Introduction:
SteelSeries sent in a SteelPad 5L to get bench tested about two weeks ago. I have been reviewing the 5L for about a week now, to get the full experience. I received the 5L about two weeks ago, but was prevented from reviewing it due to the fact that I was absent of a desk. Since then I've finished making my new workspace, which rocks. I engineered it with these peripherals in mind. I took account of the large size of the 5L, and other mousing surfaces to make a large keyboard tray. It measures four feet across, and has a depth of eighteen inches. Now I have plenty of room for the 5L, my keyboard, and my Razer mouse. Not only does the 5L stand out on the tray in contrast to the dark wood, but it blends at the corners where the pad is darker. Read on for the full review...

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Specifications:
-Combines the strength of plastic with the softness of cloth
-Suitable for all mouse sensitivities
-Compatible with optical, laser and ball mice
-Dimensions 380 x 280 mm (15 x 11 in)

In The Box:
-SteelPad 5L (1)

Contents:
The 5L is showcased in its clear case with descriptions galore. The box doesn't hide the product at all, and provides a concise description of the product inside.

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Examination:
Once the SteelPad 5L was removed from its clear prison I saw the actual detail in the pad. The top has an intricate wave design that features a fluorescent light emanating from the right center. Outward from this darkness takes over. And the logo has the faintest blue with light shining through. The whole design reminds me of a dark industrial city in the distant future. The top provides a great mousing surface. Not only is it slick because of the plastic coating, but its soft on the wrists because of the rubber backing.

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Shown below are the five layers. To start is the plastic coating. This is on top of a cloth material. The plastic coating provides a slick surface, and helps cut down on wear and tear. The plastic coating also helps maintain a smooth terrain for your mouse. After these two layers is the rubber backing made from polyisoprene. This layer is about the thickness of one and a half cd's stacked up. Even though its thin it helps cushion your wrists, and provides a nice platform for hours of mouse use. The next layer is the hard plastic backing, which is the thickest part of the pad. This layer is great, but could be a nuisance in some instances. It's great because it keeps the mouse pad flat, and it provides a surface for the fifth and final layer to be applied. But because it's not supposed to be flexible I would not recommend bending the pad, or putting an excessive amount of force on any part of the pad to have an arch effect. For this I wouldn't recommend using this as a LAN pad. I guess that you could store it inside your case, or somewhere safe, but you always have to worry about it snapping if your not careful. The last and most meaningful layer are the rubber elements. They provide the best stick of any mousing surface I have ever tested. The 5L has an awesome adaptability to any flat surface imaginable. These little rubber elements make the 5L a great pad. In every mouse pad; the manufacturers could have a great surface that provides an excellent mousing surface, but if the pad can't grip then the pad is useless. The 5l has no slippage whatsoever, and grips to the surface like no other.

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Performance:
The 5L outperforms any and every mouse pad that I have gotten to review. Not only does the 5L have an adequate working surface, but it also has a very workable surface. By this I mean that the surface provides the end used with an adaptable surface to work on. Because the surface is coated with a plastic coating there is no need for Teflon feet to still see a performance increase. Also because of the plastic coating you could use a ball mouse if you so please. I have used the 5L for about a week now and love it. It replaced my previous pad that I have been using for about a year now. The pad has been tested with many applications, and works great with my mouse. The mouse seems to float on the pad, with just the right amount of resistence. This makes tasks in Photoshop fly, and web browsing fast. I'm not a big game player, but for this pad I pulled out a copy of UT2K4 to test the pad on. In tandem with my Razer mouse the pad proved itself with max frags, and easy player modification. In addition to having great response the 5L has ample space to move around on. There has yet to be a time where there is not enough room on the pad.

Conclusion:
The SteelSeries SteelPad 5L outperformed every mouse pad that I have ever tested. Many features were added into the pad to make the best surface possible, the most comfortable, and the most practical. The rubber elements on the bottom of the pad make it a great addition to any flat surface. Also the stylings of the pad are a great addition to the bleak black surfaces we see on many mouse pads today.

Pros:
-5 Layers of goodness
-Comfortable
-Large Surface
-Great futeristic design
-Grips to any surface

Cons:
-Little pricey, but worth it for performance.

The SteelSeries SteelPad is awesome and will stay on my desk from now on as my permant mousing surface. The pad scores an almost perfect 9.5/10 and I would highly recommend this to anyone who needs a high performance pad; that doesn't mind paying a few extra dollars for quality.

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