With the end of Summer in sight, we're fast abutting that time of year back the calefaction and clamminess accomplish alike the best gaming headsets a sweaty, afflictive nightmare. Afterwards the amore of the accomplished few weeks, I was apathetic of ditching my SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless angle in favor of in-ear monitors so as not to abscess my head. That's back a acquaintance recommended I try advance my angle with cooling gel ear pads.
I was agnostic at first, thinking: "Surely it can't accomplish that abundant of a difference?" But I've never been so blessed to be amiss in my life. Here's how one quick abuse helped me bold for at atomic alert as continued after adversity from the heat.
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After publishing a acquaintance asked whether the pads would account ache for gamers cutting glasses. I abrasion glasses back my eyes get strained, and with my Arctis Pro Wireless, it was no affair whatsoever—they were comfortable and seamless. However, I acclaim blockage the ambit of your angle and the backup pads to see if they'll fit your angle comfortably.
So yes, cooling gel earpads absolutely do accomplish a aberration to gaming. I wouldn't be autograph this commodity if they didn't. No, seriously, I begged the Editors to let me address about this. I can't understate the aberration it fabricated to me accepting a comfier angle that kept my arch cool, rather than the accepted sticky, bargain clutter we usually accept to ache under.
With my old ear pads, I'd get too balmy and afflictive afterwards an hour or two of gaming, and change over to my accurate Shure in-ear monitors. Afterwards switching out to cooling gel pads, the aberration is like night and day or clammy and dry.
Like many, I've been spending (maybe too abundant of) my time arena Baldur's Aboideau 3, and this Sunday I managed six hours straight afore putting them down—and that was alone because I had to accomplish food, contrarily I would've kept on going.
That's added than bifold the time I would commonly be able to angle gaming with my headset, and that was without putting the pads in the fridge for added cooling. Because yeah, that's a affair you can do with them.
How do cooling gel ear pads work?
Most ear pads are cheaply fabricated with a blot arena captivated in thin, decaying polyurethane (PU). Over time they alpha to degrade, diaphoresis gets trapped in the blot and they activate to abrade your skin.
With cooling ear pads, you get a band of gel amid a anamnesis cream amount and a breathable alien band (sometimes fabric, sometimes perforated PU). This prevents your arch from overheating and allows damp to escape and evaporate.
The end result: you can bold in abundance for abundant longer, and you can use them to air-conditioned bottomward in the balmy weather, too!
❄️ I'm cerebration of affairs a additional pair, so I can stick one in the fridge and about-face them out average circuit of Siege.
With higher-quality pads, you'll get assorted layers of gel and cream captivated in a mix of PU and breathable bolt for bigger abundance and cooling. Some exceptional brands will additionally action added and thicker pads for bigger cushioning and babble cancellation, so be abiding to analysis the admeasurement of your backup and see how it'll fit.
I've had my own pads for a few weeks now, and they're aloof as effective, comfy, and aboriginal as back I bought them. That's not too bad, because I use them every day—sneaking them into my assignment calls and busting them out for the Animosity server back the squad's booted.
How do I alter my gaming angle ear pads?
This will depend absolutely on the angle you own. For me and my Arctis Pro, it was aloof a case of affairs off the old pads, agreement my deride central the new one, and active it forth the overhang to defended it in abode on the Arctis' frame.
Don't be abashed to use a little coercion to get them into position, but if you acquisition yourself aggravating to force the fit, it's account demography a footfall aback and double-checking you're not about to breach something.
It alone took me two account to about-face my ear pads out, and some pads are alike easier to replace. For example, the Audeze Maxwell ear pads blow on and off with a simple twist.
If in doubt, analysis the website for your called pads. Best acclaimed brands will accept videos on how to alter the pads on your specific headset.
What pads should I use?
There are affluence of cooling gel ear pads on Amazon, but a few brands angle out aloft the rest:
One botheration you'll run into aboriginal on is that best of the backup pads are black. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you appetite to add a bit of ability to your headset, and accomplish it added different while advancement the cooling factor, it's abbreviate pickings.
Lots of designs to choose from, and available for most headsets. WC uses a dual-layer cooling gel structure, with thicker, firmer memory foam, and wider pads for a premium fit and feel.
The internal stitching is reinforced with glue, and the materials are designed to prevent flaking and degradation. WC is so confident in the build quality, there's even a one-year refund or replacement policy—no questions asked.
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What headsets will they fit?
You'll acquisition pads accessible for best headsets, and Brainwavz alike does accepted replacements if you can't acquisition a committed pair. Personally, I acquisition Abandoned Cushions offers the best affection and variety, and I've listed all of the models accessible at the time of autograph below:
- Astro Gaming: A40 TR and A50 Gen 4.
- Audeze: Maxwell and Penrose.
- Audio Technica: ATH m50x, m50xbt, m50xbt2, m50, m40x, and m40.
- Beats by Dre: Flat 2, Flat 3, B0500, B0501, Abandoned 2, and Abandoned 3.
- Beyerdynamic: DT770, 770 PRO, 880, 880 PRO, 990, 990 PRO, TYGR 300R, MMX300, and 1770 PRO.
- Bose: 700, QuietComfort (2, AE2, 15, 25, 35, 35II, and 45), OE2 and OE2i.
- Corsair: Virtuoso, HS80, HS60, and Void.
- HyperX: Billow (1, 2, and 3), Core, Flight, Flight S, Alpha, and Alpha S.
- Logitech: G PRO X.
- Razer Blackshark: V2 and V2 Pro (doesn't fit the 2023 model).
- Sennheiser: EPOS H6 PRO, GSP 500, GSP 550, GSP 600, GSP670, PC38X, PC37X, HD 559, HD 595, HD 598, and HD 599.
- Skullcandy: Altercation (Wireless, ANC, Evo, and 360), Hesh (1, 2, 3, Evo, and ANC), and Venue.
- Sony: WH1000XM3, WH1000XM4, WH1000XM5, MDR 7506, PS5 Beating 3D, InZone H9 and H7.
- SteelSeries Arctis: 1, 1 Wireless, 3, 5, 7, 7 , 7P, 7P , 7X, 7X , 9, 9X, Pro, Pro Wireless, Prime, and Nova (1, 1X, 1P, 3, 7,7P, Pro Wired, and Pro Wireless).
- Turtle Beach: Stealth 300, 420X, 450, 600 (Gen 1 and 2), 700 Gen 1, Tango, Recon 50P, 50X, 70, 150, 200 Spark, and X12.
