The SteelSeries QcK has been the gold standard for gaming mousepads for over a decade. Here's why.
That mousepad you see everywhere
Look at almost any gaming desk setup, and there's a good chance that you'll spot a SteelSeries QcK mousepad with its unmistakable bullseye logo. The QcK has been one of the top choices of pros for over 15 years, with well over 10 million sold.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
The QcK mousepad has become so widely used and loved, that many fakes have emerged over the years. Knockoff brands simply print the SteelSeries logo on a cheap mousepad and sell it to unknowing gamers for the name recognition.
Although we'd prefer that dupes weren't being sold in our name, we're flattered that the quality of the SteelSeries QcK is so well-known that it is worthy of being imitated.
The secret sauce
So why is the QcK so popular with everyday gamers, streamers, and pros?
The key is in the material: a unique micro-woven cloth carefully designed by SteelSeries as the best possible surface for optical and laser mice in both high and low DPIs. This means that it's the best for the wide, fast sweeping movements of FPS players, as well as the lightning quick high DPI gameplay for those who keep their wrists planted.
Finding the perfect surface wasn't as easy as choosing the highest thread count or some other catch. Instead, we tested nearly 1,000 different surface options before landing on the QcK's exclusive material, which we've had to closesly guard from imposters and copycats.
In fact, the QcK material is so consistent and reliable, it is now the benchmark surface used by the world's top mouse sensor manufactors when testing their sensors.
From top to bottom
Once the material was perfected, we added a raising agent to a 100% natural rubber base to give it the perfect amount of sponginess.
Designed for your preferences
With such a high degree of quality, choosing between different QcKs just becomes a matter of personal preference: stitched edges, a thicker base, various sizes, RGB, and even limited edition designs.
Different folks have different sized desks and usable mouse area, so we've designed many different sizes of the QcK to meet anyone's needs.
Consistent quality control
For any manufacturer, the hardest part about producing cloth mousepads is consistency. Typically, mousepad production lines are set up to produce cheap $0.25 mousepads that are handed out as freebies, not premium mousepads. Without intensive quality control, you easily end up with dips/valleys/bumps in the surface of a lesser mousepad.
We have always been extremely hands-on with our production lines to ensure a high degree of consistent quality, which is a big part of why the QcK has been a market leader for so many years.
Built to last
QcK's are made to last for years, which means they need to be washable since dirt can build up over long periods of time. Luckily, QcKs are so durable that they can be easily maintained through washing to keep performing for years.
Check our guides on how to wash your normal QcK and how to wash your RGB QcK.
But don't just take our word for it
There's a reason that pros opt for the QcK mousepad, even if they don't use other SteelSeries gear. Its reliability is known globally and can't be imitated; world championships have been won with QcKs for over 15 years.
With well over 10 million sold, the QcK continues to lead the pack in terms of trusted performance, durabilty, and quality, no matter which mouse you use.
When it comes to gaming, products are constantly coming and going, but the QcK truly lives forever.
Read more
- How to select a mousepad
- Play to Win: A SteelSeries History
- Your First PC Gaming Gear
- Is your SteelSeries mousepad real or fake?
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