Whether you are using a computer for your work or for gaming, you want to have the best user experience. Some people might not agree, but mouse pads can add to that amazing experience by delivering the right combination of comfort and performance.
When you go shopping for a mouse pad, you see that they are available in many sizes from extra small to extra large. So, which size is best for your specific computing needs?
Today, we’re going to talk about mouse pads, if small mouse pads are bad or not, along with providing you with a complete mouse pad size guide and the pros and cons of each size. Therefore, you can efficiently and effectively choose the one you like.
So, let’s get started with this guide.
Table of Contents
Are Small Mouse Pads Bad?
Well, small mouse pads aren’t technically bad if they’re what you’re looking for. When it comes to usage, small mouse pads are also usable and offer quite a decent experience as long as you’re using a mouse over them in their vicinity and within their capabilities.
How so? You might be wondering. Well, small mouse pads are good if you’re a casual web surfer or a computer user who doesn’t stay stuck to the screen for work-related or gaming purposes all the time. This means that as long as your requirement isn’t excessive precision, speed, and accuracy with the mouse, you’re going to be good with a small mouse pad.
However, small mouse pads end up becoming the enemy when you’re looking at more advanced mouse usage types. For example, if you’re playing a multiplayer FPS, then you’re definitely going to have difficulty swiping your aim and the mouse falling off the mouse pad at times. So, make sure when you buy a small mouse pad, you buy one that suits your needs. Only then will the mouse pad be good for your computer setup.
Mouse Pad Size Guide
Thinking about getting your own mouse pad? Well, if you’re investing a decent amount of money into getting one, you should first make sure what your needs are and which sized mouse pad would work the best for you. So, let’s take a look at the different mouse pad sizes available in the market and how they differ from each other.
Small Mouse Pads
With a size of 260mm x 215mm or 10.2in x 8.5in, small mouse pads are rectangular pieces of material that you can place on your computer desk to use your mouse. If you’ve got a small desk, placing a small mouse pad on it would save space and increase comfort and performance as well.
Small pads are ideal for casual computer usage, document scrolling, dragging and dropping, as well as web surfing. If you don’t have any kind of professional or gaming usage requirements for your computer mouse, then getting a small mouse pad would be ideal for you.
This is the smallest size you can get for a mouse pad on the market. A lot of offices tend to have small pads on their desks if the requirement isn’t precision and large tracking space. So, ultimately, small mouse pads are useful as long as their use is limited to casual computer usage.
Pros
- Small Space Requirement – No matter how small your computer desk might be, this mouse pad size will fit and ensure that you have a comfortable mouse usage experience.
- Compact yet Comfortable – Even though the design of small-sized pads isn’t too thick and big, the comfort factor is still there, so you can have a good experience with them.
- Great for Casual Usage – If you’ve got simple casual computer usage on your mind, then you’re going to face little to no problems with a small mouse pad.
Cons
Let’s take a look at some of the problems small mouse pads tend to create.
- Not good for professional use – Frankly speaking, small mouse pads aren’t ideal for professional or gaming usage because of the small form factor and surface area.
- Less Design Options – Since there isn’t a lot of space to work on, there are lesser design options when it comes to small sized mouse pads which isn’t great either.
Medium Mouse Pads
Medium-sized pads for the mouse are bigger than small ones, naturally. The typical dimensions of medium mouse pads are somewhere between 350mm and 270mm or 13.8in x 10.6in. These mouse pads cover a fairly larger area than what is covered with the help of small mouse pads.
When it comes to medium mouse pads, they tend to be great for office and professional work usually. If you’re building a home office space and you’ve got a medium-sized computer desk, then getting a complementary medium-sized mouse pad won’t be a bad decision if you want a decent computer usage experience.
Pros
Let’s check out some of the pros this size brings with it.
- Very Comfortable – When it comes to overall comfort, medium-sized mouse pads are known to be soft and thicker as compared to smaller ones.
- Good for Office Work – If you’re doing regular or professional office work, with a medium mouse pad, you’ll have the movement freedom and comfort that will help you a great deal.
- Design Choices – Since the size of these mouse pads is bigger, you can expect them to have many design choices to pick from as well.
Cons
Here are some of the cons of getting medium-sized mouse pads:
- Not for Gaming – One of the problems that these mouse pads have is the fact that they still don’t allow enough space for gaming needs.
- Small Desks might suffer – If you’ve placed your computer on a small desk, then the medium mouse pad is going to take more space than you’re willing to give which isn’t ideal for you.
