The Art of Keyboard Design: Exploring Size Options and Functionality

In the world of keyboards, size is just one aspect to consider when it comes to functionality and usability. From compact 75 keyboards to full-size behemoths, each design choice offers its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we'll delve into the different keyboard sizes available, their benefits, and drawbacks, and explore which ones might be suitable for various users.

**The 75 Keyboard: A Compromise Between Size and Functionality**

For those who want a compact keyboard without sacrificing too much functionality, the 75 keyboard is an excellent option. This size offers all the key features of a full-size keyboard, including the home cluster and arrow keys, but with a slightly smaller footprint. The keyboard has identical keycap swapping capabilities to its larger counterparts, making it ideal for enthusiasts and customizers who want to personalize their typing experience.

One of the main advantages of the 75 keyboard is its compactness without losing any essential features. This makes it an excellent choice for those who prefer a more minimalist design or need to fit a smaller desk space. However, some users might find that the keycaps are too close together, which could be a drawback for those who prefer a bit more breathing room between keys.

**The 80 Layout: A Hybrid Between TKL and 75 Keyboards**

For those who want the best of both worlds, the 80 layout is an excellent option. This keyboard combines the compactness of a TKL (TenKeyLess) keyboard with the dedicated functions row of a 75 keyboard. The result is a hybrid design that offers all the key features of both layouts while minimizing size.

The 80 layout is ideal for those who want to retain the benefits of both compact and full-size keyboards. With this design, users can enjoy the convenience of a TKL keyboard without sacrificing too much functionality. However, it's worth noting that the 80 layout is still not as widely available as other keyboard sizes, making it a bit more challenging to find compatible keycap replacements.

**The 65 Keyboard: A Balance Between Size and Functionality**

For those who want to compromise between size and functionality, the 65 keyboard is an excellent option. This design features all the same keys as the 75 keyboard but without the dedicated functions row. As a result, the keyboard is slightly smaller than its larger counterparts.

The main advantage of the 65 keyboard is its compactness without sacrificing too much functionality. This makes it an excellent choice for those who want to save space on their desk while still retaining essential features. However, some users might find that the lack of dedicated functions row requires more mental effort and adaptation.

**The 60 Keyboard: A Unique Design with a Price**

For those who want to push the boundaries of keyboard design, the 60 keyboard is an exciting option. This size features a mostly standardized keycap layout, making it ideal for users who want to experiment with different configurations and designs.

One of the main benefits of the 60 keyboard is its compactness without sacrificing too much functionality. With this design, users can enjoy all the key features of a full-size keyboard while minimizing space requirements. However, some users might find that the lack of dedicated functions row requires more mental effort and adaptation.

The biggest drawback of the 60 keyboard is its limited availability. Due to its niche size, it's challenging to find compatible keycap replacements or customization options. Additionally, some users might not be comfortable with the compact design, which can require adjustments in typing habits.

**Gaming Keyboards: A Niche Option for Enthusiasts**

For those who are serious about gaming, specialized keyboards from brands like Razer and Logitech offer unique features and designs tailored to their specific needs. These keyboards often feature customizable backlighting, macro keys, and other advanced features that cater to the demands of competitive gamers.

While gaming keyboards are an excellent option for enthusiasts, they can be quite expensive and may not be suitable for everyday use. However, for those who spend hours gaming every day, these specialized keyboards offer a level of performance and customization that's hard to match with more general-purpose keyboards.

**The Future of Keyboard Design: Experimental Designs and Customization**

As keyboard design continues to evolve, we're seeing more experimental designs and customization options emerging. The 40 keyboard, for example, is a highly niche size that offers a unique blend of compactness and functionality. While it's not widely available, this design has the potential to attract users who are willing to experiment with different typing habits and configurations.

