Key75

A compact mechanical keyboard for people who want the arrow keys and the function row, but not the number pad. Key75 fits 84 keys into a CNC aluminum case, so your mouse sits 3 to 4 in closer to the keyboard and your right arm stays nearer your body. One lime Esc key; everything else is graphite.

Several of us switched to it from full-size layouts for a month. Typing speed was back to normal within three days, and the keys people missed most, Home and End, sit in the right-hand column. The full report is in our piece on switching to a 75% layout.

How it is built

• Gasket mount: the plate rests on soft gaskets, so each keystroke lands softer and quieter
• Hot-swappable 3- and 5-pin sockets: change switches without soldering
• Double-shot PBT keycaps whose legends do not wear off
• 3.3 lb of aluminum that does not slide across the desk

Connections

• USB-C cable, Bluetooth 5.1 or the 2.4 GHz receiver
• Pairs with up to three devices, say a work laptop, a personal laptop and a tablet
• 4,000 mAh battery: up to 200 hr with the backlight off, about five weeks of eight-hour days

The layout is ANSI US. Glide also pairs with three devices, so mouse and keyboard can follow you between the same machines. Covered by our 2-year warranty.