The Kin X isn’t just another glass pad chasing speed or looks — it’s something else entirely. This one lets you bring a piece of yourself onto your desk. Whether it’s a snapshot, a color that calms you, or something more abstract, it becomes more than just a surface. It’s not trying to impress you with specs at first glance. It’s trying to connect.
As someone who has used cloth pads for over 25 years, I didn’t expect much. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure why I gave it a shot ( I never liked glass). But the Kin X does something different. Not just in how it looks or feels, but in what it offers you, personally. Will it convert someone like me into a believer? That’s the real question. And the answer… well, that’s in the full review.
Disclaimer: This unit was provided to me for testing purposes, though TJExclusives had no sway over the contents of this review.
This is my third product from TJExclusives. Check my previous Kin v2 review here and PlastiX skates review here.
Testing Scenarios
Testing period: 2 months in total and counting
The gaming sleeve was used in hotter months.
Break-in period: no noticeable break-in period
Mice used: G-Wolves Fenrir Max 8k (stock dots/full skates), G-Wolves Fenrir Asym 8k (stock dots/full skates), Chilkey Glacier LW (stock skates), Vaxee Sora 4k (Aetherium Control Dots Black), Ninjutso Sora v2 (TJExclusives Plastix dots)
Games played: QuakeWorld, Battlefield 1 and V, Doom Eternal.
Temperature and humidity: 22–25 degrees, 50–65% humidity
Specs and Features (by manufacturer)
- Your own one-of-a-kind KIN design on the front of your KIN X
- Control-focused ceramic hard pad
- 13% more dynamic friction & similar static friction to the KIN V2
- Improved durability over KIN V2
- Full white silicone backing
- Available in 6 different sizes
- Incredible accuracy and repeatability
- Made in the USA
- 4mm thick
- size 505mm x 405mm
Remember what’s changed on the updated KIN X:
- The glide has been subtly refined for a smoother, less textured feel.
- A new, white full silicone anti-slip base.
- Thinner 3mm glass (previously 4mm).
Note: I’m reviewing an older unit that is slightly different than the newest Kin X. The differences in the new one include:
- 3mm thickness, thinner but sturdier tempered glass (older model is 4mm)
- a full silicone base instead of 4 huge, rounded silicone feet
- slightly different surface material (the new one has been improved according to the brand)
Kin X by You
I’ll start with what bought me in the first place.
When I stumbled upon the custom KIN X pads from TJ Exclusives, it felt like someone had finally gotten it. Not just another mousepad, but something that could carry a piece of me — my favorite album art, a sketch I made years ago, that grainy photo of my cat mid-yawn. And it’s not hidden under layers or stuck in some corner — your image is the pad. You flick across it, fight on it, work on it. It’s yours in a way that few things on a desk ever are.
There aren’t many brands doing this — Matrova does it, X-raypad too — but what TJ pulled off hits differently. They didn’t sacrifice quality to offer customization. You still get the slick, responsive feel of a high-end hard pad, but it’s dressed in something personal. For someone who games as much as they draw, write, and obsess over visual details, this hits a sweet spot. Finally, there’s a pad that doesn’t feel mass-produced — it feels like it was made for me.
I went with one of the most iconic shots from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982), pure cinematic gold. Seeing it printed across my Kin X pad? Honestly, it blew me away. The detail, the contrast, the atmosphere — it’s all there. I sent them the correct size and resolution, and they handled the rest. Not just slapping it on, but making it shine. The result isn’t just a mousepad — it’s a piece of sci-fi history, right under my hand.
And here’s the thing: even if I stop gaming on it one day, it’s not going anywhere. This one stays. It’s a permanent fixture, like a framed print, only better — because it lives where I work, play, and create. That’s the kind of emotional connection TJ Exclusives managed to build into a slab of ceramic and glass. That’s the true power of Kin X.
Bottom line? Treat yourself to a personal gift!
How is it packed
Here’s my unboxing and first impressions video.
My Kin X made the long trip from the US to Poland in perfect shape, not a single dent or scratch on it. It came in a plain cardboard box, nothing fancy, but packed smart. Inside, there was a smaller box floating in a sea of bubble wrap — double-boxed for extra peace of mind. Opening it was simple: tear into the outer box, pull out the snug inner box, and there’s your Kin X, safely cushioned on all sides. It all felt pretty hefty too, which matches the solid weight of the pad itself, even though it’s much lighter than my previous Kin v2.
The actual Kin X box is black, featuring brand names and other information. The pad itself is wrapped in a plastic, branded sleeve that is tucked into four foams, triangle-shaped, the purpose of which is to safeguard the pad from being destroyed during shipment.
