Every desk accessory that comes out of Grovemade’s Portland design shop rockets to the top of my list. The Grovemade Desk, for instance, is the most tantalizing office product I can think of right now, as is Grovemade’s new rolling cart. But the product that started it all off was the Studio Pad. And being it’s the most affordable on the wishlist, it’s the first to hit my desk.

TL;DR: Grovemade's Studio Pad is the best-built desk pad you can buy and the least accommodating. The aluminum chassis and full-length walnut tray lock your layout in place, which makes it a bad partner for a laptop riser or desk shelf — including Grovemade's own. It works best on a simple, single-machine desk. At $200 USD it's roughly ten dollars a year across a working career, which is the only math that makes it defensible.

Grovemade’s Studio Pad is an interesting lesson in form, function, and aesthetic. Something in this category can’t objectively be at the top of any list, but it will surely be at the top of many subjective lists. The combination of warm walnut, usable storage tray, and functional cable passthroughs make for a wonderful desk accessory. It’s this beautiful combination that puts it ahead of your standard felt or matte desk mat — if you opt for the Studio Pad, you’re looking for a show-stopping piece, not a destroyable desk pad.

However, I’ve run into a few issues — not in terms of build or design, but rather how something like the Studio Pad can fit alongside other desk systems and setups.

I have never been so lukewarm on a product. I want to use it all the time and have it be a cornerstone piece on my desk. Yet, no matter how often I try, the Studio Pad’s lack of flexibility has this desk pad sitting in storage as much as it is sitting on my desk.

Here’s why.

Design, Build, and Materials

Like every Grovemade product I’ve tried, the Studio Pad is built to the highest degree of quality. This desk pad is heavy — when the box arrives, you’ll be surprised to find only the Studio Pad inside and not the entire Grovemade desk setup itself.

Core to this is the Studio Pad’s actual design. This isn’t a roll-up style desk pad. The long walnut tray ensures the Studio Pad has a sturdy build, as does the underlying aluminum chassis, which provides space for propping up small tablets or your phone.

The Studio Pad’s weight and build make it ideal for some situations, and less than ideal for others.

For one, the Studio Pad is easy to write on. I have the matte finish Studio Pad, which does a good job handling fingerprints and coffee cup rings, and provides a sturdy writing surface that has worked well for fountain pens, roller balls, and ballpoint pens alike. The matte surface also doubles as a mouse pad, providing a minor amount of friction between the mouse and the surface below.

On the flip side, the bigger build means the Studio Pad is less flexible. You will not be moving this around much on your desk — once it’s in place, it ideally stays in place. The pad is also surprisingly thick. If you are desk-height sensitive (my home office desk is a thick piece of fir, making all desk shelves and monitors slightly higher than they would be on your run-of-the-mill office desk), the Studio Pad could push up your keyboard and display slightly higher than your ergonomic preferences may allow.

Between the aluminum chassis and top matte finish is a Grovemade-signature cork sheet. Cork doesn’t age well — I’m not convinced the Grovemade desk shelf’s cork legs will outlast any of Balolo or Ugmonk’s desk shelf leg options, but cork works great in a desk pad. It’s soft, shock resistant (there’s a big difference between writing on this and even a hardwood desk), and most importantly, quiet. Cork dampens taps or bumps or keyboard strokes, perfect for Teams or Meet calls.

And, of course, there’s the walnut tray. Grovemade’s walnut selection is on the slight warmer side of the spectrum relative to a few other walnut options I’ve seen, though it’s my favourite walnut colour. It’s concave enough to rest a few pens side by side, but it’s not so deep as to fully hold a set of AirPods Pro. You can certainly rest the AirPods case in the tray, but one side will sit on top of the tray’s edge.

Overall, the Grovemade Studio Pad is built to Grovemade’s spec, which is to say well, durably, soundly, and with attention to detail and care. The Studio Pad is more — just “more”, in every sense of the word — than any other desk pad you’ve seen.

Use Cases

Now this is where things get interesting, in the sense that while things don’t fall apart for me, more complexity is certainly introduced. The Studio Pad isn’t a slam dunk for every desk setup, no matter how much you want it to be.

