Keyboards come in all sorts of different shapes, sizes and types. Out of all the different keyboards sold around the world, mechanical keyboards form the top layer coming in with the best features and most choices available.
In this article, we’re taking a look at what is a 65 keyboard and giving you five of the best options around.
Also read: What are Keycap profiles? 10 different types explained
What is a 65 keyboard?
A lot of keyboards, especially gaming ones, come with a bunch of extra buttons, function keys and a Numpad. If you’re looking for a shorter, more compact keyboard, a tenkeyless keyboard is a good option as it removes the Numpad to make the keyboard more compact.
However, should you want to go smaller, a 65 keyboard is the way to go. The keyboard strips away every non-essential key; as the name suggests, it’s about 65% of the size of a regular full-size 104-key keyboard and does away with the Numpad as well as the function key row.
On a normal 65 keyboard, you’d usually see all the regular keys, including the full QWERTY layout and dedicated arrow keys. Other than that, you get a few keys to the right of the arrow keys, which usually contain the home, delete, page up, and page down keys. 65 keyboards usually have around 67 or 68 keys, depending on the layout.
60 keyboard vs 65 keyboard
You can go even smaller than a 65 keyboard if you want. These keyboards are called 60 keyboards and do away with the home, delete, page up, and page down keys as well.
65 keyboards are more popular than 60 keyboards simply because while they’re roughly the same size and still quite compact, they pack in more keys that are often regularly used for more functionality.
Also read: What is a 80 percent keyboard? Benefits and top 5 picks
Top 5 65 keyboards
If you’re looking for a new 65 keyboard, here are the top five options you can check out.
Drop ALT
Brand: Drop | Price: $210.00
Drop ALT is a compact 65 keyboard with RGB backlighting, programmable macros, and many switch options. You can also opt for a hot-swappable version if you’d like to use custom switches down the road.
You can get the Drop ALT here.
Tofu65 Black
Brand: Tofu | Price: $175.00
Another decent hot-swappable choice is the Tofu65 black keyboard. You can deck the keyboard out with your choice of keycaps, switches, lube, spring replacements, foam stabilisers and even spring replacements. The keyboard offers a lot of customizability for your money.
You can get the Tofu65 Black here.
Keychron K6
Brand: Keychron | Price: $65.20
If you’re looking for a 65 keyboard on a budget, this is by far one of the best choices you have. Keychron’s K6 can be configured with Gateron G Pro Mechanical or LK Optical switches in the Red, Blue or Brown option, and for about $10 more, you can get a hot-swappable version as well. There are options for white or RGB backlighting too.
You can get the Keychron K6 here.
Ducky One 2 SF
Brand: Ducky | Price: $109.00
The Ducky One 2 SF is one of the best options if you’re looking for a gaming keyboard. It supports programmable macros and mouse control functions and has per-key RGB. The keyboard only uses Cherry MX switches, but you do have the option to choose from Blue, Brow, Red. Pink and Silver switches.
You can the Duck One 2 SF here.
HyperX Alloy Origins 65
Brand: HyperX | Price: $148.97
Last but not least, we have the HyperX Alloy Origins 65 keyboard with double shot PBT keycaps, full RGB backlight support and software customisation with HyperX’s NGENUITY software. The keyboard comes in HyperX Aqua, Red or Blue switch options, and you can also choose between a white or black colour.
You can get the HyperX Alloy Origins 65 here.
Also read: Top 7 wireless mechanical keyboards
