What mousepads are there?
There are plenty of cheap mousepads out there that can go around for as low as $5 but chances are, the build quality will tend to be what you expected out of 5 bucks. With many big gaming brands selling their own mousepads for reasonable prices it is often better to go with those instead. And to name a few examples, they have been listed down below.
Soft mousepads
Steelseries QcK
The Steelseries QcK series mousepads is one of the most popular mousepads out there mostly due to its low price and its smooth performance. The standard QcK is the cheapest out of all the different versions going for 6.99 USD and it's a great way for you to find out whether a mousepad truly benefits you or not. Because of the way the two layers are fixed together, there have been cases where the top layer of the QcK mousepad would start peeling off after one or two years of use. If that concerns you, you can get the QcK edge or the QcK+ which has a stitched edge which prevents it from happening. The QcK heavy is also quite popular among the other QcK variants, it is made out the same material as the standard but is thicker with the thickness ranging from 4-6mm. If you're looking for something more eyecatching the QcK prism cloth exist with its edge brimming with rgb lights.
Razer Goliathus
Razer is also relatively well known in the mousepad community, and one of the most common products are the Goliathus Speed and Gloiathus Contol. Just by looking at the name you can tell that the Speed version priorities on less friction allowing you to swipe your mouse across your mat as fast as possible. The Contol is opposite of that as there is more friction when running your mouse across the surface. This of course, allows you to be more precise with your movements while still allowing the mouse to be dragged at a decent speed. And just like the QcK series, there is also the Razer Goliathus Chroma which comes with rgb surrounding all sides.
Hard mousepads
Corsair mm600
The corsair mm600 are dual-sided aluminium mousepads and are a great choice if u are planning to spend a bit more on a mousepad while still being unsure of what you want to get. The corsair mm600 has two sides with two distinct surfaces. Similiar to the Razer Goliathus, it has a much more coarse surface on one side for precision and a much smoother one on the other for speed. The mousepad is held up by rubber stands on all four corners of the pad,and in general this mousepad is incredibly versatile as not only does it have two sides, its also quite portable being able be used on soft surfaces such like a couch or bed.
Logitech G440
If you're really dedicated to having your mouseglide as far as possible, the popular G440 is perfect for you. It basically has anything you need in a low surface friction plastic mousepad and its quite well regarded among the community and e-sports players. It's relatively cheap for a hard mousepad and can be quite evident with the time it takes for you to start noticing some wear on the surface within 3-4 months.