X-raypad Geckos Review

Over the past couple of years, gamers have been paying more and more attention to customizing their setup to fit their exact needs. This can be seen in the way niche mousepads are getting more and more traction (see: Best Gaming Mousepad) but also in the fact that products such as gaming sleeves and grip tapes are being used more often. Today, we’re taking a look at a set of grip tapes by X-raypad. Read our full X-raypad Geckos review to find out if these are worth it or not.

At A Glance


X-raypad Geckos Grip Tape

The Geckos are a good option to consider if you’re looking to add some size to that one mouse that’s perhaps a little too small for your liking, but if you’re just wanting to add some grip to a shape that’s already close to perfect for you, I’d consider thinner grips.

Pros

  • Comes with alcohol pads and adhesive removal pads
  • Extremely grippy
  • Consistent performance under all conditions

Cons

  • On the thicker end (0.6mm) which can interfere with the shape of a mouse

First Impressions and Quality


Upon opening the thin box that the Geckos comes in, you get greeted by alcohol pads and adhesive removal pads that are meant to help you with cleaning whatever surface you’re going to put the grip tapes on. This is a nice touch: these grip tapes aren’t infinitely reusable, so you’ll definitely want to make sure that you get it right the first time.

Aside from that, the X-raypad Geckos feel like quality grip tapes. I had both a precut set to test as well as a set with random shapes. The precut set fit the mouse (which was a G Pro X Superlight) perfectly, and there are plenty of shapes and sizes available in the random set.

If you’re considering these grip tapes, it’s important to note that they’re pretty thick. X-raypad also sells thinner tapes (called the Cicadas; I also got those in for testing and they feel the exact same, but are thinner) so if you want something that’s on the thinner side you can consider those, but the Geckos definitely don’t ‘blend in’. They’re very much noticeable, and that’s important to note if you’re considering a purchase.

Performance


Application

Applying the X-raypad Geckos is easy. Just stick ’em wherever you want them to go and you’re good. For maximum adhesion, it’s recommended that you properly clean the surface where you’re going to put them, and X-raypad provides cloths to do just that in their packaging.

All in all, the Geckos are very easy to use. Just to test, I peeled and reused them a couple of times, and while you can definitely get a couple of applications out of these tapes they started to feel a little less secure after five or so applications, so you will want to be conservative when reusing them if you ask me.

Grip

The X-raypad Geckos are made out of PORON, and they’re very, very grippy. Their textured surface already provides a ton of grip, and that combined with the thickness (which allows you to dig in your fingers somewhat) gets you a set of grips that remains sticky and reliable under all circumstances.

I used the Geckos over the course of the summer (meaning that I’ve had some pretty sweaty gaming sessions with them) and they stayed consistent all throughout the testing period. I liked the feeling of their texture and the rock-solid grip that they provided, but as I mentioned before they’re quite thick. This thickness means that they’ll change the overall feeling of your mouse, so if you’re content with the way your hand fits your mouse I’d recommend you to go for something thinner like the Cicadas.

Thickness

The thickness does not need to be a net negative. I’ve had mice that felt like they just needed a tiny shape change in order to fit my grip perfectly, and if you have that same feeling with your mouse then it might be a good idea to consider thicker grips like this. In addition to (obviously) adding grip, they also allow you to add a little bit of volume to certain parts of the mouse, which lets you kind of ‘mold’ the mouse shape a little bit.

Of course you also have to stay realistic: their thickness of 0.6 mm can be felt, but you’re not going to make a mouse that’s way too small for you fit your hand by adding less than a millimeter of volume, so don’t expect the world here.

Consistency

After properly applying the tapes to my mouse, I used them for a couple of weeks and I have to say that they felt extremely consistent. My mouse hand gets moderately sweaty when gaming, and with it being summer over here I initially had some fears that this would cause the grips to wear out quickly or even fall off, but I’ve had nothing but satisfying results in this area.

Of course I can’t test these products for months on end (I have other stuff to review) but as far as I can tell, the X-raypad Geckos are consistent and reliable.

Conclusion


The X-raypad Geckos are a good option to consider if you’re looking to add some size to that one mouse that’s perhaps a little too small for your liking, but if you’re just wanting to add some grip to a shape that’s already close to perfect for you, I’d consider thinner grips. The X-raypad Cicadas would be the ones I would recommend: they have the same characteristics as the Geckos, but come in at 0.22 mm in thickness.

With that being said: the Geckos perform exactly as they should. They’re easy to apply (thanks to the included extras) and stay in place even during the most intense gaming sessions. They’re extremely grippy, and that grip doesn’t seem to fade very quickly, so if you’re looking for some heavy-duty thick grip tapes, the X-raypad Geckos can definitely be considered. If you like what you’ve been reading and want something thinner, go for the Cicadas.

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.

4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Eray

Can you please review aqua control 2?

womeik

Excellent anti slip stickers for me! I prefer the Cicada grip tape!