If you do not have a large desk at home but need to use an external keyboard to make work from home (WFH) more productive, you might want to consider getting a 60-percent keyboard.
These are mechanical keyboards that have 60 per cent of the keys found in a standard full-size keyboard, giving them much smaller footprints compared to standard keyboards.
They are great for those using their dining table or confined spaces at home for work. These keyboards suit gamers - especially first-person shooter fans - too, as they would not need the absent numeric pad and usually-absent arrow keys.
Their compactness means you can keep mouse and keyboard - and your arms - closer together. This helps to prevent strain on your shoulders.
Naturally, there are some shortcomings to these keyboards. For one, they are probably not for those who use the numeric keypad a lot.
They could also be more troublesome to use at times. To accommodate the limited footprint, even the top-row F1 keys and arrow keys are typically missing. However, these keys can still be accessed by pressing the Function key together with a corresponding key that the keyboard manufacturer has assigned, so you will not be missing any keys.
The Straits Times looks at three 60-percent keyboards that might suit your needs.
Ducky One 2 Mini
Price: From $179 on Lazada
Keys: 61
Connectivity: USB-C
Weight: 590g
This is widely regarded by fans and critics as the best 60-percent keyboard in the market, with competitors emulating its design and function.
It has a premium aluminium build and its keycaps are made of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), which is more durable than the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material of conventional keycaps. It is available in many different switch options, including the popular Cherry MX and HyperX (version tested) mechanical switches. And it comes with RGB backlighting.
All the missing keys can be accessed by pressing the Function key. It even includes mouse functions - press the Function key with either the Q or E keys and you will get a left or right mouse-click. This is something you rarely find in 60-percent keyboards.
The best part about the One 2 Mini is it does not need any software for customisation. You can program and record macros with the on-board interface and save up to six profiles directly to the keyboard. You just need to keep its manual close by.
Keychron K6
Price: From $99 on Lazada and Shopee
Keys: 68
Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth
Weight: 530g
I bought this when it was a Kickstarter crowdfunding project in January this year. And it has been a great space-saving workhorse for my office laptop in my WFH setup.
The best part of the KeyChron K6 is that it retains the arrow keys - the only model in this roundup to do so. As I usually need to edit text, having dedicated arrow keys to move between words is a heavensend.
In addition, it is a wireless keyboard and supports both Mac and Windows machines. A switch on its left side lets you easily toggle between the two operating systems.
It has plenty of switch options - from Gateron to LK Optical - and backlighting options - from white to RGB - to choose from.
Perhaps, the only downer is its use of ABS keycaps compared to the more durable PBT keycaps. The build is also a tad plasticky and lacks the premium feel of Ducky's One 2 Mini.
Apart from that, this is probably the best value-for-money 60-percent keyboard.
Razer Huntsman Mini
Price: From $189.90 on Amazon, Lazada and Shopee
Keys: 68
Connectivity: USB-C
Weight: 448g
The Huntsmen Mini is Razer's first 60-percent keyboard and it follows a design scheme very similar to Ducky's One 2 Mini.
It features Razer's second-generation Linear Optical or Clicky Optical (version tested) switches, instead of the popular Cherry MX mechanical switches. I like the Clicky Optical switch, as it offers the same clicky feel that I love with Cherry MX Blue switches but with less force required to register a press.
The Huntsman Mini also uses doubleshot PBT keycaps with a premium textured quality that makes it a joy to type on. With its aluminium base, it feels even more premium than the One 2 Mini. Plus, it comes with Razer's Chroma RGB Lighting.
Like any Razer peripheral, it supports Synapse software for customisation, such as changing the assignment of keys and syncing the lighting effects with other Razer peripherals.
However, the Huntsman Mini can still store up to five profiles directly, which you can activate by pressing the Function key and a menu key, without needing to use Synapse.
