Measurement guide · Updated
How much mouse space remains beside your keyboard on a desk mat?
Calculate a continuous mouse rectangle, compare centered and offset keyboard layouts, and check the result against your own movement needs.
In this guide
Reserve a continuous mouse rectangle
For a compact desk, check the uninterrupted rectangle beside your keyboard. Use the worksheet below to compare that rectangle with the space your mouse and hand actually sweep through during ordinary work.
First mark the proposed mat outline on your desk with loose paper. Keep your keyboard in a usable typing position and preserve any writing area you need. Treat the calculation as a layout screen, followed by a rehearsal with your existing equipment.
The documented keyboard input
Logitech's U.S. page lists MX Keys Mini for Business, part 920-010594, as 296 mm wide, with dimensions labeled height 132 mm and depth 21 mm. For this top-down layout, use a 296-by-132 mm keyboard rectangle; the 21 mm dimension describes its thickness.
Use millimeters throughout this example. For another keyboard, substitute its actual left-to-right width and front-to-back footprint, including any separate wrist rest in your layout.
Compare two placements on the same mat
Same mat. Different placement.
Moving the keyboard changes the room beside it.
Example mat: 700 × 300 mm. Keyboard: 296 × 132 mm. Allow a 20 mm gap beside the keyboard and 10 mm at the mouse-side, front and rear edges.
Mouse spaceKeyboard
Keyboard centered
Keyboard offset
172 mm more mouse width in the offset arrangement, using the same mat.
Top views use the same scale. The example target is 250 × 250 mm; it is not a universal comfort requirement. The keyboard’s vertical position is illustrative. Check your own movement area and typing position. All mat dimensions and allowances are hypothetical.
Diagram by Decision Shelf, from this guide’s worked example. Product measurement source and calculation notes →
Assume a rectangular 700-by-300 mm mat, a 20 mm keyboard-to-mouse gap, and a 10 mm inset at the mouse-side edge. These are invented planning inputs, not a product specification or ergonomic recommendation.
Centered keyboard: each side has (700 - 296) / 2 = 202 mm. After the gap and mouse-side inset, continuous mouse width is 202 - 20 - 10 = 172 mm.
Offset keyboard: place its left edge 30 mm from the mat's left edge, with the mouse on the right. Continuous mouse width becomes 700 - 30 - 296 - 20 - 10 = 344 mm. This gains 172 mm on the mouse side without changing mat size. Mirror the arrangement for a left-side mouse.
Offsetting is an option only if the resulting typing position works for you. You can also move the mat relative to the keyboard, provided the whole outline remains within the desk space you reserved.
Check depth independently
Assume 10 mm front and rear insets and no objects in the mouse strip. Available mouse depth is 300 - 10 - 10 = 280 mm. The keyboard's front-to-back length is not subtracted from this side-by-side strip.
For a hypothetical target movement rectangle of 250 by 250 mm, the centered layout fails the width check: 172 is less than 250. The offset layout passes this rectangular screen at 344 by 280 mm. That target is an example, not a universal amount of mouse space.
Use the whole swept outline of your mouse and hand when choosing your target, rather than measuring only the stationary mouse. Account for cables, objects, rounded mat corners and any edge area you prefer to avoid. If an obstruction enters the planned strip, redraw a clear rectangle before calculating.
Copy and complete the worksheet
Mat width W: ____; mat front-to-back size D: ____; keyboard width K: ____; keyboard front-to-back size: ____; units: ____.
Keyboard offset O from the edge opposite the mouse: ____; keyboard-to-mouse gap G: ____; mouse-side inset E: ____; front inset F: ____; rear inset R: ____.
For a keyboard parallel to the mat edges with the mouse beside it, calculate mouse width = W - O - K - G - E. Calculate unobstructed mouse depth = D - F - R. These are original rectangular planning formulas.
Your observed movement rectangle: width ____; depth ____. Width margin = calculated mouse width minus target width: ____. Depth margin = calculated mouse depth minus target depth: ____.
A negative margin fails that layout. Zero leaves no spare room in that direction. Positive margins warrant a paper-layout rehearsal, not a guarantee of comfortable use. Record remaining obstacles or missing dimensions: ____.
What this example establishes
This is noncommercial layout guidance for people working at compact desks. The manufacturer example does not establish Amazon.com availability, a purchasing recommendation or earnings. No products were physically tested.
The arithmetic screens rectangular space only. It does not verify mouse tracking, surface feel, edge construction or a comfortable posture. Keep an uncertain layout undecided until you can check the missing information.
Method and sources
The source pages listed below were retrieved for review on 2026-09-08. Calculations and hypothetical inputs are labeled in the guide. No hands-on testing is claimed.
www.logitech.com — source page
Checked 2026-09-08
- Logitech lists MX Keys Mini for Business 920-010594 as width 296 mm, height 132 mm and depth 21 mm; the layout uses its 296-by-132 mm top-down footprint.
- Original calculation using the documented 296 mm keyboard width and hypothetical inputs: (700 - 296) / 2 - 20 - 10 = 172 mm of mouse width.
- Original rectangular calculation: mouse width = W - O - K - G - E. With the documented keyboard width and hypothetical inputs, 700 - 30 - 296 - 20 - 10 = 344 mm, gaining 172 mm over centered placement.
- Original scenario calculation with hypothetical mat and inset inputs: mouse depth = D - F - R = 280 mm. Against an assumed 250-by-250 mm target, the 172-by-280 mm centered zone fails width and the 344-by-280 mm offset zone passes both axes.