How To Get Free Or Cheap Mouse Pads
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The modern computer mouse is a bit of a miracle to anyone who used to work with an old mechanical mouse (or “ball mouse” as we often call them). It works beautifully on almost any surface, but when it doesn’t work, it’s a horrible experience. It feels so dull to spend money on a mouse pad, but what if you could get it free or cheap? You can!
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You can get free or cheap mouse pads for your desktop or laptop PC from any of the following 6 places.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Mousepads are popular promotional items used to advertise businesses.
- Because they are used for promotion, you can often get a free mouse pad with a company’s branding on it.
- Some companies also specialize in making custom mouse pads and will send you free samples.
- Some international distributors will often let you buy mousepads in bulk for ridiculously low prices, with free shipping.
Get Your Free Or Cheap Mouse Pads
The best things in life are free. Thankfully, mousepads are often free, too. Here’s how you can get your mouse a brand-new pad for the perfect price tag.
1. BetterMousePads.com
BetterMousePads.com claims to be “the world’s largest mouse pad superstore” and is so serious about it that the catchphrase is even trademarked. BetterMousePads specializes in making mouse pads that can be used for marketing purposes. So, you can order bulk amounts of mouse pads with your company branding to hand out to potential clients.
This is an effective marketing method since it ensures that your contact information is (literally) always at your customer’s fingertips. BetterMousePads has a wide range of different mouse pads on offer, including gel pads, transparent mouse pads, photo pads, mousepads made from recycled materials, ergonomic pads, etc., all of which can be branded for marketing use.
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Now for the free part: BetterMousePads offers free samples shipped anywhere in the United States. You may be expected to pay for shipping, but apart from that, you can get a stack of sample mousepads absolutely free of charge.
2. AllMousePads.com
AllMousePads.com is another website where people can order custom mouse pads. While also focusing on business in the form of marketing and branded mouse pads, AllMousePads also has a strong angle in their manufacture of custom personal mousepads, especially in terms of fandoms like games, movies, and TV shows.
These mousepads are not free, of course, but in the interest of hopefully making some money, AllMousePads will send you a free sample mouse pad if you complete the form on the AllMousePads website. Shipping is for your own account, though; if you have a FedEx account, you can add the details directly into the online form.
The sample mouse pad that you get will be a counter mat mouse pad, meaning that it is a large type of mouse pad that can cover a counter. This is the perfect size for gamers or graphic designers requiring more movement space than what a standard mouse pad offers.
3. PromotionsNOW
PromotionsNOW is a website that focuses on manufacturing and printing marketing material for businesses. As the name states, it’s all about promotion. Brand awareness, sales, and marketing are what PromotionsNOW is all about, and one of the products that they offer is mouse pads.
PromotionsNOW has an impressive range of mouse pads, possibly more impressive than any others on this list. There are even custom ergonomic mouse pads with built-in holders to fit your smartphone, holding it in an upright and usable position.
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PromotionsNOW also offers free sample mouse pads. Simply click the link on their website and complete the form to request your free sample mouse pads. Shipping is not free but is available all over the United States.
One feature that sets PromotionsNOW apart from other options is that they allow you to compile your sample basket. As you browse through the PromotionsNOW website, you will often see the button “Sample” next to a product, and clicking on that button adds the product to your basket.
Most standard mouse pads on PromotionsNOW’s website are available as samples. The only exceptions are more “technical” mousepads, like ones that offer wireless charging or other modern features. However, this means that you can order multiple free mousepads (and other items) from PromotionsNOW and only pay for shipping!
4. CustomMousePad.com
CustomMousePad.com is similar to the previous options but with a far stronger focus on customizing your mouse pad. The mousepads are less tech-focused than PromotionsNOW but made from a broader range of materials than any other option on this list.
The focal point of customizing your mouse pads involves choosing a material type and layout, then submitting your artwork or design for the printing.
This customizability of your mouse pads would typically mean that the mouse pads would be more expensive; that is not the case with CustomMousePad.com, primarily because you have to order in bulk (fifty or more mousepads). Then you can get your mousepads at approximately $1 each, which is unbelievably cheap for a high-quality mouse pad.
Getting to the free part, though. CustomMousePad.com does not advertise that they give out free samples, but as you go through the range of product types (materials and shapes), you will often see the “Get a Sample” button. You can click that button to order one or more free mouse pad samples, and you will only pay for shipping.
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It’s worth mentioning that your free sample mouse pads will not be customized based on your own designs. The mousepads you get will mostly be items ordered and paid for by a customer, then rejected due to some flaw in the printing or the details of the order.
5. Mouse Pads From Computer- And Tech Retailers
We are now moving to the other side of the “free mousepads” coin. So far, we’ve been looking at the options offered by companies that manufacture and print customized mouse pads for other companies to use as marketing material.
At the other end of that transaction, you have companies that ordered these custom mouse pads in bulk so that they can give them away for free in the name of marketing. A large percentage of the companies who do this specialize in the computer or information technology industries.
Some computer retailers, for example, will give away free mouse pads with certain purchases. Some will even give you a mouse pad for simply requesting a quote. Others offer free custom mouse pads if you refer your friends to them (even if they don’t buy).
For this option, it’s best to contact your local computer or tech retailers and ask if they have any promotions running for free mouse pads. They might surprise you with how eager they are to give you a free mouse pad.
6. Discounted Mouse Pads From AliExpress
AliExpress may be a bit of a minefield when it comes to bargain hunting. There’s always some important fine print to look out for, like minimum order quantities or a $20 item that could cost 10c but with $100 shipping.
However, this does not change the fact that AliExpress is also a goldmine of bargains and excellent deals, and if you buy from a reputable seller with high ratings, you can easily get ten or more mouse pads for the same price that you would pay for one locally.
Related Questions
Do I Really Need A Mouse Pad?
Modern mouse technology may not need a mouse pad to work correctly. However, due to skin oils from our hands that can mix with dust from the desk, the surfaces that we work on can get dirty and grimy quickly. This can sometimes get so bad that it can damage the lower surface of the mouse.
A mouse pad is easier to clean, and it’s often made of a softer and more absorbent surface designed to protect your mouse from surfaces or dirt that could damage it.
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Can You Use Something As An Alternative To A Mouse Pad?
Yes, you can, with varying results. Sometimes a piece of paper could work well, but it depends on its texture and the printing that’s on it. Sometimes a mouse will work better on a white surface; other times, they are more suited to black. Having a piece of paper, like a magazine page, with different printing could cause intermittent problems while you’re moving your mouse.
Does The Size Of My Mouse Pad Matter?
It depends on what you use it for. General day-to-day mouse use doesn’t require a wide range of movement, so a smaller mouse pad is ideal since it doesn’t take up a lot of desk space. But there’s a reason why gamers use massive mouse pads. Playing action games requires a lot of mouse movement in a short time, so larger mousepads (or “mouse mats”) are ideal for gamers.