Ceramic Mouse Feet and Are They Worth It?
If you are interested in custom mouse accessories you will notice that even the best of mice look and feel mostly stock, and have to be customized with aftermarket parts by yourself.
In the gaming mouse market, there are a couple of recent trends when it comes to custom parts: paracords, mouse grip tape, and finally custom mouse skates. Usually, when discussing aftermarket mouse feet we mention pure PTFE feet like Corepads, Hyperglides, or Tiger Arc 2’s.
Today on the other hand we will discuss something a bit more exotic – ceramic mouse feet. Buckle up and let’s see what these shiny feet can do for your mouse!
What Are Ceramic Mouse Feet?
Ceramic mouse feet are as the name would imply, custom ceramic feet used to change the way your mouse feels while gliding on different surfaces. The ceramic mouse feet market is relatively new and not many have had the opportunity to try them out.
Luckily I have been able to test ceramic mouse feet on my Model O-, and after a lot of use, I can make certain conclusions about this very exotic accessory for your gaming mouse.
As most guides specify, ceramic mouse feet change the speed of your mouse glide depending on the surface you are using currently. Ceramic feet compared to their PTFE counterparts are slower on cloth pads, about the same speed on hybrid pads, but are significantly faster on hard pads.
After using all 3 categories of mousepads I would highly advise you to not buy ceramic feet if you plan to play on a mud pad (very slow cloth pad made for control – Zowie GSR). If the mud pads already feel slow, the ceramic feet make the glide feel even muddier and slower.
It really feels like your mouse gained weight and now is dragging you down while you are trying to swipe fast. Micro-adjustments are impossible on slow pads with ceramic feet (pretty much the same as with PTFE feet) and overall it is a pretty miserable experience.
On hybrid surfaces and fast pads, the ceramic feet behaved way better and there I feel like I could endorse them.
Subjectively speaking, after using high-quality aftermarket PTFE feet the ceramic mouse feet also feel less smooth. It most likely has to do with the rigidity of the ceramic surface but when swiping your mouse around on most hybrid/hard pads you will notice that the same mouse with PTFE feet will feel much smoother.
Overall interesting findings for the people interested in ceramic mouse feet!
Why Get Ceramic Mouse Feet?
With all of the above in mind, why would you even bother buying ceramic mouse feet then if they tend to be more expensive but are also less smooth and enjoyable under certain conditions?
The main answer to this question is speed and durability. You see, if you do use a hard pad you will not find mouse feet faster than these. Ceramic mouse feet on hard surfaces have virtually no friction and if you are an avid fan of super fast surfaces these will be your best friend!
Moreover, if you do play on hard surfaces you know how fast these hard pads eat away at your PTFE mouse feet. It is basically a monthly chore to swap out your scratched-up PTFE feet if you use something like a glass pad (Sky pad).
The ceramic feet do not have this issue at all. The biggest factor in buying a pair of ceramic mouse feet for your mouse is the fact that these things are basically immortal. The ceramic feet do not get scratched up and do not lose their speed at all.
What does this mean? While less smooth and uncooperative on softer surfaces, on hard surfaces the ceramic mouse feet are a great investment both from the perspective of the speed they offer and the longevity these aftermarket mouse feet have.
Where to Get Ceramic Mouse Feet?
Getting ceramic mouse feet might be harder than you think. Currently, the only real options you have are Lexip ceramic mouse feet which are a hassle to install properly, and the Glorious ceramic mouse feet which are made for Glorious mice (Model O, O-, D, D-).
There are also currently rumors of ceramic mouse feet for the current wireless gaming mouse king – the Logitech G PRO X Superlight.
What we are trying to say is that ceramic mouse feet are a very rare commodity on the current market. Manufacturers are only slowly getting into the ceramic mouse feet category therefore it will be some time until these are available for all popular gaming mice.
Conclusions
The ceramic mouse feet market is a very new domain of interest gamers have developed. While practically useless for people that like slow cloth pads, the ceramic feet provide a great alternative for hard pad enthusiasts.
Higher speed, less friction, eternal longevity – quite a compelling package for anyone using a hard pad!
If you are a hard pad user and are tired of PTFE feet dying while also having a mouse compatible with ceramic mouse feet then this purchase should be your number 1 priority as it will truly change your experience!
Go fast gamers!
I actually happened to find out that ceramic feet on certain types of cloth can create static and will make the feet act as if they were magnets ever so slightly. As soon as you ground the mousepad or touch the mouse feet with your fingertips, it becomes infinitely faster. Under the same observation, I noticed that my mouse is a lot faster on rainy days. Upon investigating, a moisturized environment actually reduces the amount of positive charge in the particles of air, protecting the mousepad from such static. Really good article, brother! I was really looking forward to read… Read more »