Steelseries S&S Review

Total Rating:(4.0/ 5.0)

Performance:
Value:
Durability:

Recommendation: The Steelseries S&S is recommended for anyone on a budget looking for a high-performance solid-surface mouse pad.

Standard retail: $29.99
Check price on Amazon

Specifications:

• Material: Textured hard plastic
• Size: 12.6 x 10.6 x .08 in. (320 x 270 x 2 mm)
• Works with: All mice
• Glide: Smooth

What we liked:

• Works with all mice
• Comfortable to use
• Thin, lightweight, and large enough for most users
• Acceptable durability
• Easy to clean, rarely gets dirty
• Well-priced

What we disliked:

• Can leave residue on the desk
• Texture wears after 1-2 years

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The Steelseries S&S is a classic mouse pad that has served many computer enthusiasts well over the years; according to Steelseries, it’s the most popular hard-surface mouse pad in the world. There are two different versions of the pad. The standard version, which you can get here, includes a carrying case for the S&S pad, in case you pack your mouse pad up often for LAN parties and the like. The case is actually a pretty good idea if so. If you’re not concerned about carrying the pad around, as I assume few people are, you can get the S&S solo, which all of our other links link to.

We liked the glide and the feel of the Steelseries S&S. It worked fine for optical and laser surfaces, and tracking was extremely accurate. The glide was somewhere between speed and control. If you’re used to slick surfaces like we are, you might call it somewhere in the middle, tending toward the smooth side. If you’ve never used a high-quality hard pad, you’d probably think it was smooth and speedy.

Like the Steelseries SP, the Steelseries S&S is made of a hard plastic. We’ll be comparing the SP to the S&S throughout this review, since the two pads are nearly in the same price range. The largest difference, of course, is that the SP works only for optical mice, and the S&S (the pad we’re reviewing now) works for both laser and optical mice. Compared to the SP, the glide is not as smooth. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still very smooth – much smoother than you could hope for from a cloth pad. The bottom of the S&S is a sprayed-on rubber, where the SP has a rubber base attached to it.

The sprayed-on backing that Steelseries tried on this pad holds the mouse in place pretty well, but it can cause some problems. First of all, we didn’t feel that the grip on the back was as solid as it could be. It didn’t slide around a lot on any of the surfaces we used it on, but it could be pushed, and might need readjustment during gaming sessions. We did some research into the long-term durability of the S&S, and found that the back often wears off and adheres to your desk, especially on rougher surfaces, making a mess of the thing. The pad remains usable, but it could theoretically wear off entirely after many years. The surface of the S&S has a similar problem, in that the texture in the middle will wear down slightly after a couple years of regular use. The pad is totally usable, but it just doesn’t feel the same as a new one.

Don’t let us scare you – we present all of the worst-case and long-term downsides of each product we review here. At least you’ll know that when your mouse pad sheds rubber on your desk that someone told you the truth. Overall, the S&S is pretty solid, and may be a good choice for someone on a budget who wants a nice hard pad. The surface is a lot smoother than soft-surface users are used to, and it gives a good balance of control and speed. If you have an optical mouse now, and might be upgrading to laser soon, the S&S is one of the best surfaces that supports both technologies without any problems. Click here to get the Steelseries S&S (as we said, the less expensive Solo version) or check the price. Head back to the mouse pad reviews main page to check out more potential surfaces.