Desk Mats

Desk mats that make a desk look finished instead of assembled. Leather, wool felt and stitched cloth, in sizes from mouse-and-keyboard up to full desk width, in colours that don't shout.

1 product

What a desk mat actually does

A desk mat is doing three jobs at once and people usually buy for only one of them. It protects the desk from scratches, pen pressure and the heat of a laptop base. It gives an optical mouse a consistent surface, which removes the need for a separate mouse pad. And it deadens the resonance of a keyboard on a hard desk, which is the effect people notice most once it is gone.

Material decides which of those it does best. Leather protects and ages well. Wool felt is the quietest and warmest under the wrist. Stitched cloth over rubber is the best mouse surface and the easiest to wash. None of them is a compromise — they are genuinely different tools.

Getting the size right

Measure the desk rather than the keyboard. A 90cm mat suits a 120cm desk with an even margin; go full width or go deliberately smaller and centred. Browse large desk mats or leather desk mats, and see desk mat vs mouse pad if you are deciding between the two.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean a desk mat?

You clean a cloth desk mat with warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then air-dry it flat. Felt should only be spot-cleaned with a barely damp cloth, and leather needs a dry cloth plus occasional conditioner.

What is the difference between a desk mat and a mouse pad?

A desk mat covers the keyboard, mouse and wrist area as one surface and protects the desk, while a mouse pad only covers the mouse area. A desk mat replaces a mouse pad entirely.

What size desk mat do I need?

Measure your desk rather than your equipment. A 90cm mat suits a 120cm desk and a 100cm mat suits a 140cm desk, leaving an even margin at both sides.

Will a desk mat stop my desk getting scratched?

A desk mat stops scratches, pen indentations and heat marks from a laptop base. It will not stop a liquid spill soaking through to the surface underneath.

Does a mouse work on any desk mat?

An optical mouse works on cloth, felt and matte leather. Very high-DPI sensors can stutter on glossy leather or loose-fibre felt, where a fine-weave cloth surface is more reliable.