In conclusion, each keyboard size has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the right choice depends on individual preferences and needs. Whether you're looking for compactness without sacrificing functionality or unique customization options, there's a keyboard size out there that's perfect for you.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: engood people i'm dmitry ever wonder how many keyboard size types exist and why today we're going to discuss each size type why they're awesome or maybe not so you can buy the right keyboard next by the way this new set you can see here big thanks to this is he checking out over here he's the good people fella and to make this fun every time you hear me say keyboard you got to do a push-up meet the viper vp 4300 pcie m.2 gen 4x4 ssd from patriot available in 1 and 2 terabyte capacities for all your data flow with well a 5 year warranty of course are we done no this cutting edge pcie gen 4x4 controller offers incredible read write speeds and it comes with interchangeable low profile heatsinks to ensure compatibility in tight spaces that explains this check out the viper vp4300 down below and so let's begin with a full-size chunker known as the 100 keyboard or a full-size keyboard it has the full number pad home cluster f keys up top arrow keys and etc the main advantage of this size to me are the options it is by far the most popular keyboard size and probably the most sold too it's great for data entry because of numpad especially for keyboards that have the numpad on the left side there's so much variety in design and if you're looking for that unique features interesting designs they generally come to full size keyboards first this may include digital dials or detachable macro clusters insanely high pulling rates usb and audio pass-throughs proximity sensors for illumination and every switch in existence you can imagine is most likely available also since many full-size keyboards are not worried about being compact many gaming keyboards have the macro columns on the left side for that additional functionality many also come with a wrist rest but i have yet to stumble upon a full-size keyboard with a removable cable so that's kind of reserved for the smaller keyboards and also chances are your very first mechanical keyboard was full size because of reasons sometimes buying a smaller keyboard feels like a compromise because of the missing keys right and if you're worried about the gaming space there's still hope for a properly aggressive slant with a full-size chunker so you can still manage to have enough room for your mouse to maneuver full-size keyboards are not for me because i never really use the numpad and prefer the much better ergonomics for typing with a smaller keyboard on my desk moving into the next size category we have the strange down size of a full-size keyboard but with the same number of keys without the dividing spaces making the body a little bit more compact thus the 1800 compact classification it offers all the same advantages of a standard full-size keyboard but just with a slightly less chunky frame this is the version where all the keys are in the same row offering a very unique look but a more common solution of the 1800 compact form factor is this type with the lower position arrow keys and the slightly closer numpad personally i don't see many reasons for this form factor to exist aside from the slightly different look that you might expect from like a full-size keyboard and are actually quite easy to find on amazon so they are pretty common now let's move on to my favorite category of tkl which stands for 10 keyless but in reality it's more like 17 keyless imagine just cutting off the numpad to the right of the arrow keys and that's your tkl keyboard meaning you still have the dedicated f keys and the handy home cluster just like with full size i would say variety is plenty in this form factor both from the mainstream sector and lots of entry enthusiast options that focus on tql many gaming brands focus on tkl sales because it's the perfect compromise between comfort and usable keys with lots of new available space for mouse movement after you properly angle the keyboard that to me is the primary advantage of tkl over full size keyboards also not only is it great for space conscious setups but ergonomically it's just far superior for typing because the alphabet portion is just more centered when placed at the same distance from the mouse my only complaint with tkl is the price many times it's more expensive than the full-size keyboards and if you end up getting a custom keycap set which normally comes to cover a full-size keyboard you end up having many unused keycaps moving down the list we no longer have the names for the keyboard sizes instead they're based on the percentages of a full size 100 keyboard so the 75 keyboards are becoming more popular especially with the introduction of the glorious gmk pro basically it's a more compact version of tkl with minimal spaces between the airfro and the home slash arrow cluster the bottom row on the right of the spacebar shrinks in size and the shift key is also smaller to accommodate the up key but the rest of the keyboard is identical for keycap swapping and such which is why it's reserved for maybe the enthusiast market or the custom community since finding keycap replacements for 75 body is a bit more challenging generally it's not as common as tkl but functionally it serves basically the same purpose of being compact without losing your afro without losing the home cluster or the arrow keys but it might not be your style visually because how close the keycaps are to each other and that's where the 80 layout comes in which has all the same keys and basically an identical layout as a 75 keyboard but the function row is separated from the numbers row so it's kind of a hybrid between a tkl and the 75 percenter they look unique that's for sure and i generally found in the special colorway designs and something you might get as your like main desktop productivity keyboard if all the other sizes are a bit too generic for you the next size down is a 65 keyboard which is the same layout as the 75 but without the dedicated functions row making the keyboard even smaller depth wise this means the functions row is now built into the numbers row as secondary controls usually activated with the fn key this is the smallest keyboard i'm willing to use because it still has the dedicated arrows key plus that home cluster that is in the single column above the main advantage here with a 65 keyboard is