Why? That thick, durable, inflexible aluminum chassis is why.

You see, that tray running along the top of the Studio Pad isn’t going anywhere or flexing for any situation. Neither is the vertical lip acting as a resting spot for your phone, tablet, or notebook. This inflexibility hits hardest if you’re using the Studio Pad with an external display and a laptop stand off to the side. Even Grovemade’s own Desk Shelf and Laptop Riser succumb to the Studio Pad — because of the aluminum lip, you can’t pull the laptop even with your external display, making a seamless viewing angle from external to laptop display. Grovemade’s Laptop Riser in particular has to be pushed way back, making text on your laptop display either ridiculously small from a distance or requiring resolution adjustments so you can see.

The same inflexibilities hit the cable passthrough channels as well. Because everything is in one spot, you have to ensure you have enough cable length (or use L-shaped cables, like this one) to do a 90-degree turn from the top of your keyboard to run through the channel. Otherwise, the cable will have to rest on top of the Studio Pad’s vertical lip — an otherwise imperfect solution.

You’re also not going to be able to use any top-of-keyboard accessories, such as Ugmonk’s Gather setup which includes a MagSafe adapter, pen tray, and storage box. The Studio Pad has its tray for this, of course, but I don’t always like the look of pens and highlighters strewn across the Studio Pad’s tray. It appears messy occasionally.

If you use the Studio Pad with no desk shelf or laptop riser, I feel you have an incomplete setup. The Studio Pad is best used as part of a bigger desk system. What’s odd is that I don’t think it works best with Grovemade’s own desk accessory system.

• When used alongside the Grovemade system, the inflexibility of the Studio Pad and inflexibility of the Laptop Riser pushes the Riser far, far back and away from the user. The Laptop Riser also doesn’t rotate, so a Desk Shelf, Laptop Riser, and Studio Pad combination is effectively unusable.
• When used alongside the Ugmonk Gather system (which is no longer for sale), the Studio Pad starts to shine. The Gather Laptop Stand rotates, allowing you to line the square base against the backside of the Studio Pad and turn the display towards you. The fact you can magnetize other small Gather accessories to the Desk Shelf means the Studio Pad’s walnut tray adds even more desk storage for small trinkets.
• When used alongside the Balolo Setup Cockpit system, the Studio Pad’s best features are brought out. The Balolo Laptop Riser connects to the Desk Shelf and hovers over top the Studio Pad, allowing for maximum flexibility. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think the Studio Pad was made by Balolo for the Balolo Setup Cockpit system, not Grovemade for the Grovemade desk system.

I find it somewhat comedic that the best system for the Studio Pad is actually Balolo’s competing desk system. You can surely use the Studio Pad in just about any environment, but it’s Balolo’s system that stands out in terms of compatibility.

Pricing

A quick word on the Grovemade Studio Pad’s pricing: It’s made by Grovemade, so the Studio Pad is expensive. Everything from Grovemade is expensive. When compared to other desk mats, the Studio Pad will always be at the top of the price list. $240 USD for a desk mat is a lot of money.

Of course, I’d argue the Studio Pad isn’t in the same arena as other desk mats. The Studio Pad offers far more — far more durability, stability, utility, and, frankly, beauty. No desk mat comes close in any measurable way to the Studio Pad, so why then should their prices be compared?

Like any Grovemade product, a Studio Pad purchase is a lifetime purchase. At $240 USD, it’ll hurt the pocket, but it’ll last your entire working career and never look improper in the process.

(Please note that I actually purchased this item myself. Sometimes items are sent for review, which makes this pricing section difficult to write. This time around, I spent my own money.)

Wrap Up

Grovemade’s Studio Pad should be chalked up as an impulsive purchase on my end. It’s been a positive experience, don’t get me wrong. But it was impulsive, nonetheless.

At the time, I envisioned the Studio Pad in front of Grovemade’s Desk Shelf and Laptop Riser, completing the Grovemade trifecta on my desk. It took about 30 seconds to realize my error. The hefty, sturdy Studio Pad pushed the Laptop Riser further to the back of my desk than I’d like, requiring a resolution change on the MacBook Pro so I could read the text from that distance.

