With all the dance pads available, it can be hard to decide which one is best to buy. After all, there's all kinds of soft pads, foam pads and metal pads to choose from but which one is the best? This article will cover the pros and cons of the different types of dance pads and recommend which brands to get.
-Soft Pads-
I would recommend a soft pad for any beginner or slightly experienced player. A soft pad can cost anywhere from $20 to $30. I have found all of Konami's pads to be very good. You can get one of these pads cheap just by buying a game in a bundle. They work very well on difficulties 1 through 9. I've even been able to pass some boss songs on Konami's pads. If you go for a cheaper brand, the pad will sound very crackly and give C's and D's when you should be getting AA's. This can ruin how well you like the game. Another downfall for the soft pad is that it slides around a lot. This can make it hard to know if you're pressing the arrows correctly or not. Crossovers can also be difficult to pull off on a soft pad.
Soft pads all have the same basic design. There are two layers of conductive material separated by a foam layer with little circles cut out from it. When your foot presses down, the foam smashes and a connection is made between the two conductive layers. This simple design makes the soft pad a cost effective option. The downside is that, over time, the foam becomes flattened permanently and the pad will quit working altogether. I would expect a soft pad to last anywhere from three months to a couple of years depending on the brand.
-Foam Pads-
Foam pads are great for intermediate or very experienced players. They offer serious improvement over soft pads. The sensor design is the same as a soft pad except there is a thick, high density foam insert that zips into the pad. This foam insert helps a lot. The foam makes the pad stiffer so the notes will register more accurately. The stiffness is also beneficial because the pad won't bend around under your feet when you're moving around. This will help improve your game significantly. The foam also weighs down the pad so it won't slide as much but the pad will still slide a little. The sensitivity on the foam pads I've tried have been amazing. I've even been able to score a AAA on one of these pads. Out of all the foam pads out there, I would recommend getting an Energy pad ($50~$70) or a Tough pad ($140~$160). Foam pads have lasted about two years for me under heavy use. After that, they suffer from the same problem with their sensors as soft pads. Other than that, they have really come to earn my respect. Just watch out that you don't buy a cheap brand or it will not work properly.
-Metal Pads-
I would only recommend getting a metal pad if you are truly a dedicated DDR player. Most metal pads only offer slight improvements in scoring over foam pads. Metal pads are less likely to slide around and will last much longer than regular pads. One of my favorite things is you can wear shoes on them. Some metal pads will also offer a bar for you to hold to while playing. This will take off a ton of stress from your legs and allow you to move much faster. The metal pad I would recommend right now is the Cobalt Flux ($300). This pad hardly ever breaks down. I love the Cobalt Flux because it almost always works perfectly. Its sensors work differently than the regular arcade style sensors. The Cobalt Flux uses metal sheets that flex to make a connection which makes this pad very unique. Depending on the pad you get, there are mods you can do to make your pad more responsive. The most responsive pad I've been able to find so far, is the official In The Groove 2 arcade pad. Quality arcade pads cost much more than home pads but are unmatched in performance. The biggest downfall with metal pads is that you will have to clean them frequently. Again, do not get a cheap pad. It will likely have sensor issues within the first year and be a huge waste of money.
-Soft Pads-
I would recommend a soft pad for any beginner or slightly experienced player. A soft pad can cost anywhere from $20 to $30. I have found all of Konami's pads to be very good. You can get one of these pads cheap just by buying a game in a bundle. They work very well on difficulties 1 through 9. I've even been able to pass some boss songs on Konami's pads. If you go for a cheaper brand, the pad will sound very crackly and give C's and D's when you should be getting AA's. This can ruin how well you like the game. Another downfall for the soft pad is that it slides around a lot. This can make it hard to know if you're pressing the arrows correctly or not. Crossovers can also be difficult to pull off on a soft pad.
Soft pads all have the same basic design. There are two layers of conductive material separated by a foam layer with little circles cut out from it. When your foot presses down, the foam smashes and a connection is made between the two conductive layers. This simple design makes the soft pad a cost effective option. The downside is that, over time, the foam becomes flattened permanently and the pad will quit working altogether. I would expect a soft pad to last anywhere from three months to a couple of years depending on the brand.
-Foam Pads-
Foam pads are great for intermediate or very experienced players. They offer serious improvement over soft pads. The sensor design is the same as a soft pad except there is a thick, high density foam insert that zips into the pad. This foam insert helps a lot. The foam makes the pad stiffer so the notes will register more accurately. The stiffness is also beneficial because the pad won't bend around under your feet when you're moving around. This will help improve your game significantly. The foam also weighs down the pad so it won't slide as much but the pad will still slide a little. The sensitivity on the foam pads I've tried have been amazing. I've even been able to score a AAA on one of these pads. Out of all the foam pads out there, I would recommend getting an Energy pad ($50~$70) or a Tough pad ($140~$160). Foam pads have lasted about two years for me under heavy use. After that, they suffer from the same problem with their sensors as soft pads. Other than that, they have really come to earn my respect. Just watch out that you don't buy a cheap brand or it will not work properly.
-Metal Pads-
I would only recommend getting a metal pad if you are truly a dedicated DDR player. Most metal pads only offer slight improvements in scoring over foam pads. Metal pads are less likely to slide around and will last much longer than regular pads. One of my favorite things is you can wear shoes on them. Some metal pads will also offer a bar for you to hold to while playing. This will take off a ton of stress from your legs and allow you to move much faster. The metal pad I would recommend right now is the Cobalt Flux ($300). This pad hardly ever breaks down. I love the Cobalt Flux because it almost always works perfectly. Its sensors work differently than the regular arcade style sensors. The Cobalt Flux uses metal sheets that flex to make a connection which makes this pad very unique. Depending on the pad you get, there are mods you can do to make your pad more responsive. The most responsive pad I've been able to find so far, is the official In The Groove 2 arcade pad. Quality arcade pads cost much more than home pads but are unmatched in performance. The biggest downfall with metal pads is that you will have to clean them frequently. Again, do not get a cheap pad. It will likely have sensor issues within the first year and be a huge waste of money.
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