that it's a perfect complement for your notebook you can travel around with this in your backpack or give you maximum space for mouse movement in an fps environment the main disadvantage is the activation of secondary keys like your f row the tilde key and all your home cluster that are all one fn click away and given this keycap swapping for the smaller non-standardized layouts becomes challenging as the secondary controls are not all the same plus the bottom row is not standardized especially on the right of the spacebar on most models unless you find a keyboard like the rog falcion which has basically a standard bottom row because of a slightly shorter spacebar but still if all you care about is the was zoned for gaming you can go even smaller into the 60 form factor these 60 keyboards are quite popular since the keycap layout is mostly standardized across this category meaning your colorway options are plenty you can see the 60 interior is the same as on a full-size keyboard and just like with the 65er the functions row is built into your numbers row but so are the arrow keys and the home cluster that are usually scattered throughout the keyboard and are activated as secondary functions if you use them enough they become easy to recognize and kind of learn but it's definitely an adjustment coming from anything larger the biggest benefit is the even smaller size of the keyboard going at the slight angle to give you that maximum mouse movement which is awesome for fps gaming right but on the other hand i have never been comfortable using a 60 keyboard in any productivity environment since even delete key is combined with backspace and constantly have to press fn to activate any of my f rows and even if you put a 60 keyboard right next to a 65 keyboard the size difference is one column of keys which is quite significant from a usability standpoint which is why the 65 keyboard is the minimum i would recommend even for space saving purposes since you gain so much additional functionality an alternative for gaming only are gaming keypads from razer or logitech or others but they serve that very specific purpose and they're generally quite expensive and with the layout that you will need to learn to be good with now going even smaller we have the highly niche size of 40 keyboards these only have the full alphabet without the arrow keys without the functions row and the purpose is to go as small as possible and as unique as possible as well with reliance on your own configuration of different layers of functionality it's a pretty cool concept um and it's something that i would recommend only if you're willing to experiment and so that is the keyboard sizes explained if you have a preferred keyboard size let me know in the comments i realized that full size keyboards are still by far the largest sales in terms of proportions to anything else that is below it but tkl is probably going to be the gamers favorites because it's a really good balance between compact having all the functions still available to you and anything smaller uh you kind of have to adapt but still 65 keyboard if you haven't tried it it's fantastic as long as you don't really use the functions row and i would love to try a 40 keyboard just for typing you know it would like fantastic switches build your own that would be awesome but yeah i'm dimitri thanks so much for watching again check out this z down below for housing me in this awesome studio and i'll talk to you in next videogood people i'm dmitry ever wonder how many keyboard size types exist and why today we're going to discuss each size type why they're awesome or maybe not so you can buy the right keyboard next by the way this new set you can see here big thanks to this is he checking out over here he's the good people fella and to make this fun every time you hear me say keyboard you got to do a push-up meet the viper vp 4300 pcie m.2 gen 4x4 ssd from patriot available in 1 and 2 terabyte capacities for all your data flow with well a 5 year warranty of course are we done no this cutting edge pcie gen 4x4 controller offers incredible read write speeds and it comes with interchangeable low profile heatsinks to ensure compatibility in tight spaces that explains this check out the viper vp4300 down below and so let's begin with a full-size chunker known as the 100 keyboard or a full-size keyboard it has the full number pad home cluster f keys up top arrow keys and etc the main advantage of this size to me are the options it is by far the most popular keyboard size and probably the most sold too it's great for data entry because of numpad especially for keyboards that have the numpad on the left side there's so much variety in design and if you're looking for that unique features interesting designs they generally come to full size keyboards first this may include digital dials or detachable macro clusters insanely high pulling rates usb and audio pass-throughs proximity sensors for illumination and every switch in existence you can imagine is most likely available also since many full-size keyboards are not worried about being compact many gaming keyboards have the macro columns on the left side for that additional functionality many also come with a wrist rest but i have yet to stumble upon a full-size keyboard with a removable cable so that's kind of reserved for the smaller keyboards and also chances are your very first mechanical keyboard was full size because of reasons sometimes buying a smaller keyboard feels like a compromise because of the missing keys right and if you're worried about the gaming space there's still hope for a properly aggressive slant with a full-size chunker so you can still manage to have enough room for your mouse to maneuver full-size keyboards are not for me because i never really use the numpad and prefer the much better ergonomics for typing with a smaller keyboard on my desk moving into the next size category we have the strange down size of a full-size keyboard but with the same number of keys without the dividing spaces making the body a little bit more compact thus the 1800 compact classification it offers all the same advantages of a standard full-size keyboard but just with a slightly less chunky frame this is the version where all the keys are in the same row offering a very unique look but a more common solution of the 1800 compact form factor is this type with the lower position arrow keys and the slightly closer numpad personally i don't see many reasons for this form factor to exist aside from the slightly different look that you might expect from like a