From there, I’ve tried the Studio Pad in just about any array you can think of: With an Ugmonk Gather setup, with a Balolo setup, on its own, and with just a Grovemade Laptop Riser. The Studio Pad is beautiful and has a valuable utility, it’s just difficult to dial in if you’re used to things working a particular way.

I think the Studio Pad is one of those desk accessories which creeps its way to the top of the “G.A.S.” list (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) relatively easily, but likely doesn’t fit as many people as it may appear. You have to have a particular setup — perhaps just a laptop, or perhaps just a desktop computer, with little to no additional desk storage offered in other systems. The Studio Pad certainly can work with other desk systems. It’s just more difficult to implement than I expected.

Grovemade’s quality continues to be unmatched. Rarely does any product come with the Grovemade fit and finish. If you think the Studio Pad could fit on your desk, and the price could fit in your budget, it’s certain to last a long, long time and look beautiful in the process.

The M5 iPad Pro has reignited my love for the iPad. I have used iPads since the beginning of time, and no iPad has been more fun for longer than this 11-inch M5 iPad Pro. But, it's likely not due to the M5 chip. For me, it's a return to the 11-inch format, and the introduction of nano-texture to my iPad usage.

I’ve owned too many iPads to count. Of all shapes and sizes, too. Each time I try a new size, I come away thinking I’ve found the new best iPad size. Mini, big-13-inch with Touch ID, and now the 13-inch with Face ID — each time, I thought they were the best. In hindsight, the best size ever was probably the 10.5-inch iPad Pro from 2017 — my dad still has his, and it’s just such a lovely size.

TL;DR: The 11-inch M5 iPad Pro is the best iPad I've owned, but the M5 chip has little to do with it. The return to the smaller form factor and the addition of nano-texture are what changed things — together they turned the iPad from a device tethered to my desk into one I use in bright rooms, on the back deck, and in bed. The catch is that nano-texture is only available on the 1 TB model, so the entry price is steep, though the extra storage, 16 GB of RAM, and full 10-core CPU that come with it turned out to be real benefits rather than consolation prizes. If glare has never been your problem, save your money and buy the glossy display. If it has, this is the iPad worth stretching for.

For current iPads, I am now convinced the smaller iPad's 11-inch form factor is the penultimate size for this device. The size inspires book and paper-like uses, such as reading, note-taking, researching, watching videos, and tapping about. This has positioned the iPad as my comfort device — I now leave effectively all forms of reading, note-taking, writing, and consuming for the iPad. This contrasts with the larger 13-inch iPad Pro, where I found the device locked to a desk more of the time.

I also cannot believe it took me this long to try nano-texture on the iPad. Admittedly, the price tag is a pill to swallow. But more on that later. For now, nano-texture has transformed my iPad usage. The iPad in this 11-inch form is easier to take about in more uncontrolled situations, enhancing nano-texture's ability to diffuse light. I use the iPad consistently in front of a massive window and under two bright LED panels. In the past, I reverted to physical paper and books because of the glare of those panels. Now, I can do all my reading on the iPad.

And the by-product of that nano-texture display — the 1 TB onboard storage — is one of the “nicest-to-have” features I’ve experienced. I now house a boatload of information on the iPad and can keep many daily working files just a tap away. Photos, videos, movies, books — you name it, I have it on the iPad. Sometimes I think onboard storage space is one of those limitations you teach yourself to work around. Money doesn’t grow on trees, so it may be a necessary limitation. If you can swing it, though, it’s a genuine nice-to-have that I’ve overlooked in the past.

The iPad has a long-running history at this point, and most people know whether they love them or not. My review below is how the M5 iPad Pro with nano-texture display morphed my iPad usage further than any prior iPad before it.

Size

I’m embarrassed to admit the number of iPad purchases in my life. I’ve tried them all and spent far too much money in the process. In that timeframe, the latest iPad is always the best iPad. When you move from the 11-inch to the 12.9-inch iPad, for example, the “12.9-inch iPad is how the iPad should have always been”. Or when you move down the size scale to the mini, the impression becomes “I never really needed the size of the 12.9-inch iPad anyway”.

