The older textured sheets are great; actually quality.
These newer ones are junk; its a damn PEI sticker on top of the textured plate. I was upset when I ordered some new ones and that's what I got.
Better to pay the $40+ for the good plates.
But again, nothing beats a glass/mirror surface.
I don’t think it was a case of a bad product—it was from Creativity brand (not Creality), and it worked "ok" for a few years.
The issues showed up gradually. For example, the increased warping only became noticeable when I printed across the entire bed, which wasn’t the case for most of my prints.
In the end, I think my problems had more to do with being used to a glass plate—which, as you said, is the best and most forgiving.
I never wanted to deal with a bed mesh. With glass, I’d just adjust the four screws using a piece of paper, and voilà—perfect first layer across the whole bed. No need for adhesives or special treatments based on the material either—glass always worked well with everything.
