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Introduction
Gaming mousepads are going through a renaissance right now, but most premium pads that are coming out these days aren’t available as desk-sized pads. NZXT’s newly launched Zone pads do have that option. On top of that, they also have some other interesting features that could make them stand out from the rest of the market. In our full NZXT Zone Elite review, we’ll take a look at the top-of-the-line new NZXT mousepad in order to help you determine whether it’s worth it.
At A Glance
NZXT Zone Elite
Used by 1 player ()-
Stev0rr
The NZXT Zone Elite isn’t a very revolutionary pad, but it does everything that it sets out to do without any issues. More importantly, it does so at a very wallet-friendly price, which gives it a big leg up on its competitors if you ask me.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Quality finishing
- Liquid-resistant surface works great to help combat spills
- Very smooth and comfortable surface
Cons
- Base could be stickier
- Only one base softness option; with the one option not allowing for a lot of digging in
Specs
| Height | 40 |
|---|---|
| Length | 40 |
| Thickness | 4mm |
| Stitched edges | Yes |
| Material | Hybrid |
| Glide | Speed-Oriented |
| Static Friction | 37.9 |
| Static Friction Angle | 7.01 |
| Glide Difference X/Y | 12 |
| Dynamic Friction | 1.64 |
First Impressions
As is the case with all NZXT products, this looks sleek. The pad I got is plain black with dark gray stitching around the edges and a barely visible logo in the corner. This logo is small and low-profile, making it so that it won’t really bother you should you glide over it with your mouse.
This is a pad that would look right at home in pretty much any setup, and I like that. I can personally appreciate the art behind intricate designs on mousepads (though I’m absolutely done with anime girl mousepads) but since I rock a neutral setup I do prefer more subdued mousepads for daily usage.
Currently, the Zone Elite can be bought in three different sizes: large (40×40 cm), XL (75×40 cm), and XXL (90×40 cm). I have tested the XL version for this review, but all pads have the exact same nano-knit polyester surface.
Something that I should also note is the price. We’re all used to premium pads costing over $50 by now, but the NZXT Zone Elite can be had for $29.99 in its regular size. The largest size will set you back $54.99. Those are very wallet-friendly prices.
Finish and Overall Quality
Materials and Smoothness
Being the premium pad in NZXT’s lineup, the Zone Elite uses high-end materials and finishing processes. The base (which is 4mm thick) is made out of Poron, and there’s subsurface stitching all around the pad. This stitching is tight and consistent, and I can only spot one stray strand of stitching on my copy. I personally love low-profile stitching, as it gives you the best of both worlds in terms of durability and comfort, so I’m glad to see it used here.
What also helps in the comfort department is the extremely smooth surface. This feels consistent and great to the touch across the entire pad. The pad also laid flat pretty much immediately upon placing it on my desk, which is a plus.
I took the pad to some other locations for gaming, and I did not have any issues with permanent creases appearing. With that said, you should always be careful with mousepads. Don’t roll them too tightly, don’t roll them inside out, and store them flat (or rolled very loosely) if possible.
Liquid-Resistant
Finally, the pad is also liquid-resistant. Whenever brands make a point of advertising this, I test it by spilling some big drops of water on the surface. With the Zone Elite, those big drops stay on top of the surface for minutes. If I push them with my finger, they simply spread out into smaller drops rather than seeping into the mousepad. As long as you can get to a towel within a reasonable timeframe, you can easily clean off any liquid spills by gently dabbing the spill with a (paper) towel and be on your way.
Performance
Glide
The Zone Elite is advertised as being a speedier pad, and that more or less aligns with my findings. I wouldn’t call it a full speed pad, however. The force required to get your mouse moving is on the lower end but there’s quite a bit of dynamic friction and stopping power, which prevents me from categorizing it as a full speed pad.
Due to the low amount of resistance when doing micro-movements, tracking feels great on this pad. Therefore, I can see this being a perfect pad for people who play track-heavy games where you also need flicking precision such as Apex Legends. You’ve got a lot of slickness when making smaller movements, but there’s still a decent amount of resistance when you’re coming to a stop after flicking.
Of course, all of this is personal preference. You can obviously also use this pad for tac shooters or any other genre, it just depends on what you prefer in a mousepad.
If you want a pad that’s speedier than what most cloth pads offer without going straight into that ‘no resistance whatsoever’ territory, then this could be a really good shout.
Base and Softness
Poron pads are usually known for their softness. You can then use this softness to manipulate the glide speed of the pad, as pressing down on the mouse will make the feet dig into the pad, making it glide slower.
The Zone Elite uses a micro-cell Poron foam base, but it’s not exactly soft enough to really influence the glide if you ask me. When I press down really hard with my finger, I can dig in quite deep, but this isn’t the case with mouse feet.
If you use dot skates and apply a lot of pressure you experience some slowdown but with regularly sized skates I couldn’t feel any difference. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. Not all Poron bases have to be extremely soft. And there are lots of gamers who prefer a more consistent foam, so if you’re one of those then this pad is good to go for you. However, if you like that on-the-fly customization that you get from a soft base, you should probably skip this one.
The actual base of the pad could use some work, if you ask me. Even when using the big and heavy XXL version I could get the pad to move quite easily by applying pressure to the bottom. I do have a pretty slippery desk, but even then this base doesn’t perform on par with others. If you get a 40×40 pad I could definitely see there being some issues with slippage, so be mindful of that if these things tend to bother you.
Everyday Usage
For me, the Zone Elite is a very comfortable mousepad. The stitching is done nicely and the surface is nice and smooth. I don’t use gaming sleeves to game with and I had no comfort issues, even after multiple hours of gaming.
The humidity resistance is also good. You might have to wipe the pad every now and then (since liquids stay on top of the surface) but I did not notice any real slowdown on sweatier or more humid spots on the pad if you keep a cloth handy. Small sidenote: it’s currently winter where I live, so the conditions aren’t exactly ideal to test this pad in the sweatiest of circumstances.
Sadly, I cannot test the durability of mousepads (I only spend a couple of weeks with any given pad) but due to the tight polyester surface I can see this lasting for a lot longer than a traditional cloth pad.
Alternatives
The glide of the NZXT Zone Elite reminds me a lot of the glide that the X-raypad Aqua Control offers. That pad is based on the Artisan Hien, so I’d say that the Hien is an alternative. It should be noted that I don’t have any in-depth experience with the Hien though.
NZXT Zone Elite vs X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon
Both pads offer an extremely similar glide. The NZXT Zone Elite is a lot more affordable (at MSRP) though, and it has a smoother surface. Additionally, the Zone Elite is available as an extended version, whereas the Aqua Control Pro isn’t.
In terms of the base, the Aqua Control Pro Neon is a lot stickier and has more softness options. The softest option of the Aqua Control Pro Neon allows for a lot of ‘digging in’ and this isn’t the case with the Zone Elite.
If you’re deciding between these two pads, I’d say it will come down to figuring out which features you prefer, as the glide and overall quality is extremely similar.
Read our X-raypad Aqua Control Pro Neon review
Conclusion
The NZXT Zone Elite isn’t a very revolutionary pad, but it does everything that it sets out to do without any issues. More importantly, it does so at a very wallet-friendly price, which gives it a big leg up on its competitors if you ask me.
If you’re looking for a speed-oriented mousepad with low static friction that still offers a good amount of resistance when stopping then this is a really interesting option.
There are some small drawbacks: the base, for example, isn’t very sticky. The foam also doesn’t have a lot of give and there’s only one foam option. If you can live with those things, this is an interesting pad that offer a lot of bang-for-buck.
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.