In the moment, those impressions are totally true. But eventually, everything reverts to the mean. And this includes the 11-inch iPad Pro. After two months of returning to this size of iPad, I’m now convinced I’m most likely to settle on this size of iPad forevermore. It’s a combination of handy and ergonomic; technically sound and adept; and portable and whimsical all in one package.

I opted for the 12.9-inch M4 iPad Pro a few years ago because it came with the thinnest iPad chassis ever designed. That thin design was beautiful and a technical marvel, and it made using that massive 12.9-inch iPad Pro far easier than thicker predecessor options. After an extra generation, that same thin chassis has come to the M5 iPad Pro, and it also makes a world of a difference. We have an older M1 iPad Pro in the house for the kids, and it’s surprising how much thinner this latest generation fills in the hand.

That thinness makes for improvements in several areas, mainly in where I’m using the iPad. I find I’m opting for the iPad in more physical areas, including our back deck (more on this in a bit), in bed for reading, and at the office. These were areas I wouldn’t use the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, be it because of size, or screen reflectivity, or because apps weren’t truly optimized for that big screen.

Another reality, which I’ll touch on more below, is the dawn of artificial intelligence. I use AI for quite many things these days, which puts more of the processing work into the bot and less onto me manually. I’ll often set up a Claude project on my Mac near the end of the day and send the directions via dictation on the iPad when I’m relaxing at home. It’s been wild morphing work into each device’s wheelhouse.

The result is the M5 iPad Pro is my most-used personal tech device, even after the honeymoon period has lapsed. When I get home, typically my iPhone hits the desk and the iPad is pulled out. From watching TV, reading books, minor writing and journalling, browsing the internet, and chatting with a chatbot, this M5 11-inch iPad Pro is a wonderful, wonderful size to return to.

Nano-texture

This is likely the core reason for being able to use the 11-inch iPad Pro in more places than the prior, larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Nano-texture on the iPad is the feature I didn’t know would be so transformational, and is the feature more people would love if it wasn’t so stinking expensive to purchase. Diffusing harsh sunlight or harsh overhead lights make a nano-texture iPad Pro so much more useful in so many more spots. And in my short period so far, I haven’t found any drawback in terms of sharpness or contrast when viewing all forms of media.

My understanding is that there are multiple kinds of nano-texture finishes across Apple’s device lineup. I have a few different options to compare across an iPad Pro, MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and Studio Display XDR, and the Studio Displays are far and away different from the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro. If I understand correctly, the Studio Displays are physically etched, while the MacBook Pros/iPad Pros are chemically etched. A few differences I’ve noticed:

• There is a visible difference in the smoothness of the nano-texture finish; Studio Displays look grainier and rougher to my eye than the iPad Pro.
• Touching a nano-texture Studio Display results in instant fingerprints; iPad Pro nano-texture seems to handle fingerprints far better.
• You can use any cloth to clean a nano-texture iPad Pro (though the included cloth is easily the best option), while you really should stick to only Apple’s cloth for the Studio Display.
• The Studio Display’s physical etching cuts down glare slightly better than either of the MacBook Pro or iPad Pro’s nano-texture displays.

Noted above, another complaint I’ve read about is how the iPad’s nano-texture picks up fingerprints. Presumably the display’s etching provides more surface area to grab ahold of finger oils and grime, making for a messy experience. I’ve also read that cleaning the iPad’s nano-texture display is far more difficult than the glossy displays.

I simply haven’t experienced either scenario. The included polishing cloth works wonders on all nano-texture fingerprints, as does the inside of the Apple iPad Folio case. In fact, I’d go the other way — if there were minor scratches on this display, I’m not sure if I’d be able to see them thanks to the nano-texture finish. On glossy iPads, you can usually see them instantly. My understanding is the nano-texture glass is slightly softer than the glossy glass, so you may find you want to do some extra research. In general, for me, I haven’t run into a single usability issue with the iPad’s nano-texture display.

