Looking for a long mousepad... for my keyboard.

BoredErica · Apr 30, 2015

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a mousepad that is approximately... 20 inches width. I'm not 100% how long it needs to be yet, but I know 20 inches... around there give or take. It needs to be long enough for my TKL keyboard to sit on top of it, and have my mouse sitting on top of it with some room for the mouse to move. The mouse should stick to my desk... My Steelseries cloth pad keeps moving after extended use. Slidey slidey! I'm hoping for something a bit understated. I don't want giant logos everywhere.

There's actually a specific reason why I am looking for such a long mousepad. When I type on my keyboard, some of the vibrations are transferred over to the desk itself, altering the sound signature of my typing. You can test this by typing on the keyboard normally, then inserting a towel (or 2, or 3, or 4 if you are crazy) under the keyboard and typing again. The sound definitely changes. The extra vibration transferred over to the desk can be picked up by a Blue Yeti without a shock mount. The differences are VERY obvious when recorded that way.

So, I'm looking for a mousepad that will hopefully be able to dampen the vibrations as it travels toward my desk. Maybe a thicker mousepad will help with that. I'm not sure what materials absorb vibrations better. A quarter inch thick towel is more than enough to make a large difference in the typing sound and is adequate for my needs.

However, I could always try "The Towel Mod", where I just use a towel and snip it to size. Aesthetically though, it sucks.

Oh yeah... if the mousepad is too large on the x or y axis, I can just snip it with scissors, right? Or will that make the mousepad look very odd on the edges.

My mouse is an original Razer Abyssus.

Checklist:

-Long mouse pad, ~20 inches in length

-Minimal logos

-Preferably quarter inch thick?

-Not a very hard surface, otherwise vibration absorption won't be the best.

-Won't slip around the desk.'

Exploring my options here.

TwoCables · Apr 30, 2015

If no such mouse pad or pad exists, then use a towel and just keep the underneath side of the mousepad clean. That's why it slides; it's dust.

Mych · Apr 30, 2015

Searching with "gaming" and "deskpad" should work. Can't give opinions on them though.

mAs81 · Apr 30, 2015

I'm using Corsair's MM200 Gaming Mouse Mat — Extended Edition , and have no problems - but I don't know if it suits your taste

KaffieneKing · Apr 30, 2015

Not quite as thick as you wanted but I like mine http://mionix.net/surface/sargas-900/

Scorpii · Apr 30, 2015

Not sure if it's available in the US (or even in the UK anymore), but I got a Boogie Bug AimB XL which I think is what you're after:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boogie-AIMBPADXL-Mouse-Size-Black/dp/B00715DDZ6

Picture (not my desk!): http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww174/alexhull24/100_3457.jpg

So things like what you want do exist. I'm very happy with mine, it's a big smooth cloth surface for my keyboard and mouse.

I'm sure there must be similar products available still... On the Amazon UK page I linked to there are links to quite a few alternatives, although I can't vouch for how good they are or if they're available in the US

EDIT: See the posts above me have suggested alternatives already

beatfried · Apr 30, 2015

how about this one?
http://www.com-tra.de/shop/de_DE/produkt/lID_is_88988_and_Corepad_DESKPAD_Stoff-MousePad_XXXXL__4XL_schwarz.html

BoredErica · Apr 30, 2015

I've been thinking... what if I get a long mousepad, but under the area where the keyboard sits, I put in some shelf liner on top of the mouse pad?

I read that a few guys did this on Geekhack and said it helped. Putting the shelf liner on top of the mouse pad itself means the result will be thicker than just the mouse pad, meaning the mouse pad itself no longer has to be very thick. On the other hand, the thicker the mouse pad is, the worse the ergonomics are for the keyboard. I have decided that a quarter inch increase in height is acceptable.

Do you think applying a little bit of adhesive to some areas under the mouse pad will work? Or is that just stupid for long term use?

I read that the harder the mouse pad, the worse the vibration dampening will be. If it's a really hard rubber mat, it won't help that much. A towel is great because it's soft. It's sorta hard to tell how well a particular mousepad (or mousepads in general) will work just by staring at it through a computer screen though.

It's not too hard to find a large mousepad through Google, I'm hoping that somebody has tried at least one of them and can give their user experience. Can mouse pads really differ in terms of how easily they slide around?

I saw this suggested on Geekhack: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826991001

Approx ~82% of all ratings for this mousepad on Amazon/Newegg are 5/5.

There are some durability concerns from some of the comments, but it still has 5 egg rating... so...

If I wanted to get super serious, I could just buy all the suggested mousepad and have a mousepad face-off.

