How to Choose a 40% Small Keyboard by Layout: Comparing 3 Layouts by Finger Travel Distance from Home Position

The world of 40% layout “small keyboards” is currently entering a very interesting phase.

Until recently, the small keyboard genre offered few options outside of custom DIY kits, making them difficult for general users to purchase easily.

However, as of summer 2026, the selection of off-the-shelf 40% layout keyboards is expanding across different layout types.

As you can see, when choosing a 40% keyboard, you can now select based not just on “how small it is,” but also on how the keys are arranged.

The dilemma here is deciding which layout is the right fit for you.

In this article, we will compare the distance from the home position to each letter key as a guide for your selection.

Notes on This Article

First, let’s clarify the scope of this verification.

What we measured this time is the straight-line distance from the home position to the center of each key.

Additionally, we only measured the distance to the “26 letter keys” from the home position.

This article does not conclude that a layout is superior because the distance is short, or inferior because it is long.

However, some of the analysis includes anatomical elements.

That said, quantifying “which finger moves how far” when comparing layouts reveals differences that are hard to notice by looks alone.

We have organized these differences as one factor to consider when choosing a 40% keyboard.

40% Layouts Used for Verification

The keyboard models used for comparison were the Init40 for Row Staggered, the Geonix Rev.2.5 for Ortholinear, and a virtual 40% Column Staggered model based on Corne-style principles.

The Column Staggered model is not a reproduction of a specific product, but a comparison model designed to make the differences between the three layouts easier to see.

While the Orca echo was mentioned for market context, it is not included in this specific comparison model.

All three models were unified with a width of 12u, where 1u = 19.05mm.

Coordinates were determined using the Layer 0, 1, and 2 keymap diagrams and KLE JSON.

The home position diagram uses the following classifications:

The home keys for letters are basically A, S, D, F / J, K, L, ;.

However, for the Init40 only, the right pinky home is centered on the Enter key.

For the thumbs, the home position was set at the center of the left LT(1,KC_SPC) and right LT(2,KC_BSPC).

Even for large thumb keys, the distance was unified to the center of the keycap.

Result: No Significant Difference in Average Finger Travel Distance from Home Position

The diagram above shows the straight-line movement distance for the keys covered by each finger placed on the home position.

Averaging these values for each layout revealed that there is almost no difference in the average travel distance regardless of the layout.

Looking at the results alone, one could say that “even if you change the layout, the finger travel distance hardly changes.”

At the very least, switching to Ortholinear or Column Staggered doesn’t suddenly bring all the letter keys much closer to the home position.

However, the story changes when you look at the keys one by one.

Analysis 1: Significant Differences in Travel Distance within Index Finger Coverage

While there was no major difference in the average travel distance for each finger across layouts, clear differences appeared in the range covered by the index finger.

Using the 40% Row Staggered layout as a baseline, the following changes were confirmed:

• 40% Ortholinear | B gets 7.40mm closer. N gets 5.64mm further away.
• 40% Column Staggered | Y gets 6.68mm closer, B gets 3.85mm closer. N gets 9.20mm further away, and T remains unchanged.

Let’s take another look at the three key layouts.

In the baseline Row Staggered layout, each row is shifted to the right.

Therefore, relative to the F key, B is the furthest away.

In an Ortholinear layout, this rightward row shift is eliminated, so it’s easy to imagine that B gets closer to the F key, while the N key moves further away.

On the other hand, the Column Staggered layout adds a vertical shift to this.

By dropping the column immediately inside the index finger’s home position by 0.25u, T and Y become closer to each index finger’s home key, while B and N become further away.

In other words, what happens when changing layouts is not that “all keys get a little closer.”

Within the wide range handled by the index finger, the keys that are close and those that are far simply swap places.

We found that even if the average distance is almost the same, the actual finger movement is not.

Analysis 2: Middle and Ring Fingers Show Similar Trends Across All 3 Layouts

When aggregated by finger, the average distance for letter keys handled by the middle and ring fingers was very similar across the three models.

Since these fingers basically handle one column, the travel distance is unlikely to change significantly even if the layout is altered.

Meanwhile, because the index finger covers two columns, the distance changes for individual keys are much larger than the average suggests.

This suggests that because the coverage spans two columns, it is highly susceptible to the effects of row and column shifts.

The right pinky also shows a large difference, but this is due to a different assumption for the home position.

Row Staggered is centered on Enter, while the other two models are centered on the semicolon.

We cannot generalize the superiority of a layout format based solely on the right pinky values.

Analysis 3: Index Finger Movement Direction Varies by Layout

The fact that the index finger travel distance differs for each layout compared to Row Staggered clearly means that the “direction of index finger movement changes significantly.”

Let’s compare this by looking at actual finger movements.

We will compare the finger movements to the home position, T, G, and B.

First, let’s compare the home positions.

Looking at it this way, there isn’t a huge change in the home position itself.

Next is the movement to T.

Using the middle finger as a reference point, Row Staggered is the easiest to reach, followed by Column Staggered, with Ortholinear having the longest reach distance.

What about the movement to G?

Since this is a direct sideways movement, there isn’t much change across the three layouts.

Finally, B.

Regarding the reach to B, Column Staggered feels the easiest to reach, followed by Ortholinear.

