The size
There is only one size. The question is no longer which to choose, but whether it fits — and two measurements are enough to know.
1. Measure your desk first
This is the one measurement that does not forgive. A mat wider than the desk overhangs, curls at the edge and wears out within months. Take the usable width — what is left once the screen stand is in place — and take two or three centimetres off each side.
Depth matters less, but it decides how comfortable your wrist will be. On a 60 cm deep desk, a 40 cm mat still leaves room for the screen behind it. Below 55 cm of desk, take 30 cm of depth.
2. Look at your keyboard
It is the thing that takes up the room. Here are the three common widths, and the size that goes with each.
| Keyboard | Width | Suggested size |
|---|---|---|
| Full-size keyboardwith numeric pad, known as "100 %" | ≈ 44 cm | About 36 cm to the right for the mouse. |
| Keyboard without numeric padknown as "TKL" or "80 %" | ≈ 36 cm | About 44 cm to the right: plenty to play with. |
| Compact keyboardknown as "65 %" or "60 %" | ≈ 29 to 32 cm | Nearly 50 cm to the right, and room for a notebook. |
3. Leave room for the mouse
A mouse is about a dozen centimetres long, but that is not what counts: what counts is the distance it travels. At low sensitivity — under 800 DPI, as many shooter players use — a full sweep needs 20 to 25 cm of travel. At common sensitivity, 12 to 15 cm is enough.
Add it up: keyboard width, plus mouse travel, plus two or three centimetres of margin. If the total goes beyond 56 cm, take the large size.
The size, plainly
- 800 × 400 × 3 mm
- A full keyboard, a mouse at low sensitivity, and room for an open notebook beside it. It is the only size the house keeps in stock, and the one in every photograph on this site. Best on desks at least 90 cm wide.
- 3 mm thick
- Enough that your wrist does not catch on the edge, little enough that the keyboard does not sit a storey higher. The rubber base grips the desk, including varnished wood and glass.
And if it is too big?
On a desk under 90 cm it will run edge to edge. That is not a fault of the size, it is a question of desk — and there is no intermediate size left to fall back on. Better to know before ordering than after: this is advice against the sale, but an object that overhangs ends up being returned.