Most people buy a desk mat to protect their desk and to provide a good surface for their mouse to glide across. And most people buy them based on first page results in a search to find a good desk mat. But the wrong desk mat can be a huge problem – a mat that moves around a lot can be very frustrating to use. And a mat that fills with debris and tracked in dirt can be a health hazard.
Bad desk mats can become real problems for your workspace, getting all under your fingers and being covered in hair, dirt, or other debris. Or they just can be the wrong color. And worst of all, you’ll probably notice it all the time and hate it. A good desk mat, on the other hand, is something you won’t even notice.
Size determines everything else
Measuring your work surface is where you should start. The height of your work surface and the width of the flat surface area are the two dimensions you should take note of. While most desk mats are available in standard sizes (24″ x 36″) a few extra inches in either dimension can go a long way to creating a surface area that’s suitable for your work.
There are a number of mousepads of standard sizes available to buy off of the shelf. For the majority of users a standard size mousepad will be perfectly sufficient. But those with atypical shaped desks, using a variety of different items such as monitor arms and with a multitude of different objects spread out upon their desk surface, will be far better off with a custom size mousepad of the precise dimensions for their singularly individual setup.
Consider your way of working and how you set up your workspace to work. Do you use a mouse and a drawing tablet? You will need a sufficient amount of space to switch between your mouse and drawing tablet. Also, do you work with lots of open documents on your work surface? You will need to make sure that your desk mat is large enough to hold all of the papers that you need to be referred to while you are working.
Material choice affects daily experience
Most desk mats are made of Cloth as it provides the best tracking of a mouse, it is very comfortable for your wrists and very easy to clean. The weave of the surface can be very fine for very precise work, or more coarse to have more stopping power for your mouse. Many gamers use mats with a coarser weave as they are easier to move around on and provide more control. Others use mats with a fine weave as they provide precise work and do not slip around on the desk.
For those who need the durability of a hard surface but don’t want to sacrifice in terms of speed of movement of a mouse across the surface, hard mats are a great choice. Many are able to be easily wiped down with a damp cloth in order to remove dirt and other germs in between cleanings. While the hard surface of the mat will feel cold against your wrists and hands as you work, as long as you have no preference for the soft click of a mouse button then this is not likely to be a problem for you. Many such mats are also specifically designed to prevent the debris from dirt, dust and hair from becoming stuck to the surface of the mat.
Other products such as Leather and Synthetic Leather mousepads have the unique benefit of looking highly professional in your workplace and can still last for years to come as you can still clean them. Initially you may struggle to get used to the feel of the leather or synthetic leather of a mousepad compared to a standard Cloth mousepad. But once you have gotten used to the feeling of using a leather or synthetic leather mousepad under your hands you will see the benefits they have such as the great glide that your mouse has on the pad and the comfort that the pad offers your hands and wrists.
Thickness impacts comfort and stability
Thin mats are best suited for smooth surfaces and add little elevation to the desk. As a result, they are not recommended for individuals that require a lot of wrist support as they lack the necessary cushioning to smooth out irregularities in the surface of the desk.
Average desk height: for average workspaces, typical desk height, typical surface quality, average amounts of padding required. Mats of this thickness are typically able to provide enough padding to smooth out imperfections found in typical workspaces. A good choice for average office and workspaces, also suitable for the hardcore gamer.
Some mouse pads have added cushioning for extra wrist comfort, creating a padded area on your desk to work on. These are ideal for those long hours of typing but a gaming mouse user may find that a very thick desk pad makes the movement of the mouse too slow, also some pads do not allow for the keyboard to be positioned in the correct location.
Design choices matter more than you think
A plain colored mousemat will hide dirt and scratches better than a patterned mat. The darkest colors hide dirt and scratches best but will make a room look very heavy and “closed in”.
The Design: Patterned or Solid? The most important thing when choosing a design for your mousemat is that it hides dirt and scratches well. Therefore, a solid color design is better than a patterned one. Also, a dark color design hides dirt and scratches better than a light color design. However, a dark color design can make a space feel heavy or closed-in and therefore not be as suitable for a home working space or small working space. It’s also very important to choose a patterned design that looks good from every angle as you will be looking at it every working day for long periods of time. You should therefore check out some pictures of the product in use on the internet, such as on the retailers website to get an idea of what the design will look like in your own working environment.
The way a desk mat looks is very dependent on your office decorations and lighting. What may look good in a store, under the same lighting that was used to take the product photos on the company’s web site, can look terrible in your office. This is because you will look at the mat every working day for years. Look at product images under lighting similar to your own office. There are some products that go through extreme color changes.
Practical considerations that make the difference
Another important aspect of the desk mat is the backing. Rubber backing is generally the best because it has great grip and won’t leave any residue on your desk surface. Other synthetic backings have varying degrees of grip on smooth surfaces and some can even leave marks on wood surfaces.
Stitched better than Sealed – In most mousepads the edges are sealed with glue to prevent fraying. After a while the edges of the sealed areas tend to delaminate quickly. For a few extra dollars a mousepad with stitched edges can extend the life of the mousepad by years.
The cleaning of a desk mat is also very important. If you have a cloth desk mat this can be washed in a washing machine, but make sure to read the care label first. The cleaning of a hard desk mat can be done from time to time with a damp cloth. The leather and synthetic leather desk mats can be cleaned with a special cleaner, but after you have cleaned it it will last for a very long time.
Your desk mat is part of your work space’s infrastructure. Get it right the first time.
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