I used to have a hard mousepad, because I thought it was "cool", but in retrospect it was basically no different than just using my desk would have been. They're noisy, and 99% of them just give off edgy gamer vibes.

Cheap neoprene (or similar) mousepads are all about the same in terms of performance, but pricier ones typically look better and may last a little bit longer.

Recently I've upgraded my setup to a wool one from here: https://grovemade.com/desk-and-mouse-pads/

Its been about a year and I still love it, but I will note that I can see how the slightly rougher texture could be a turnoff for some people. They do have other options with different natural materials you may be interested in. IMO, all of their options look classy AF, and I like the use of more natural materials