Blade Hawks Gaming MatSource: Blade Hawks

Best Desk Mouse Mat TechnoBuffalo 2020

Though optical mice don't require mouse mats to work correctly, mouse mats nevertheless offer a ton of benefits to PC users. Using one simply feels better for most people, and they can help protect both your mouse and your desk from dirt, oils, scratches, and more. Because of how valuable they can be, it's a good idea to invest in a quality mouse mat that will serve you well for a long time. The market for mouse mats is wide and fierce since they're a simple accessory. Still, in the end, we think that the VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Mat is the best option for most people thanks to its large size, durable and convenient construction, and reasonable price.

Best Overall: VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Mat

VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse MatSource: Victsing

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 Mat. Its massive size means that it can comfortably cover most of your desk, which allows you to bring the protective benefits that a mouse mat 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 Mat

Desk-wide coverage

The VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Mat combines high-quality materials with large size and a reasonable price, making it our favourite.

Best Small: SteelSeries QcK Mouse Mat

SteelSeries QcK Mouse MatSource: Steelseries

If a big mat isn't your style, then we recommend going with the SteelSeries QcK Mouse Mat. 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 really 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 Mat

Brighten up your living room

This mouse mat offers excellent quality in a small size and with an affordable price.

Best Large RGB: Blade Hawks RGB Gaming Mouse Mat

Blade Hawks RGB Gaming Mouse MatSource: Blade Hawks

This large mouse mat from Blade Hawks brings modern RGB lighting to your desk with ten different light modes, and all you need to do to get it working is to plug it into an open USB port and press the button on the mat until you find the setting you like. Its large size is also ideal for most desks, and its smooth, waterproof material and anti-slip base makes it excellent for performance, too.

Pros:

  • Snazzy RGB
  • Smooth material
  • Good liquid resistance
  • Anti-slip shading

Cons:

  • A little pricier
  • Not ideal for small desks or travel

Best Large RGB

Blade Hawks RGB Gaming Mouse Mat

For the gamers

Blade Hawks' large RGB mouse mat is an excellent choice for gamers who want something attractive top match their setup.

Best Small RGB: Hcman RGB Gaming Mouse Mat

Hcman RGB Gaming Mouse MatSource: Hcman

Out of the smaller RGB mouse mats that are available, we recommend the Hcman RGB Gaming Mouse Mat. Like with the Blade Hawks mouse mat, all you need is a USB port and a press of the button on the mat to use the lights, though unlike the Blade Hawks mat, there are only seven colour settings instead of ten. If you want to conserve space and also bring a gamer-style aesthetic to your desk, this is the mat for you. Be aware, though, that it lacks stitched edges.

Pros:

  • Snazzy RGB
  • Smooth material
  • Good liquid resistance
  • Anti-slip shading
  • Adequate for small desks and travel

Cons:

  • A bit less durable

Best Small RGB

Hcman RGB Gaming Mouse Mat

Shrunken style

Hcman's RGB mat cuts down on the size while keeping a lot of quality of the larger Blade Hawks option.

Best Hard: Blade Hawks Hard Gaming Mouse Mat

Blade Hawks Hard Gaming Mouse MatSource: Blade Hawks

If you prefer something hard over a soft cloth mat, then Blade Hawks has you covered with this excellent dual-sided mouse mat. Featuring an aluminium core with two cloth sides, rubberised anti-slip corner feet, and waterproofing throughout, this mouse mat is the best of the best of the hard variety.

Pros:

  • Dual-sided design
  • Smooth surface
  • Very durable
  • Anti-slip feet

Cons:

  • More expensive
  • Can't be rolled up

Best Hard

Blade Hawks Hard Gaming Mouse Mat

Sturdy as steel

This hard mouse mat is designed well and is super durable, making it perfect for people that prefer hard mouse mats.

Best Leather: OTTO Leather Mouse Mat

OTTO Leather Mouse MatSource: OTTO

If something classy and stylish is what you have in mind, look no further than OTTO's leather mouse mat offering. Stitched together with genuine leather, this mouse mat both looks and performs excellently. Besides, it also 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
  • Slightly more affordable

Cons:

  • Can't be rolled up

Best Leather

OTTO Leather Mouse Mat

Stylish and sophisticated

OTTO's leather mat is sleek and attractive, and it also performs well, making it an excellent option.

Bottom line

Mouse mats 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 desk and your mouse clean of dirt and oils, too. Most people tend to prefer the texture of a mouse mat over that of a naked desk during use as well. Though they're not very pricey, they are very useful.

The market for mouse mats is pretty vast and varied, and at least one of the mats we put on this list is sure to appeal to you. Ultimately, though, we think that the VicTsing Extended Gaming Mouse Mat is the best mouse mat 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 PC user.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

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 relatively new to the writing scene, but he counters that lack of experience with a rock-solid work ethic and a desire to improve at every opportunity. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.

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