X-Trac Performance Mouse Pad Reviews - Ripper XXL

The Ripper XXL provides a HUGE mousing surface - 36"w x 18"h x 1/8" (914mm X 457mm). It is designed to provide a cushion for both your mouse and keyboard, and a silky smooth mousing surface. The XXL features a solid place surface, quiet operation, Sure Grip rubber backing, and is very flexible. The Ripper XXL came rolled up in a plastic bag in a cardboard box filled with peanuts

They certainly got the name right by adding XXL, because this thing is huge! The Ripper XXL is a cloth pad, but is a whole lot bigger than the normal ones we are used to seeing and using. I was really excited to try out the Ripper XXL, so I ripped open the package and went at it. I was in luck because it fit my desk without any hassle. The first thing I noticed was how well the Ripper XXL adhered to my low friction desk surface. It was impossible to move, without pulling up the pad’s edge in order to to lift and relocate it. I then tried putting my keyboard on the pad and it couldn't be moved either, which I liked because my keyboard tends to move all over the place while I am playing games.

Next came the time for my Logitech MX518 to have its debut on the pad. The first thing that I noticed, was a high level of friction, which requires you to use more force when moving your mouse, when compared to the force needed with the XTracPads Hybrid. I also noticed how silent the mouse glides over the pad. It is nowhere near the noise a regular mouse makes on a plastic or glass pad. To get a feel of the pad, I started with regular PC use. I fell in love with the large size right away. As I prefer to use a low mouse sensitivity setting, this is awesome. I really enjoyed using the Ripper XXL in the Windows desktop. I never went out of bounds and my keyboard stayed in the same place, where I put it, when I got a little rough. I noticed it had an adequate level of precision when I performed precision tests, but nothing extraordinary. I noticed that my arm I got a bit tired after awhile, which was caused by the pad’s higher friction surface, but after applying the XTracPads Mad Tape, it got somewhat smoother, but not as smooth as I had hoped for.

Now let’s see how well it performs during gaming. It was clear right away, that this wasn't a gaming mouse pad. While I was able to game with it, my response was slow and got even worse because of the pad’s high friction. I then tried my Razor Copperhead mouse on the Ripper XXL and it had the same performance as the optical MX518. I was pleased to see the Copperhead working with this pad, but it also had the same slow response time in games. I enjoyed using both my Copperhead and MX518 on the desktop and if it wasn't for my gaming urges, I would most certainly use this mouse pad for desktop applications. What I really do enjoy, is that it has such a really big size and also fits on my desk surface so well.

Pros & Cons

• Pros: HUGE mouse surface area, Silent movement, Good adhesion to desk surface
• Cons: Not for serious gaming, A bit too much mouse friction (at least for me)

Conclusions

Overall, I was pleased with the performance of this humongous mouse pad. Initially I didn't think it was going to compare well to other gamer pads, because of its size, and that turned out to be true - it didn't. The Ripper XXL is a really nice pad to use in the windows desktop and for applications, but it is definitely not for gaming. If it wasn't for my love of gaming, I would use the Ripper XXL.