Quote:

Originally Posted by beatfried

how about this one?
http://www.com-tra.de/shop/de_DE/produkt/lID_is_88988_and_Corepad_DESKPAD_Stoff-MousePad_XXXXL__4XL_schwarz.html

Beatfried, your mouse pad I could only find out of stock on Newegg, or a version on Amazon that has too graphics on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorpii

Not sure if it's available in the US (or even in the UK anymore), but I got a Boogie Bug AimB XL which I think is what you're after:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boogie-AIMBPADXL-Mouse-Size-Black/dp/B00715DDZ6

Picture (not my desk!): http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww174/alexhull24/100_3457.jpg

So things like what you want do exist. I'm very happy with mine, it's a big smooth cloth surface for my keyboard and mouse.

I'm sure there must be similar products available still... On the Amazon UK page I linked to there are links to quite a few alternatives, although I can't vouch for how good they are or if they're available in the US

EDIT: See the posts above me have suggested alternatives already

Yeah, can't find the Boogie in the US from my searches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaffieneKing

Not quite as thick as you wanted but I like mine http://mionix.net/surface/sargas-900/

Hmm... 4/5 rating on Newegg and Amazon, some issues regarding longevity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mAs81

I'm using Corsair's MM200 Gaming Mouse Mat - Extended Edition , and have no problems - but I don't know if it suits your taste

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826988037

This one? It's like $80.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

If no such mouse pad or pad exists, then use a towel and just keep the underneath side of the mousepad clean. That's why it slides; it's dust.

I think aesthetically... one long mouse pad is the best... But if I take a towel and I cut it precisely, I can make it so that I can barely see the towel from where my eyes are. It'll look much cleaner than just getting a towel I randomly find which is too longer in x and y axis

TwoCables · Apr 30, 2015

The cleaner you keep the bottom of the mouse pad (and the surface that the pad is on), the better the pad's grip on the surface will be. One of culprits of a pad's loss of grip over time is dust and other dirt and debris and hair, etc. This is why the little rubber pads on a keyboard are no longer grippy after a while; they need to be cleaned, and so does the surface that they're on.

So, that grippy shelf liner could end up losing its grip over time as well due to dust and whatnot.

KaffieneKing · Apr 30, 2015

Well I own that mousepad and its great, I just wish I had 2 so I had one for my parents house and one for uni! It covers the area of my TKL keyboard and with ample room for a mouse to work.

BoredErica · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

The cleaner you keep the bottom of the mouse pad (and the surface that the pad is on), the better the pad's grip on the surface will be. One of culprits of a pad's loss of grip over time is dust and other dirt and debris and hair, etc. This is why the little rubber pads on a keyboard are no longer grippy after a while; they need to be cleaned, and so does the surface that they're on.

So, that grippy shelf liner could end up losing its grip over time as well due to dust and whatnot.

I don't understand how dust actually gets under it in the first place. If the pad grips the desk really well and doesn't move, and if I cleaned the surface under the mouse pad before first putting the mouse pad on, how does dust actually get in?

I guess at the start the grip is good but not absolute, so it lets just a tiny bit of dust in, and then with a little dust it gets easier, etc etc.

I just washed my mouse pad, I hope to see a noticeable improvement in grippiness. It has to dry first though and that will take some time.

If dust is such a problem then the shelf liner idea could be a problem because now we have two things that can slide around... the mouse pad and the shelf liner. Well, maybe it's not so bad because the keyboard doesn't move. The new keyboard could very well be over 5 pounds. It is a very heavy object, it's not going to slide around due to weight alone. The shelf liner isn't going anywhere ( I think? ) if I can barely even move it around with my hands. The mouse pad, well, my mouse is moving all over the mouse pad all day, so it needs more grip to stay still. Do you think my ideas make sense?

And by extension, if the keyboard is very heavy, not only will it weigh down and pin the shelf liner in place, it will also pin the mouse pad in place. This might prevent the mouse pad from moving at all despite the fact that it might have some dust and my mouse will be doing all sorts of backflips on the right hand side of the keyboard on the same mouse pad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaffieneKing

Well I own that mousepad and its great, I just wish I had 2 so I had one for my parents house and one for uni! It covers the area of my TKL keyboard and with ample room for a mouse to work.

Would you say the mouse pad is soft or hard?

TwoCables · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

I don't understand how dust actually gets under it in the first place. If the pad grips the desk really well and doesn't move, and if I cleaned the surface under the mouse pad before first putting the mouse pad on, how does dust actually get in?

I guess at the start the grip is good but not absolute, so it lets just a tiny bit of dust in, and then with a little dust it gets easier, etc etc.

