Soft cloth mousepads are quietest for an office.

Yes, a fabric or cloth mousepad will make the least noise for both movement and clicking.

Here’s why: Hard plastic or aluminum mousepads amplify sound. The mouse feet scraping across a rigid surface creates a scratchy, audible sound, and any click from the switch resonates. Cloth pads are soft and absorb that friction noise almost entirely. Clicking is still there (that’s the switch inside the mouse), but the pad doesn’t echo it back. If you’re really picky, get a thick desk mat – the extra padding kills the last bit of thud.

The only downside is cloth slows glide a little, but for an office where speed isn’t the goal, that’s a feature, not a bug. Avoid anything marketed as “gaming speed” or “hard surface” if quiet is your priority.

Your coworkers will thank you.