40% small keyboards are at an interesting turning point.
Until recently, there were few options for small keyboards beyond custom builds, so they were not something most users could easily buy.
But as of summer 2026, the range of commercially available 40% layouts is expanding, with more options for each layout.
Notable commercially available models
- Chosfox Init40 | 40% row-staggered (unibody, low-profile)
- Chosfox Geonix Rev.2.5 | 40% ortholinear (unibody, low-profile)
- Keychron Orca echo | 40% column-staggered (split, low-profile, with trackball)
Chosfox Init40 subsequently went on sale on August 25, 2026.
Greenkeys has also published a short review of the retail version and a hands-on comparison with the Geonix Rev.2.5.
As a result, row-staggered and ortholinear layouts can now be compared not just as layout concepts, but as finished products that are actually available to buy.
When choosing a 40% keyboard, you can now choose not only by how small it is, but also by how its keys are arranged.
The question is which layout is right for you.
As one way to help make that choice, this article compares the distance from the home position to each letter key.
- The average distance across all 26 letter keys is nearly the same for all three layouts.
- The distance to reach keys changed considerably within the index fingers’ coverage area, which includes keys such as B and N and spans multiple columns.
- All three layouts are broadly similar in how easy their keys are to reach from the home position.
- The clearest potential difference is the direction of index-finger movement.
- A 40% row-staggered layout is a better choice if you want to keep switching costs low.
- Other layouts may also be worth considering if you are willing to adapt to different finger movements, despite the higher learning curve.
Trying a 40% keyboard as a prebuilt for the first time
Among currently available products, Init40 uses the same row-staggered layout as a conventional keyboard and requires relatively little adjustment from an existing keyboard layout.
By contrast, the Geonix Rev.2.5 is ortholinear and the Orca echo is column-staggered, so you will need to get used to the key positions themselves.
It may be easier to narrow down your options by asking whether you want to try a 40% size or a new layout.
As part of #TodaysSetup, the author regularly switches among a variety of layouts, including Row Staggered, Ortholinear, and Column Staggered. The distance data in this comparison puts numbers to the feel of using those layouts in practice.
A note about this article
First, let’s clarify the scope of this test.
This test measured the straight-line distance from the home position to the center of each key.
It measured only the distance from the home position to the 26 letter keys.
This article does not conclude that a layout is better because its distances are shorter, or worse because they are longer.
Some of the discussion, however, involves anatomical factors.
However, quantifying how far each finger moves when comparing layouts can reveal differences that are hard to spot from appearance alone.
Here, I’ve organized those differences as one factor to consider when choosing a 40% keyboard.
The 40% Layouts Used in This Comparison
The keyboard models used for this comparison are the row-staggered Init40, the ortholinear Geonix Rev.2.5, and a hypothetical 40% column-staggered layout based on the design approach of Corne-style keyboards.
The column-staggered layout does not recreate a specific product; it is a comparison model designed to make the differences among the three layouts easier to see.
Orca echo is also mentioned as part of the market landscape, but it is not included in this comparison.
The keymaps above are based on a shared keymap that I use across the three types of layout keyboards I regularly use, with some minor modifications.
The keymaps do not show a Control key. Substitute any position on the bottom row as appropriate.
These keymaps are also configured for use on a Mac.
They also do not include keys such as Half-width/Full-width or IME on/off. Substitute as appropriate.
These are examples only; modifiers and the bottom row do not affect the distance measurements in this comparison.
The layer keys are placed under the left and right thumbs at their home positions, so the thumb travel required to activate a layer is 0 mm for all three models.
Layer 1 and Layer 2 are also configured identically across the models, but only the 26 letter keys are included in the averages for this comparison.
All three models are 12u wide, with 1u set to 19.05 mm.
Coordinates are based on the Layer 0, 1, and 2 keymap diagrams and KLE JSON.
The home-position diagram uses the finger assignments shown below.
The letter-key home positions are typically A, S, D, F / J, K, L, and;.
However, on the Init40 only, the right pinky’s home position is centered on Enter.
The thumb home positions are the centers of the left LT(1,KC_SPC) and right LT(2,KC_BSPC) keys.
For the large thumb keys, too, distances are measured to the center of the keycap.
Results: Little Difference in Average Finger Travel from the Home Position
The diagram above shows the straight-line distance from each finger’s home position to the keys assigned to that finger.
Averaging these measurements for each layout showed almost no difference in average travel distance between them.
