Keyboard sizes explained, from full size to 40%

This is the keyboard most of us grew up with: the function row, the navigation keys, the arrows and a number pad on the right. If you type numbers all day, nothing beats a real number pad. The catch is the width. Your mouse ends up far to the right, and that is the main reason so many people move to a smaller board.

A 96% keeps almost every key of a full-size board, number pad included, but squeezes out the gaps. The navigation keys move up to the top row and the arrows tuck in next to a shorter right Shift. It takes a few days to find Home and End again, but the board is about 3.5 keys (roughly 6.7 cm) narrower. The one drawn here has 100 keys.

TKL stands for tenkeyless, which simply means no number pad. Everything else stays exactly where it is on a full-size board, so there is nothing new to learn. Dropping the number pad saves about 4.25 keys (roughly 8 cm) of width, which brings your mouse closer. That is why TKL is one of the most common sizes for gaming keyboards.

A 75% keeps the function row and the arrow keys but packs everything together. The navigation keys shrink to a single column on the right, and the arrows sit in the corner next to a shorter right Shift. If you ask me, this is the sweet spot for most people: you keep every key you use daily, and the board is about 2.25 keys narrower than a TKL. Some 75% boards swap a key for a volume knob, so the count is usually between 80 and 84.

A 65% takes a 75% and removes the function row. Esc moves to where the ` key usually sits, and you reach F1 to F12 by holding Fn and pressing a number key. You still get dedicated arrows and a small column of navigation keys, which is why many people find 65% easier to live with than 60%.

A 60% is just the main typing block: letters, numbers and modifiers. No function row, no arrows, no navigation keys. Everything else lives on an Fn layer, so you hold Fn and press another key to get an arrow or Delete. Which keys do what depends on the board. It is great for travel and for gamers who want the mouse right next to the keyboard, but expect some getting used to.

A 40% drops the number row as well, leaving the letters and a few modifiers. Numbers, symbols and arrows all live on layers you reach with Fn keys. It is tiny and fun, but honestly, it is for people who enjoy tweaking layouts. If you write code or type a lot of numbers, the learning curve is steep.

A split keyboard breaks the board into two halves that you place apart, so your hands sit about shoulder width apart and your wrists stay straight. Each thumb usually gets its own spacebar or keys. Not just that, some split boards can also tent (tilt up in the middle) for extra comfort. The catch is that you have to type with the correct hand: if you press B with your right hand, it will now be on the other half.

The Alice layout keeps both halves in one case but angles them, so the rows follow the natural angle of your wrists. Each half gets its own spacebar. It is a middle ground: more comfortable than a straight board, and much easier to get used to than a fully split keyboard.

Every size above comes in two main standards. ANSI is the US standard: a wide, flat Enter key, a long left Shift and the backslash key above Enter. ISO is used in the UK and most of Europe: a tall Enter that spans two rows, a short left Shift with an extra key next to it, and one more key beside Enter.

So an ISO board has one extra key: 105 on a full-size keyboard and 88 on a TKL. If you are in the US, you almost certainly want ANSI, and it also has the widest choice of keycap sets.