High humidity makes cloth mousepads feel sluggish. Hard pads barely care.

Yes — moisture in the air changes the feel, but only really on cloth pads. Cloth mousepads are basically fabric and foam. They absorb ambient humidity, which increases the static friction — your mouse will feel heavier, “sticky” at the initial movement. Especially noticeable on humid summer days or in a damp room.

Hard plastic pads (like a Razer Sphex or any polycarbonate surface) don’t absorb water. A bit of condensation might form if the pad is cold, but in normal humidity ranges the static friction stays nearly constant. The pad’s surface doesn’t change with the air.

If you live in a humid climate and you’re a competitive FPS player, a hard pad will give you more consistent micro-adjustments. For casual use you probably won’t notice unless the humidity is extreme.

I’d take the hard pad if consistency matters, but cloth is fine if you just wipe it down occasionally when it feels sticky.