Keypads

A numeric keypad is the number block from a full-size keyboard, sold on its own.

There are two good reasons to want one. If you use a tenkeyless or compact keyboard — increasingly common because it frees desk space for wide mouse movements — a separate keypad gives you fast numeric entry back only when you need it. And if you are left-handed, a separate pad can sit on the left, which no full-size keyboard allows.

It is also the practical answer for accounting, data entry or spreadsheet work on a laptop, where the built-in keyboard usually has no number block at all.

What to check: wired or wireless (wired needs no charging and works immediately; wireless keeps the desk clear), the connector (USB-A or USB-C), and the key switch — scissor switches are low-profile and quiet, which matches most laptop keyboards.

The range covers Genius, Kensington and Targus, including a model with a palm rest.

See also keyboards.