If you wait long enough it seems that nearly everything comes back in style. Recently that trend even includes computers. For instance, desktop cases, gamepads, and single fan power supplies after falling off the face of the earth for a while are now all back in vogue. It seems that now you can add the EYEpad cloth mousepad to the list also. For those of you interested in a little company history Corepad is located in the Netherlands and used to be called Quality Glass. They also manufactured the very good Quality-Mat glass mousepad that we reviewed here at MHW several years ago.

Although somewhat lacking in eye appeal, the clear plastic wrapping does nonetheless fulfill the main function of item packaging: to ensure the safe arrival of the product.

Specifications:

-Very durable, flexible & smooth cloth mouse pad
-Compatible with all mice
-Specially designed non-slip rubber backing
-Washable with regular dish soap & a damp sponge
-1.6 mm thin (XXXL 3.0 mm)
-OEM version

I received four EYEpad of various sizes and thickness (S, M, XL, XXXL) for testing. While I applaud the wide variety of sizes--instead of the “This is the size we make it in, you can take it or leave it” approach many companies have, I was somewhat confused by the naming scheme. For instance, how can there be a XXXL but no XXL, and how can there be a XL but no L? The whole sizing thing just didn't make sense to me. Fortunately, Corepad has labeled each EYEpads size right on the label and on their site. Make sure to actually read them before choosing the one that is right for you. Take my case for example: If you would have told me the sizes available beforehand I would have immediately chosen the XL just because I am typically an XL type of guy. After using all four sizes, though, I discovered that the M was more to my liking, as well as being the best fit for my available desk space. If I had only looked at the name I probably would have ordered the wrong size.

EYEpad sizes:

EYEpad Small
255 mm wide, 220 mm deep and 1.6 mm thin

EYEpad Medium
325 mm wide, 290 mm deep and 1.6 mm thin

EYEpad XL
455 mm wide, 405 mm deep and 1.6 mm thin

DESKpad XXXL
900 mm wide, 450 mm deep and 3.0 mm thin

Since I am a dinosaur fossil I actually have an old cloth X-Files mousepad from my laptop bag on hand that I used to compare the EYEpad to. Notice the color is starting to come off of the lovely Dana Scully's face. The only truth that is out there is that is about time for a new mousepad. Will the EYEpad fill that roll?

The front of the X-Files mousepad isn't rough; the EYEpad is slightly but noticeably smoother, though.

The pattern on the rear of both of the cloth mousepads appears quite similar. The texture of the EYEpad is much smaller, though.

In actual use this texture size difference on the rear of the pad translated into a much better grip. While you somewhat have to chase the X-Files mousepad around the desk with your mouse, the EYEpad remained firmly in place. Tracking was responsive but sustained movement of long throws was a little slower than I was used to and what I personally like. This was in FPS and RTS games as well as general windows use. My wife, however, who also has an EYEpad--the S version--sitting on her desk, loves the reduced movement speed that I wasn't fond of. It should be noted that she almost exclusively plays the Sims 2, which is a totally different style of gaming than the FPS and RTS games I am fond of. The point to be made here is that the results of these gaming usage tests are more subjective than the other portions of the review and should therefore probably be given less weight.

I didn't notice any compatibility issues with any of the three mice used in testing. These included the cordless Logitech MX 1000 mouse, the corded Microsoft optical mouse, or the older corded Microsoft ball mouse.

Since my cat seems to enjoy depositing large amounts of hair and footprints on my mousepad at night while I am asleep, I decided to try out Corepad's claim that the EYEpad is “washable with soap and water”. This is a method that I have tried on other cloth mousepads with varying degrees of success, from good as new to had to throw the crumpled sticky cloth remnants in the garbage afterwards. With the EYEpad I didn't even need soap; things came clean with just a wet rag and some old fashioned elbow grease. After drying overnight everything was good to go without any lumps or shrinkage.

I couldn't finish up this review without including a picture of the EYEpad XXXL. Due to its size it wouldn't fit on my desk for proper testing, but nonetheless I thought you readers would be interested in seeing how big it actually is.

Conclusion:

The EYEpad is a refinement of the traditional cloth mousepad: less slipping, variety of sizes, and broad mouse compatibility. If you were a fan of cloth mousepads before you will find little to dislike now in their current version. My only lingering concern here is one of long-term durability. I don't know if any cloth mousepad--even one with a modern design--can stand up to prolonged everyday use. Ask me again in a year and we will see. Another recent plus with Corepad products is that unlike in the past when availability was limited to ordering from their website in the Netherlands and dealing with the sometimes dicey international shipping you can now get one at Newegg. Last time I checked there prices for the EYEpad series start at 11 usd.

Pros:

• Wide variety of sizes
• Extremely portable
• Low price for a premium mousepad
• Better availability than previous models

Cons:

• Sustained movement a little slow

I would like to thank Corepad for providing us the EYEpad here for review, look for a review of other Corepad products here in the near future.