Full-size (100%) ISO
105 keys 22.5u wide, about 429 mm of keysThe 105-key ISO version of full-size: tall L-shaped Enter, an extra key beside left Shift, and AltGr on the right. Same 22.5u footprint as ANSI.
Keyboard sizes explained
Every keyboard layout size, rendered to scale on one page: from a 104-key full-size down to a 44-key 40%. Same pixels per key unit everywhere, so the width difference you see is the width difference you get on your desk.
Keyboard sizes are named by how much of a full-size board survives: 100%, 96%, 80% (better known as TKL), 75%, 65%, 60% and 40%. The percentages are loose, but the logic is consistent. Each step down removes a block of keys, first the numpad, then the nav cluster, then the F-row, and finally the number row itself, and moves those keys onto an Fn layer instead. Physical width follows directly, because keyboards are built on a fixed 19.05 mm grid: a 15u wide 60% is 285.75 mm of keys, a 22.5u full-size is 428.6 mm.
Photos on product pages hide this because everything gets scaled to fill the frame. The renders below do not. Scan down the page and you can see exactly what a 96% saves over full-size, how little desk a 65% costs over a 60%, and why 40% boards look like typing dares. Click through to any size for exact dimensions, dropped-key workarounds and who each layout actually suits, or jump straight into a head-to-head comparison.
Drops nothing. 104 keys with the F-row, nav cluster, arrows and numpad all present. This is the baseline every smaller size is measured against.
Compact 1800 ANSI
101 keys 19.5u wide, about 371 mm of keysDrops almost nothing, it just deletes the empty space. The numpad snugs up against the main block and the arrows tuck in beside it, saving about 3u of desk width over full-size.
Alice (ergo 60%)
60 keys 19.14u wide, about 365 mm of keysThe Alice layout: a split-angled ergonomic 60%-class board with duplicated B, split spacebars and gently rotated halves.
Keeps the numpad, F-row and arrows but cuts Insert, Scroll Lock, Pause and Menu, plus the right-hand Control and Win keys, then removes the gaps between blocks. Nearly full-size function at 19u wide.
Split ergo (ErgoDox-style)
64 keys 18.5u wide, about 352 mm of keysA simplified Ergodox: two fully split halves with angled thumb clusters, the classic gateway into split ergonomic boards.
TKL (80%) ISO
88 keys 18.25u wide, about 348 mm of keysThe 88-key ISO tenkeyless: numpad gone, ISO Enter and the extra key beside left Shift retained. Popular across Europe for the same reasons as ANSI TKL.
Drops exactly one thing: the 17-key numpad. All 87 remaining keys sit where full-size muscle memory expects them, which is why TKL owns esports stages.
Drops the numpad, most of the nav cluster and the gaps between F-row groups. Keeps F1 to F12, arrows and a single right-hand column of nav keys.
Drops the F-row on top of the 75% cuts, keeping dedicated arrows plus a slim nav column (Delete, PgUp, PgDn, End here). F1 to F12 move to the Fn layer.
60% ISO
62 keys 15u wide, about 286 mm of keysThe 62-key ISO take on the 60%: same cuts as ANSI, with the tall ISO Enter and the extra key beside left Shift that European layouts expect.
Drops everything except the alphanumeric block: no F-row, no arrows, no nav keys, no numpad. All 61 keys you type on, everything else on an Fn layer.
A 60-key rethink of the 60% rather than a plain shrink: Control sits on the home row, Delete drops to just above Enter, and the bottom corners are blocked off around a 6u spacebar.
Drops the number row itself. What remains is the alpha block, a few mods and a split spacebar, with numbers and symbols living on layers.
Preonic (50% ortho)
59 keys 12u wide, about 229 mm of keysThe Preonic: the Planck plus a real number row, 59 keys on a perfect ortholinear grid.
Planck (40% ortho)
47 keys 12u wide, about 229 mm of keysThe Planck: a 47-key MIT-layout ortholinear 40% where every key sits on a perfect grid and a 2u spacebar anchors the center.
Numpad
17 keys 4u wide, about 76 mm of keysThe 17 keys everyone else dropped. A standalone numpad pairs nicely with a TKL or smaller board when spreadsheet season arrives.
How to choose between keyboard sizes
Start from what you refuse to give up. If you enter numbers all day, that is a numpad: buy full-size or, smarter, 96% and save 67 mm of desk for free. If you use F-keys constantly but never touch the numpad, TKL or 75% is the sweet spot. If arrows are your only hard requirement, a 65% gets you close to minimum size with zero daily friction. And if you are comfortable living on layers, the 60% and HHKB world has the deepest custom ecosystem in the hobby, with 40% waiting beyond it for the truly committed.
Size picked? Try it before spending anything. Load any of these layouts in our keyboard builder to style a build and price the parts, hear how it would sound in the switch sound simulator with switches like the Gateron Oil King or Boba U4T, and check your current board's health with the keyboard tester. When the new board arrives, a quick run through the typing test will tell you how fast the layout change settles in.
Frequently asked questions
What are the keyboard sizes in order from largest to smallest?
Full-size (104 keys), 1800 / compact full-size (about 101), 96% (about 99 to 100), TKL or 80% (87), 75% (about 81 to 84), 65% (about 66 to 68), 60% (61) and HHKB (60), then 40% boards at roughly 40 to 47 keys. A standalone numpad has 17 keys.
Which keyboard size is best for gaming?
TKL, 65% and 60% are the most popular gaming sizes. Cutting the numpad frees about 81 mm of desk width for mouse swipes, which matters at low sensitivity. Keep TKL if you rebind F-keys often; go 60% or 65% for maximum mouse room.
Do smaller keyboards lose functionality?
No keys disappear functionally, they move to an Fn layer. Holding Fn turns other keys into the missing F-row, arrows or nav keys. Below 65% you should expect a genuine adjustment period of a few days while the layer positions settle into muscle memory.
What keyboard size should a beginner buy?
A 75% or 65% is the safest first mechanical keyboard. Both keep dedicated arrows, both cut the rarely missed numpad, and neither forces heavy Fn-layer use. Pick 75% if you use F-keys daily, 65% if you want the smallest board that never fights you.
Are these keyboard renders actually to scale?
Yes. Every board on this page is drawn at the same pixels-per-unit scale from real layout geometry, where 1u equals 19.05 mm. A 60% board really is about two thirds the width of a full-size board, and the renders reflect that honestly.