Steel Grip
Review by: Steve
Edited by: Ji4m
Provided by: Steelpad

Introduction:
When hardcore gamers get into the action their adrenalin levels start pumping, and the bodies natural reaction is to sweat. Sweat greatly interferes with many things such as, your grip on your mouse may loosen causing you to have less control. Steel has come up with a solution to this, it's called the "Steel Grip".
We know Steel for making their well known brand of performance mouse surfaces, the "Steelpad". They have now come out with the Steel Grip which is a series of foam stickers placed on your mouse where the fingers rest. "What can these stickers do for me?" They will increase your grip on your mouse as well as absorb sweat for maximum grip during intense games.

(Packaging, click to enlarge)

In The Box:
1 Piece for mounting on the top of the mouse
2 Pieces for the side of the mouse
2 Pieces for the mouse buttons

 
(Steel Grip, click to enlarge)

Features:
What is the Steel Grip you ask? It is a series of foam pieces which are stuck on various parts of your mouse to improve your grip. It also reduces sweat problems which may loosen your grip on your mouse during games.

(Package insert, click to enlarge)

The Steel Grip is designed to fit most popular mice so there will be no problems with compatibility.

 
(Before and after, click to enlarge)

Installation:
Installation for the Steel Grip is a very quick and simple process. The first step is to put your hand on your mouse and mark the position of your fingers on the buttons and sides of the mouse. After that is done, the second step is to take the two pieces for the buttons and stick one on each button so that your finger lines up roughly with the middle of it. For each side of the mouse there is a long piece which must be stuck on, lining up roughly where your fingers would rest. The last step is to put the largest piece, the one for the palm, on the top of the mouse.

 
(More shots of it installed, click to enlarge)

There was one small thing I did during installation which you may want to consider. The glue on the bottom of each of the foam pieces overhangs the piece itself a bit. For better esthetics you may want to take a pair of scissors and simply trim that overhang off for a "cleaner" look.

(Cutting off overhanging glue, click to enlarge)

Testing:
Testing a product like this is fairly simple, I put the Steel Grip through a full day of use.
At first it felt a bit awkward because the grips you install on the mouse are slightly elevated over the actual mouse. When you've used a regular mouse with a nice flat surface for years, the grips will take a bit to get used to.
Once I continued using them and putting them through some gaming I was really impressed. When I first saw the Steel Grip I thought to myself "can these foam stickers really do that much?" They ended up giving me an incredible amount of grip compared to the smooth surface of the mouse prior to installation. When playing games where I had a sweaty hand, they prevented the mouse from sliding around in my hand giving me superior accuracy.

Conclusion:
Overall I was very impressed with the performance of the Steel Grip. For the price of around $6 US, it's an affordable upgrade which I'd recommend to any gamer using their mouse extensively.

Pros:
Performance
Price
Fits all popular mice

Cons:
None!

Rating: 10/10

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Big thanks to Steel who provided the Steel Grip for review. Check them out at www.steelpad.com for more great mousing products!