A good desk mat can turn a chaotic and messy desk into a functional and efficient work space. With all the options available, choosing a desk mat that really fulfills the needs of a person can be confusing. A trip to an office supply store will prove that this is true. Browsing online will further prove this out as there are many options available from which to choose. While there are many different designs to choose from, the functionality of the desk mats can be quite similar. Often the design of the mat is the determining factor in the decision. More thought is put into how it will look on the desk than to the functionality of the mat and its overall usability.
Material composition makes or breaks daily use
The stuff they make the desk mat out of (aka “synthetic leather”) is pretty close to the default choice for this kind of product. The reasons why are pretty straightforward: It’s basically waterproof, easy to clean, and can take a huge amount of wear and tear before developing scratches, scuffs, or weird patterns of wear. It’s not bumpy enough to prevent the mouse wheel from tracking properly, but not so bumpy that you feel a unpleasant drag on your wrists.
As I mentioned earlier, fabric mats are a bit more comfortable. However, they require more upkeep. Spills such as coffee are here to stay and there’s really no getting it out, so be careful when placing your morning coffee on it! They also require more frequent vacuuming as well as constant brushing of the fibers. A synthetic mat, on the other hand, is very convenient when working at a desk for long hours and is generally much easier to deal with spills and stains.
Pros and Cons of Cork and Bamboo Flooring We had the installers give us quotes for three of the types of flooring that we had narrowed it down to. Two of the types were eco-friendly, cork and bamboo. Here are our findings of the pros and cons of each of these types of flooring. Cork Flooring The cork was very soft and felt very comfortable under foot. It also looked nice. However, after a few weeks of walking on it, it started to crack and crumble. Bamboo Flooring The bamboo was a very unique looking type of flooring and we were excited about having it in our home. Unfortunately, the bamboo started to warp and bend, due to the humidity in the house.
Thickness matters for comfort and stability
Most desk mats are anywhere from 1.5mm to 4mm thick. We’d say aim for about 2-3mm of thickness for the best comfort and experience. Any thicker and you’ll have plenty of wrist support, but thin enough that you’ll be able to keep the mat low enough to the ground so that you don’t have to lift it up in order to type.
Size considerations go beyond your desk dimensions
Making your work surface area easier to understand is a small effort, but understanding how you actually work is a much bigger task. As common computer workstation set-ups for most tasks vary greatly from person to person, an extended mat that will support your keyboard and mouse can be in the range of 24″ x 12″ up to 30″ x 16″ and even larger. Having a uniform work surface not only provides the advantage of having an unobstructed work area, but it also provides a stable and mobile area.
Small Compact Mice Mats One of the typical “problems” you may hear, in terms of ergonomic working, is that a small compact mouse mat has to be repointed and “realigned” constantly in order to carry out work. If your mouse mat is under 18 inches wide (450mm) then you will be repositioning the mouse and dragging it across the desktop half of the time. Although it may seem that starting with a small mouse mat (perhaps because your desktop real-estate is limited) is a sensible idea, experience usually shows that starting with a small mouse mat is actually counter-productive.
Everyone tends to look at the texture of the material, the durability of the switches underneath and cable management when looking for high quality desk mats for gaming. None of these things really matter when it comes to gaming. Sure they are all nice to have but when it comes down to actual gaming a larger surface area is actually very important. Gaming desks need a larger surface area. When we think of a gaming desk we picture all of the usual things that you would have on a normal working desk, but we also have to think about the way we use the mouse to control the games. We have to be able to swing our mouse in large arcs across the surface in order to be competitive. So a larger mousing area is very important to gamers.
Edge treatments prevent premature wear
Stitched edges will outlast heat sealed edges for months or even years. A stitched edge will protect the mat from the mat delaminating in the event the mat slips under a chair wheel or it gets caught in a vacuum cleaner. Sharp corners on a floor mat can cause the mat to curl up and lift in a matter of weeks. The stress at the corner can cause the mat to peel and separate at the corner long before the rest of the mat needs to be replaced. Rounded corners eliminate the stress at the corner and allow the mat to last longer.
Durability factors that determine replacement frequency
The density of the base material of a mat has a much greater impact on its durability than the surface treatment. When checking the slip resistance and the ability to maintain the profile of a mat, it is usually only necessary to refer to the density of the rubber backing of the mat. Inexpensive foam bases can collapse permanently under cleaning operations and the slip resistance of the mat can be lost after only a few cleanings.
Surface coatings can be very different. Our premium mats can have up to 3 different layers to ensure that the surface remains scratch resistant and allows for smooth mouse tracking, even after being used for years. When you want your tools to work together instead of against you, the integration tips on TechPount can save you hours of trial and error
Budget options develop rough patches.
Water resistance is important to everyone – whether you are a messy eater or not! Whether you wash your yoga mat with soap and water to try and get out pesky stains or just need to dry it out to the best of your ability in order to get rid of bacteria and mildew, whether you live in a very humid environment and have to deal with condensation on a daily basis or just spilled an ice cold soda and are now trying to dry it up – there are a multitude of reasons that your mat could be dealing with moisture issues. A poor quality water resistance can cause your mat to start to experience its first signs of a problematic future, including its tendency to curl on the edges and to develop bubbles on the surface, and in a matter of time – usually less than 6 months – the mat can completely delaminate.
Before you buy
Return policy Check return policy before buying as this design may look quite different in person than in the photo. Our desk mats have often been a surprise to us when we feel them out and this happens often with online purchases. The surface design, the thickness and the size are all often different than the picture appears.
See what other users have to say about the mouse in your application. If accuracy is a concern, look to reviews from gamers. If comfort after long days of work is important, see what office workers have to say.
It’s also important to consider the cost to replace it. So while a $15 yoga mat may do the job for 6 months, a $40 yoga mat may last for 2 years. Higher quality products are almost always more cost effective in the long run.
A good desk mat is like an invisible tool. It should be so good that you never even notice that you are using it. Using a poor desk mat, on the other hand, is an exercise in frustration and aggravation.
