Mantis – Speed
Manufacturer: Razer
Type of pad: Soft
Material: Fibretek cloth
Size: 17.25”x13.9”
Price: $24.99

Like its Control brethren, the Mantis Speed mousepad comes rolled up in a plastic tube and does not suffer any deformation from being in this position. The Mantis Speed is the exact same size as the Mantis Control, meaning it is also insanely huge. The main difference between the Speed and Control is the surface's texture. The Speed surface is really smooth and offers an amount of friction that is more around the level cloth pads usually do. This mousepad will let you play with any sensitivity due to its size, but is probably best used with somewhat high sensitivities.

The Fibretek fabric on the Mantis pads are optimized for optical and laser mice, so the tracking is excellent. This was the main advantage the Mantis – Smooth mousepad has over it's oversized competitors. While playing in a Counter-Strike 1.6 pug, I noticed that although the pad is not necessarily designed for users with low sensitivity, the extra friction that the smooth surface afforded me was a welcome addition. It took some getting used to, but I felt that I was able to hit just as many shots as I could on the Mantis – Control surface, an interesting piece of information when you consider how different the pads are.

The construction of the Mantis – Smooth is identical to that of the Mantis – Control, strong throughout. The design on this pad is quite nice as well, and it spices up an ordinary desk a considerable amount. After testing each of the Mantis pads, I have to conclude that the best thing about them is the Fibretek surface from EverGlide. This kind of makes me curious as to why Razer sells their Mantis pads at $24.99, when you can get the EverGlide Titan, a mousepad of the same dimensions and same surface, for $14.99. I suppose the design on the Mantis pads could theoretically increase the responsiveness of optical mice, because optical mice tend to work slightly better on lighter and more reflective surfaces, but the Fibretek fabric itself has a decent level of shininess. Nevertheless, Razer has hit a home run with the Mantis Professional Gaming Surfaces by producing absolute top of the line mousepads that will allow any gamer to perform at their peak.

Pros:
+Huge
+Low friction for cloth
+Grips desk well
+Nice design
+Great tracking
+Very high quality surface

Cons:
-Too big for smaller desks
-Somewhat expensive

Score:
8/10