Mouse Grip Tape – Do You Need It and What Are Your Choices?
Even though the gaming mice industry is no longer dominated by stock feet and stiff rubber cables, enthusiasts still like to mod their mice with aftermarket PTFE feet, Paracord cables, and recently with grip tape.
What Is Grip Tape?
As the name would imply, mouse grip tape is a rubberized material with an adhesive side that can help you in gripping your mouse easier, therefore allowing for more control.
Grip tape has been used extensively outside of gaming in sports like baseball or hockey where athletes will use it to wrap the handles of their bats/hockey sticks for more grip.
There is no clear data on how exactly grip tape became a thing for mice, but most likely gamers seeking any form of competitive advantage thought of using it and created a trend.
Where Can You Get Grip Tape for Your Mouse?
When it comes to grip tape for your mouse there are 3 main ways you can get your hands on it. The most basic way is to simply buy a mouse that comes with grip tape in the box.
An example would be the G-Wolves mice which come with grip tape included for free or mice like the Razer DeathAdder V2 Mini which have the option to add the grip tape for 9.99$. In this case, the shape of the grip tape is pre-cut so all you have to do is apply it to your mouse.
Your second option is to buy grip tape from vendors such as Corepad which is known for their excellent PTFE mouse feet, but now also have grip tape pre-cut for certain models of mice saving you the hassle.
The second option is convenient because you do not have to look for a mouse that has grip tape included in the package since now you can just order pre-made grip tape for most mice you would be interested in.
The third option which is the cheapest, but most labor-intensive is to buy mouse grip tape sheets and cut them out yourself. The most popular choice for this type of grip tape is Lizard Skins.
As mentioned before, Lizard Skins were initially made for athletes competing in different sports, but luckily for us now they also include options for gamers!
Your choice in what kind of grip tape you will get will be based on how much money you want to spend and how much are you willing to work to make your gaming mouse a bit grippier.
Do You Need Grip Tape for Your Mouse?
An important aspect that needs to be discussed when talking about grip tape is the inevitable fact that it slightly modifies the shape of the mouse when applied. You see when you buy a great FPS mouse or a great MMO mouse, you mostly buy it for its features and shape. With one of those aspects gone is the grip tape really worth it?
Another downside in this discussion is that grip tape wears out in 2-3 months and has to be changed frequently which makes it a costly operation.
On the other hand, a case where we would say you DO need grip tape is when you have naturally sweaty hands and you bought a cheaper mouse made entirely out of plastic which can become slippery. In this case the pros outweigh the cons.
Conclusion
So do you NEED grip tape for your mouse? Not really. It can become costly, it compromises the shape of the mouse and it can be hard to get your hands on it.
Should you try it out if you have the opportunity though? Absolutely. You might like the grippier texture way more than you think and ignore all the other hassle involved.