Keyboards and Mice

Why a laptop needs its own keyboard and mouse

A laptop's own keyboard and trackpad are fine for an hour on the sofa. For a full day at a desk they hold you in one place: either the screen is too low, or the keys are too high. The Health and Safety Executive suggests that anyone using a laptop for long spells has a separate keyboard and mouse, so the screen can go up on a laptop stand at eye level. This department has everything for that, and for typing on the move as well.

What is in this department

• Mice: wireless mice with a small USB receiver, Bluetooth mice that need no receiver, and ergonomic and vertical mice, including trackballs.
• Keyboards: slim wireless keyboards, folding Bluetooth keyboards for a bag, mechanical keyboards with a switch under every key, and compact keyboards without the number pad.
• Keyboard and mouse sets that come together, and number pads for laptops that have none.
• Round the keyboard: mouse mats and desk mats, wrist rests, keyboard covers that keep crumbs out of the laptop's own keys, and keycap sets for mechanical keyboards.

How to choose

Start with how it connects. A receiver is plugged in once and works at start-up, before any setting is touched. Bluetooth leaves every socket free and also works with a tablet or phone. Many mice and keyboards here have both, and switch between two or three devices with a button or a key.

Then the power. Many mice and keyboards here charge by cable; a few take AAA batteries. Then size: a full-size keyboard has the number pad, a compact one leaves room for the mouse closer to you, which is where the HSE says it should be, right beside the keyboard.

For keyboards, check the layout. A UK keyboard has a tall Enter key; a US one has a long flat Enter key. Each product's options say which it is.

Questions people ask about keyboards and mice

Will a wireless mouse work with a MacBook?

A Bluetooth mouse connects without a receiver. A mouse with only a USB receiver needs an adapter on a MacBook with USB-C sockets.

Wired or wireless?

Wired never needs charging and has nothing to pair. Wireless keeps the desk clear and goes in a bag more easily. The mechanical and compact keyboards include several wired ones.

Can one keyboard work with my laptop and my tablet?

Yes, if it pairs with more than one device. Many here switch with Fn and a number key, so the same keyboard types on the laptop at the desk and the tablet on the sofa.

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door.

More to look at

• Mice
• Keyboards
• Keyboard and mouse sets
• Gaming mice
• Gaming keyboards
• Laptop stands and risers
• Guide: How to choose a keyboard for your laptop
• Guide: Ergonomic mice and keyboards: what they are for and who they suit