A well organised and comfortable office desk without a doubt improves productivity. Desk mat is a simple and affordable way to level up your workspace. Desk mats come in a variety of different materials and textures, reflecting style and personality of its user. You want a desk mat that seamlessly fits with your desk setup. We will go through essential characteristics defining style and quality of a desk mat to help you make the right choice.
Material
The very first and essential desk mat characteristic to consider. It will define how comfortable and practical your new desk setup will turn out.
Synthetic mats
PU, vinyl, faux leather, linoleum, and textile are the most common type because they are cheapest and easiest to maintain as the materials naturally tend to be water resistant. They offer best compatibility with a mouse, thus remain to be a best option for gamers. And their harder surface, compared to other materials, make it easy to write on them. The downside of these type of mats is that often it could take a while for it to lay flat on the desk (since they packaged rolled in a tube shape to save shipping space). Generally, they are made from cheap materials, making them not a long-lasting product. But still worth the money you would normally spend if you’re looking for a cheap solution. Another downside is that they are made from materials that involve oil / petrol, thus making them the least eco-friendly type of desk mats.
Pros
- Most affordable and common option on the market.
- Best compatibility with a mouse and easy to write on.
- Generally waterproof and easy to clean & maintain.
- Available in many different colors & designs.
Cons
- Not eco-friendly, as material uses crude oil for its production.
- Material is usually of a mediocre quality and shows signs of wear and tear in less than a year.
- Edges take time to un-curl and lay flat on a surface. Creases could take weeks to fatten out.
- Could have an unpleasant rubber/petrol smell last for a few days after unpacked.
Genuine leather desk mats
Are considered to be the top tier mats. They look luxurious and make your desk look and feel as it belongs to a boss (if you’re not already). The aroma of the genuine leather add that solid old school character to your desk setup. Due to high price tag, they often come with extra features, such as inbuilt pencil holder, phone charger and cable management. It is a product of a high quality that will last many years. However, due to properties on material, they require extra care (such as you cannot put hot cup of tea or coffee on it as it will leave a stain).
Pros
- Premium aesthetics and quality, will last decades.
- Pleasant leather aroma.
- Does not use oil / petrol or any other synthetic material in production.
Cons
- Rather expensive.
- Material made from animal skin, and it is usually impossible to track and establish whether cruelty was involved during animal processing.
- Due to properties on material, they require a little extra care.
Eco friendly desk mats
They come in cork, vegan leather, or plant-based linoleum. They are like a breath of a fresh air in the market of products that are make from either petrol-based synthetic of animal skin. They use sustainable materials that do not harm nature and animals. A bit more expensive that their synthetic based companions, but totally worth the money as they are made from decent quality materials by businesses, where crafting a good product matters more than anything else.
Pros
- Eco and animal friendly.
- Made with quality in mind.
Cons
- Require extra care since they are not easy to clean.
- Not many designs / colors available on the market.
Felt and Wool Felt Desk Mats
A choice for those prioritizing coziness and comfort over everything else. They will keep your elbows and wrists comfortable when you are spending hours upon hours at your desk. But they require even more care than leather mats and you certainly don’t want to spill any drinks on them. Felt mats are also one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly options on the market. Their main downside is that they not very compatible with mouse.
Pros
- Eco and animal friendly.
- Soft and comfortable.
- Soft surface prevents tackiness between arms and desk surface.
Cons
- Difficult to clean.
- Not water resistant.
- Not mouse compatible.
Textile laminated foam rubber desk mats
A lot less common type of desk mat and more widespread option in the PC gaming community due to their exceptional comfort. and ability to retain it for long hours. Sustainable options were non-existent until we got involved (which is the sole reason we started our business). It uses a high-density rubber foam made from crude oil, whereas we use a limestone based one, which is by far a much cleaner and nature-friendly option.
These mats are probably the most convenient type for those looking for an exceptional comfort, without sacrificing practicality and aesthetics. They do require a little extra care and are not cheap to make but are absolutely worth the money for the value they provide. The only real downside is their combination of thickness and softness is not easy to write on and will not be suitable supporting PC monitors with thin base or stands. Fusionstrike make them in a size that covers only the arm area without taking up the space reserved for a laptop or a monitor.
Foamed Rubber mats are laminated different kinds of fabric (natural, synthetic, recycled, mixed) and vary in feel & roughness. Such as super-stretch nylon and milk fiber are exceptionally pleasant to touch but are not very water resistant. Others are water resistant but not as pleasant to skin. However, the later ones are still more comfortable that their many textile and felt companions. Besides that, the foamed rubber itself is waterproof. Another amazing benefit of this type of mat is that its base material is naturally temperature controlling (hence why surfing and diving suits are made from it), meaning that it will reflect back the temperature of your arms all year around.
Pros
- The most comfortable desk mats on the market, perfect alternative to elbow / wrist supports.
- Temperature control.
- Anti-slip
- Waterproof base.
- Aesthetically pleasant. Come in many colors and designs.
- Smooth fabric lamination prevents tackiness between arms and desk surface or synthetic / leather mat.
Cons
- Material is made using crude oil. The only exception currently on the market is The Original Limestone Desk Mat, which uses limestone to make the sponge.
- Require extra care, not the easiest to clean.
- No practical for writing on it.
Size and Shape
This one depends on the size of your desk or how much of your desk you want to be covered by a desk mat. The Original Fusionstrike’s Limestone Desk Mat is designed to cover only the space within your arms operate, not even the mouse. Its 30cm depth, 90cm width, and 7mm thickness perfectly accommodate for elbow spread and wrist support. Its main purpose is to provide comfort. If you are looking for a gaming mat that serves as a mouse mat as well, a larger PU / leather mats would be a much better choice. Vast majority of desk mats come in rectangular shape, and less common are L-shaped or curved.
Design
When choosing a style of a desk mat, you want to find something that will elevate your workspace and inspire you to keep it tidy. Minimalist design is good for professional and creative setups to keep you focus on the work, while more colorful and printed options are often a better pick for a gaming and other entertainment activity. Synthetic mats come in many different colors and designs, you could even get a customized design. Their material characteristics make it easy to print on their surface. Genuine leather and felt mats look best in their natural appearance.
The edges are usually either stitched or clean cut. This depends on how sturdy material is. Often stitched edges added purely for a design purpose. But sometimes they must be added to ensure that the material doesn’t loosen up and eventually fall apart.
Extra Features
Some desk mat or desk pads come with one or another extra feature, let’s briefly go through the most common ones:
- Wrist support cushion – some higher tier desk mats come with inbuilt cushioned line that supports your wrists during typing on a keyboard.
- Anti-slip bottom – the most common one, every other desk mat / pad on the market has this feature. It helps to keep the mat in place when there is a lot of rapid mouse movement involved (such as gaming sessions).
- Cable management – a bit less common but very useful feature when you want to keep cables more organised and not being caught in the way of your cup of beverage or a mouse.
- RGB lighting – more common among gaming mats, this feature elevates gaming experience to another level. Keep in mind this mat requires a USB connection to a laptop or a PC in order for the lights to work.
- Inbuilt magnetic phone charger – a feature that is usually found in premium desk mats, it speaks for itself, however, just like RGB mat, it requires a USB connection.