I just washed my mouse pad, I hope to see a noticeable improvement in grippiness. It has to dry first though and that will take some time.

If dust is such a problem then the shelf liner idea could be a problem because now we have two things that can slide around... the mouse pad and the shelf liner. Well, maybe it's not so bad because the keyboard doesn't move. The new keyboard could very well be over 5 pounds. It is a very heavy object, it's not going to slide around due to weight alone. The shelf liner isn't going anywhere ( I think? ) if I can barely even move it around with my hands. The mouse pad, well, my mouse is moving all over the mouse pad all day, so it needs more grip to stay still. Do you think my ideas make sense?

And by extension, if the keyboard is very heavy, not only will it weigh down and pin the shelf liner in place, it will also pin the mouse pad in place. This might prevent the mouse pad from moving at all despite the fact that it might have some dust and my mouse will be doing all sorts of backflips on the right hand side of the keyboard on the same mouse pad.

Would you say the mouse pad is soft or hard?

Rubber on rubber would probably require a disgustingly large amount of dust to reduce the friction enough to become a problem. The problem is when you have rubber on a surface that has almost no friction, like a desk. If the surface and the rubber are both super clean, then the friction is going to be at its best. The more and more dust and whatnot that gets between the rubber and the desk, the less friction there is (for obvious reasons, I guess).

Dust gets in when the mouse pad moves (or when you move it, or readjust it) or any time you might lift it for a split second. Over time, dust accumulates underneath and if you let it go for a couple of years and then turn the pad over, you would see a noticeable 'ring" of dust around the edge with the center being darker than the edges.

So, dust lands on the area around the mousepad and this presents an opportunity for the mousepad to "eat" this dust by trapping it underneath.

One thing you could do is, you could literally glue the pad to the desk.

Of course, then you'd have a bit of frustration when you want to change to a different pad. hehe

KaffieneKing · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Would you say the mouse pad is soft or hard?

Its made of rubber but is only 3mm thick with a nice cloth material (cotton?) on top, so it will make your desk surface softer but I wouldn't describe it as soft, if that makes sense? Also I have never noticed it sliding excessively.

Just looked on Amazon.com maybe this?

Looks pretty similar, rubber bottom to prevent slipping, and it has the sides stitched so you wont have to worry about wear as much.

BoredErica · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

Rubber on rubber would probably require a disgustingly large amount of dust to reduce the friction enough to become a problem. The problem is when you have rubber on a surface that has almost no friction, like a desk.

Dust gets in when the mouse pad moves (or when you move it, or readjust it) or any time you might lift it for a split second. Overtime, dust accumulates underneath and if you let it go for a couple of years and then turn the pad over, you would see a noticeable 'ring" of dust around the edge with the center being darker than the edges.

So, dust lands on the area around the mousepad and this presents an opportunity for the mousepad to "eat" this dust by trapping it underneath.

One thing you could do is, you could literally glue the pad to the desk. Of course, then you'd have a bit of frustration when you want to change to a different pad. hehe

I might actually clue the damned thing onto my desk if I decide that whatever setup I'm using works very well for me.

(Don't want to try new mousepads only to remember I already have one bolted onto my desk, lol.)

My mousepad isn't really that dusty. There were some visible bits of dust on the lower right hand corner of it though. Right now I'm using the mouse on the desk itself, and it's working just fine. Too bad the mousepad isn't really for the mouse.

Maybe it makes more sense to ditch the mouse pad entirely... Mouse on table action, keyboard on shelf liner action? Now I think about it, if I get a towel of the right color and cut it precisely, I think it won't look too shabby. I'm not 100% sure on the vibration reduction of a mousepad, but I do know I am satisfied with a regular towel. (It's not really feasible to test what the keyboard would sound like using a long mousepad with a small mousepad.)

iceskeleton · Apr 30, 2015

Guess there is the XL hyperx mouse pad
http://www.kingston.com/en/hyperx/mouse-pad#mpfp
but that isn't as thick as you would like it to be, only 3-4 mm thick and 420mm x 900mm in size

itskerby · Apr 30, 2015

I had a need for a keyboard + mouse mousepad a few years ago, I landed on the Razer Goliathus Extended - Speed Edition. It's 36" x 11" x 0.2".

Though it looks like they may have redone the design on the mousepad, the older one that I have is much more understated. That said, it's plenty long enough to seat my keyboard (which is a full length 105 key) and mouse with plenty of travel room. It's a very soft finish and the edges are stitched very thick and tight, I'm going on 3 years with this mousepad with no signs of wear.

