Mouse pads don’t need to be boring.
Game peripheral manufacturers love to stick RGB lighting just about anywhere. I used to find it pretty gaudy but in the last couple of years I’ve embraced it. My keyboard proudly sports RGB lighting, as does my mouse. And now, thanks to Snakebyte, so does my mouse mat.
The bit-of-a-mouthful Snakebyte Mouse:Pad RGB XL Ultra is an oversized mouse pad edged with an RGB light strip. It’s actually pretty nice looking, and with a button atop the pad, you can customise the light to suit your preferences.
There are several solid colours to choose from, along with a couple of colour-cycling settings. I’ve opted for a colour cycle, so the edge of my mouse mat is an ever-changing colour gradient. It’s not as distracting as it is soothing; it actually adds a welcome ambience to my desk.
The size of the Mouse:Pad is good, too. At 80cm x 30cm, it’s not the largest oversized mouse mat out there, but it’s big enough to comfortably house your keyboard and leave plenty of room for your mouse. The placement of the RGB lighting adds a nice framing to the other peripherals on your desktop.
Its non-slip rubber base is extremely effective, helping it stay firmly in place. And it’s also heavier than my last mouse mat, meaning its better weighted down. The RGB edging will quite possibly help stop the edges curling up too, as is often the case with cheaper mouse mats.
At €35 (about £31/$39), the Mouse:Pad RGB XL Ultra might be a bit excessive for a mouse mat. After all, of all the peripherals out there, this is one that really doesn’t need to have lights on it. But it’s a welcome touch, one that adds an extra bit of pizzazz to an otherwise dull work top. And considering you’ll typically pay around £20 for a decent large mouse mat anyway, I’d wager customisable lighting is worth the bit extra.
