Pad Buying Guide
A lot of people have questions when buying a dance pad for StepMania or Dance Dance Revolution, so we are here to help with a Pad Buying Guide. The guide is arranged by cost to help you when buying a pad at any price point.
Soft Pad $35-$40
Your average soft pad, sometimes referred to as dance mat, cost about $35-$40 dollars including shipping. These entry level dance pads are for beginner to intermediate level players. They are a soft foldable pad made of foam and plastic. They are a good option for those who want to play the game, but don't want to invest a lot of money into a pad. For more advanced players you can modify the pad, visit our DIY and Repair Guide for more info on how to mod soft pads. Click here to purchase a USB Soft Pad for StepMania.
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Soft Pad with Foam Insert $70-$80
These are a better version of the standard soft pad. Including shipping they cost about $70-$80. Like all soft pads they are intended for beginner to intermediate level players. They have a 3/4" foam insert which gives the pad more stability and prevents it from wrinkling and moving around during play. These are a good option for people who don't want to spend a lot of money on a pad but want an improvement over the standard soft pad. Click here to purchase Soft Pad with Foam Insert for StepMania.
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DIY Pad $150+
We sell a wide variety of parts that can be used to build a DIY pad. From our Cobalt Flux DIY Pad Kit to our FSR Sensor - Mod Kit. Many of our arcade parts can also be used when building DIY pads. The cost to build a DIY pad can range anywhere from $150-$1500+ depending on the quality, style, and materials that are used.
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Cobalt Flux Pad $250-$500+
These are hard pads made of metal, wood, and polycarbonate. They are not currently available new, but they can be purchased used for around $250-$500+. For those who want to build a DIY pad we offer a Cobalt Flux DIY Pad Kit. We also sell a wide variety of replacement parts for fixing and modifying Cobalt Flux pads.
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L-TEK Pad $399+
L-TEK pads are the most popular option for hard pads. They are made of a wood base with metal sensors and polycarbonate panels. If you want an ultra sensitive pad we offer a mod that will increase the sensitivity of L-TEK pads. For those who want to play DDR on PlayStation or other video game systems we offer a DIY Mod Kit for the L-TEK. Click Here to purchase the L-TEK EX PRO 2.
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Arcade Pads $3500-$8500+
Arcade pads are not available new and used pads are hard to come by. Prices vary a lot depending on demand, version, quality, and location. A rough estimate for full arcade cabinets is $3500-$8500+. We sell a wide variety of replacement parts and modifications for Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), In The Groove (ITG), and Pump It Up (PIU) arcade pads. Many of these parts can also be used to build a DIY arcade style pad. If you are looking for a used arcade pad the best place to find one is on Facebook in the Buy/Sell Pads (DDR, ITG, StepMania, PIU) group.
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