The best gaming mouse pad in 2023

The best gaming PCs usually have flashy lights, powerful processors, and advanced graphics. But to put together a truly ultimate gaming battlestation, you shouldn’t skimp on the smaller details, like a good mouse pad. And if you’re on the hunt for the best gaming mouse pad you can buy, there are a few things you should look for.

The best gaming mouse pads are made with strong materials, have smooth surfaces to allow quick movement, and might even include RGB lights or extra features like wireless charging. And although they range in price, you can score a quality pad without draining your bank account. This gives you a bigger budget to put towards other gaming accessories, like one of our picks for the best gaming mouse, best PC controller for gaming, or best gaming headsets.

Here are 16 of our favorite gaming mouse pads, along with some tips for picking the best one.

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• SteelSeries’ QcK Prism comes in four different sizes, and features customizable RGB lighting.

• The standard QcK pad doesn’t have RGB lights, but it’s still made from fine microfiber cloth.

• This Cordura mouse pad is treated with a waterproof coating and it has stitching around the edges to prevent peeling.

• Razer’s Firefly V2 has customizable lighting, a built-in cable manager, and a non-slip rubber base.

• The MM800 Polaris has a hard plastic surface, RGB lighting, and an extra USB port to plug your mouse into.

• The Omen Outpost combines a great RGB mouse pad with a handy 5W Qi-certified wireless charging mat and a built-in USB port.

• The Zowie G-SR is a large cloth mouse pad that’s got a stabilizing rubber base.

• This pad is designed for Logitech G mouses, but with a low-friction surface and rigid rubber base, it’s sure to work with any gaming mouse.

• The MM200 is a simple, comfortable mouse pad. It has a smooth cloth surface that cuts down on friction to let you move faster.

• A favorite among Razer fans, the Sphex V3 is an extremely thin but sturdy plastic mat with an adhesive surface so it stays put on your desk.

• This Razer mouse pad comes in two sizes with a hard but flexible surface, and it’s treated with a water-resistant material to prevent damage.

• As one of the largest mouse pads out there, the BX04 is made with flexible and waterproof cloth, and the edges are lined with adjustable RGB lights.

• The HyperX Fury S comes in two different sizes, and they both have a smooth cloth surface. With stitching on the edges to prevent fraying, it’s also durable.

• The Sense Aimo has a flexible cloth surface that’s great for both low- and high-DPI mouses. It comes in two different sizes, both of which feature RGB lighting.

• The Glorious Mouse Mat comes in more sizes than most mouse pads. It’s also got an anti-fraying border, and it’s machine washable.

• For $10, you get a smooth cloth pad that accurately tracks any mouse, and includes a stable foam-rubber base.

FAQs

Why do I need a gaming mouse pad?

Having a mouse pad — whether it’s intended for gaming or not — is good practice in general. Mouse pads help make your cursor movements more accurate and give you a more comfortable spot to rest your wrist, as well as prevent your mouse and desk from scratching each other up.

However, whether you truly need an actual gaming mouse pad or not really comes down to how big of a gamer you are. The best mouse pads for gaming are designed for hardcore players that need a very specific kind of cursor control, or want another RGB-enabled accessory to fit their setup’s aesthetic. Some also come with bonus accessories, like the Omen Outpost and its wireless charging pad, or anti-slip grips.

But if you’re just a casual gamer and you already have a mouse pad, chances are that it’s already good enough for what you need.

What size mouse pad should I buy?

Gaming mouse pads tend to come in a few different shapes and sizes. Most gamers will be fine with a standard mouse pad, which are slightly rectangular in shape and have a size of about 10-to-20 x 10-to-16 inches.

That said, large mouse pads — which are usually big enough to hold your mouse, keyboard, and even monitor — can be incredibly convenient. The increased surface area means you can make wider and longer mouse movements, which is great if you’re playing with low DPI, or drawing with your mouse.

How do RGB mouse pads work?

RGB mouse pads have lights embedded around the edges, and will glow softly or brightly as you play. To power the lights, you’ll need to plug the mouse pad into one of your computer’s USB ports.

If your RGB mouse pad comes from a major brand like Razer or Corsair, chances are that you can customize the lights using software on your computer. If the brand doesn’t offer software, check the mouse pad for a button you can press to change the lighting setup.