Laptop & Desk Accessories

Every keyboard here is a compact board, so it leaves room for a wider mouse swing on a small desk. Choose by the switches you want under your fingers, how the board connects and whether you need a number pad or arrow keys.

Switches change the feel most. The NC61 uses magnetic switches for rapid, adjustable actuation, which gamers like for fast key presses. The KL61 comes with your pick of clicky green or blue switches, which give a bump and an audible click, or linear red switches, which press smoothly and more quietly. The NJ61 has crisp mechanical switches, and the Aluminum Tri-Mode board has hot-swap switches you can pull and replace without soldering. The Mini 80-Key board lists quiet, responsive keys rather than mechanical switches, a better fit for a shared room.

Then connection and size. The Aluminum Tri-Mode is the only wireless board here: it connects over USB-C, Bluetooth or 2.4G and runs on a rechargeable battery. The NC61, the NJ61 and the KL61 are 61-key boards that plug in by cable, and the NJ61 listing gives the details: a detachable USB-C cable, Windows and Mac modes, and about 12.1 x 4.3 in. A 61-key (60%) layout drops the number pad, arrows and function row, so if you use those every day, the 65-key or 80-key boards keep more keys. Our compact mechanical keyboard guide explains each layout.

For the rest of the desk: the USB Optical Wired Mouse plugs into any USB-A port with no batteries or drivers and tracks at 800 DPI, a cheap spare for a dead wireless mouse. The USB 3.0 Multi Card Reader reads CF, SD and microSD at up to 5Gbps and handles more than one card at a time, while the USB 2.0 reader covers SD and microSD at up to 480Mbps. The FHD 1080P Webcam adds autofocus and a built-in mic with no drivers, the AC600 USB WiFi Adapter adds dual-band 2.4G and 5G WiFi to an older computer, and the folding aluminum stand raises a laptop or tablet up to 17 inches to eye level.