The 10 Best RGB Mouse Pads

For a quick, hard surface with a glowing rim, the Razer Firefly V2 is the safe choice. TechGearLab gave it an award and found that hard pads like this glide faster but sound louder than cloth. The light wraps nearly all the way around and syncs with other Razer gear. A small catch on the top edge holds a wired mouse cable. It has no spare USB port, and the lighting app takes some figuring out.

Most people who just want a glowing desk mat can stop at the Ktrio RGB XL, a long cloth surface with room for a keyboard and a mouse. It has sold in large numbers for years. Stitched edges hold off fraying, and the braided cable unplugs so the mat can roll up for a move. One low button cycles through a dozen lighting modes. There's no app, so it can't match the colors of your keyboard or case.

The Corsair MM700 RGB Extended covers a keyboard, a mouse and some spare desk, and it adds two USB ports on a small hub at the corner. The cloth top is smooth and consistent, and a thick rubber base keeps it planted. Corsair's app sets three lighting zones, and the pad stores profiles for when the app isn't running. The hub sits where a fast mouse cable can bump it, and the stitched edge can feel rough on bare forearms.

If your keyboard, mouse and headset already run Razer lighting, the Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma ties the desk together. Its long, softly textured weave gives a bit more stopping power than a hard surface, and a foam rubber base grips the desk. The glow follows Razer's app and in-game effects. It shows only one color at a time around the edge, though, and it's shallow, so a big keyboard with a wrist rest uses up most of the depth.

The whole top of the Razer Firefly V2 Pro lights up, not just the rim, through a frosted hard surface split into 15 lighting zones. A USB port on the top edge holds a wireless mouse receiver close to the mouse, which helps keep the signal steady, and the power cable unplugs. Razer's warranty runs a year. It's a compact pad at a premium price, and the hard top is louder under a mouse than cloth.

Anyone who wants one mat for the whole desk, with a top that shrugs off spills, should look at the Razer Strider Chroma. Its hybrid surface sits between soft cloth and a hard pad, and Razer says it resists water and won't warp. The edges are seamless, so there's no stitching to rub a wrist, and 19 lighting zones run around the rim. It's a big spend for a mat, and outside reviews so far cover only the unlit Strider.

The Blade Hawks BX04 keeps the cost low and still covers the basics: a long cloth top with a spill-repelling coating, a rubber base and 14 lighting modes on one button. It remembers the last mode, so the colors come back the same after the computer restarts. A double press changes brightness, and a long press turns the light off. Blade Hawks publishes few details beyond that, so build quality rests on its long sales record.

Readers who want a glowing pad with USB passthrough on a budget can get it with the Tidalsoil 4-Port Hub. A bar along the top edge holds four ports for a mouse receiver, a keyboard or a headset, with no driver to install. The cloth top has stitched nylon edges over a rubber base. The hub bar adds bulk behind the keyboard, and everything plugged into it shares a single connection to the computer.

A phone can charge while you play on the Schkner Wireless Charging mat, which has a marked spot in the top corner for phones and earbud cases that charge without a cable. A small light by the coil shows when charging is working or when something metal is in the way. It runs on a USB-C cable, and one button picks the lighting. Keys and coins must stay off the coil, and a weak power adapter slows charging.

The Rnairni RGB01 gives more front-to-back room than most long mats, so a keyboard and a wrist rest fit with space left for the mouse. This version has a printed world map, and the edges are stitched to stop fraying. A button picks among 10 lighting modes, and the seller gives it a one-year warranty. The brand is little known, and the busy print can be hard to look at with the lights on.