workout bench - pad width?

My gym has both sizes.

I prefer the 12.2" one for benching. The 14" just doesn't feel right when I'm benching.

Wider and softer benches tend to limit how I pull my shoulder blades back, and I do not like them. Why you'd mess up the one thing a piece of equipment is designed for in order to suit an accessory exercise is odd.

Get a day pass at a gym and try out different width benches for bench presses. It's going to be personal preference. In regards to what Lemmy said, I'm the opposite. I like a wider bench because it helps me keep my shoulder blades squozen (I know it isn't a word, but I've been using it forever for this very conversation) together better.