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Does size matter—when it comes to keyboards?
In this post, I’m breaking down my best 40% keyboards.
To be honest—the 40% is NOT for everyone (it’s not the most functional keyboard ever…), but man are they CUTE! Little teeny-tiny mechanical keyboards that can go anywhere!
Here are my 40% faves:
What is a 40% keyboard?
A 40% keyboard is a compact layout with no tenkey (numpad), no function row, no arrow keys, and no number row!
It’s basically the main alphabet, the space bar and modifier keys, and maybe a handful of other keys depending on the keyboard (The Planck above has arrow keys. We review that one below).
Vortexgear Core 40% - Best Overall
- CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS - Choose from a range of different aluminum colored cases (Black, green, and grey being the main 3).
- BASIC FUNCTIONS - If you’re more into customizing and designing your own keyboard rather than functionality, the Planck Keyboard can deliver.
- RETRO APPEAL - The fun white and primary-colored keycaps give us a major nostalgia buzz, and its miniature size gives it a nifty appeal.
If building your own 40% keyboard majorly appeals to you, skip right to ordering the different parts of this Planck keyboard. With the array of different colored cases available, keyboard customizers can also choose from different keycaps.
NOTE: The Planck does not come with switches or keycaps!
They assume you’re going to be customizing it with your own switches/keycaps.
The finished product is eyecatching, with a rudimentary appeal reminiscent of the dawn of computers. It is also super lightweight and great for transporting.
The drawbacks of this product are that it features no LED lights, has limited functions, and is pretty expensive once you consider all the parts that are required.
If you like the look of the Planck 40% keyboard but aren’t too interested in customization, you could opt to get the Planck EZ instead. This model comes as a pre-built keyboard and features LED backlights.
Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Great size
- Plenty of customization possibilities.
Cons:
- Expensive, especially with all the parts considered
- Difficult to buy a complete Planck 40% Keyboard
- No LED lights.
YMDK V2 Kit - Best for Availability
- CUSTOMIZABLE KIT - Doesn’t come with switches or keycaps
- CASE COLOR OPTIONS - Grab it in pink, orange, silver, and more
- PROGRAMMABLE WITH QMK AND VIA - You can use the popular software VIA to program hotkeys, macros, etc.
Depending on when you’re reading this, you may have noticed that 40% keyboards are hard to find (especially on Amazon)!
You can almost always count on the TMDK on AliExpress, though.
Pros:
- Almost always available
- YMDK actually offers assembly service, too, in case you want to go ahead and buy the switches and keycaps and have THEM do the work of putting it together (where’s the fun in that, though??)
- CNC case and Typc C PCB
Cons:
- Since these only ship directly from China, it could take a month or two to receive
- Not pre-built (this is a Pro in my book, but just depends)
40% Mechanical Keyboard Buying Guide
How did I land on determining the perfect seven 40 percent mechanical keyboards? I judged each against the following criteria, which you should too when it comes to buying one:
Availability
40% keyboards are surprisingly difficult to find! The 60% and TKL layouts are FAR more popular, and you can find a wide range of them—anywhere. I’ve done my best to keep this article updated for 40% layouts that are more available.
Backlighting
Backlighting is a common feature of many 40% keyboards, so you’ve got to decide what level of lighting you require. Being able to illuminate specific row keys could be handy, especially if you like to game late into the night.
Connectivity
Do you mind if your 40% mechanical keyboard requires a USB cable, or would you be more comfortable with a Bluetooth-connected setup?
Price
Obviously, a higher price generally means a better quality keyboard. But is it worth paying the additional cost just for a higher keycap quality or an RGB backlight? Some of the cheaper options on this list do just as good a job and allow you to try out the 40% mechanical keyboard set up before you invest in a more advanced model.
Shape
Yeah, we know that each of the mechanical keyboards in this list is 40% in terms of size, but that doesn’t mean there’s a one size fits all shape for this type of keyboard. For example, the Redragon K585 is drastically different from the Planck in terms of shape.
Programmability
Given that these keyboards are massively reduced in terms of key count, you’ve got to make the most of the keys you do have. This is why having four different keyboard layouts would be handy so that you can change the function of each key should you need to.
Conclusion: Less is Definitely More When it Comes to 40% Keyboards!
Whether you require more desk space or are simply looking for something more compact to game on, a 40% keyboard is a worthwhile investment simply because they’re fun to use, versatile, and more affordable than bigger-sized keyboards.
Although it may sound strange, it’s super easy to get used to a 40% keyboard and it takes no time at all to get your typing speed up to what you’re used to on a 100% keyboard.
Overall, we’d recommend the Qisan Magicforce 40% because it looks great, has a strong LED backlight game, and is very affordable for newcomers to the 40% keyboard game.
However, for the keyboard enthusiast, we’d recommend a Planck model or the BM43 RBG as they’re easier to customize.
Not looking to go QUITE this small? Click here to see our best 60% keyboard recommendations!