Sometimes you just need a good number pad for those intense number crunching sessions. Glorious has unveiled a new mechanical number pad simply called the GMMK Numpad that matches the company’s regular mechanical keyboards — and can be a good companion for those with ten keyless (TKL) keyboards.
The compact accessory is made of anodized aluminum and has the standard 17-key layout of a number pad, but also a configurable rotary knob and slider that the company says offers “unparalleled versatility.” This should make it a great tool for both content creation and productivity.
The keypad also features Glorious’ Fox key switches, GSV2 stabilizers, and ABS Doubleshot V2 keycaps. It connects over Bluetooth 5.0 or wired USB cable with Glorious claiming about 76 hours of use while using Bluetooth.
Glorious clearly wanted to make the Numpad more than just a regular number pad. Like the company’s mechanical keyboards, you’re able to swap out numerous components including the switches, switch plates, top frames, the knob and slider, and even the printed circuit board (PCB) itself. Glorious will have an “ecosystem of accessories” that should allow you to personalize the Numpad to your desired configuration.
It goes without saying that the GMMK Numpad is geared primarily toward people who prefer TKL keyboards. Many people choose TKL keyboards as it offers a sweet spot between a larger full-sized keyboard and the tiny 60 percent keyboards. A lot of people may not want or need a number pad, but still desire the navigational keys.
That said, having a separate number pad such as the GMMK Numpad could be particularly useful to use either as a traditional number pad or even as macro keys. In fact, Glorious intentionally designed the Numpad as a companion to their GMMK Pro and GMMK 2 65% keyboards. You can even position the Numpad on the left side of the keyboard for those who are left-handed.
Glorious says that the GMMK Numpad has been one of the most requested products and seems to have delivered on a functional, yet customizable number pad. For those interested, preorders go live on August 16th and begin shipping next month. It’s not exactly cheap at $130, but it could be a worthwhile purchase for the customizability alone.