Another option I came across while looking up the product is this: Glorious Extended Gaming Mouse Mat. I don't have any experience with this one, but it's completely black, so might match your desired aesthetic better than the Razer. 36" x 11" x 0.12" (so a bit thinner), they also have an even bigger size that's 36" x 18".

EDIT: Completely missed one of your points, but my keyboard (Filco Majestouch 2 - MX Brown) has zero wobble or travel on the mousepad, and the keystrokes do not resonate through the desk anymore.

Slink3Slyde · Apr 30, 2015

I'd suggest the Roccat Taito Kingsize it's 455mm, thats a bit short of 20 inches I know but should be plenty long enough for a TKL, its available at 5mm thick which is a bit under 1/4 inch. I've had the Mid size version for nearly 2 years and there's no fraying at the edges, nor does it move on the desk at all very easily.

http://www.amazon.com/ROCCAT-TAITO-King-Size-Gaming-Mousepad/dp/B006P0ISG2

TwoCables · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

I might actually clue the damned thing onto my desk if I decide that whatever setup I'm using works very well for me.

(Don't want to try new mousepads only to remember I already have one bolted onto my desk, lol.)

lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

My mousepad isn't really that dusty. There were some visible bits of dust on the lower right hand corner of it though. Right now I'm using the mouse on the desk itself, and it's working just fine. Too bad the mousepad isn't really for the mouse.

The dust doesn't have to be all that visible because it becomes an extremely fine powder. I've been "studying" this for many years now, and I've learned that the cleaner I keep my pad, the better its grip is. Of course, I also have to keep my keyboard tray clean and I should also vacuum the floor a couple of times per week and also keep my bedding clean in order to avoid kicking up too much dust. Dust comes from the floor, carpet, bedding, cloth upholstery and cloth curtains or drapes. Of course, it also comes from your clothing. The vast majority of all dust though comes from human skin: it's mostly made up of dead skin. Seriously. Dust to dust, remember? That's why we say it that way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Maybe it makes more sense to ditch the mouse pad entirely... Mouse on table action, keyboard on shelf liner action? Now I think about it, if I get a towel of the right color and cut it precisely, I think it won't look too shabby. I'm not 100% sure on the vibration reduction of a mousepad, but I do know I am satisfied with a regular towel. (It's not really feasible to test what the keyboard would sound like using a long mousepad with a small mousepad.)

I think that a towel would perform far better than a keyboard pad because a pad is much denser. The denser the thing is that you have your keyboard on, the easier it will be for the vibrations to transfer to the desk. So, what you could do is, put down some super-grippy shelf-liner and put a thickly-folded towel on it (the more layers of towel there are on top of each other, the better the isolation will be).

Of course, you could just put your mic on a boom mic stand, or even rig it to hang from the ceiling. hehe

BoredErica · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

The dust doesn't have to be all that visible because it becomes an extremely fine powder. I've been "studying" this for many years now, and I've learned that the cleaner I keep my pad, the better its grip is. Of course, I also have to keep my keyboard tray clean and I should also vacuum the floor a couple of times per week and also keep my bedding clean in order to avoid kicking up too much dust. Dust comes from the floor, carpet, bedding, cloth upholstery and cloth curtains or drapes. Of course, it also comes from your clothing. The vast majority of all dust though comes from human skin: it's mostly made up of dead skin. Seriously. Dust to dust, remember? That's why we say it that way.

I think that a towel would perform far better than a keyboard pad because a pad is much denser. The denser the thing is that you have your keyboard on, the easier it will be for the vibrations to transfer to the desk. So, what you could do is, put down some super-grippy shelf-liner and put a thickly-folded towel on it (the more layers of towel there are on top of each other, the better the isolation will be).

Of course, you could just put your mic on a boom mic stand, or even rig it to hang from the ceiling. hehe

Well, the only time I've read that phrase, 'Dust to Dust', it was the title of a track from Final Fantasy 13 I listened to, lol. The reason why I talked about the microphone picking up the vibrations isn't primarily because of the recording quality. I can get a shock mount/arm that should fix the vibrations picked up. I meant to point out that there are a lot more vibrations transferred to the desk without a towel, and my microphone is evidence of that fact, because the Yeti loooooveeessss to pick up vibrations on desks when run vanilla.

The towel mod is to change the sound characteristic of the keyboard as I type on it. I've spent countless hours planning my new keyboard and when it's all said and done I want it to be PERFECT. And it needs to sound perfect when I type.

