Rhinolin Writing Surface, 36""x20"", Black (AOPLT61)

I bought mine at least 6 years ago, maybe 10. It has held up very well, with just a few soda-can and coffee-mug-sized ring marks and a little scuffing after daily use. The surface is still smooth, and the foam backing is still intact. The foam backing grips my desk the way I want it to, and never adhered inappropriately as one reviewer wrote, nor could I imagine it doing that in normal office conditions; it isn't a sticky surface. This deskpad has a nice weight to it, a simple design, and a matte non-glare surface, all of which make it look and feel classy. When I told my office mate I was getting a new one, he quickly asked if he could have the old one. I don't recognize this product in the negative reviews I'm reading, and I'm hoping the product has not changed since I bought it (or I will be reclaiming the old one). If I find the product has changed, I will write a follow-up post, but for now I'm investing in another one that I trust is exactly like it.Update 5/8/13: Just received my new deskpad. It isn't exactly the same as the old one (and the old one has an Artistic label on it, so I know I'm comparing apples to apples). The new one doesn't have an Artistic label on it, just came in their packaging -- does it mean they no longer want to put their name on their work? Hmmm. The padding is a different color (dark gray), a rougher texture, and about half as thick. When I slide my thumb over the old padding, my thumb slides over it easily, and I don't worry about the padding rubbing off. When I do the same on the new padding, I worry that if I press too hard the padding might rub right off. The surface of the deskpad is also a little different. The old one is very smooth and a little shiny, maybe from years of use, though it seems uniformly shiny at the edges too. The new one feels rougher and is much less shiny. Similar to the difference between construction paper and copy paper, the new surface is just a little grainier. My office mate offered me my old one back and I considered the trade. Then he said you can change your mind at any time. I'll keep the new one and see how it goes.

I have been using this pad for just over 6 years. Overall I like the way the pad functions but it has some drawbacks. I am looking for a new pad that has the same matte finish, same anti-skid properties, same durability but none of the smell and no antimicrobial additives.The good: -the matte finish has held up well to daily use over the years with only slight visible scratches and no warping. One small problem is from placement. The pad is slightly (1/8") over the edge of my desk to stop my right arm from rubbing the finish off my wood desk as I use my mouse. At this spot over time my arm has pressed and cracked the pad (~3" long, 1/2" from the edge) but the appearance doesn't bother me. Along the edge where I sit some other places have a barely noticeable beginning of a crack or some slight cracking, all at about 1/2" from the edge.-the backing has good anti-skid properties and t is foam that allows the pad to go down slightly which gives a bit of cushioning. I can rest my elbows on the pad for 20+ minutes at a time or longer and they don't hurt.The neutral / bad: -the matte finish hates water. If I place a glass with condensation on the mat, the water will allow the finish to rub off in little pieces if disturbed and the finish will have a temporary white ashiness. Although once dried the white ashiness goes away and the black color returns as unnoticeable from the black color in other areas of the pad (i.e. the water won't leave a permanent ring or stain).- the chemical smell is faint yet persistent. This smell has bothered me a little, though constantly, from the beginning. I am at my desk (home office) for 4-7 hours a day almost every day. The smell is coming from underneath so it becomes stronger if I lift up the pad (which I avoid doing). A few days ago I left the pad in the garage overnight, on its side overnight with a fan blowing on low. The smell still did not go away and right now it's about 70% of the intensity as before I left it in the garage. Perhaps leaving this outside for a day or two would probably dissipate most of the smell. - antimicrobial additives. The FDA banned them from soap in 2016 (effective September 2017) after decades of manufacturers wanting to give consumers "a choice". I question whether it's a similar situation with desk pads where antimicrobial additives are just a marketing ploy that serve no purpose. Do desk pads without the antimicrobial additives tend to grow colonies of bacteria? I'm guessing no, not like my shower manages to which is why I'm looking for a new desk pad without the additives.

I purchased this item in 2012 and gave this item an unflattering review due to the very high cost. Today I came here for the second time over the years to give it one more star for durability and it continues to make an old desk look nice on top and cleans up well. But this time, my previous review is completely gone. So that convinces me that it was because some tolerance number of decent reviews had to be maintained where the item would keep looking attractive to buyers. That erodes my confidence in this whole review system. Anyway, it has held up well but I do not know who is responsible for removing my long honest review from years ago so I would not feel right recommending this item as highly as I would have (and did) and the prices is still ridiculous it is obviously something large corps would blindly pay but not fair for us regular consumers for what you get.