How to find the perfect desk pad - A guide to the ideal desk pad

Author: Sebastian Bertram / Published: 02.02.2023

Clemens, founder and designer of Good Wilhelm

"Only with the right desk pad
the desk becomes your personal feel-good workplace"

"Only with the right desk pad
the desk becomes your personal feel-good workplace"

A desk pad is an essential accessory for any desk. It protects the tabletop from scratches and wear and tear while providing a smooth surface for writing and working.

• It protects your desk
  (no wear and tear and damage to the surface from the computer mouse, no spots from pressed pens)
• It provides a comfortable surface for hands and free forearms (especially on cool tabletops)
  
• She is a silent and reliable usher, ensuring that you are always optimally positioned in front of your desk
• It absorbs incident light, compensates for any unevenness in the table top
• It transforms a 0815 desk from the furniture furniture store into an exclusive piece of luxury furniture
• It calms the eye, frames the work surface and creates a tidy, feel-good ambience
• It guarantees practical slip resistance and mental stability

The material is one of the most important factors when choosing the perfect desk pad. A good material should be durable, hard-wearing and easy to clean. The idea of sustainability is becoming increasingly important (especially important to us!). In this guide, we focus in particular on the high-quality and sustainable materials leather, wool felt and linoleum.

Leather is a luxurious and elegant material that is ideal for desk pads. Especially when it is vegetable-tanned vachetta leather is involved.
It is durable and robust, and it is easy to maintain. A leather desk pad provides a comfortable surface for writing and working, and it can also help to make the desk look more stylish. Another advantage of leather is that it is a natural material that becomes even more beautiful over time as it develops a patina through frequent use.

However, one disadvantage of leather is that it is more expensive than other materials, and it can also be sensitive to moisture and heat. It is therefore important to treat a leather base from time to time with a moisturizing leather conditioner to ensure that it remains in good condition.

+ very precise working with the mouse possible
+ sustainable material (if vegetable tanned)
+ very durable and robust
+ warm material
+ stable material
+ no chemicals (if vegetable tanned)
+ animal material

Wool felt is a soft and comfortable material that is ideal for felt desk pads. It is particularly suitable for desks that are used frequently, as it is pleasant to touch and relieves pressure on the arm and wrists. Wool felt is also a natural material that adapts well to the shapes of the body, making it a comfortable choice for longer working hours. If you care about animal welfare (who doesn't!) make sure it's mulesing-free wool.

However, one disadvantage of wool felt is that it is more susceptible to stains and dirt than other materials. It is therefore important to clean a wool felt carpet pad regularly to ensure that it remains clean and hygienic. If a small stain occurs, it can usually be removed very easily with a damp cloth.
Anyone who has to work a lot with a mouse should know that computer mice on wool felt work technically, but moving the mouse is definitely more strenuous than on a smooth surface. If you work as a graphic designer or draughtsman, for example, you should probably choose a firmer desk pad or get an additional mouse pad that can be placed perfectly on the wool felt desk pad.

- Working with the mouse possible to a limited extent
+ Sustainable material (if mulesing-free)
+ durable
+ warm
+ soft
+ space-saving (can be easily rolled up)
+- animal material

When we ask our customers if they know linoleum, they always say immediately: "Yes, of course!" Who hasn't lived, studied or worked on linoleum floors at least once in their life? But nobody really knows exactly what linoleum is. Linoleum is a great, but somewhat forgotten material. Linoleum became popular as a fiber-reinforced floor covering, first developed in 1860. Basically, linoleum consists of linseed oil, cork flour, resins and jute fabric. Recently, it has also been successfully used to refine furniture.

Linoleum fell behind because it was gradually replaced as a floor covering by cheaper polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Many people even like to confuse the two materials.

And now, after its almost faded career as a flooring composition in rented apartments, linoleum is experiencing its second spring in interior design: as a desk carpet pad.

Linoleum is very robust, antistatic, resistant to fingerprints and easy to clean. It is easy to write on by hand, feels wonderful to the touch and has a pleasant smell - like most natural materials. Its high strength and smoothness make it perfect for any computer mouse. Linoleum is cheaper than our leather - and of course 100 percent vegan!

However, one tiny disadvantage of linoleum is that it is not as comfortable to touch as other materials such as leather or wool felt.

+ precise working with the mouse possible
+ ideal for writing on paper
+ sustainable
+ very durable
+ medium warm material
+ vegan

There are also desk pads made of polyurethane (PU) (polyurethane), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PET). These are very reasonably priced, very practical and sometimes look good at first glance. At first glance! When there are no scratches or signs of wear on them, no sweat stains, when everything is still nice and sleek - and unfortunately still smells intensely. Odor is the keyword when it comes to the clear disadvantages. Desk pads made from synthetic materials are very harmful to the environment - and often to people too. This is because some of them contain toxic plasticizers that can evaporate.

+ precise working with the mouse is possible
+ ideal for writing on paper
+ inexpensive
- usually short-lived
- not sustainable
- cold material
- a lot of chemistry

It is important that you choose the right size and shape for your desk pad. A pad that is too small will not provide enough protection and may even be annoying if you have to work on it. However, a pad that is too large can restrict the space on your desk. Choose a desk pad that is exactly the right size for your desk or a slightly larger pad that will fit on a larger surface.

• Do a first dry run: sit down at your desk with a tape measure and measure your individual range of motion.
• Ask yourself how you mainly want to use the desk pad: as a practical work surface or as a visual completion of your desk?
• Do you use a keyboard and mouse? Do you have a keyboard with a large, deep keypad or a narrower version? - Do you already love your desk as a pure piece of furniture, that should only be discreetly covered?
• Or do you really want to cover as much of cover as much of your desk as possible?

The color choice of your desk pad is also important as it will affect the appearance of your workspace. A neutral color such as brown or black is best as it will match any interior style.