Bottom line? Safety first, that’s how it’s packed.
What the surface is like
The surface was engineered completely by TJExclusives and cannot be copied or seen anywhere else (apparently, the brand spent around 40,000 USD on research and development). It feels like organic skin-silicone mixed with glass. It does feel very comfortable and will make your skin fly on this mousepad. It is a 3mm tempered glass (my copy is 4mm) surface that is very sturdy and durable. This construction quality speaks volumes about its longevity, making it a worthwhile investment for users seeking a durable gaming accessory. It looks very firm and stable, and also pretty premium.
There’s some proprietary coating that doesn’t stick to your forearm in cool environments; however, once the days get hotter and the temperature rises, it will stick a bit, so a gaming sleeve in more humid environments will be a requirement for some people.
Bottom line? Very fine, unique coating, sticks a bit to your forearm in a humid environment.
What the base is like
My unit is the first drop of Kin X by You, which means that they were sent out either with the white surface or the white surface with silicon circles to stabilize it on your desk (my copy exactly).
I’ve seen some drama about the base flex online and on YouTube about the base, and to be honest, I don’t know what those people (basically, very few) were talking about. Maybe it was just their copies that had some minor flaws, but my unit had absolutely no flex in between the rubber corner feet; it sticks to the desk like crazy and lies perfectly flat. I have to use some force to even move it by a few centimeters, so it is very reliable during gaming sessions. But the brand listens to its customers, and they have added a whole new, white silicon base for the whole base, which is awesome to say the least. Anyways, you won’t feel disappointed either way.
Bottom line? The old base is really good, and the new one is perfect.
Static/Dynamic Friction and Stopping Power
The Kin X has impressively low static friction, mainly thanks to its slick glass surface that feels light and open. That means getting your mouse moving takes almost no effort, which is great whether you’re gaming or just browsing. The flip side is that such low initial resistance can make tiny, slow adjustments a bit trickier — you might need to tweak your sensitivity settings to keep things precise. It’s not as loose as the Wallhack pads, but it’s more “open” than something like the GlassWrks Hana.
When you look at dynamic friction, the Kin X shines. It’s one of the smoothest glides you can get on any mouse pad. That makes it perfect for players who depend on fast, sweeping motions in high-speed games. The low drag lets the mouse fly across the pad, so it can feel like your in-game sensitivity just shot up by about 25% — of course, it hasn’t, it’s just your muscle memory playing catch-up. Compared to other glass pads, it’s noticeably quicker than the Cerapad Kin v2, though still a bit slower than the Skypad. Funny enough, the brand says it’s about 15% faster than the Kin v2, but to me it feels more like a 30–35% jump.
As for stopping power, that’s always different on glass. You can’t compare it to cloth pads — there’s simply less friction to slow you down. If you’re used to glass, you’ll probably find it fine, but newcomers might have to adjust how they control their mouse or dial in their sensitivity. Compared to other glass surfaces, it stops better than the Skypad but doesn’t quite match the Cerapad Kin v2.
Bottom line? It is a balanced pad, not controlled. Significantly faster than Kin v2, way slower than ones like Wallhack.
Maintenance, Humidity, and Break-in Period
Maintenance? What maintenance? Just use a dry/wet cloth and wipe it each day to get rid of dust and some dirt. And that is it.
Humidity? It’s a glass pad, it won’t be affected. However, your forearm could be — when the temperature rises and the days become more humid, you might wanna use a gaming sleeve. Other than that, it’s not required.
Break-in period? Sort of — it takes a few days for the glide to become slightly more controlled. Coating stays, the image/art stays, there could only be some slight scratches where you swipe the most, but it’s only slightly visible when you look at the pad from a certain angle and with certain lights.
Bottom line? Hard to complain here.
Skates Compatibility
As with pretty much any mouse pad, the usual rule about skates holds here, too: they can change how the Kin X feels. This pad reacts quite a bit to different mouse feet. Throw on big, thick, more controlled skates, and it slows right down, giving you loads of control. Swap those for fast dots, and it turns into an ice-hockey table— your mouse just takes off.
I’ve tried a bunch of skates over the past few months, and hands down, the PlastiX exact skates (not the dots) work best on this pad. The glide is super consistent and nicely balanced between speed and control. They’re not the quietest skates out there, so keep that in mind, but I can’t complain because they also seem to wear down way slower than standard PTFE feet.
Second place for me would be the Aetherium Black Controlled dots — still very stable and smooth, just that they burn out a bit faster than I’d like. The Silver Fox grey/pink dots are decent too, a bit quicker than the others I mentioned, and pretty quiet. On the other hand, the thick skates that come with the Chilkey Glacier pad were almost too slow, and honestly, their glide didn’t impress me much.
