SteelPad 5L Professional Gaming Mouse Pad Review

I've been using my trusty SteelPad 4D for over a year now and have always liked the way it performed.  When I was asked to check out the 5L from SteelPad I was more than happy to give this pad a spin.  Can this pad become my new standard?  Will it end up in the also ran pile?  Read further and find out!

Specifications

The Skinny

This is a new hybrid type of pad, I've not seen before.  The top is made of soft cloth material so it gives you a soft smooth surface for mousing, while adding the durability and stability of a hard pad.  This is targeted for both conventional  and laser mice.  Last time I was at a LAN, I had yet to find an actual ball mouse!  But I guess if you have to use one, you won't be left out in the cold with this pad.  Looking at the packaging the size is a definite plus, though for small gaming areas it may be hard to accommodate.

Reading the back of the packaging, it describes the 5 layer construction SteelPad uses to build the 5L.  They start with a thin plastic coating for durability.  Following this is the cloth covering with a spiffy design to make it the envy of the LAN.  Next comes the soft polyisoprene (say that fast three times) for the padded feel.  It helps pad the wrist for extended play times of serious gamers.  Sounds like they had me in mind!  After that is the hard plastic compound that makes the pad so rigid and durable.  Finally comes the "rubber elements", which are like spidery looking rubber strands all over the back.  These really keep the pad stable and immobile even during the most frantic gaming sessions.

Taking it out of the box, its everything they said it was.  The top is soft with a light sponge to it, but it is quite smooth and firm.  I already like the feel of it before putting a mouse to it.  Running my Logitech 518 equipped with glide pads across, it is silky smooth with just enough friction to track nicely.  Impressive so far.

Flipping it over shows the hard plastic backing with the "rubber elements".  Very solid and very non-skid.

Conclusion

So I played on this for a week and though it didn't raise my skill level, it did play very well and was consistently smooth and tracked excellent with a laser mouse.  After using the 4D for so long I was used to using a thin pad and this one was noticeably thicker.  It didn't take long to get used to and the large size is much nicer to use than the smaller factor 4D.  This retails for $34.99, but is currently available on NewEgg for $29.99 with $5.46 three day shipping.  This much for a mouse pad is a little high in my book, though if your only concern is with performance, this may be the pad for you.  So does it replace my 4D?  By all means!