How to Choose a Desk Mat Size

For most desks, the right desk mat is 31 to 36 inches wide and 12 to 16 inches deep (about 80 to 90 cm by 30 to 40 cm). That size fits a full-size keyboard and a mouse side by side. Go smaller if you only want a pad under your keyboard, and go bigger only if you want the mat to cover most of the desk. Size the mat to what sits on it, not to the whole desk.

What Size Desk Mat Do You Need for a Keyboard and Mouse?

A mat of 31.5 by 15.7 inches (80 by 40 cm) fits a full-size keyboard and a mouse side by side on most desks.

A full-size keyboard with a number pad is about 17 to 18 inches wide. A tenkeyless board, which drops the number pad, is closer to 14 inches, and a compact 60 or 65 percent board is 11 to 12.5 inches. Add room for your mouse to the right: the width of a sheet of letter paper (8.5 inches) covers most people. Leave more if you game at a low mouse sensitivity and sweep your whole arm.

The most common store sizes are 31.5 x 15.7 inches (80 x 40 cm) and 35.4 x 15.7 inches (90 x 40 cm), with extended or XXL mats from about 39 inches wide. Choose 90 x 40 cm or wider if a notebook or laptop also goes on the mat.

How Do You Measure Your Desk for a Mat?

Measure your keyboard and mouse area first, then your desk's width and usable depth, and leave a few inches of bare desk around the mat.

1. Add your keyboard's width to your mouse space. This is your minimum mat width.
2. Measure from the front edge of the desk to the back of your keyboard, then add a few inches. This is your minimum depth, usually 12 to 16 inches.
3. Measure the depth left in front of your monitor stand, monitor arm clamp or desk shelf. This is your maximum depth.
4. Take 2 to 4 inches per side off the desk's width if you want a border of desk to show. This is your maximum width.
5. Pick a mat between the two. If two sizes fit, choose the one that keeps your mouse on the mat at the end of a normal swipe.

On a standing desk, keep cables clear of the mat's edges so nothing tugs on it as the desk moves.

Desk Mat Size Chart for Common Desk Widths

Keyboard-and-mouse mats of 31 to 36 inches suit desks 47 inches and wider; full-desk mats should be 4 to 8 inches narrower than the desk.

The chart uses the three tabletop sizes of the Nimble, Terra and Wildwood desks, which are all 29 inches deep.

Desk top (W x D)	Keyboard only	Keyboard and mouse	Full desk
47" x 29" (119 x 74 cm)	18" to 24" wide, 8" to 12" deep	31.5" to 36" wide, 12" to 16" deep	39" to 43" wide, 20" to 24" deep
59" x 29" (150 x 74 cm)	18" to 24" wide, 8" to 12" deep	31.5" to 40" wide, 12" to 16" deep	51" to 55" wide, 20" to 24" deep
71" x 29" (180 x 74 cm)	18" to 24" wide, 8" to 12" deep	31.5" to 40" wide, 12" to 16" deep	63" to 67" wide, 20" to 24" deep

Full-desk depth stops at 24 inches (61 cm) so a monitor stand or arm clamp still has bare desk at the back of a 29-inch top. On an L-shaped desk like the Grove, whose tops are 41.3 and 70.9 inches long, size the mat for the side where you type.

All three widths are available on the Nimble, Terra and Wildwood in our electric standing desks collection, and our guide on how to choose a standing desk covers desk size in more detail.

Should a Desk Mat Cover the Whole Desk?

Most desks do not need a full-desk mat. A keyboard-and-mouse mat protects the area you use most and leaves the rest of your desktop visible.

A full-desk mat makes sense if you write or sketch across the whole surface, or want to hide marks on an older desk. The trade-off is that it covers the top you paid for. A wood top, like the solid wood on the Wildwood or the recycled chopstick top on the Terra, looks better with a smaller mat that leaves the grain on show.

Desk Mat vs Standing Mat: What Is the Difference?

A desk mat protects your desktop under the keyboard and mouse. A standing mat sits on the floor and cushions your feet as you stand.

They solve different problems, and many standing desk users own both. The effydesk Standing Mat comes in Standard, 32 x 20 inches (81 x 51 cm), for $65, and Large, 39 x 20 inches (99 x 51 cm), for $80. Both are 0.79 inches (2 cm) thick with a high-density, phthalate-free foam core and bevelled edges.

Pick a standing mat by how you move. The Standard suits standing in one spot, and the Large gives you room to shift your weight from side to side. Check that it does not block your chair when you sit back down. Chair mats, which protect the floor under a rolling office chair, are a third, separate product.

Will the effydesk Desk Pad Fit Your Desk?

Yes, on most desks. The Desk Pad measures 31.5 x 15.7 inches (80 x 40 cm), a common size for a keyboard and mouse.

The effydesk Desk Pad is 0.1 inches (about 2.5 mm) thick, made of vegan leather with a non-slip backing, and comes in Coal Black or Coffee Brown for $55. On a 47-inch desk it leaves about 7.75 inches of bare desk on each side; on a 71-inch desk, almost 20 inches.

The smooth surface works for writing as well as mouse use, the backing keeps it from sliding when you raise or lower your desk, and it wipes clean with a warm, damp cloth. You can compare it with the Standing Mat in our desk mats collection.

Desk Mat Size FAQs

How big is a 90 x 40 cm desk mat in inches?

A 90 x 40 cm desk mat is about 35.4 x 15.7 inches. It is roughly 4 inches wider than an 80 x 40 cm mat and the same depth, so it suits desks 47 inches and wider.

Is a desk mat the same as a desk pad?

Mostly, yes. Stores use desk mat, desk pad and desk blotter for the same thing: a cover that sits on the desktop. Some brands save desk pad for leather writing surfaces and desk mat for cloth or felt, but the sizing advice is the same.

Does a desk mat stay in place on a standing desk?

A mat with a non-slip backing stays put as the desk moves up and down. Keep cables away from its edges so nothing pulls on the mat when the desk changes height.

What size desk mat do I need for a laptop and a keyboard?

If the laptop sits on the mat behind your keyboard, choose a mat at least 16 inches (40 cm) deep so the laptop stays on the surface. If it sits beside the keyboard, go 35 inches (90 cm) wide or more. With the laptop on a stand, a 31.5-inch (80 cm) mat is enough.