At the end of the day, if you’re getting a Kin X, do yourself a favor and grab the PlastiX exact skates (again, not the dots). They bring out the best in this pad.
Bottom line? PlastiX Exact Skates from TJExclusives is the way to go.
Gaming Performance
At first, getting used to the Kin X was rough. Honestly, it was mostly on me — years of habits from cloth pads are hard to shake, and the skates I was using at the start weren’t the best fit for this pad or how I like to play. Once I switched over to PlastiX exact skates (not the dots), things started to settle in. Little by little, my aim got steadier, my tracking smoothed out, and my flicks started landing well enough to keep my opponents on their toes.
In Quake and other fast-paced shooters, I finally felt like I was back to playing at a level I could be happy with. That said, I still feel a bit uneasy in games like Battlefield, especially when it comes to lining up those super precise sniper shots — maybe that’s just going to take more time. All in all, I can say I’m pretty much where I want to be in most games, and more importantly, I’m now genuinely sold on glass pads — or to be exact, on the Kin X by You.
Bottom line? Excels in tracking, flicks, and fast-paced games; still, more time for precision aiming is required for me.
Comparisons
I can only compare Kin X by You to the glass pads I’ve owned, and there were only two of them, so here we go:
- Cerapad Kin v2 (review): It’s a completely different experience. Kin X is faster, less controlled, and the glide is smoother. The surface won’t attract so much dirt, mud, and oil from your fingertips, maintenance is way easier, and the pad shows almost no wear after months.
- QPad GP48F (review): Kin X shows a lot of characteristics with this one, but it’s slightly more controlled, and the glide is also better. The rest is pretty much the same, even the skates apply here.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve carried Blade Runner inside me for as long as I can remember — its rain-soaked streets, dying neon, and the quiet ache of something beautiful slipping through your fingers. That one shot, the Spinner slowly ascending into the gloom of 2019 Los Angeles, has been my private cathedral. Now it sits beneath my hand, immortal on glass, every tiny move of my mouse skating across that haunted world. Sometimes I pause, just to let my fingertips hover, almost afraid to disturb it. Who knew a slab of glass could feel this alive? Could pull me back to that city of tears and steel? I think I might be falling for it — not just the art, not just the film, but the way this cold, flawless surface lets me dance across a memory that’s more real to me than most of life.
It’s kinda wild when I think about it. I spent months brushing off glass pads, dead sure they were all style, no soul — too slick, too cold, nothing like the cloth I grew up on. But then I dialed in the right setup, found a mouse and skates that just clicked, and everything changed. My aim started feeling natural again, micro-adjustments dead on, like my hand finally knew where it was meant to be.
And now, of all things, I’m seeing Valorant players jumping on glass too. Light mice, hard pads — never thought I’d see the day in a game like this. Seems like it really is time to turn the page.
This pad? I’m never letting it go. Never selling it, never letting it crack or fade. It’s got a piece of me now, and that shot of the Spinner rising into neon-soaked gloom is gonna live under my hand for as long as I’ve got one. If you’re even halfway tempted, do it. Grab an image that means the world to you, slap it on glass, and give yourself a little piece of forever.
It will stay with you forever.
Bullet Points
- The finest and most personal mousepad you can probably get yourself in this industry at the moment
- The quality of printing on this one is stunning, the artwork is not blurry, it’s very vivid because it’s on the mousepad top, not on the bottom of the glass.
- The brand fully supports you in every part of the customization process
- very easy to maintain – wipe it with a dry/damp cloth from time to time
- fine surface, cool to the touch
- lies perfectly flat on your desk, even though my copy had no full silicon base but four silicon, rounded feet.
- out of the box, it’s a balanced pad, definitely faster than the claimed “faster by 15% than Kin v2)
- Like most of the glass pads, this one’s glide is subject to change if you use different skates…
- From which the perfect match is the Plastix Skates from TJExclusives
- This pad has a very short “break-in” period, after which the glide feels slightly more controlled
- There are slight, delicate scratches on the surface after a few months of use, visible only at a certain angle, although they do not affect the glide or aesthetics.
If you are interested in Kin X by You, get it here from the original Cerapad website
Disclaimer: And remember, this is just one gamer’s point of view — no sponsorships, no ads, just straight talk from someone who’s been gaming with the products I review. This was my own opinion, and the manufacturer didn’t influence me in any way. Your mileage may vary, so take my words as a starting point, not gospel. Happy gaming!
