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Introduction
ZOWIE’s mousepads have been well-liked by professional gamers for years now. Their G-SR line is one of the foundational mousepads for the controlling ‘mud pad’ scene, and today we’re taking a look at a new evolution of that line. The TR line of mousepads offers everything that the SR line does, but with a softer foam and some other improvements. Is this new line of pads a good addition to the legendary ZOWIE lineup? Find out everything you need to know in our ZOWIE G-TR review!
At A Glance
ZOWIE G-TR
Used by 5 players ()-
jL
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Grim
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sl3nd
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juicy
The ZOWIE G-TR is an extremely logical addition to the ZOWIE lineup of products. It’s basically a G-SR with a much softer base. If you’re into very controlling pads and you love soft foams, this is one you have to check out.
Pros
- Good quality subsurface stitching
- Comes flat-packed
- Sticky base
- Soft foam G-SR is what many have been waiting for
- Decently soft texture for such a controlling pad
Cons
- Doesn’t work for all skates (dot skates sink in too much)
Specs
| Height | 47 |
|---|---|
| Length | 39 |
| Thickness | 3.5mm |
| Stitched edges | Yes |
| Material | Cloth |
| Glide | Control |
| Static Friction | 47.5 |
| Static Friction Angle | 8.05 |
| Glide Difference X/Y | 15.8 |
| Dynamic Friction | 2.61 |
First Impressions
ZOWIE wouldn’t be ZOWIE if they didn’t try to confuse us all with their naming scheme, so I’ll shed some light on the situation first.
With this release of the new TR pads, ZOWIE has revamped their entire mousepad lineup, meaning that all of their main mousepad lines (SR and SR-SE) have gotten updated versions. Additionally, they’ve also added a new size: all main ZOWIE pads are now available as a 50×50 cm pad. Those 50x50cm pads are denoted by the ‘H’ in front of the name. The regular 47×39 cm size that ZOWIE has used for a long time is denoted by the ‘G’ in front of the name.
The TR is available as a 50×50 cm pad (H-TR) and a 47×39 cm pad (G-TR). Why ZOWIE couldn’t simply go for the already existing S, M, L, and XL denotations for sizes is a mystery to me, but hopefully I managed to explain it a bit.
The TR is basically the same as the SR, but it has a softer foam. Additionally, it also has a new (stickier) base and low-profile stitching. For someone like myself, who loves the SR but also likes softer foams, this is a very cool new addition. I was first introduced to this pad at an event, and ZOWIE representatives confirmed that the surface material is the same as on the SR mousepads.
Finish and Overall Quality
With their new line of pads, ZOWIE have introduced some (small) improvements. The TR, for example, has low-profile stitching. I love this. It gives pads the premium feel and increased durability that stitched edges offer, without bothering users who play with their wrists bare.
The stitching is done well here. It’s tight and consistent, and there aren’t any spots where it pops up above the mouse surface.
The base of the pad has a bunch of dots applied to it. I can very faintly feel these when I gently rub my finger over them, so I assume they do add extra grip and aren’t just there for show. In any case, I am satisfied with the grip of this pad. This new base performs better than some previous ZOWIE bases, so for me this is an upgrade. Once I placed the G-TR on my desk, it stayed put.
On the top left section of the pad, there’s a small branding tag. This will interfere with your mouse glide should you run into it while playing, but it’s so small that I never had any such issues.
Lastly, I want to mention the packaging. The G-TR comes in a flat box, which is an upgrade over ZOWIE’s previous boxes. As such, it lays flat immediately and there’s no need to let it settle for a night or anything like that. It can also be rolled, though. I gently rolled it for transport a couple of times and it laid flat without any issues after arriving at my new gaming location.
All in all, the ZOWIE G-TR is a high quality pad that looks and feels premium.
Performance
Glide
The G-TR has the same surface as the G-SR. That is a well-known ‘mud pad’ due to how controlling it is, and with the fact that the G-TR has a softer base (which adds more control) it’s safe to say that people who don’t enjoy overly controlling pads should skip this one.
There’s a lot of dynamic friction and even more static friction. Due to how soft the foam is, that friction gets multiplied if you put even a bit of pressure on your mouse. Additionally, there’s also quite a big difference (~16% on my unit) between the X axis and the Y axis.
All of this leads to a pad that seems tailor-made for tactical shooters and other games that focus on stability. If you mainly play games where your crosshair is all over the place and you’re constantly tracking enemies, odds are this pad isn’t for you. Its dynamic friction is slightly lower than what you’ll find on some other dedicated control pads (making big swipes a little easier to do) but all things considered this is definitely a control pad.
