An Overview of Mechanical Keyboard Layouts

There are so many keyboard layouts to choose from, but how do you know what layout works best for you? Don’t worry today we are going to be covering all of the well known layouts on the market!

First off lets talk about the most common layout people know of and that is a 100% keyboard. Basically this has all the keys including the FN row and numpad. This layout is recommended for office work, but can be a little bit too long, so my suggestion would be to get a 96% keyboard as they are the same as a 100% but take up less space as everything is squished together.

There are two different types of 96% keyboards. Exploded 96%, which has spacings between the arrow keys numpad etc., and a normal 96% which basically has everything squished together with no spacing in between each section. I prefer exploded layouts because it is a lot easier to recognize where I am on the keyboard and leads to less missclicks as a result, but choose whichever works best for you. If you absolutely need a numpad, this layout is probably your best bet.

If you don’t need a numpad, but need the FN row, there are two layouts that you can choose from. A TKL otherwise known as a tenkeyless board because it just cuts off the numpad, or a 75% which is similar to the 96% as it is just like a TKL, but squished together and removes some keys like the pause key for example, and just like the 96%, a 75% keyboard is also available in either an exploded layout, or with no spacing at all between the keys.

A 65% keyboard is one of the most popular keyboard layouts because it removes the FN row and numpad, but keeps the arrow keys, and some extra keys like page up and page down. Now don’t worry, just because the FN row isn’t there, you can still access it by utilizing layers. The simple explanation of layers is if you hold down one key, usually it is going to be the FN key on a keyboard, your 1 key will turn into FN1 for example. So if you ever needed to use the FN row, all you would have to do would be to hold down the FN key and click the number that corresponds with the FN key you are trying to press.

60% Keyboards are also very popular because they take up even less room than a 65% and people just prefer how they look over something like a 65%. Now with a 60% keyboard, you do lose your arrow keys, but just like we covered earlier, they can still be accessed via layers by holding down the FN key. Now personally, I love my arrow keys so I have a hard time using 60% keyboards, but there are some 60% keyboards that still have arrow keys, it just makes the right shift key a lot smaller than usual, and this is my preferred layout for 60% if I had to use one.

Lastly, we have a 40% keyboard. These I only recommend to people who like to use layers as 40% keyboards barely have anything. They don’t have an FN row or a number row and those are accessed via layers, but they are on different layers so you would have to hold the FN key for one layer, and then assign another key to access that other layer. I know it sounds kind of complicated so that's why I say to get one of these only if you really like the layout and size, and if you like the idea of using a lot of layers. They definitely take up the least amount of space on your desk, so I can see the appeal when it comes to saving space.

There are plenty of keyboard layouts to choose from, and this is just scratching the surface. People design new layouts for fun all the time, but I just wanted to go over some of the more common ones just so you have an idea of what to look for when deciding what keyboard layout you would like to choose for your next mechanical keyboard.

For more suggestions, check out this other post on which keyboard layout is right for you? by a fellow blogger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions I've seen with regards to mechanical keyboard layouts:

What are the 3 types of keyboard layout?

QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY are the three key layouts, but if you're referring to keyboard layouts, they range from 40% up to 100%.

What are the most popular mechanical keyboard layouts?

The most popular layouts are 65% and 75%, as they have arrow keys and are compact, but still very functional.

What are the different mechanical keyboard styles?

Mechanical keyboards come in all sizes, from 40% up to 100%, with smaller percentages meaning less keys, and higher percentages meaning more keys.

What are 60% keyboard layout types?

60% layouts are very popular for mechanical keyboard techies as they are compact, but still have all alphanumeric keys. For arrows, you use layers in your keyboard to map to arrow keys.

What is the hardest keyboard layout?

The hardest keyboard layouts are layouts that are 40% and smaller, as they have very few keys, and you have to spend some time learning your custom layout.

What is Tenkeyless vs 75?

The main difference between TKL (Tenkeyless) and 75% keyboards is that TKL keyboards are about 1 to 2 inches wider with additional keys.

What is the scientifically best keyboard layout?

Ultimately, the best keyboard layout is whichever one you are comfortable using. If you're a programmer, you might like 60% keyboards that are compact. If you're an accountant, you might prefer a 100% keyboard with a numpad. If you're a gamer, perhaps a 65% keyboard will be the sweetspot.

What keyboard layout is better?

The best keyboard layout is whichever you are most comfortable using. If you're a programmer, you might like 60% keyboards that are compact. If you're an accountant, you might prefer a 100% keyboard with a numpad. If you're a gamer, perhaps a 65% keyboard will be the sweetspot.

What is the most efficient keyboard layout?

Generally speaking, smaller keyboards such as 60% keyboards are the most efficient as they are compact, and allow you to work in layers, so that you minimize the surface area that your fingers have to reach to press a particular key.

What is a 60 keyboard vs 65 keyboard?

The main difference between 60% keyboards and 65% keyboards is that 65% keyboards have arrow keys while 60% keyboards generally do not.