Do you think a shelf liner is necessary? I don't think it will isolate better than a towel. Well, it's really about absorption per cm of height... There is a definite limit to how tall I'm willing to stack, because it will become less and less ergonomic as the keyboard becomes taller and taller and I feel increments of 0.25 inches can be noticed. A shelf-liner + 1 towel could have been like... 2 towels maybe? And maybe that would isolate better. (I stacked two towels folded, essentially thicker than four towels, over my keyboard once. It was very fun. However, there is a definite diminishing marginal return. 1 towel vs no towel made as big difference as 1 towel vs 2 towels folded and those are very different changes in height.)

Man, I have not gone towel shopping since... ever.

Oh yeah, I asked whether the shelf liner is necessary because Reaper's Kmac read 3.74 pounds on the scale, and my Kmac 2 should be heavier since it has more metal. It's also possible to install weights inside the case of the keyboard to make it so heavy, it'll never move (I think). Possible to have a simple keyboard on towel action?

My thoughts are fragmented because I am very tired.

TwoCables · Apr 30, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Well, the only time I've read that phrase, 'Dust to Dust', it was the title of a track from Final Fantasy 13 I listened to, lol. The reason why I talked about the microphone picking up the vibrations isn't primarily because of the recording quality. I can get a shock mount/arm that should fix the vibrations picked up. I meant to point out that there are a lot more vibrations transferred to the desk without a towel, and my microphone is evidence of that fact, because the Yeti loooooveeessss to pick up vibrations on desks when run vanilla.

The towel mod is to change the sound characteristic of the keyboard as I type on it. I've spent countless hours planning my new keyboard and when it's all said and done I want it to be PERFECT. And it needs to sound perfect when I type.

The reason why I thought this was simply to reduce the vibrations being picked up by the mic was that I couldn't possibly care less about the sound of my keyboard because, when I'm typing, I'm not listening to my keyboard. Instead, I'm mentally focused on what I'm typing. Now, I grant you that if my keyboard were making distractingly irritating noises (like noises that it shouldn't be making), then I'd want to do something about it. However, it sounds like a normal keyboard, and so I don't even hear it. Then you have times like right now where I'm blasting my music and so my keyboard is almost completely drowned out.

However, now I understand that you are trying to make your keyboard sound better. If you want to do that, then you should look at some kind of a key noise dampening product or rubber dental bands. For example:

http://www.elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=access,slpads

You'd have to ask the experts on here or on Geek Hack about using dental bands.

I won't lie: I still think that you're being a bit silly.

That doesn't mean that I don't love ya, bro! haha

Anyway, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust"? Come on!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Do you think a shelf liner is necessary?

Well, only if you want the towel to stick to the desk without using glue or double-sided tape.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Do you think a shelf liner is necessary? I don't think it will isolate better than a towel. Well, it's really about absorption per cm of height... There is a definite limit to how tall I'm willing to stack, because it will become less and less ergonomic as the keyboard becomes taller and taller and I feel increments of 0.25 inches can be noticed. A shelf-liner + 1 towel could have been like... 2 towels maybe? And maybe that would isolate better.

Yeah, that's exactly what I'm talking about: you'd use a folded towel, but you'd use a grippy shelf-liner to keep the towel in place.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

(I stacked two towels folded, essentially thicker than four towels, over my keyboard once. It was very fun. However, there is a definite diminishing marginal return. 1 towel vs no towel made as big difference as 1 towel vs 2 towels folded and those are very different changes in height.)

Well, no matter what you do, you definitely want more than 1 layer of towel. So, that's why I keep saying "folded". Or, you can take several towels and cut them and just layer them on top of each other so that it has a neater look rather than just being a folded towel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkwizzie

Man, I have not gone towel shopping since... ever.

Oh yeah, I asked whether the shelf liner is necessary because Reaper's Kmac read 3.74 pounds on the scale, and my Kmac 2 should be heavier since it has more metal. It's also possible to install weights inside the case of the keyboard to make it so heavy, it'll never move (I think). Possible to have a simple keyboard on towel action?

My thoughts are fragmented because I am very tired.

What are you asking when you asked "Possible to have a simple keyboard on towel action"? I mean, with the way this question is worded, it makes me want to go, "Duh. You can put a towel underneath any keyboard". So, I don't know what you're asking yet. Help?

Another way to alter the sound of your keyboard is by using different types of keycaps (like, higher quality caps).

Looking for a long mousepad... for my keyboard.

BoredErica

TwoCables

Mych

mAs81

KaffieneKing

Scorpii

beatfried

BoredErica

TwoCables

KaffieneKing

BoredErica

TwoCables

KaffieneKing

BoredErica

iceskeleton

itskerby

Slink3Slyde

TwoCables

BoredErica

TwoCables

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities