Keyboard Sizes and Layouts

Keyboard size chart

Keyboard sizes are named for roughly what share of a full-size, 104-key board they keep. A smaller size drops a block of keys, usually the number pad first, then the navigation keys, the function row and the arrows. What it drops, you reach through a layer behind the Fn key instead.

"Key area width" is the width of the keys alone on the 19.05 mm grid, as drawn below. A real keyboard adds a case around them, and some add a knob or media keys, so the last column, from the makers' spec pages, runs wider. Key counts are the typical ANSI (US) counts that Keychron gives for each size; ISO boards have one more key.

Full size keyboard (100%)

A full-size keyboard has 104 keys in the US (ANSI) layout and 105 in the ISO layout used in much of Europe: the main typing block, a function row, a navigation block (Insert, Home, Page Up, Delete, End, Page Down), arrow keys and a number pad. Its keys alone take up 16.9 in (429 mm) of width; the full-size keyboards we checked measure 16.5 in to 17.6 in across.

Pick full size if you type numbers all day and want every key where you expect it. Our best overall mechanical keyboard, the Keychron V6 Max, is full size, as is the gaming pick, the Corsair K70 RGB PRO.

96% and 1800 keyboards

A 96% keyboard keeps the number pad, function row and arrows but closes the gaps between blocks, so it is about 2.6 in (67 mm) narrower than full size on the key grid. Keychron puts the usual count at 100 to 104 keys and calls its V5 Max an "1800 compact layout"; 96% and 1800 are two names for the same idea. The price is a squeezed navigation area and a number pad pushed against the arrows and main keys.

Both are picks in our mechanical keyboard guide: the Keychron V5 Max and the aluminum Epomaker Galaxy100.

What is a TKL keyboard?

TKL stands for tenkeyless: a full-size keyboard without the number pad (the "ten keys"). Everything else stays in its usual place, including the function row, the six-key navigation block and the arrows. A standard TKL has 87 keys in ANSI and 88 in ISO, and makers also sell it as 80%. On the key grid it is 13.7 in (348 mm) wide, 3.2 in (81 mm) narrower than full size.

TKL is the easiest step down from full size because nothing moves. Our budget pick, the Keychron C3 Pro, is a wired TKL.

75% keyboard

A 75% keyboard has about 84 keys. It keeps the function row and arrows, packs everything together without gaps, and replaces the navigation block with a single column of keys on the right edge. Keychron lists Insert, Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause among the keys it usually drops. Its keys take up 12.0 in (305 mm), 4.9 in (124 mm) less than full size.

The low-profile LOFREE Flow84, our upgrade pick, uses an 84-key layout. Apple's standard Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is narrower still at 11.0 in (279 mm): it has a function row and arrow keys, and Apple describes the number-pad version as the one with document navigation controls and full-size arrow keys. Apple gives neither a percentage.

75% vs TKL

Both keep the function row and arrow keys, and neither has a number pad. The difference is spacing and the navigation keys. A TKL keeps the gaps around the function row, arrows and full six-key navigation block, so you can find keys by feel. A 75% removes the gaps and cuts the navigation block down to one column, which makes its keys 1.7 in (43 mm)narrower on the grid.

Among the keyboards we list, TKLs measure 13.6 in to 14.5 in wide and 75% boards 12.3 in to 12.9 in. Choose TKL if you use Insert, Print Screen or Home and End by touch; choose 75% if you mostly want a smaller footprint with F-keys intact.

65% keyboard

A 65% keyboard has about 68 keys: a 60% layout plus dedicated arrow keys and a column of extras such as Delete, Page Up and Page Down. There is no function row, so F1 to F12 sit on the number row behind Fn. It is the same width as a 75% on the key grid (12.0 in (305 mm)) but one row shorter.

60% keyboard

A 60% keyboard has about 61 keys (62 in ISO): the letters, the number row and the modifiers, and nothing else. Arrows, function keys and navigation keys all move to a layer you reach with Fn. With 11.3 in (286 mm) of keys, it is 5.6 in (143 mm) narrower than a full-size board, which is why it is popular with gamers who make wide mouse sweeps.

60% vs 65% keyboard

The 65% adds dedicated arrow keys and a right-hand column of keys like Delete and Page Up; the 60% puts them on a layer. On the key grid the 65% is only 0.8 in (19 mm) wider, because it shortens the right Shift and bottom-row keys to make room. Among the keyboards we list, 60% boards measure 11.4 in to 12.0 in wide and 65% boards 12.3 in to 13.0 in.

If you use arrow keys for text editing, spreadsheets or games, the 65% is the safer choice for very little extra width. A 60% suits people who rarely use arrows or are happy to learn the Fn layer.

40% keyboards

A 40% keyboard usually drops the number row as well, so numbers and symbols move to layers. Layouts vary much more than at the other sizes, including ortholinear boards with keys in a straight grid, and few large brands make one. We did not find a manufacturer spec page we could verify for a 40% board, so we list no real-world dimensions. The drawing shows one common staggered arrangement at 9.6 in (243 mm).

How much mouse room does a smaller keyboard give you?

Against a full-size board, on the key grid alone, a TKL frees 3.2 in (81 mm), a 75% or 65% frees 4.9 in (124 mm) and a 60% frees 5.6 in (143 mm) for a mouse on the right. Real keyboards differ: the narrowest 75% we list, the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini, is 4.8 in (121 mm) narrower than the full-size Logitech MX Mechanical. If you use the mouse with your left hand, the number pad is on the other side and removing it gains you nothing.

Two lab studies have measured what moving the mouse closer does. In a 1998 study of ten people in Applied Ergonomics, front and middle shoulder (deltoid) muscle activity was significantly lower with the mouse beside a keyboard without a number pad than beside a standard keyboard, while trapezius activity did not differ. A 2006 Harvard study of 30 adults in Ergonomics found that a keyboard without a number pad slightly reduced wrist extension and gave a more neutral shoulder posture, with little difference in muscle activity; a mouse placed between the keyboard and the body gave the most neutral posture of all the positions tested.

ANSI vs ISO: keyboard layouts vs sizes

Size is how many keys a keyboard has. Layout is their shape and what is printed on them. Most keyboards sold in the US and Canada use the ANSI layout; ISO is used mainly in Europe. Keychron lists the differences:

• Enter: a wide, single-row rectangle on ANSI; a tall, L-shaped key on ISO.
• Left Shift: long on ANSI; shorter on ISO, with an extra key beside it, often for language-specific characters.
• Backslash: above Enter on ANSI; near the left Shift on ISO.
• Key count: one more on ISO: 105 instead of 104 at full size, 88 instead of 87 for a TKL, 62 instead of 61 for a 60%.

The language layout (US QWERTY, UK, German, French and so on) sits on top of that: it changes the legends and some symbols, not the keyboard's size. Not every keycap set fits both ANSI and ISO boards, so check which one you have before buying replacements.

Alice and split keyboards

An Alice layout splits the letter keys into two angled halves on a single board. Keychron sells Alice boards at 65% (the Q8 Max), 75% and 96%. A split keyboard goes further and comes in two separate pieces: Keychron's Q11 is a 75% layout whose halves can sit apart or be joined with a bridge cable.

How this works

• Key unit. Keys sit on a grid of 19.05 mm (0.75in), the standard spacing in Cherry's MX switch datasheet. One unit (1u) is a letter key. In our drawings Tab is 1.5u, Enter 2.25u and the space bar 6.25u.
• Drawings and grid widths are our own ANSI layouts on that grid, measured across the keys only. A full-size board is 22.5u (16.9 in (429 mm)) wide and 6.5u deep, counting the usual gaps between blocks.
• Real dimensions come from each maker's spec page. Logitech labels its axes differently from product to product, so we took the longest side as the width. Corsair lists no dimensions for the K70 RGB PRO, so it has none here.
• The finder picks the narrowest size that has every key you ticked as a dedicated key. For the desk check it uses the widest keyboard we list in that size, so most keyboards of that size leave a bit more room.

Sources were checked on October 7, 2026.

Sources

1. Cherry, MX1A-Lxxx key module technical data: standard lead spacing 19.05 mm (16 mm minimum). Datasheet hosted by Farnell. www.farnell.com/datasheets/2301173.pdf
2. Keychron, ANSI vs ISO Keyboard: full-size ANSI 104 keys, ISO 105; ISO has an L-shaped Enter and a shorter left Shift with an extra key beside it. www.keychron.com/blogs/news/ansi-vs-iso-keyboard
3. Keychron, TKL keyboards: a standard TKL has 87 keys in ANSI and usually 88 in ISO. www.keychron.com/collections/tkl-keyboard
4. Keychron, How Many Switches in a 75% Keyboard: around 84 keys; keeps the function row, arrows and keys like Home and End; drops the number pad, Insert, Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause. www.keychron.com/blogs/news/how-many-switches-in-a-75-keyboard
5. Keychron, Best 65% Keyboards: about 68 keys; arrow keys and a few extra keys on the right, no function row. www.keychron.com/blogs/news/best-65-keyboards
6. Keychron, Best 60 Percent Keyboard: about 61 keys, or 62 for ISO. www.keychron.com/blogs/news/best-60-percent-keyboard
7. Keychron, Best 96% Keyboards: usually 100 to 104 keys, keeping the number pad, arrows and function row; calls the V5 Max an 1800 compact layout. www.keychron.com/blogs/news/best-96-keyboards
8. Corsair, Keyboard Sizes & Layouts Explained: which keys full size, TKL, 75%, 65% and 60% keep. www.corsair.com/us/en/explorer/gamer/keyboards/keyboard-sizes-explained/
9. Cook CJ, Kothiyal K. Influence of mouse position on muscular activity in the neck, shoulder and arm in computer users. Applied Ergonomics 1998;29(6):439-443. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9796789/
10. Dennerlein JT, Johnson PW. Changes in upper extremity biomechanics across different mouse positions in a computer workstation. Ergonomics 2006;49(14):1456-1469. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17028089/
11. Keychron V6 Max specs (100% full size, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v6-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
12. Keychron V5 Max specs (96%, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v5-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
13. Keychron C3 Pro specs (80% TKL) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-c3-pro-qmk-via-wired-mechanical-keyboard
14. Keychron V3 Max specs (80%, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v3-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
15. Keychron V1 Max specs (75%, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v1-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
16. Keychron V2 Max specs (65%, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v2-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
17. Keychron K6 Pro specs (65%; plastic frame 313 x 104 mm) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k6-pro-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
18. Keychron V4 Max specs (60%, ANSI, with knob) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-v4-max-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
19. Keychron Q8 Max (65% Alice layout) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q8-max-alice-layout-qmk-via-wireless-custom-mechanical-keyboard
20. Keychron Q11 (75% split design; halves can be used apart or joined with a bridge cable) www.keychron.com/products/keychron-q11-qmk-custom-mechanical-keyboard
21. Logitech MX Keys S specs www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-keys-s.920-011406.html
22. Logitech MX Mechanical specs www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-mechanical.920-010547.html
23. Logitech MX Mechanical Mini specs www.logitech.com/en-us/products/keyboards/mx-mechanical-mini.920-010550.html
24. Logitech G PRO X TKL Lightspeed specs www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/gaming-keyboards/pro-x-tkl-wireless-keyboard.html
25. Logitech G PRO X 60 Lightspeed specs www.logitechg.com/en-us/products/gaming-keyboards/pro-x-60-wireless-keyboard.html
26. Apple, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad (USB-C) tech specs support.apple.com/en-us/121953
27. Apple, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (USB-C) tech specs support.apple.com/en-us/121954
28. Corsair K70 RGB PRO tech specs (form factor: full size; no dimensions listed) www.corsair.com/us/en/p/keyboards/ch-9109410-na/k70-rgb-pro-mechanical-gaming-keyboard-cherry-mx-red-black-ch-9109410-na
29. Epomaker Galaxy100 QMK/VIA specs (1800 ANSI US layout, 100 keys and 1 knob) epomaker.com/products/epomaker-galaxy100-qmk-via
30. LOFREE Flow specs (84 keys) www.lofree.co/products/lofree-flow-the-smoothest-mechanical-keyboard
31. Wooting 80HE specs (80% layout) wooting.io/wooting-80he
32. Wooting 60HE+ specs (60% layout) wooting.io/wooting-60he