RGB is all the rage these days, and gaming-PC and accessory makers are cramming as much of it as possible into as many different products as possible. Just a couple of years ago, having RBG LED lighting on your mousepad was a crazy notion.
And yet here we are. Some of the big guys, such as Razer and Corsair, have their own options, syncing to their respective RGB platforms, but they're not the only companies joining the craze.
And if you want a little RGB on your mousepad, you can get it for less with something like this pad from Hcman.
What you need to know about Hcman's RGB mousepad
For $25, you get a regular sized, hard mousepad with a USB cable coming out of the top and an RGB light strip around the outside. As far as mousepads go, it's quite heavy, and thankfully you get some sizeable rubber grips underneath to keep it anchored on your desk.
The mousepad area has a slightly textured finish, though a mouse glides across it much smoother than you might expect. The main drawback is that it's a hard pad, not soft like Razer's latest Goliathus Chroma. Personally, I prefer to use a soft mousepad, but the Hcman is nicer to use than I was expecting.
The single best feature about this mousepad is that you don't need any software to operate the lighting. There's a touch button (marked by a fingerprint) on the front of it that both changes the lighting pattern or turns it off completely. The flip side to this is that you can't sync the lighting pattern to any of your other equipment.
You get a choice of solid colors or some RGB cycling effects, and it looks very nice. The light strip isn't too bright nor is it too thick, so the overall effect is very pleasing. Visually, it's on par with Razer's much more expensive Chroma mousepads, you just don't have the features at your disposal that you would get with some of the options from more established brands.
Final thoughts on Hcman's RGB mousepad
This is a great looking mousepad that's durable, pleasant to use and looks really nice. Best of all, it only costs $25 (£14.99 in the UK). That's still a slight premium for a mousepad, but it's reasonable for one with RGB.
And RGB is where it's at.
Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming, and you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
