XTRAC Hybrid Mouse Pad Review

     When it comes to mouse pads most people seem to have a favorite type of pad already picked out.  Plastic or cloth being the two most common styles that divide gamers.  What if you could have the best of both pads; at the same time!  XTracPads has provided us with exactly that, a mouse pad aptly named the Hybrid.  Lets take a closer look.

     Our Hybrid arrived in this durable cardboard box designed to double as a LAN carry box.  The simple black and white style is a nice choice as it manages to look stylish without being gaudy.  Plus it beats stuffing your pad into a bag.  The back and sides of the box give you all the information you could need when choosing a name brand pad.  The slogan "Mice Love a Smooth Ride" is a nice touch.

     In a design that is patent-pending, XTrac uses a hexagonal pattern across the surface of the mouse pad minus a small section in the lower right-hand corner which is reserved for the products own name tag. Inside each hexagon is a random pattern of white and black ink blots which XTrac has determined to be the most beneficial for the optical sensor. It's quite clear the goal of this pattern is to give the optical sensor completely separated objects on which to focus on and measure mouse movement.  This is the same highly effective surface pattern XTrac has been using across their Pro series and many of their other successful products for years.

     Of course what makes this pad different is the hybrid surface that combines the traditional cloth weave with an integrated plastic.  The pads may look the same but the Hybrid's surface is much smoother and rigid than a true cloth pad.  The XTrac development team spent over a year pefecting the Hybrids surface. 

     As a long time user of my XTrac Pro pad, I can tell you the edges can get a little frayed after heavy use.  Here's a Club OC tip that will work for these and some other cloth pads.  Simply, take a lighter or match and just run it along the frayed edge just like you would an old pair of blue jeans and that will singe the fray's and make them go away.  Presto the frayed section is as good as new!  Just don't hold us responsible if things get out of hand!

     The Hybrid is on the thicker side of cloth pads as well.  This additional foam cushioning helps to overcome uneven surfaces and provides more comfort for those long fragging sessions.

     Like all XTrac cloth pads the Hybrid is backed with a tacky Sure Grip coating designed to keep your Hybrid in place on just about any surface.  On both my glass top and my laminate desks the Hybrid was immobile during testing.

The Hybrid ships with the LAN carry box, a set of XTrac's Mad Dotz, care instructions and a nice looking Glow-in-the-Dark sticker for your gear.

     Although XTrac makes pads in a variety of types and sizes, the Hybrid is only available in the large 10" x 16" x 3/16" (254mm x 406mm x 4.77mm) size.  Compared to my trusty old Giganta this pad looks quite large, but in practice I found the slightly larger size to be perfect for the combination of high and low sensitivity activities I go through in a normal week.

     To truly get the most out of your Hybrid pad, you need a mouse with Teflon feet.  Since that's still pretty rare, XTrac has you covered by including a set of Mad Dotz.  These precut Teflon stickers turn any mouse into a super slick killing machine in seconds.  After a quick cleaning I had my Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer mouse gliding across the Hybrid.   If you already have a high end mouse, you can also try XTrac's Insta-glide to achieve a glide that must be experienced to be believed.

     To really get the feel of the Hybrid I used it for several days as both a work surface and for some serious gaming.  With the Mad Dotz the feel was almost identical to my favorite glass pad.  To compare I also used my Logitech G7 on it with no feet.  The glide is still much smoother than a normal cloth pad.    Sadly my G7 is not compatible with the Hybrid, though some users are reporting success.

XTrac lists the Hybrid as compatible with the following mice:

Microsoft;
Intellimouse Explorer 3.0/4.0 & Laser Mouse 6000

Razer;
Copperhead

Apple;
Mighty Mouse

Logitech;
MX300, MX310, MX500, MX510, MX518, MX700 & G5

Conclusion:

     The cloth mouse pad has come along way from its humble beginnings as a marketing toss in.  With the XTrac Hybrid we get an idea of just how far this style can go.  If you love the portability of a cloth pad but can't live without the performance of a plastic or glass surface, you have come to the right place.  The Hybrid pad is the master of versatility handling both high and low sensitivity with ease.   There are a lot of high end pads I wish felt this smooth and silent.  If there is a down side it must be the limited selection of mice known to be compatible with the Hybrid's unique surface.  With XTrac already revising their most popular pads to a version 2.0, it is only a question of time until the Hybrid supports all your favorite performance mice.  If you are a cloth pad user you owe it to your self to check this pad out.

     Not sure which XTrac pad is for you?  The XTrac Pad-o-Matic is there to help.  You just answer 7 easy questions and the Pad-o-Matic will show you the XTrac pad that will best suit your individual needs.  This is definitely a cool reason to check out all that XTrac has to offer on their site!