What Are Rubber Pads in Arc Raiders?
Rubber Pads are a rare crafting material you can find in the game. They are primarily used as a recycling item, which means you don’t typically use them directly in crafting—they are converted into Rubber Parts, which then feed into various upgrades and devices.
You can usually find Rubber Pads in Electrical areas, so when you’re scavenging, focus on rooms with electrical panels or machinery. Each Rubber Pad weighs 2 units and can be sold for 1,000 coins if you need extra funds, though in most cases, it’s better to recycle them.
How Does Recycling Rubber Pads Work?
In practice, you rarely use Rubber Pads as-is. The main reason to pick them up is for recycling into Rubber Parts:
Recycling a Rubber Pad gives you 18 Rubber Parts.
Salvaging a Rubber Pad gives you 9 Rubber Parts.
From my experience, recycling is almost always the better option if you have the materials and storage space. Salvaging is sometimes used when you’re running low on inventory or trying to conserve storage space for other rarer drops.
Rubber Parts themselves are useful for crafting upgrades like reinforced gear, certain traps, and repair kits. Without enough Rubber Parts, you’ll find it harder to maintain your equipment, especially if you play with a team.
Do You Really Need Rubber Pads?
Here’s the practical truth: you don’t “need” Rubber Pads to progress in the game, but they make life easier if you want to optimize your crafting efficiency.
Early game: You can skip them if you are focusing on basic weapons and armor. The default scavenged materials will be enough.
Mid to late game: Rubber Pads become more useful. If you want to craft multiple upgrades or improve your survivability, having a stockpile of Rubber Parts helps a lot.
I usually recommend picking up every Rubber Pad you see once you’re past the initial missions. Even if you don’t use them immediately, they can be recycled later when you craft more advanced items.
How Do Players Handle Rubber Pads in Practice?
From playing with other experienced players, there are a few common approaches:
Selective Scavenging: Some players only pick up Rubber Pads if their inventory isn’t full. This avoids wasting space for something you might not immediately need.
Full Recycling Runs: Others pick up everything and recycle in bulk when back at base. This is time-efficient and ensures you always have enough Rubber Parts.
Selling for Coins: Rarely, if a player needs extra coins for buying blueprints or special items, Rubber Pads can be sold for 1,000 coins each.
Personally, I favor recycling in bulk. It’s less micromanagement and ensures that whenever I need Rubber Parts for crafting, I have plenty.
Do Rubber Pads Affect Combat or Gameplay Directly?
No. Rubber Pads are not consumables, they don’t affect your health, shields, or combat ability. You won’t gain an advantage by holding them in your inventory during a fight. Their value is purely for crafting and recycling.
Because of this, many players leave Rubber Pads in scavenging runs and only pick them up when near a crafting session. However, if you’re trying to maintain efficiency and avoid extra trips back to base, it’s worth collecting them whenever you can.
Buying vs. Scavenging Rubber Pads
Sometimes players ask whether it’s worth trying to buy Rubber Pads instead of scavenging. In Arc Raiders, Rubber Pads themselves aren’t sold individually, but you can indirectly get their benefits by buying materials or blueprints. For example, if you want to skip scavenging certain crafting components, you can buy Arc Raiders blueprints Xbox to unlock items that use Rubber Parts. This doesn’t give you the pads directly, but it can reduce your dependency on scavenging every rare drop.
Inventory Tips for Rubber Pads
Rubber Pads stack up to 3 per slot, so even a small amount of inventory space goes a long way.
Because they are lightweight (2 units), you can carry multiple without being overburdened.
Make a habit of checking your Electrical areas first—they are the most consistent source.
A good rule I follow is: if you have space and haven’t yet maxed your recycling potential, pick up every Rubber Pad. Later, you can recycle them all in one session instead of going back multiple times.
Rubber Pads are rare, recyclable items used for crafting via Rubber Parts.
You don’t need them to play or survive, but they make crafting more efficient, especially for mid- to late-game gear.
Best practices: pick up when scavenging, recycle in bulk, don’t worry about holding them during combat.
If you want to skip scavenging for some upgrades, buy Arc Raiders blueprints Xbox to unlock certain items without relying solely on Rubber Parts.
In short, Rubber Pads aren’t critical for your first missions, but if you want a smoother crafting experience and fewer supply headaches, collecting and recycling them is the smart move.
Arc Raiders Vita Shot Blueprint Location, Craft Recipe, Use