Search for desk mats and most of what you find is aimed at gamers: neon, dragons, extra-large everything. It gives the impression that a desk mat is gaming equipment. It isn't. It is a sheet of fabric and rubber that makes a desk more comfortable to work at, and it is as useful to an accountant, a writer or a student as it is to anyone with a gaming PC.
If you spend your working day at a desk, here are eight reasons to put one under your keyboard.
1. It protects the desk
Keyboards slide. Mugs sweat. Watch straps, laptop feet and pens all leave marks over months and years. A mat takes that wear in place of the desk surface. If you rent a furnished flat, work at a shared desk, or paid good money for a wooden top, that alone justifies it.
2. It is quieter
A keyboard on a hard surface turns the desk into a drum. A fabric and rubber layer underneath deadens the sound. So does setting down a phone, a mug or a set of keys. If you take calls from your desk, or share a room with someone else who is working, the reduction in clatter is noticeable.
3. Your mouse works better
Optical mice track best on a consistent, slightly textured surface. Glass, high-gloss laminate and some pale wood finishes cause skipping. A cloth mat gives the same smooth tracking everywhere, and with a full-size mat you never run off the edge of a small mouse pad in the middle of dragging something across two screens.
4. It is easier on your wrists and forearms
The front edge of a desk is hard and often sharp-cornered. Hours of resting your wrists on it is uncomfortable. A mat that reaches the edge puts a soft layer there. It doesn't replace a properly adjusted chair and screen, but it removes one small, constant source of pressure.
5. It defines your workspace
This matters most when your desk is also your dining table, or a corner of the bedroom. Rolling out a mat marks the start of the working day, and the area it covers is your work zone. Rolling it up again is a clear signal that work is over. People who work from home often find that small ritual helps.
6. It keeps things where you put them
The rubber base grips the desk, and the fabric top grips whatever sits on it. Your keyboard stops creeping. A notebook stays put while you write. If you use a standing desk that moves up and down, a mat helps keep everything in place when it does.
7. It makes a plain desk look finished
A keyboard, a mouse and a laptop on a bare surface look like equipment. On a mat they look like a workspace. It is the cheapest single change you can make to how a desk looks, and unlike a new monitor or chair, it takes thirty seconds to set up.
8. It gives you something good to look at
You glance down at your desk hundreds of times a day. A piece of art you like, in a calm palette, is better for that than a scratched laminate surface. This is the reason people who buy one for practical purposes end up keeping it.
Choosing a mat for work
Pick a calm design
For long hours of reading and writing, low-contrast artwork is easier to live with than a busy neon scene. Landscapes and soft abstracts are the safe choices:
- Blue Mountain Fog: pale, misty and neutral enough for any office.
- Serene Blue Sunrise: a quiet horizon in blue.
- Frost Owl: a white owl against a blue winter forest, for something with a subject.
- Liquid Metal Mist Pink: a soft abstract for a lighter, brighter desk.
That said, it is your desk. If a neon city or a galaxy makes you happier at nine on a Monday morning, that is a perfectly good reason to choose it.
Think about what shows on camera
On most video calls, your desk isn't in shot. If it is, for instance if you present with an overhead camera or record tutorials, choose a design without strong patterns directly under your hands, which can distract viewers.
Get the size right
We make three sizes. The smallest, 14.4 × 12.1 inches, is a large mouse pad and suits laptop users. The medium, 23.6 × 13.8 inches, fits a compact keyboard and mouse. The largest, 31.5 × 15.5 inches, fits a full-size keyboard with a number pad and leaves room for a notebook. Measure your desk depth before ordering the large one: a monitor stand can take up more room than you expect. The desk mat size guide walks through it.
Match your desk
- Dark desk: a lighter mat brightens it.
- White desk: a darker mat adds contrast and hides marks.
- Wood desk: blues and greens look especially good against warm wood.
Is it professional enough for an office?
Yes, if you choose the design with the setting in mind. A landscape or an abstract reads as a considered desk accessory, in the same way a framed print on the wall does. In a client-facing office, keep to calm colours. In a creative workplace, almost anything goes.
Looking after it
Coffee is the main hazard at a work desk. Blot spills at once, then spot clean with warm water and a drop of dish soap. A weekly shake and wipe keeps it fresh. Our guide to cleaning a desk mat covers the full routine.
A good gift for anyone with a desk
Because it is useful and personal without requiring you to know someone's size, a desk mat is an easy present for a colleague, a new graduate or a relative who has started working from home. Browse all the designs in the desk mats collection.