A premium desk accessory that’s worth the investment.
I don’t remember a time in my life when a desk wasn’t a necessary piece of furniture in my home. From a very young age I was introduced to the business world as my dad started a business from the basement of our house when I was 8 years old. That said, one thing that is new in my desk life is the introduction of a desk mat. A few years ago, I added a desk mat to my home office desk and have loved how well it has not only protected the finish of the desk, but also how it has set off the rest of the items on the desktop. I recently decided it was time for an upgrade and acquired the Leather Desk Mat from Harber London for my set-up.
DETAILS
The Leather Desk Mat is handmade by leather craftsmen in Spain and is made with full grain vegetable tanned cowhide leather. This leather will age naturally and develop a unique patina that makes each desk mat specific to the user. The bottom of it is softened with either 100% wool felt or a soft microfiber lining. There are three sizes of desk mat offered — M (19.6” x 11.8”), L (31.49” x 12.59”), and XL (31.49” x 17.71”). All sizes listed are ‘approximate’ and the final measurements might vary slightly. The Desk Mat features a cut-through passage for cables. This is provided to help users keep all cables under control and your desk decluttered. The desk mat comes in three different color options — Tan, Black, and Navy.
USER EXPERIENCE
The desk I was looking to add this Leather Desk Mat to a smart desk from Autonomous. The desktop is somewhat fragile in the sense that it gets scratched easily. When I ended up having to work from home for an extended period of time, I took the time to set-up a workspace that was suitable for work. This included the smart desk, two monitors, a mechanical keyboard, and my MacBook Pro. The biggest concern I had about the surface of the desk was where the keyboard sits. First of all, I felt as though the keyboard moving around might scratch the surface of the desk. Second, I wanted something that could be a cushion for my arms as I worked. Until the Leather Desk Mat arrived, I was using was made out of neoprene. And while it does a good job of protecting the desk, it isn’t the most stylish or comfortable to rest your arms on. These are two features that the Leather Desk Mat fulfills nicely.
The Leather is soft and smooth. It’s very comfortable to use and it lays flat very well. I actually laid it on top of the existing neoprene desk mat to extend the covered surface on my desk and the Leather Desk Mat remained smooth and even. I opted for the Navy color, which is a deep, dark blue. It’s very sturdy and I’ve noticed that it holds up really well against daily use. I love that the desk mat has a cut-out included for cable management, but I noticed that the cable that extends out from my mechanical keyboard is a little too strong to run through the desk mat. It ends up pulling up the desk mat and I was concerned that it might wear that cut-through out. So, even though I like the fact that the cut-through feature is included, I haven’t really been able to use it.
CONCLUSION
The Leather Desk Mat is an excellent addition to any executive workspace or desktop. It does an excellent job of protecting desktop surfaces and giving your wrists a nice, comfortable place to rest. Because it’s made from premium materials, you can expect to pay a premium price. The item retails for $113 USD at the time of this review being published. Even though you can find much less expensive options out there, this Leather Desk Mat is worth the investment.
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