Average travel distance
- 40% row-staggered | 15.94 mm
- 40% ortholinear | 15.14 mm
- 40% column-staggered | 15.21 mm
Maximum difference: 0.81 mm
Looking only at the results, we can say that changing the layout makes very little difference to finger travel distance.
At the very least, switching to an ortholinear or column-staggered layout does not bring all the letter keys closer to the home position at once.
But the picture changes when we look at the keys one by one.
Finding 1: Finger travel distances vary significantly across the index finger’s reach
The average travel distance for each finger varied little between layouts, but clear differences emerged across the index finger’s reach.
Compared with the 40% row-staggered layout, we observed the following changes:
- 40% ortholinear｜B is 7.40 mm closer. N is 5.64 mm farther away.
- 40% column-staggered｜Y is 6.68 mm closer, and B is 3.85 mm closer. N is 9.20 mm farther away, while T is unchanged.
Let’s take another look at the three keyboard layouts.
As shown here, in the baseline row-staggered layout, each row is staggered to the right.
So, relative to the F key, B is the farthest away.
In an ortholinear layout, the rows are no longer staggered to the right. It is therefore easy to imagine that B moves closer to F, while N moves farther away.
A column-staggered layout adds a vertical stagger as well.
The column one position inward from each index finger’s home position is lowered by 0.25u. As a result, T and Y move closer to the respective index-finger home keys, while B and N move farther away.
In other words, changing layouts does not make “all the keys a little closer.”
Instead, within the broad area covered by the index fingers, some keys move closer while others move farther away.
We found that actual finger movements differ even when the average distances are nearly the same.
Finding 2: The Middle and Ring Fingers Show Similar Patterns Across All Three Layouts
When the results are broken down by finger, the average distances to the letter keys assigned to the middle and ring fingers are quite similar across all three models.
These fingers generally cover a single column, so their travel distances are less likely to change substantially when the layout changes.
By contrast, the index fingers cover two columns, so the distances to individual keys vary more than the average figures suggest.
This suggests that the index fingers are more affected by row and column placement because their reach spans two columns.
The right pinky also appears to show a large difference, but the assumed home position is different here.
The row-staggered model uses Enter as the reference point, while the other two use the semicolon key.
The right pinky’s figures alone cannot be used to generalize about the relative merits of the layouts.
KawamuraThis is because the width is fixed at 12u and the horizontal stagger of a row-staggered layout is reproduced. Row A has one fewer key because adding the semicolon key would leave less than 1u for Enter, so it would not fit.
There are physical limitations to implementing keys smaller than 1u on a mechanical keyboard.
Finding 3: Index-Finger Movement Directions Differ by Layout
The fact that index-finger travel distances differ between each layout and the row-staggered layout means that the direction of index-finger movement changes substantially.
Let’s compare the actual finger movements.
We will compare each finger’s movement to the home position and to T, G, and B.
First, let’s compare the home positions.
Seen this way, the home position itself changes very little.
Next, let’s look at the reach to T.
Using the middle finger as the starting point, T is easiest to reach on a row-staggered layout, followed by a column-staggered layout and then an ortholinear layout, with the reach getting longer each time.
What about reaching G?
Since this is a direct sideways movement, there is little difference among the three layouts.
Finally, let’s look at B.
In terms of reach to B, the column-staggered layout feels easiest, followed by the ortholinear layout.
On the row-staggered layout, B is so far away that the middle finger can’t stay at the home position.
However, the measured center-to-center distance from F to B is relatively large at 30.5 mm.
In the typing photos, B appeared easier to reach by extending the finger on the ortholinear and column-staggered layouts.
Wrist angle may have changed how far the index finger could reach, but wrist angle and joint range of motion were not quantitatively measured, so we can’t identify this as the cause.
KawamuraSubjectively, when the wrist tilted toward the thumb (radial deviation), it seemed easier to move the index finger toward B.
But this is only a subjective impression, so it is difficult to draw a firm conclusion.
Taken together, ortholinear and column-staggered layouts, which are grid-like or close to it, have regular, easy-to-understand reach directions when considered from the index finger’s home position, at least.
By contrast, row-staggered layouts show a marked asymmetry: the left hand has a short upward reach and an extremely long downward reach, while the right hand has an extremely long upward reach and a short downward reach.
If symmetrical movement between both hands is taken as the ideal, the index finger’s movement on a row-staggered layout could also be described as irregular.
Looking again at the center-to-center distances from the left-hand F to T and B makes this easy to understand.
