Go big for low DPI, small is fine for high DPI.

Get at least an 18×16 inch pad if you play at 800 DPI with arm aiming. A standard 12×10 or smaller pad will have you picking up your mouse mid-flick, which defeats the point of arm movement.

Low DPI means you move your whole arm to turn. That generates a lot of distance across the pad. If you run out of surface, you’re either resetting your mouse constantly or developing bad wrist habits. A desk-sized pad (like a Glorious 3XL or similar) gives you room to breathe.

High DPI wrist aimers at 3200+ don’t need that space. Your flicks are tiny wrist rotations, barely covering a few inches. A standard medium pad (12×10 or 14×12) is all you need. Anything bigger is wasted desk space.

One caveat: if you play both styles or switch games, erring larger never hurts. But if you’re pure wrist, don’t let Reddit convince you to buy a rug.

Don’t overspend on space you won’t use, but don’t cheap out on space you will.