Mouse Mats and Desk Mats

Mouse mats and desk mats

A desk mat sits under both the keyboard and the mouse, so the mouse has a steady surface wherever it goes and the keyboard does not slide. It also protects a wooden or painted desk from scratches and rings. The Health and Safety Executive's workstation checklist notes that a mouse mat may be needed, and that a mat on a shiny desk cuts the reflections that bounce up into your eyes.

What is in the range

• Extended cloth desk mats with a woven surface, stitched edges and a rubber base, in plain colours, grids and printed designs. Sizes run from a mat for the mouse alone up to whole-desk mats such as 80 x 30cm and 90 x 40cm.
• Felt desk mats, soft and quiet, with a rubber underside.
• PU leather-look desk pads that are waterproof and wipe clean, including a three-piece set with a large mat, a mouse pad and a wrist guard.
• A memory foam mouse pad with a built-in rest under the wrist. More of these are in wrist rests.

How to choose a mat

Measure the desk. A desk mat should hold the keyboard and leave the mouse room to move. Measure from the left edge of the keyboard to as far right as your mouse goes, and the depth from the front edge of the desk.

Cloth, felt or PU. Cloth gives most optical mice the smoothest, most even tracking and suits games. Felt is quiet and warm under the hands. PU wipes clean after a spilt drink, which suits a kitchen table or a shared desk.

Thickness. A thicker mat, 3mm or more, is softer under the wrist but lifts the keyboard a little. A thin mat sits flatter.

Edges. Stitched edges stop a cloth mat fraying and curling where the wrist rubs.

Questions people ask about desk mats

Do I need a mouse mat for an optical mouse?

Most track on a plain desk, but many struggle on glass or a glossy top. A mat gives any mouse a surface it can read.

Can I wash a cloth desk mat?

Many here say their surface is washable. Hand wash in cool water and let it dry flat; the product page says what each one can take.

Will a gaming mouse work better on a cloth mat?

A smooth, even cloth surface is what most gaming mice are made to track on, and a large mat gives room for wide, fast sweeps without lifting the mouse.

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door.

More to look at

• Wrist rests
• Wireless mice
• Keyboard and mouse sets
• Gaming mice
• Desk organisers
• Guide: How to choose a wireless mouse
• Guide: Ergonomic mice and keyboards: what they are for and who they suit