For Row Staggered, B is so far away that the home position cannot be maintained, and the middle finger ends up lifting off.

However, numerically, the center-to-center distance from F to B is quite large at 30.5mm.

In these typing photos, it appeared easier to extend the finger to B on Ortholinear or Column Staggered.

It’s possible that the reachable range of the index finger changed depending on the wrist angle, but since we didn’t quantitatively measure wrist angles or joint range of motion, we cannot definitively state the cause.

Based on the above, grid-like or near-grid layouts like Ortholinear and Column Staggered can be said to have regular and easy-to-understand reach directions, at least when starting from the index finger’s home position.

On the other hand, Row Staggered shows a noticeable asymmetry in movement: on the left hand, the upward reach is short while the downward reach is extremely long, and on the right hand, the opposite is true.

If we assume that symmetrical movement of both hands is “correct,” then the way the index finger moves in a Row Staggered layout could be described as irregular.

Looking again at the center-to-center distance from the left hand “F” to T and B, this makes sense.

However, in practice, it is expected that the angle of the upper arm and wrist due to the key layout will have a significant impact, so it is difficult to judge the ease of finger movement based on numerical values alone.

Summary of Characteristics for Each of the 3 Layouts

Based on the above, here is a summary of the characteristics of the three key layouts.

Row Staggered: For those who want to carry over their existing habits

The advantage is the low switching cost, as it’s easy to carry over your previous finger movements. While it’s easy to maintain the familiar diagonal movement, a constraint of a 40% keyboard fixed at 12u width is that fewer keys can be placed directly.

While it’s easier to maintain the familiar diagonal movement, the downside of this 12u model is that there are fewer keys you can place directly, which is essentially a constraint of a 40% keyboard with its width fixed at 12u.

If this were 13u, the degree of freedom would be relatively higher.

Ortholinear: For those who want to try vertical regularity

Compared to Row Staggered, the advantages include equal index finger travel distances in the vertical direction for both hands, and the clarity of finger movement aligning with the body’s axis.

However, since the row shift is gone, re-learning from traditional finger movements is required.

Column Staggered: For those who prioritize adjustment per column

Like Ortholinear, an advantage compared to Row Staggered is that the index finger travel distance is symmetrical for both hands.

Additionally, it was suggested that in practice, the wrist angle changes compared to the other two, potentially making it easier for the index finger to reach B or N.

However, the amount of column stagger and the shape of the thumb cluster vary greatly by product, so the values from this virtual model cannot be generalized to all Column Staggered keyboards.

Conclusion | Choose the Physical Layout of a Small Keyboard Based on Practicality Rather Than Travel Distance

We have verified, compared, and analyzed the center-to-center distance from the home position due to differences in the physical layout of small keyboards.

Due to the nature of 40% keyboards, there are no massive differences in the center-to-center distance from the home position across physical layouts.

However, we found that the center-to-center distance from the index finger’s home position varies significantly by physical layout, as does the direction of finger movement.

Particularly for Column Staggered layouts, changes in the range of motion of the index finger due to wrist and upper arm placement—more so than the center distance—are likely to affect index finger typing.

From this verification, we cannot draw a conclusion as to which physical layout is advantageous.

Do you prioritize familiarity, or do you want to try changing the direction of your index finger movement?

With 40% keyboards, that choice itself is part of the product selection process.

As expected, the easiest to jump into is the familiar Row Staggered layout.

I hope this column encourages you to try various physical layouts and helps you find your favorite one. That concludes this column.

Have a great small keyboard life.

The layout models and finger travel distance calculations used in this article are based on independent verification by Greenkeys. This content is not based on sponsorships or advertisements from specific products.
This article compared the distance between key centers. It did not compare input speed, fatigue, typos, or joint movement.

Reference Material: List of Distances for All 26 Letter Keys

These are the values used in Figure 2 and Figure 3 of the main text.

Differences are based on the 40% Row Staggered layout; negative values indicate closer, and positive values indicate further away.

key	Assigned Finger	Init40	Geonix	Column	Geo Diff	Col Diff
q	Left Pinky	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
W	Left Ring	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
E	Left Middle	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
R	Left Index	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
T	Left Index	23.81	26.94	23.81	+3.13	+0.00
Y	Right Index	30.49	26.94	23.81	-3.55	-6.68
U	Right Index	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
I	Right Middle	19.64	19.05	19.05	-0.59	-0.59
O	Right Ring	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	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
D	Left Middle	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
F	Left Index	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
G	Left Index	19.05	19.05	19.64	+0.00	+0.59
H	Right Index	19.05	19.05	19.64	+0.00	+0.59
J	Right Index	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
K	Right Middle	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
L	Right Ring	0.00	0.00	0.00	+0.00	+0.00
Z	Left Pinky	21.30	19.05	19.05	-2.25	-2.25
an unknown	Left Ring	21.30	19.05	19.05	-2.25	-2.25
C	Left Middle	21.30	19.05	19.05	-2.25	-2.25
V	Left Index	21.30	19.05	19.05	-2.25	-2.25
B	Left Index	34.34	26.94	30.49	-7.40	-3.85
N	Right Index	21.30	26.94	30.49	+5.64	+9.20
M	Right Index	21.30	19.05	19.05	-2.25	-2.25

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