With all of that said: I like this G-TR. I lean towards controlling setups for my mouse, so this is right up my alley. Do note that ‘mud pad’ definitely applies here. To me, that’s not an insult, but just a good description of this type of pad. You really have to work for every mouse movement, and every move you make feels ‘heavy’ in a way, especially with that very soft foam.
Base and Softness
This is the first ZOWIE pad (that I know of, at least) to come with a soft base, and they really embraced the ‘soft’ aspect. If you apply pressure with your finger, you can easily push down and feel the desk. This is good news for people who love (very) soft pads, but it also means that the pad has some limitations.
For example, I wouldn’t recommend this pad to users who like to use dot skates. I’ve tested a variety of those on the G-TR and the conclusion was always the same: the mouse feels like it gets stuck. This is an inherent drawback of these types of foams, but luckily ZOWIE also offers this pad with a firmer foam in the form of the SR series. If you use dot skates or smaller skates, I would always recommend the G-SR over the G-TR. They have the exact same surface, after all. Only the foam underneath it is different.
Whether you like this type of foam or not is a matter of preference. If you value consistency, you should steer clear of pads like these. However, if you want a bit more drag when performing certain actions such as spraying, pads like these can be a great solution.
The base itself is—as mentioned—great. I’ve had no slippage issues during my testing.
Everyday Usage
ZOWIE mousepads have had some issues with humidity in the past, but the brand seems to have rectified this. If you put a lot of pressure on your mouse, humid spots can become a little more apparent when gliding, but for a control pad like this I’d say that the humidity resistance is adequate. As a sweaty gamer, I certainly had no issues during my testing.
Something that I like about the G-TR is that it seems very durable. Us reviewers only spend a limited amount of time with a product so we can’t test how it holds up over months, but I like how non-fragile this pad feels. It’s incredibly light and flexible, and that makes it hold up to awkward storage positions a lot better than some other pads of this type. I accidentally left it folded between a bunch of other products I was testing and it came out looking like new when I placed it back on my desk the next day.
Obviously I’m not advocating for that type of abuse (you should always store your mousepads flat or, if you can’t do that, rolled loosely if the pad allows rolling) but it’s reassuring to know that this will survive rowdy trips to LAN parties if it has to.
Alternatives
With the fact that control pads are very much in vogue right now, there are plenty of alternatives to consider. I’ve highlighted some of the most requested and common comparisons below, but if you have any questions on other pads then please feel free to reach out in the comments.
ZOWIE G-TR vs ZOWIE G-SR
As mentioned in the review, the G-TR and G-SR have the exact same surface. As such, the overall glide experience is very similar, with the only difference being the base. The TR has a much softer base than the SR. Depending on how much pressure you put on your mouse, this can make the TR feel drastically slower.
See our ZOWIE G-SR III review
ZOWIE G-TR vs Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro
The Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro and ZOWIE G-TR feel incredibly similar when it comes to their glide. The Saturn Pro is a little bit faster, however. The X/Y difference on the Saturn Pro is also lower (16% vs 7%).
As far as the overall finishing goes, both pads are quite similar, although the stitching on the ZOWIE is sub-surface while the stitching on the Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro is level with the surface. The Saturn Pro, on the other hand, has a slightly smoother surface. Finally, I’d say that the foam on the ZOWIE G-TR is slightly softer than the foam on the Saturn Pro.
See our Lethal Gaming Gear Saturn Pro review
ZOWIE G-TR vs Artisan Zero (XSoft)
A lot of people like to compare control pads to the Artisan Zero, but this is not a direct comparison if you ask me. The Artisan Zero has similar dynamic friction to the ZOWIE G-TR but a lower static friction, making it a pad that feels quite a bit faster. The Artisan Zero, to me, is a control-focused pad, and not a dedicated ‘mud pad’ like the ZOWIE G-TR.
ZOWIE G-TR vs Artisan Type 99 (XSoft)
The Type 99 is Artisan’s control pad and is thus a more suitable comparison. When it comes to the overall glide, the Type 99 offers a similar feeling to the G-TR, though the Type 99 is even slower than the G-TR. In my testing, the dynamic friction on the Type 99 XSoft is a lot higher, and the static friction is a bit higher. This makes the Type 99 even more of a ‘mud pad’ than the ZOWIE G-TR.
Conclusion
The ZOWIE G-TR is an extremely logical addition to the ZOWIE lineup of products. It’s basically a G-SR with a much softer base. If you’re into very controlling pads and you love soft foams, this is one you have to check out.
It’s a high quality pad with decent humidity resistance, sub-surface stitching, and a nice and sticky base. People who use smaller skates such as dot skates will want to steer clear due to the very soft foam, but for everyone else who wants to try out a pad like this, the ZOWIE G-TR comes warmly recommended.
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.
