NuPhy Air60

Description

NuPhy Air60 is a slim wireless mechanical keyboard with a striking colorway and colorful RGB lights. The keyboard sports a 60% layout, meaning it comes without the row of function keys.

The Air60 is designed to be an external replacement keyboard for your laptop. Its shape and placement of its 4 rubber feet allows it to sit on top of the MacBook’s keyboard well while still allowing access to the Touch Bar. It works well enough, and should fit almost all other laptops too.

You can also buy the clever NuFolio carrying case which doubles as a stand for your tablet or phone. This makes the Air60 a very capable portable keyboard. The NuFolio case will fit up to a 12.9-inch iPad in landscape. The case also attaches to the bottom of Air60 magnetically to prevent the keyboard from sliding around while in use.

Typing on NuPhy Air60 is precise and satisfying, thanks to it’s mechanical switches. Yes, the Air60 is a mechanical keyboard complete with the option of red, brown and blue switches when you order it.

Features

The NuPhy Air60 is mechanical keyboard built with portability in mind, but it has some really nice design features too. Its keycaps are made from high quality PBT plastic, and are slightly scooped to hug your fingertips. The RGB backlighting is common with most mechanical keyboards but Air60 also includes two light bars on either side of the aluminum frame which function as caps lock and battery level indicator.

As a mechanical keyboard, it uses mechanical, spring-loaded switches which gives you a much more tactile (and satisfying) experience. Your switch options are:

1. Red switches; smooth and light
2. Brown switches; tactile bump on key press
3. Blue switches; tactile with an audible click

These are Gateron low-profile switches to fit its ultra slim design. You can easily replace the switches (you’ll have to buy them yourself) or lube the switches to customize the typing experience and sound further, thanks to the ability to hot-swap the switches. In other words, no soldering necessary to remove and install switches. The Air60 even comes with a keycap and switch puller. It is a nice introduction to the world of mechanical keyboards.

NuPhy Air60 is also a great keyboard for productivity even if you’re not interested in mechanical keyboards at all. It is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, and connects up to 4 devices via Bluetooth 5.0 or the included low-latency 2.4Ghz wireless USB dongle. Switching between devices is a simple Fn + 1/2/3 for Bluetooth and Fn+4 will connect to the 2.5Ghz receiver.

NuPhy managed to strike a good balance with the 64-key layout. The right Shift key is smaller than usual (1U size), but it was necessary to fit in full sized arrow keys and all the other important keys. As the Air60 doesn’t include the function row keys, you have to hold down the Fn key together with the number keys to access the shortcuts. Shortcut icons are helpfully printed on the number keys to make it easy to identify the key combo you need.

Out of the box, NuPhy Air60 is configured for macOS. A switch on the back toggles between Mac/iOS and Windows/Android mode. It even comes with extra keys for Windows so you have Ctrl and Alt keys.

Extras

NuPhy Air60 comes in a very nice packaging box. In the box you’ll find:

• The keyboard itself
• 1.5m USB-C to USB-A cable
• 0.2m USB-C to USB-C cable
• 2.4Ghz USB receiver dongle
• Keycap & switch puller
• Magnetic feet
• Extra keycaps and switches
• User manual

You can choose between 3 different switch options at no extra cost, and you can add on the extra keycaps and carrying case for $19 each.

The short 0.2m cable is a nice touch. It allows you to connect Air60 directly to your laptop without messy wires spilling out over your desk.

Drawbacks

The lighting effects on NuPhy Air60 are customizable with the NuPhy Console app. However the app is only available on Windows.

The keyboard case is a little flimsy. The aluminum frame is quite thin and can flex noticably, even with the plastic bottom case.

The keyboard battery lasts just under a month with daily use. You can stretch it out by reducing the RGB lighting brightness.

Who should buy this keyboard

The NuPhy Air60 is a great choice for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts who want a portable keyboard to accompany their tablet or laptop. As a mechanical keyboard, it provides a lot of customization options too and provides a gentle entry into the world of mechanical keyboards.

If you’re looking for a similar keyboard with a larger layout, be sure to check out the NuPhy Air75.