Razer Destructor Mousepad Review

The Razer Destructor’s packaging has three levels you must unwrap.  The outermost layer is a cardboard box that includes everything you expect from a product box: a description, tantalizing photos, logos, certifications, and other marketing fluff.  This box also surrounds a surrounds a hard-shelled carrying case.

The case is made of hard plastic, and does not bend at all.  Razer knows that their customers are all about bragging rights, so the case is made to command attention.  The complete outside of the case is made of a black woven fabric.  Razer’s snake logo is embroidered onto the center of the top cover, which opens like a book.  The two sides of the case are held together by a tough plastic zipper, which graces three sizes of the case.

Inside the case we see that the mouse pad is tucked inside custom-molded black foam.  A notch appears at the bottom of the foam to allow a finger to pull out the mousepad.  Also inside the case is more of Razer’s marketing fluff, such as a catalog of their other gaming products.

The mousepad has an unusual shape, but is symmetrical and has a look consistent with their other products.  All corners are rounded, and the bottom corners are flanged to look a little more stylish.  The top right corner has a black Razer snake logo, and the bottom left of the pad has the Razer Destructor logo.  The back of the pad is made of thin textured rubber that easily grips most desk surfaces.

The top of the mousepad has an interesting texture, dubbed the “Razer Fractal” textured surface.  Moving your hand across it feels smooth, but not smooth as glass or other “smooth” polycarbonite mouse surfaces.  It feels like it has been slightly sandblasted, and the texture even catches light as if there’s little particles trapped in there.

Other mousepads have tried to implement texture, such as the SteelSeries SP, but you can actually feel the ridges and bumps that make up the texture.  Razer’s texture just feels “different”… that’s the only way I can describe it.  You really have to feel it for yourself, but if you’re not a fan of plastic mousepads, then the Razer Destructor isn’t going to change your mind.

It used to be the only way to have a lot of control was to use a cloth mousepad.  The truth of the matter is that cloth mousepads have more drag, which have the effect of more precise movement, and takes a lot more work to move the mouse.  Even the average desk jockey shouldn’t have to build up their triceps for an all-day session of computing.

The point I’m trying to make is that there’s “high drag” mousepads and “low drag” mousepads. Pretty much all high drag pads have a very similar feel, but the newer low drag plastic and polycarbonite pads can be scrutinized and analyzed over their precise feel.

It’s difficult to scientifically measure the effectiveness of a particular texture, but I do know that there were absolutely no skips, jumps when using this pad with any of our laser or optical mice, and we tested standard wireless desktop mice such as the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 and gaming mice such as the Razer Lachesis and SteelSeries Ikari laser.