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The Nuphy Air60 Keyboard is a tiny mechanical keyboard good for pairing with an iPad mini on the go or to be used as a substitute for your MacBook keyboard.
As mechanical keyboards grow to be extra mainstream, producers are attempting to be extra intelligent of their presentation and have set. The Nuphy Air60 could also be constructed for portability, however it’s a fully-featured mechanical keyboard with out compromise.
Keyboards run the gamut from the four-pound Keychron Q1 to the ultra-thin Magic Keyboard, and Nuphy appears to have mixed one of the best of each worlds. You get the improved key journey and luxury of a mechanical keyboard whereas becoming it in a case that may slip into your backpack on the way in which to the cafe.
Nuphy Air60 design
There may be extra to the Nuphy keyboard design than what might be perceived at first look. It’s constructed to be each an amazing MacBook companion and iPad keyboard multi function format.
The keyboard has a sloped body from 22mm to 17mm and tiny rubber toes within the 4 corners on the underside. Small magnets are hidden within the physique to maintain the case, referred to as the NuFolio, from sliding when in use.
The toes are positioned in order that the Nuphy keyboard can sit instantly on prime of a MacBook keyboard with out activating the keys. We examined this on the 14-inch MacBook Professional and it does match even with the redesigned key format.
Whereas few folks would think about using a separate keyboard on prime of the MacBook keyboard, that is an attention-grabbing design selection and could also be helpful for these coping with sticky or damaged keys on their older MacBooks.
The keyboard itself may be very skinny and lightweight. It’s onerous to imagine that there are mechanical switches beneath these keycaps, not to mention hot-swappable ones.
The RGB backlights are made so that they glow round the important thing evenly. There are additionally LED indicators on both aspect of the keyboard that present issues like caps lock, energy degree, and different system capabilities.
Nuphy says the keycaps are the world’s first ultra-thin keycaps measuring solely 4.6 mm skinny. The keys are clean, nice to sort on, and do not feel low cost or wobbly.
The body is produced from aluminum, however the backside is plastic. Since that is focused as a conveyable keyboard, there may be some concern that this materials could crack if dropped or positioned in an excessively tight bag for too lengthy. However, the fabric additionally aids in holding the keyboard mild, so it’s an comprehensible tradeoff.
NuFolio case
Add within the NuFolio V2 case and the Nuphy Air60 turns into a workstation suited on your iPad or iPhone. The case unfolds right into a stand, and the clasp holds it in place.
We’re not overly excited by the colour selection and need that Nuphy had a impartial choice. The orange exterior with the big model patch is a bit flashy, however the tender grey inside is far simpler on the eyes as soon as unfolded.
The fabric is grippy, so the case will not slide on no matter floor you are engaged on. And the magnets holding the keyboard in place make every thing really feel extra sturdy general.
The snap that closes the case and secures the iPad stand is not supreme. We might have most well-liked a magnetic clasp or another mechanism, nevertheless it is not a deal-breaker.
Nonetheless, the iPad or iPhone sits within the fold of the stand, and nothing is holding it in place. We would not suggest attempting to make use of this keyboard/case mixture in your lap, although it technically works.
The keyboard is small however nonetheless wider than a 12.9-inch iPad Professional held in panorama. Meaning any iPad can sit comfortably in portrait or panorama within the NuFolio case with out overlap.
We have examined the case with an iPad mini and iPhone aspect by aspect and used the quick switching characteristic to sort on each units with ease. The Nuphy keyboard mixed with the case would make an amazing espresso store companion.
Customization
Whereas mechanical keyboard lovers purchase these units for change actuation, acoustics, and luxury, in addition they crave customization choices. Regardless of being half the scale and weight of different mechanical keyboards, the Nuphy Air60 is as customizable and absolutely featured.
The ultra-thin keycaps pop off utilizing an ordinary instrument and might be changed with different keycaps that use the “+” formed connector discovered on Cherry-style switches. Fortunately Nuphy makes use of an ordinary format, and not one of the keys are formed awkwardly, so you possibly can throw on a set of third-party keycaps with out concern.
Nonetheless, the keys on this keyboard are designed to be flat and skinny to be appropriate with the NuFolio case, so maintain that in thoughts in case you change to taller keys.
Under the keycaps are a set of mechanical switches. Nuphy sells the Air60 keyboard with brown, pink, or blue low-profile Gateron switches. The switches are hot-swappable, so customers can commerce out these switches with out soldering.
The RGB backlight and aspect lights are additionally customizable. Customers can change the sample, velocity, coloration, and brightness utilizing the Perform key and the arrow keys.
Utilizing the Nuphy Air60 keyboard
Anybody coming from an Apple Magic Keyboard ought to really feel at residence on the Nuphy Air60. It has a brief actuation distance and not-too-loud sound relying on the switches. The brown switches on this evaluate unit do not require a lot power and make a nice noise general.
The keyboard comes with two USB cables, a 1.5m USB-C to USB-A cable and a 0.2 USB-C to USB-C cable. The shorter cable is meant for use when the keyboard is on prime of a MacBook.
The battery life is predicted to be round 48 hours on a single cost. We have not run into any concern holding the battery charged, and it’s extra of an afterthought.
It may be paired with as much as 4 units concurrently — three Bluetooth and one through a 2.4Ghz dongle. The dongle is USB-A and would seemingly come in useful for desktop use when low latency is a precedence, and fast switching remains to be desired.
There are two switches on the again of the keyboard. One toggles the keyboard between off, wired, and wi-fi, whereas the opposite is a Mac/Home windows change.
We have loved utilizing the Nuphy Air60 and discover its tiny dimension is nice for storing in lots of places. It stays on a aspect desk by the sofa for note-taking on the iPad mini when at residence. When touring, it slips into even the smallest sling bag whereas within the NuFolio case.
Do you have to purchase the Nuphy Air60?
Mechanical keyboard lovers should not cross this keyboard up, particularly if they need one of the best companion for his or her iPad mini or iPad Air. Apple would not supply a Magic Keyboard Case or Keyboard Folio for the iPad mini, so we expect this can be a good various.
That is additionally an amazing first mechanical keyboard for somebody trying to get into the ever-more fashionable pastime. Its small dimension and vary of performance make this an amazing journey keyboard or one that matches on a small desk in your house.
Professionals
- Skinny and lightweight
- Nice for mechanical keyboard newcomers
- Portability with out sacrifice to performance
- Lengthy battery life
Cons
- Sturdiness and longevity in query because of plastic base
- No impartial NuFolio choice
- NuFolio snap is not supreme versus various
Score: 4.0 out of 5
The place to purchase
You should buy the Nuphy Air60 on the Nuphy web site for $109.95. Select between pink, blue, or brown Gateron switches and add the NuFolio case for $20.
Assessment