Posted in: Games, Review, Technology, Video Games | Tagged: Alienware, gaming palm rest, Review, Tactx Mouse Pad

Padding, Padding Everywhere: We Review Alienware's Gaming Palm Rest & Tactx Mouse Mat

Published Sat, 17 Feb 2018 19:45:01 -0600

We recently got some awesome stuff from the crew at Alienware to check out and review for your personal PC gaming needs, and we're going to start off with two items that may not immediately come to mind but are necessities for a lot of players. We're talking about the Alienware Gaming Palm Rest and the Tactx Mouse Mat, both of which are part of their product line designed to add comfort and utility to their gear. But how good are they?

We'll start with the Palm Rest, which measures 18 1/2" wide and 3" tall, designed to sit below and even connect to certain Alienware keyboards. The texture of this rest is plastic, no fabric or memory foam added, as it is meant to be an extension of the keyboard you're using. It has enough of a slope to the edge to allow anyone who uses it to find a nice and comfortable spot without adding any stress or wear on the wrists and palms.

The bottom of the Rest has one long rubber strip as well as two more stoppers on either side to prevent it from slipping off or causing your wrists and palms to pull the keyboard forward and off the desk. The upper portion contains a magnetic strip that you can open up to connect to the keyboard with ease. There isn't much else to write on this other than it serves its purpose well, and if this kind of additions eases any pain you may have in your hands from typing and giving commands all day, it's well worth the $25 for the purchase. But again, keep in mind that it is plastic and not a softer substance, which would still hurt your wrists if you use it improperly.

Moving onto the Tactx Mouse Mat, this awesome guy measures 83cm x 37cm, essentially giving you a large enough pattern for you to put your mouse and keyboard on your desk with the same space it covers, Or, if you truly wish, you can use the entire pad for just the mouse alone if you're frequent to playing games that require a lot of mouse movement. The design is midnight black with a faded Alienware logo on the right side, giving it a bit of definition that looks cool while also keeping the branding.

The bottom side of the pad is a thin layer of rubber that will keep the mat in place. We did a few days worth of gaming on this pad to see how much abuse it could take and whether or not it slipped around after long periods of time. While it did move a centimeter or two, it wasn't enough to cause any real issues. Nor did it ruffle up and gain any pockets underneath to cause rough traction for the mouse. We were also pleased that even after a six-hour gaming session, the pad didn't have the usual kind of heat markers or worn-in patterns that might come with having an arm in the same spot for a while, meaning it stayed comfortable and didn't cause any issues as far as getting dirty right away. We do recommend cleaning it the way you would any other mouse pad just to be safe and hygienic, but this one will last you a bit longer than you think in that department. Another good purchase for $25.

Both of these products did very well and there wasn't much to complain about. They make fine additions for someone who stands by Alienware gear alone but also serves as a nice addition for people who like to mix and match. We do recommend the mat more, however, seeing as how it's basically a universal item where the palm rest requires an Alienware keyboard, along with the added benefit of being able to roll it up and take it wherever you go.