Number Pads

A number pad for a laptop

Most smaller laptops have no number pad, and nor do compact keyboards. Typing figures along the top row is slow and easy to get wrong. A separate number pad puts the digits back in the calculator layout, so you can enter figures without looking, then put the pad away when you are done. It suits accounts, spreadsheets, stock lists, data entry and study.

What is in the range

• 18 and 19-key pads: the standard number pad, with Num Lock, the four sums, Enter and a full stop. Some add a 000 key or a backspace.
• 22-key pads that add Esc, Tab and Delete, so you can move between spreadsheet cells without reaching for the keyboard.
• Larger pads, 33 to 36 keys, with extra shortcut and function keys.
• A mechanical pad, wired and backlit, with a switch under every key.

They connect in every way: wired by USB, a 2.4G receiver, Bluetooth, or both receiver and Bluetooth. Some wireless pads are rechargeable and others take batteries; the product page says which.

How to choose

Connection. A wired pad needs no charging and works at once. A receiver pad works the same way without the cable, but uses a USB socket. A Bluetooth pad uses no socket at all, which matters on a laptop with two USB-C sockets.

How many keys. If you only type figures, an 18 or 19-key pad is smallest. If you work through spreadsheets, a pad with Tab and Delete saves reaching across.

Feel. Scissor keys are low and quiet, like a laptop's own. A mechanical pad has a deeper, firmer press.

Which side. A separate pad can sit to the right of the keyboard, the usual place, or to the left so the mouse stays close on the right. The Health and Safety Executive says the mouse should sit right beside the keyboard.

Questions people ask about number pads

Why does the pad move the cursor instead of typing numbers?

Num Lock is off. Press Num Lock on the pad and the digits will type. Some pads have a light that shows it is on.

Will it work on a Mac?

Plain digits and sums work on a Mac. Some keys, such as a calculator key, may only work on Windows; the product page lists the systems each pad is made for.

Can I use a number pad with a separate keyboard?

Yes. It works alongside any keyboard, or as part of a desk with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

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

More to look at

• Compact keyboards
• Wireless keyboards
• Keyboard and mouse sets
• Bluetooth keyboards
• Wrist rests
• Guide: How to choose a keyboard for your laptop
• Guide: Ergonomic mice and keyboards: what they are for and who they suit