Large mouse pads come with dimensions that are 450mm x 400mm or if we talk in inches, 17.7in x 15.7in, so the size difference is truly massive in comparison to medium and small mouse pads which means you’re also going to have to clear out a bunch of desk space for your large mouse pad.
Large Mouse Pads
They do require a lot of space but the thing about large mouse pads is that they come with their own added benefits like a lot of space for moving the mouse which makes them great for multiple uses and the comfort and performance combination definitely makes the overall experience pretty great.
Pros
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of this size.
- Great for Multiple Uses – Whether you’re looking to use this mouse pad for casual surfing, browsing the web, working, or even lightly gaming, you’re going to have a good time.
- Very Comfortable – Large mouse pads are known to offer much more comfort than small or medium ones.
- Great Visual Aesthetics – Large mouse pads tend to look better on your computer desk as there are a lot of design options you can choose from to match your setup.
Cons
Here are some difficulties you might face with large mouse pads.
- Require a lot of space – When it comes to space requirements, large mouse pads will need a bunch of the desk space you’ve got, which might not be ideal.
- On the expensive side – If we take a look at the price of these mouse pads, they’re on the more expensive side.
Extended Mouse Pads
Finally, we’ve got extended mouse pads, which are the biggest ones in terms of mouse pad sizes available in the market. The size dimensions of extended mouse pads are usually 900mm x 400mm or 35in x 15.7in. You’re going to need quite a lot of space for this size of a mouse pad.
You can consider extended mouse pads basically twice as wide as large mouse pads. So, there is a lot more moving space, and that is perfect for having a great experience as well as doing activities like casual computer usage, professional work, or even proper gaming. So, you can definitely think of getting them if you want to.
Pros
Here are some of the pros of this size;
- A lot of moving space – The best thing about extended mouse pads is that there is all the space that you need for your mouse tracking and moving around.
- Tons of Designs – Extended mouse pads are known to be the best in terms of designs and color choices, ensuring that your setup looks as crisp and clean as it can.
- Best Experience – When it comes to the perfect combination of high performance and comfort, the extended mouse pads are known to offer the best experience due to their size and capabilities usually.
Cons
- Expensive – The only problem with extended mouse pads is that they’re much more expensive than any other mouse pad sizes as they’re much better than the other sizes as well.
Which One Should You Get?
Now that you’ve learned the right amount about all the different sizes of mouse pads available on the market, it is time you must be thinking, well, which one should I get for myself? For that, you need to ensure your computer usage requirements along with other factors. Keeping the following factors in mind, you can decide which mouse pad you should get for yourself.
- Wired or Wireless Mouse – A very important thing to consider when you’re choosing a mouse pad is taking into account the connectivity it offers. If the mouse you have is wireless, then choosing a light-colored mouse pad that is larger in size would help conserve its battery because of less reflection and tracker confusion. For wired mice, a medium-size would be good.
- Professional or Gaming Needs – If you’re using a mouse pad for professional work-related computer usage, then definitely going for a medium or large-sized mouse pad would be good but for gaming, you’re going to need a lot of space, and that’s why getting an extended one would prove to be better for you.
- Comfort or Performance Priority – If you’re looking for more comfort than performance, then you’re going to want to choose a mouse pad that is small but thicker in size, but if performance is what you’re looking for, then a less thick, but larger in terms of overall size mouse pad would work wonders for you since there will be more movement and tracking space to explore.
- Desk Space – Dealing with a desk space issue: Well, that’s no reason to not use a mouse pad. With the help of a small mouse pad, you’re going to easily be able to deal with that issue without a problem. But, if desk space isn’t an issue, then getting a larger mouse pad or an extended one would actually suit you better and would also fill up the table quite well, so you should go for that.
- Computer Setup Aesthetics – If you’re someone who has a lot of interest in making sure their computer setup looks clean and crisp with the right peripherals and designs that match each other, then you’re going to want to get an extended mouse pad because they come with a lot of different designs.
However, if that’s not the case, then you can get pretty much any size of mouse pad you want as long as it works well for your cause.
Conclusion
With the right mouse pad, you’ll be able to make your mouse track smoothly, conserve its life by keeping it out of dust reach and get a comfortable user experience due to the softness and the ergonomic capabilities of the mouse pad you’re getting.
So, without a doubt, make sure you pick and choose the one whose size suits your computer setup the best. I hope you learned a lot from this article and that you’re going to have a great experience with your mouse pad. May you have a good day ahead of you!