Mouse pads were usually under appreciated. We take them for granted, we throw them when they’re dirty, and we absolutely never look at them with praise. If I’d be reincarnated to a mouse pad, I would probably feel sorry for myself. But seriously speaking, I think they deserve the love. After all, a good mouse pad should be able to put up the pace of its owner’s capabilities.
Speaking, Kingston sent us their latest addition to the HyperX sub-brand dubbed as the Skyn: Speed & Control Mouse Pads. Pads, because Kingston actually had the Skyn in Two flavors. The uber smooth Speed one, and the textured Control. – Both serving their own purpose. We’ve got both in bundled configuration, and we are going to check out their purpose! If you feel like you need a new mouse pad, then read on!
FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS:
- Choose the Control surface for increased accuracy or the Speed surface for fast-moving action
- Paper-thin gaming-grade hard surface for a seamless transition between desktop and mouse pad
- Material designed for prolonged use with anti-microbial surface
- Compatible with optical, wireless or laser mice
- Adhesive bottom with a pull-off tab that sticks to most surfaces and is easily removable
- Two-year warranty
UNBOXING AND SHORT LOOK:
The Kingston HyperX Skyn Speed & Control came in a lavish peel away slim packaging that speaks of Kingston’s enthusiasm for gaming. The front denotes that it is indeed the Speed & Control bundle pack. Packaging’s so good, I could even use it as a make-shift mouse pad.
The back features the Skyn’s features & specifications which is quite elaborate given the fact that it is “just” a mouse pad. Clearly, Kingston wants you to know everything even before you purchase one of their gaming products, similar to what they did with the HyperX Cloud gaming headset.
If you’re still hesitating, the packaging offers you to cop a feel at both surfaces. It’s not much but it’s a good addition nonetheless.
Out of the box, the Speed & Control does not compare to your standard mouse: Both are thin-hard surfaces, barely mouse pads at all, and measures at 355mm x 255mm. Both features sand paper like gritty textures, but the Control; a grittier surface, is made for accuracy which should be the choice of FPS gamers. The HyperX Skyn Speed on the other hand, denoted by Hermes’ winged sandals, is made for high sensitivity tracking.
Since the Speed & Control are thin and light surfaces, it would be a chore to use them on your desk without support. So, Kingston had to put adhesives that covers over 98% of the bottom surface. It is recommended to use the adhesives but you can prevent the pads to slide by setting a heavy object above should you wish to for example, relocate the pad every now and then. A mechanical keyboard should do the trick.
USER EXPERIENCE AND CONCLUSION:
It’s hard to do objective reviews when it comes to gaming surfaces, as one might like hard surface and one might not. Fortunately, I am a fan of hard surfaces as they are usually easier to clean and they will most likely offer solid control over the general pads which is geared towards comfort.
Speaking of control, the HyperX Skyn Control is my favorite out of the Two Kingston offered. It’s a gritty, somewhat smoother or dulled-out 1000 grit fine sand paper. That said, the Speed is somewhat the opposite. Whilst it offer a consistently flat and smooth surface, it’s too smooth for my everyday needs. As if you’re gliding a hot knife through butter every time you wield your mouse on it. The mouse just wont stop where you wanted it to. A shame, but if you have a fairly heavy mouse, or if you love to glide the mouse and knows exactly when and where to stop, it might do the trick for you.
Another thing worth noting when considering the Hyper Skyn is the need for a spacious desk. The Skyn certainly isn’t small, and it will eat a good amount of desk estate. Luckily, it should work even on not so flat surfaces since it is a hard mat after all. Be aware though that the adhesive on the base of the Skyn should offer less binding performance every time you remove or relocate it so awareness about this small hindrance is just as important. Certainly, it is not made to be relocated every once in a while.
Now the best part of the Skyn double pack is not just the ability to choose your preferred surface, but also Kingston’s attention to hygiene & cleanliness. I know that it’s hard to swallow that “anti-microbial” thingy, but so far, the only thing that gets dirty is my mouse. There’s never any dirt build-up, nor anything gross growing since I used it which is great compared to the latter hard mouse mats I had. The older ones I got goes sticky and breeds up a new species somewhere in my desk every week that’s why. In addition, it’s also rare for a mouse pad to feature a 2 year warranty, but it should be expected from a company such as Kingston, especially since this double pack edition retails for around 19.99 USD only. Both offers entirely different needs, and we certainly see them useful when wielded properly. You could get the Control and Speed version of the HyperX Skyn separately at 9.99 USD with the same 2 year Kingston warranty which is nice.
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THE VERDICT |
PROS:
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CONS:
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Kingston HyperX Skyn
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PERFORMANCE - 8/10
8/10
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BUILD QUALITY - 7/10
7/10
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FEATURES - 7/10
7/10
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AESTHETICS - 8/10
8/10
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VALUE - 8/10
8/10
Summary
You could get the Control and Speed version of the HyperX Skyn separately at 9.99 USD with the same 2 year Kingston warranty which is nice.