Overall, the nano-texture on the iPad Pro makes for a newly useful device in ways I didn’t know the iPad could be. I would never take the device outside; now, it’s my favourite device for reading outside (aside from my reMarkable).

Squished Hardware and Software

Where there’s an iPad, there’s griping about the iPad’s software. And while I’m not here to detract from those complaints, I will comment specifically on the move from the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro to this smaller 11-inch iPad Pro.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro’s claim to fame, in my opinion, is its laptop-sized display. In landscape orientation, the internet just works. Whether it be the full desktop view of a website, or the full three-panel view of the app, or a full-size Magic Keyboard, the world is just built for 13-inch devices.

On the 11-inch iPad Pro, you notice this smaller screen most in the default hamburger menu on so many websites. Rather than a proper header navigation, you get the right-justified hamburger button that slides in a navigation menu to jump between pages in the site.

Or multitasking — the 11-inch iPad Pro is simply not good at multi-windowing and multitasking. You can certainly create small windows to hover around, or swipe apps into split-screen mode. But the experience is cramped. Plain and simple. Swiping in a Quick Note from the bottom-right corner? You can, but it’s tight, and you’ll be swiping that note all over the screen to get out of your way. There’s perhaps enough room for a little picture-in-picture video of your favourite MLB game in the top corner, but you’ll be moving that thing all around the place just to read a simple article in Readwise. The 11-inch iPad Pro is better used in one full-screen view, with perhaps a second Slide Over app ready to use.

And how about hardware? Even writing this article — Ulysses as a standalone app looks beautiful and is wonderfully distraction-free, but do you want to know how many times I had to hit the “-“ key to get it right because it’s so squished on the Magic Keyboard? In a pinch, of course, the Magic Keyboard is a great option for the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro. I just don’t know if too many people would opt for this to be their daily writing driver.

Put another way, most software seems tuned for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, even though the physical nature of the smaller 11-inch iPad Pro is significantly more comfortable. If you need proof, take a look at Apple’s iPad marketing pages — all software and screenshots are showcased in the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple may not necessarily love the larger iPad Pro more. It just may be the internet is built for larger displays. Despite my adoration for this smaller 11-inch iPad Pro, it certainly has a few shortcomings.

1 TB Onboard Storage

A by-product of the nano-texture option is the requirement to upgrade to 1 TB of onboard storage. Only 1 TB iPads have nano-texture available as a display option. Underhanded, genius — I’ll let you give Apple the verdict.

But a real by-product of the 1 TB requirement is expanded onboard storage, making room for all sorts of media. I don’t think I fully grasped how often I’d appreciate having the extra space. The iPad is my go-to photo-editing and travel device, ensuring I can offload SD cards on-the-road and keep photos local for quicker editing. On a recent trip, I also downloaded several movies and TV shows locally to watch on the plane. This is just a “me” device, in that only my media will go on this device. But we also have a family iPad, and I’d love to have 1 TB of storage there to store all the Barbie and Disney shows for family road trips.

There are other added benefits too, which you can genuinely feel on a day-to-day basis:

• 1 TB and 2 TB models get 16 GB RAM rather than the lower 12 GB RAM count. You can absolutely feel this in terms of local photo editing, added Safari tabs, and more.
• 1 TB and 2 TB models get a full 10-core CPU, rather than the binned 9-core CPU found in the 256 GB and 512 GB models.

Overall, I put up with having to pay for the 1 TB model, as I really wanted a nano-texture iPad. I was surprised to find how much I appreciate that extra onboard storage.

Wrap Up

All in all, I have quite enjoyed my time with the nano-texture M5 iPad Pro. It’s thin, light, and easily used in any setting, which has opened more doors than I expected.

After all these years — after all these iPads — I continue to love the iPad platform as a whole. This computer is my personal computer — it’s my travel device, my photo device, my writing device, my reading device, my couch device, and sometimes, even my second Mac monitor. I take it to church every Sunday, providing me with access to all sorts of study materials while listening. And most recently, I started catching up on missed Marvel shows, ensuring the iPad also took the role of my highest-end TV display.

If you can swing it, I’d think long and hard about the nano-texture iPad. This is, like every prior iPad, my favourite iPad so far.