After examining a couple approaches to mouse feet enhancement we decided to peek at a pair of odder accessories, namely Mouse Grips and D Gel. In short, Mouse Grips are precut neoprene pieces with adhesive on the flipside which can be used anywhere on your mouse; D Gel is a not-so-unique wrist rest. Neither product is necessary but they can be handy.
The Mouse Grips arrived in a retail bag. No instructions here: apply them as you see fit. The D Gel didn't have any packaging. There was a peel off protective (?) cover on the bottom which revealed a somewhat sticky surface. I assume its purpose is to prevent the D Gel from slipping during use, though it's not very helpful since there's a bevel around the bottom anyway. It's called such because of the D shape of the rest.
The neoprene used on the Mouse Grips is indeed of good quality; the website claims it to be similar to that used on motorcycle handles. There are pieces of all shapes and sizes for smaller and larger fingers alike. Whether you slap on half a dozen per mouse (like me) or empty the entire pack on one is up to you. Once again, there's no right or wrong way to do it; simply apply them as you see fit. The adhesive is near perfect: it sticks really well, doesn't come off if you rub the neoprene (which you will while using the mouse), but can be peeled back should you need to reposition a piece.
There's really not much that can be said about the D Gel. It's a wrist rest. In most situations it's useless. On a flat surface I found it to be very uncomfortable and using my mouse became a nuisance. However, on an elevated surface it works great. For instance, the above notebook sits atop a cooler which raises the track pad a few more inches off the resting surface. Prolonged use will tire out even the strongest of arms, so a rest in this case is a good addition. The cover of the D Gel is a cloth like synthetic material so it's not as annoying as plastic gels. Under the right conditions it's quite helpful; unfortunately those conditions rarely exist.
At first I went a little overboard and stuck too many pieces on my Logitech MX310. Shortly thereafter I removed a few and repositioned the remaining ones for a better feel. Unfortunately there aren't enough larger pieces provided, but if you're like me then one kit will be sufficient for covering several mice. The effect is hard to explain. It definitely provides you with a better feel of the position of your hand over your mouse and does reduce hand sweat somewhat (at least partially due to the convection between your palm and the actual mouse surface, thanks to the elevation of the grips). The downside is that it makes your mouse look hideous.
Having used the Mouse Grips for about a week now, I must say they're comforting. I haven't noticed any serious benefits (and I spend most of my time at work in front of a computer with a "normal" mouse), but I do prefer Mouse Grips to no grips. As for the D Gel, it's going to be used sparingly. Keep in mind that wrist rests, if not used properly, can damage your body. In the end neither product is a must have. The Mouse Grips are a novelty, though surprisingly they do work and work quite well. It's one of those things you buy after you drop a few grand on the latest and greatest PC.
Pros
Novel concept
Works surprisingly well
Near perfect adhesive
Cons
Mouse Grips - not enough big pieces
Mouse Grips are expensive
D Gel - useless in most situations
XtracPads' D Gel retails for $7, but most online vendors sell it for $6. Mouse Grips are a bit more expensive: $15 seems to be the average price. Yes that's a lot of stickers and yes they do work, but I wouldn't spend that much for some mouse cushions. You could get one of their gaming pads for less. Nevertheless, check out these vendors as well as a few others if interested.