full-size keyboard and are actually quite easy to find on amazon so they are pretty common now let's move on to my favorite category of tkl which stands for 10 keyless but in reality it's more like 17 keyless imagine just cutting off the numpad to the right of the arrow keys and that's your tkl keyboard meaning you still have the dedicated f keys and the handy home cluster just like with full size i would say variety is plenty in this form factor both from the mainstream sector and lots of entry enthusiast options that focus on tql many gaming brands focus on tkl sales because it's the perfect compromise between comfort and usable keys with lots of new available space for mouse movement after you properly angle the keyboard that to me is the primary advantage of tkl over full size keyboards also not only is it great for space conscious setups but ergonomically it's just far superior for typing because the alphabet portion is just more centered when placed at the same distance from the mouse my only complaint with tkl is the price many times it's more expensive than the full-size keyboards and if you end up getting a custom keycap set which normally comes to cover a full-size keyboard you end up having many unused keycaps moving down the list we no longer have the names for the keyboard sizes instead they're based on the percentages of a full size 100 keyboard so the 75 keyboards are becoming more popular especially with the introduction of the glorious gmk pro basically it's a more compact version of tkl with minimal spaces between the airfro and the home slash arrow cluster the bottom row on the right of the spacebar shrinks in size and the shift key is also smaller to accommodate the up key but the rest of the keyboard is identical for keycap swapping and such which is why it's reserved for maybe the enthusiast market or the custom community since finding keycap replacements for 75 body is a bit more challenging generally it's not as common as tkl but functionally it serves basically the same purpose of being compact without losing your afro without losing the home cluster or the arrow keys but it might not be your style visually because how close the keycaps are to each other and that's where the 80 layout comes in which has all the same keys and basically an identical layout as a 75 keyboard but the function row is separated from the numbers row so it's kind of a hybrid between a tkl and the 75 percenter they look unique that's for sure and i generally found in the special colorway designs and something you might get as your like main desktop productivity keyboard if all the other sizes are a bit too generic for you the next size down is a 65 keyboard which is the same layout as the 75 but without the dedicated functions row making the keyboard even smaller depth wise this means the functions row is now built into the numbers row as secondary controls usually activated with the fn key this is the smallest keyboard i'm willing to use because it still has the dedicated arrows key plus that home cluster that is in the single column above the main advantage here with a 65 keyboard is that it's a perfect complement for your notebook you can travel around with this in your backpack or give you maximum space for mouse movement in an fps environment the main disadvantage is the activation of secondary keys like your f row the tilde key and all your home cluster that are all one fn click away and given this keycap swapping for the smaller non-standardized layouts becomes challenging as the secondary controls are not all the same plus the bottom row is not standardized especially on the right of the spacebar on most models unless you find a keyboard like the rog falcion which has basically a standard bottom row because of a slightly shorter spacebar but still if all you care about is the was zoned for gaming you can go even smaller into the 60 form factor these 60 keyboards are quite popular since the keycap layout is mostly standardized across this category meaning your colorway options are plenty you can see the 60 interior is the same as on a full-size keyboard and just like with the 65er the functions row is built into your numbers row but so are the arrow keys and the home cluster that are usually scattered throughout the keyboard and are activated as secondary functions if you use them enough they become easy to recognize and kind of learn but it's definitely an adjustment coming from anything larger the biggest benefit is the even smaller size of the keyboard going at the slight angle to give you that maximum mouse movement which is awesome for fps gaming right but on the other hand i have never been comfortable using a 60 keyboard in any productivity environment since even delete key is combined with backspace and constantly have to press fn to activate any of my f rows and even if you put a 60 keyboard right next to a 65 keyboard the size difference is one column of keys which is quite significant from a usability standpoint which is why the 65 keyboard is the minimum i would recommend even for space saving purposes since you gain so much additional functionality an alternative for gaming only are gaming keypads from razer or logitech or others but they serve that very specific purpose and they're generally quite expensive and with the layout that you will need to learn to be good with now going even smaller we have the highly niche size of 40 keyboards these only have the full alphabet without the arrow keys without the functions row and the purpose is to go as small as possible and as unique as possible as well with reliance on your own configuration of different layers of functionality it's a pretty cool concept um and it's something that i would recommend only if you're willing to experiment and so that is the keyboard sizes explained if you have a preferred keyboard size let me know in the comments i realized that full size keyboards are still by far the largest sales in terms of proportions to anything else that is below it but tkl is probably going to be the gamers favorites because it's a really good balance between compact having all the functions still available to you and anything smaller uh you kind of have to adapt but still 65 keyboard if you haven't tried it it's fantastic as long as you don't really use the functions row and i would love to try a 40 keyboard just for typing you know it would like fantastic switches build your own that would be awesome but yeah i'm dimitri thanks so much for watching again check out this z down below for housing me in this awesome studio and i'll talk to you in next video\n"