Extended mousepads are great for keeping your keyboard in place while providing more room for mouse movements, while mini versions are best suited for mobile gaming or smaller desks. You can even get RGB-enabled mousepads to sync with your other peripherals and components to show off your personal style or match your favorite game’s aesthetics. I’ve gathered a list of the best gaming mouse pads available and broke down their features to help you find the one that best fits your budget and play style. Also: Best gaming mouse: Click, click, BOOM Also: Best gaming PC The Corsair MM800 RGB Polaris is an almost perfect mouse pad that is tailor-made for gamers. You can get it with either a woven-fabric or micro-textured hard surface for speed, precision, and control, and the non-slip base keeps everything right where it should be. The mouse pad measures about 14 x 10 inches, giving you plenty of space to move your mouse, so you won’t have to worry about messing up critical shots in online matches or missing tricky jumps in platformers. It features customizable RGB lighting and effects that work with Corsair’s iCUE software so you can show off your personal style or sync effects and colors to the rest of your Corsair RGB components and peripherals. It even has a USB passthrough for connecting your mouse or other wired components to free up ports on your tower. Pros:
Great surface areaFabric or plastic surfaceUSB passthrough
Cons:
May be too big for some desks5mm thickness may be uncomfortable for some users
If you have a Qi-enabled wireless mouse, you need the OMEN by HP Outpost mouse pad. It features a wireless charging pad that delivers up to 5W of power to keep your mouse powered up between raids and even to charge your phone or other Qi-enabled wireless peripherals in as little as 2.5 hours. The mouse pad itself features a reversible design so you can choose between soft-woven fabric and textured plastic to suit your playstyle. It also features customizable RGB lighting to sync with your other RGB components or show off your personal style. It even has a USB passthrough for connecting wired peripherals like headsets, keyboards, or microphones without needing to take up a port on your PC tower. Pros:
Reversible padQi chargingUSB passthrough
Cons:
OMEN Command Center app can be clunkyNo anti-slip feet
Also: Best gaming laptop For gamers who play fast and frenetic shooters or action platformers, the Razer Acari is an excellent choice for a mouse pad. The textured plastic surface provides enhanced tracking accuracy for both optic and laser mouse sensors than other Razer mousepads, and it is treated with an oleophobic coating so that oils from your hands don’t slow down your mouse. Its larger size also gives you plenty of real estate to make quick or broad swipes with your mouse when you need to quickly take aim or change direction while chasing down opponents. The mouse pad measures just shy of 2mm thin, allowing your desk to feel almost completely flat for improved comfort. Pros:
Perfect for shooters and action platformersOil and water-resistantGood size
Cons:
Thinness may not be to everyone’s likingNot great for gaming on-the-go
An extended mouse pad is great not only for using a mouse but also for keeping your keyboard and other peripherals in place. And the Asus ROG Scabbard II is a top-notch extended mouse pad. Asus teamed up with the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists to create a specialized, woven-fabric surface for the Scabbard II which resists water, oil, and dust as well as providing a military-grade nano-coating for consistent tracking response. The Scabbard II measures about 34 x 16 inches, making it big enough for your mouse, keyboard, arcade stick, and any other peripherals you need to play your favorite games. The edges feature specialized stitching to prevent fraying and layer separation so your mouse pad can stand up to years of use. It’s also only about 3mm thin, so you won’t have to worry about a bulky mouse pad hurting your wrist during longer play sessions. Pros:
Oil, water, and dust-resistantMilitary-grade coatingAnti-fray stitching
Cons:
Only one design schemeCan be damaged by hot liquids like coffee and tea
Not everyone has the luxury of a large desk for gaming, and if you prefer to play your favorite games on a laptop, you don’t need a huge mouse pad. Enter: the SteelSeries QCK Mini. It measures about 10 x 8 inches, making it perfect for smaller desks and travel; and the soft-woven fabric paired with the flexible non-slip rubber base make it easy to roll up and place in a backpack or laptop bag for gaming on-the-go. It’s also an exceptionally affordable mouse pad, retailing for just $7 so even the tightest of budgets have room for a quality mouse pad. Pros:
Good for small desks and travelGreat priceBasic, but still good quality
Cons:
No anti-fray stitchingNot water-resistant