Introduction
The world of gaming mousepads has seen some massive changes over the past couple of years. Premium mousepads with high-quality foams, surfaces, and bases have been getting more and more popular in the pro scene, so lots of brands are putting out higher-tier pads nowadays. But obviously, there’s still a market for more basic pads that come at a lower price tag. Corsair understands this, and in our full Corsair MM Anti-fray review, you’ll find out if it deserves a place in the mousepad market.
At A Glance
Corsair MM Anti-fray
This is a very affordable mousepad that aims to deliver a ‘middle-of-the-road’ experience, and it succeeds at that if you ask me.
Cons
- Doesn’t lay flat easily
- Not great with humidity
| Height | 45 |
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| Length | 40 |
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| Thickness | 2 |
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| Stitched edges | Yes |
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| Material | Cloth |
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| Overall Glide | Control-Oriented |
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| Foam Firmness | Firm |
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| Static Friction | High |
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| Glide Difference X/Y | 6.7 |
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| Dynamic Friction | Medium |
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First Impressions
Before we begin, it’s important to contextualize this mousepad. The Corsair MM Anti-fray is one of the most affordable mousepads I’ve ever reviewed, with the Large version (45×40 cm) coming in at a measly $16.99. There are four other sizes available: Medium (32×30 cm), XL (93×30 cm), XXL (93×40 cm), and 3XL (122×59 cm). The desk-sized 3XL version is priced at $49.99, which is cheaper than many of today’s top mousepads in their regular size.
Knowing all of this, I wasn’t expecting a premium experience here, but that’s fine. There are plenty of gamers who don’t want to spend a ton on their mousepad, so it’s nice to see brands still catering to those customers.
As for the mousepad itself, there really isn’t much to say. The Corsair MM Anti-fray is a thin (2mm) and very basic-looking mousepad. It’s available in black and grey, and it has a Corsair logo in the lower right corner. In many ways, this pad is a throwback to five or six years ago, when this type of pad was basically the standard pad that many brands were putting out: simple, to the point, with no frills.
Finish and Overall Quality
The overall quality is decent-to-good. The stitching on my unit showed no flaws, but it does stick out above the mousepad surface. The foam feels quite uniform (though you don’t get a lot of it with a thickness of 2mm) and the surface feels middle-of-the-road in terms of smoothness.
In general, the pad’s finish is pretty much in line with what I expected at this price point. You’re not getting ‘modern advancements’ such as subsurface stitching or fancy foams, but I don’t mind that.
What I do mind is that there was quite a bit of dust on the pad when I first opened it. I’m not talking about a speck or two; the pad looked like it had been used for a couple of weeks already. That obviously wasn’t the case (it’s a new pad) but it does look a bit strange when you’re unboxing a brand new mousepad, only to find a lot of dust on it.
Performance
Glide
In the marketing, the Corsair MM Anti-fray is described as a pad with a ‘perfect balance’, but I don’t really see it as a true medium pad. To me, this one edges more towards control. It’s not a full-on ‘mud pad’, but there is definitely some resistance when you’re making smaller movements. Once you get going, the pad lets loose a little bit, but it never becomes a very fast surface at any point.
Something I noticed is that mouse feet matter a lot with the MM Anti-fray. Different mouse feet obviously always affect the glide, but here I could feel a pretty huge difference between different styles of feet. Control-oriented ones, for example, felt exaggerated in their slowness, while faster skates felt noticeably smoother. That’s not necessarily a negative, just an indicator that your experience with this pad may vary by quite a bit depending on which mouse you’re using.
In general, though, I’d say that this is, in terms of glide speed, a pretty average pad without any extreme tendencies towards either end of the spectrum. Yes, it nudges towards control, but not to an extreme degree. That’s good news if you’re looking at this as your first pad; it’ll allow you to explore what suits you best in terms of glide, so that you can go for a more specialized mousepad if you ever decide to upgrade.
Base and Foam
The base is very standard. It’s the usual textured rubber that you see on more affordable (or older) mousepads, and it does an okay job here. If you’ve got a super slick desk or you use highly exaggerated movements when flicking, you may find that it moves around a bit, but I never felt it slip away from under my mouse when playing. So in essence, it’s not the stickiest pad, but I don’t foresee any issues with the grip either for most users.
The foam, then, is above all very thin. This means that there’s naturally not going to be a lot of give to it, otherwise you’d end up hitting the desk surface. Again, I see this as a good property for a mousepad of this type. Beginning players or more casually inclined gamers might not want a mousepad with a ton of flexibility in the foam, given how it can make a pad feel quite inconsistent.
In terms of consistency, the foam on my unit feels good. I didn’t notice any weaker spots or areas where it felt like the mouse sank in more.
Everyday Usage
The Corsair MM Anti-fray performs decently over longer periods of time. It does not lie flat immediately, however, so if you’re someone who is often on the go for your gaming sessions, this is something you’ll want to take note of. Don’t roll it too tightly when you’re taking it with you.
In terms of comfort, one obvious drawback is the fact that the stitching is thicker than the surface of the pad. This can cause forearm irritation for some. This type of stitching used to be the standard for mousepads, and I pretty much never had skin irritation issues when gaming, so for me it isn’t an issue, but it’s something to note regardless.
Lastly, the humidity resistance is so-so. On hot and humid days, heavily used areas of the mousepad tend to slow down a little bit. That only became apparent to me during very long sessions though, so if you’re not a sweaty person or you only play in short bursts, this might not annoy you.
Conclusion
The Corsair MM Anti-fray is not a special pad, but it doesn’t pretend to be. This is a very affordable mousepad that aims to deliver a ‘middle-of-the-road’ experience, and it succeeds at that if you ask me.
The glide is perhaps a bit slower than what Corsair advertises, but it’s not a true control pad, meaning that it’ll be very usable by a large number of gamers. The 2mm foam is quite firm, leading to a pad that feels consistent to use, unless you’re sweating a lot and playing for a long time, at which point you might encounter a bit of slowdown in some areas.
In general, though, this is a great entry-level mousepad. The massive, desk-sized 3XL version still costs less than what most manufacturers are asking for their regularly sized gaming-grade pads, so if you’re in the market for an affordable mousepad that doesn’t offer any extreme specs or design elements, this might just be it for you. It’s not without its flaws (the stitching isn’t subsurface, the crease resistance isn’t that great, the base is not super sticky) but at this price I think most people would be willing to look past that.
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.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
