy if you’re a competitive gamer who’s looking to main the Air (or another hard pad, for that matter).
Lastly I’ll speak about the adhesive base. I already liked that on the Helios and I still like it here. It’s made to be reapplied multiple times and it also doesn’t leave any residue behind, and that’s a nice bonus. Of course this pad isn’t ideal for gamers who are constantly on the move (you can’t roll it up, for example, and due to the thin nature of the pad it’s quite brittle; one kink and it stays there forever) but you don’t have to stress when you’re placing the pad down on your desk: it’s not going to be there forever and you can easily reposition the pad should you want to.
Glorious Air Review – Conclusion
The Glorious Air is the successor to the Helios, and from what I can tell it’s a successful refresh. I can’t test for durability after months (I can only say that the Air’s glide held up nicely during my testing period) but I can say that it’s one hell of an option for people who want to have a super fast and slick mousepad.
The Air has pretty much no friction or texturing to it: this is pure speed. If that’s what you want then you should definitely take a look at the Air.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
