Don’t let your mouse drag across your desk — get a great mousepad
- mar
- 31
If you're using Apple's own Magic Mouse — or any other optical mouse — you don't technically need a mousepad; however, using one simply feels better. Not only does gliding your mouse around with ease help increase your productivity, but they can also help protect both your mouse and your desk from dirt, oils, scratches, and more. While there are a ton of options out there, we love the VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad because of its large size, durable and convenient construction, and stellar price tag.
Best Overall: VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad
If you're looking for the best overall balance between quality and price, it doesn't get any better than the VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad. Its massive size means that it can comfortably cover most of your desk, which allows you to bring the protective benefits that a mouse pad offers to your keyboard as well as your mouse.
Its rubber-like cloth material is incredibly smooth, and the stitched edges help combat the risk of tearing. It's also waterproof, making it great for resisting liquid spills, and the bottom of the mat has slip-resistant shading to ensure that it stays in place no matter what. Thanks to its size, it's not as portable as other options on this list, but if you spend a lot of time at your desk, this is a great choice.
Pros:
- Large size
- Smooth material
- Durable to damage
- Anti-slip shading
- Affordable
Cons:
- Not ideal for small desks or travel
Best Overall
VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad
Desk-wide coverage
The VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad combines high-quality materials with large size and a reasonable price, making it our favorite.
Best Aluminum: Satechi Aluminum Mousepad
The aluminum finish means your mouse will always glide smoothly around the pad, preventing you from having any frustration when it comes to movement. Plus, the pad is not too big — about 9.3-inches by 7.3-inches — which gives you all the space you need to maneuver however you wish, but doesn't take up the entire desk.
The icing on this cake is the well-polished edges, which give the entire mousepad that sophisticated style, and as a bonus, it comes in gold, rose gold, space gray, and sliver. Regardless of which color of Mac you have, it will match.
Pros:
- Compact
- Smooth metal surface
- Easy to clean
- Colors to match your Mac
Cons:
- Can't be rolled up or folded
- Can show scratches
Best Aluminum
Satechi Aluminum Mousepad
Matches your Mac perfectly
This smooth aluminum surface comes in gold, rose gold, silver, and space gray, so you can have it match your Mac.
Best Small: SteelSeries QcK Mouse Pad
If a big pad isn't your style, then we recommend going with the SteelSeries QcK Mouse Pad. Its compact size makes it ideal for small desks and for taking with you on-the-go, and its got the same non-slip base and smooth and well-made cloth material that the VicTsing mat does. It's also more affordable, too, which is always a plus. It does lack durable stitched edges, but that's not a problem in the grand scheme of things.
Pros:
- Great for small desks or travel
- Smooth material
- Anti-slip base
- More affordable
Cons:
- A bit less durable
Best Small
SteelSeries QcK Mouse Pad
Small and simple
This mouse pad offers excellent quality in a small size and at an affordable price.
Best Leather: Londo Leather Mouse Pad
If something classy and stylish is what you have in mind, look no further than Londo's leather mouse pad offering. Stitched together with genuine leather, this mouse pad both looks and performs excellently. Also, it has a non-slip backing and a convenient wrist rest, too. While it's not as hard as the previous choice from Blade Hawks, it still can't be rolled up to take on the go.
Pros:
- Beautiful leather material
- Smooth surface
- Anti-slip backing
- Wrist rest
Cons:
- Can't be rolled up or folded
Best Leather
Londo Leather Mouse Pad
Stylish and sophisticated
Londo's leather pad is sleek and attractive, and it also performs well, making it an awesome option.
Best Budget: Wknoon Circular Mouse Pad
This small mouse pad from Wknoon isn't as well-made as the other pads on this list, but for how little it costs, it's a great deal. It even comes with an anti-slip base like the others. If you want something reliable and don't want to pay much, this mouse pad is perfect for you.
Pros:
- Most affordable
- Anti-slip base
- Perfect for small desks and travel
Cons:
- Not as smooth
- Not as durable
Best Circular Design
Wknoon Circular Mouse Pad
Cheap doesn't mean bad
This mouse pad is cheap, but for the price, it's an excellent deal. This is the pad for you if you're looking to save.
Bottom line
Mousepads can make or break your experience with your mouse, especially if you're a gamer. The main one is that they will protect both your mouse and your desk from any potential scratches or dings that the two may give each other over time upon contact; another is that it will help keep your office and your mouse clean of dirt and oils, too. Most people tend to prefer the texture of a mouse pad over that of a naked desk during use as well. Though they're not very pricey, they are very useful.
The market for mousepads is pretty vast and varied, and at least one of the pads we put on this list is sure to appeal to you. Ultimately, though, we think that the VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Pad is the best mouse pad on the market for most people, as its perfect balance of quality and price, as well as its large size, makes it ideal for the average user.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Luke Filipowicz is an iMore staff writer who has used his Magic Mouse on plenty of surfaces. Whether he's working on his iMac or MacBook Air, he always has a mousepad in tow.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's well-versed in the world of gaming mice and has an eye for spotting awesome deals on gaming tech.