Andrew Heinzman
Computer keyboards are having a bit of a moment right now, and tenkeyless models are at the forefront. But the benefits of a tenkeyless or “TKL” layout aren’t always obvious, especially if you can’t tell the difference between a full-sized keyboard and a tenkeyless alternative.
Tenkeyless Keyboards Don't Have a Numpad
Why Use a Keyboard Without a Numpad?
TKL Keyboards Are Also Portable
The TKL Layout Is Different From a 75% Layout
Tenkeyless Keyboards Don’t Have a Numpad
Technology grows alongside culture, labor, and economics. These forces are symbiotic, and as a result, many of the quirks and standards that we see in computers are a reflection of the not-so-digital world.
Take a computer keyboard, for example. The main layout of your keyboard is based on an old-fashioned typewriter. But the numpad, which has been a fixture of computer keyboards for several decades, never existed in typewriters. Instead, the ten-key numpad comes from cash registers. (Though the ten-key button layout was originally designed for “adding machines” at the start of the 20th century.)
Early computers, even those without keyboards, were closely associated with mathematics. And as this technology grew more affordable, it quickly took over banks, accounting offices, and engineering departments—jobs that require a ton of numerical data entry. Combining the ten-key numpad with a QWERTY “typewriter” layout only made sense.
But we’re knee deep in the 21st century. Even if you use a numpad at work, you probably don’t need one at home. That’s why “tenkeyless” or “TKL” keyboards are so popular. They’re exactly the same as normal full-sized keyboards, and they even have a horizontal row of number keys, but they don’t have a dedicated ten-key numpad.
Why Use a Keyboard Without a Numpad?
Outside of the workplace, PCs are mainly used for entertainment, hobbies, shopping, and paying bills. The average computer user isn’t filling out giant spreadsheets. So, for many people, a numpad is just a waste of space.
You could argue that the numpad is useful, even if you don’t need it too often. But it increases the width of a keyboard by nearly 20%. And since the numpad is usually located on the right side of a keyboard, it can create a frustrating barrier for right-handed users—it increases the distance between the mouse and keyboard. (Not only is this annoying, but it can contribute to wrist strain.)
Not to mention, the reduced length of a TKL keyboard means that it can actually sit at the center of your desk. So, instead of pivoting your arms to the left every time you type, your arms can be centered, reducing strain on your wrists and shoulders.
Yes, the horizontal number row at the top of a keyboard is slow and unintuitive—the opposite of a dedicated numpad. Some people like to have a numpad for the rare occasion that they type out numbers, and that’s fine. But if you can tolerate the horizontal number keys, a tenkeyless keyboard may not be a bad option.
TKL Keyboards Are Also Portable
An extremely long keyboard will always have trouble fitting in a bag, even if it’s nice and thin. Chopping off the numpad reduces a keyboard’s length by about 20%, meaning that TKL keyboards are significantly more portable than their full-sized siblings.
This extra portability is useful to students and professionals who need to take a personal keyboard on the go. That said, mechanical keyboard users see the biggest benefit, as mechanical keyboards are often quite thick.
Personally speaking, I’m not sure why you’d take a noisy mechanical keyboard out of the house. But it’s a common habit among keyboard fanatics, who often buy or build portable TKL mechanical keyboards just for on-the-go use.
The TKL Layout Is Different From a 75% Layout
Technically speaking, any keyboard without a numpad is “tenkeyless.” But this term is usually reserved for a specific keyboard design—in a TKL keyboard, there are three key columns located next to the enter key. These columns contain all of your navigational keys, including the arrow keys, the home key, page up, and page down.
This is different from a “75% keyboard” design, which crams the navigational keys into a single column next to the enter key. Additionally, 75% keyboards tend to use a very small right-shift key, as this is the only way to accommodate a cluster of arrow keys.
If you need something extremely portable, or you rarely use your navigational keys, a 75% layout may be your best option. It’s basically an extra-compact version of a TKL keyboard.
The 7 Best Portable Mechanical Keyboards of 2023 
Portable 60% Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, MageGee MK-Box LED Backlit Compact 68 Keys Mini Wired Office Keyboard
$29.99 
DROP + OLKB PLANCK MECHANICAL KEYBOARD KIT V6
Ficihp Mechanical Keyboard, Built-in 12.6 Inch Touchscreen