In practice, however, upper-arm and wrist angles are likely to be strongly affected by the keyboard layout, so it is difficult to judge how easy or difficult a layout is to use based on the numbers alone.
Key Characteristics of the Three Layouts
With that in mind, here is a summary of the three keyboard layouts.
Row-staggered: For Those Who Want to Keep What They’re Used To
Its main advantage is that it is easy to carry over your existing finger movements, keeping switching costs low.
It is easy to maintain familiar diagonal movements, but this 12u model allows fewer keys to be placed directly—a limitation of a 40% keyboard fixed at 12u wide.
At 13u wide, there is relatively more flexibility.
Ortholinear: For Those Who Want to Try Regularity in the Vertical Direction
Compared with a row-staggered layout, its advantages include equal vertical travel for the index fingers of both hands and the clarity of having finger movements align with the body’s axis.
On the other hand, with the row stagger removed, you’ll need to relearn your usual finger movements.
Column-staggered: For Those Who Prioritize Adjustments by Column
As with ortholinear layouts, one advantage over row-staggered layouts is that index-finger travel is symmetrical between the left and right hands.
In addition, because wrist angle differs in practice from that with the other two layouts, the results suggest that the index finger may find B and N easier to reach.
However, column stagger and thumb-cluster shape vary considerably from one product to another, so the figures for this hypothetical model cannot be generalized to all column-staggered keyboards.
Conclusion | Choose a Small Keyboard Layout for Practicality, Not Finger Travel Distance
This article has examined, compared, and discussed the distances from the home position to the centers of keys across different small-keyboard layouts.
Given the nature of 40% keyboards, the distance from the home position to key centers does not vary greatly between physical layouts.
However, the distance from the index-finger home position to key centers differs considerably by physical layout, as does the direction of finger movement.
Column-staggered layouts in particular may affect index-finger typing more through changes in the finger’s range of motion—depending on wrist and upper-arm positioning—than through key-center distance alone.
This comparison does not allow us to conclude which physical layout is better.
Do you prioritize familiarity, or want to change the direction your index fingers move?
On a 40% keyboard, that choice is itself part of choosing a product.
As expected, the familiar row-staggered layout is the easiest place to start.
I hope this article encourages readers to try different physical layouts and find a keyboard that suits them. With that, I’ll bring this column to a close.
Here’s to a great small-keyboard life.
The layout models and finger-travel calculations used in this article are based on Greenkeys’ independent testing. This article was not produced with products supplied by any particular company or as advertising.
This article compares distances between key centers. It does not compare typing speed, fatigue, typos, or joint movement.
- First published: August 16, 2026
- Last updated: August 16, 2026
- Research method: Independent analysis
- Sources and references: Independent analysis
- Conflicts of interest: No products provided; no monetized links in this article
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Reference: Distance List for All 26 Letter Keys
These are the figures used in Figures 2 and 3 in the article.
Differences are measured against the 40% row-staggered layout: negative values indicate a shorter distance, and positive values indicate a longer one.
| Key | Finger | Init40 | Geonix | Column | Geonix diff. | Column diff. |
| Q | Left pinky | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Left ring finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| E | Left middle finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| R | Left index finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| T | Left index finger | 23.81 | 26.94 | 23.81 | +3.13 | +0.00 |
| Y | Right index finger | 30.49 | 26.94 | 23.81 | -3.55 | -6.68 |
| U | Right index finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| I | Right middle finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| O | Right ring finger | 19.64 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -0.59 | -0.59 |
| P | Right pinky | 22.46 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -3.41 | -3.41 |
| A | Left pinky | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| S | Left ring finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| D | Left middle finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| F | Left index finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| G | Left index finger | 19.05 | 19.05 | 19.64 | +0.00 | +0.59 |
| H | Right index finger | 19.05 | 19.05 | 19.64 | +0.00 | +0.59 |
| J | Right index finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| K | Right middle finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| L | Right ring finger | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | +0.00 | +0.00 |
| Z | Left little finger | 21.30 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -2.25 | -2.25 |
| X | Left ring finger | 21.30 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -2.25 | -2.25 |
| C | Left middle finger | 21.30 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -2.25 | -2.25 |
| V | Left index finger | 21.30 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -2.25 | -2.25 |
| B | Left index finger | 34.34 | 26.94 | 30.49 | -7.40 | -3.85 |
| N | Right index finger | 21.30 | 26.94 | 30.49 | +5.64 | +9.20 |
| M | Right index finger | 21.30 | 19.05 | 19.05 | -2.25 | -2.25 |
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