Which mouse pad suits me?

A mouse pad shapes how your mouse feels: how easily it starts moving, how precisely it stops and how much room your hand has. The finder above asks about use, size, glide, surface, extras and budget. The result is a ranking where every position comes with its reasons. Manufacturers and retailers cannot buy a place in it.

Size: the most important question

The finder sorts each pad by its longer side:

Each size of a model is its own entry in the finder, because size often decides. For large pads the finder asks for your free desk width and filters out anything that does not fit.

Cloth, hard or glass

Cloth is quiet, soft and affordable. Hybrid pads have a coated cloth surface and glide faster. Hard pads made of plastic run very freely and wipe clean. Glass pads glide fastest, last long and cost more. For the office there are mats made of faux leather, felt or cork that look calmer.

Speed or control

Many makers rate their pads: speed lets the mouse run freely, control adds friction and makes small movements more precise. The finder only uses the maker’s own rating. Where there is none, the pad shows a note.

Wrist or arm aiming

If you play at low sensitivity, you move the mouse with your whole arm and need a lot of space. Pads under 45 cm wide lose points for that in the finder.

Extras

A wrist rest and wireless mouse charging cannot be added later. If you pick them, you only get pads that have them. Stitched edges stop the edge from fraying. RGB lighting is a matter of taste and usually out of place in an office.

All Mouse pads at a glance

Data: our own research from manufacturer and retailer information. Undocumented values are marked as such.