These are alright... | Fantech Motion Series Mousepad Review
Disclaimer: Product was sent out to me by Fantech for review, but all opinions will be my own.
General Info
• NOT flat packed
• Stitched edges
• 400x450mm
• 5 variants
• $24.80 USD
Testing Peripherals
PMM Zen 8k Mini + Black Fox | VMSE + Magic Ice
Base + Stitching
Base is great, grippy and doesn’t move, similar to the Xraypad AC+ base material. Stitching isn’t super clean but doesn’t feel rough or bad to the wrist, pads come flat packed which makes it not lay fully flat on the desk, not unusable but not ideal. They do flatten out mostly after a while but the far corners still aren’t fully flat flat.
Earth ⛰️
The Earth variant has both a very high static AND dynamic friction as expected since it is a mud pad, and the horizontal axis is a smidge faster than the vertical. The surface of the pad has a fluffy feeling which reminds me of the Kurosun Samurai but much slower and feels very humid, it is a fine feeling pad with a lot of resistance with your skin that I do not appreciate. At the end of the day it just feels like a pretty mediocre mud pad that is slower than a Type99 and similar to a Quaoar Perseus.
Water💧
The Water variant has a higher static friction than the Earth variant when doing slow small adjustments but is the tiniest bit faster than it when doing larger longer flicks, dynamic friction remain super similar. From my perspective, Water is SLOWER than Earth when I play Valorant, the surface is also a fine texture that is less fluffy but definitely grippy to the skin as well. X and Y axis are pretty balanced and has a more consistent glide than the Earth variant.
Fire🔥
Fire is definitely faster than both the previous variants, it feels faster in both the dynamic and static categories however, it is still a control pad that rivals the Type99 for overall speed. Static friction is considered low for a control pad with a higher dynamic, this pad is definitely faster horizontally than vertically and the surface feels only slightly better, less grippy on the skin than the last 2 pads which is finely knitted.
Wind🌪️
Definitely faster again horizontally than vertically, has a more abrasive texture thats not as fine as the others, reminds me of the 4114 aero v1 but not as fast and smooth to the skin. This pad has a similar speed to a fresh Artisan Zero, it is probably a bit faster but is definitely more of a hybrid balanced pad, dynamic and static frictions are classified as medium low here. This is finally a pad in the lineup that feels good for the wrist where it glides pretty comfortably, my favourite pad so far out of the 4.
Lightning⚡️
My favourite one of the 4, very low dynamic and static frictions, coarser, more abrasive surface that feels like a plastickier version of Wind, X and Y axis are very similar, speed would have to be similar to a Hayate Otsu/Hien Soft. Not AS frictionless on the skin as Wind but is definitely viable, Lightning isn’t the fastest speed pad I have used and I’d describe it as a speedier balance pad, has both good speed and control.
Conclusion
The only 2 variants I’d purchase would be Wind or Lightning, Fire is fine if you want a Type99 type pad. Earth and Water are just very mediocre pads in my opinion, these pads don’t scream quality or premium (they aren’t supposed to) but are an okay option for the lower price of $24.80 USD. What I did find annoying is running out of mouse space, I’d constantly run off the edges of the pad. With the size being 400x450mm, it is kind of annoying to play on especially if you play low sensitivity, but with that being said, some people have limited desk space so maybe these pads will fit perfectly for some.
