Keyboard Discussion

[drrich2]

I bought a Nuphy Air75v3 with Brown Nano switches, so I'll be happy to post my thoughts when it arrives (presumably sometime in July).

Will be interesting to hear how you like it. Switch and Click has a review of it compared to to competitors, and the title, well...

It Took 2 Years, But They Nailed It.​

I do believe she's impressed. I think she contrasted it with the Lofree Flow Lite, iQunix MQ80 and Melgeek 02.

The low-profile mechanical wireless keyboard segment seems pretty hot, so even if the Air75v3 is 'all that,' give it a year and there might be something even better. That said, if you are in the market for one of these now, sounds like a good choice for many people.

 

[VitoBotta]

Last week, I was in London and decided to check out the Apple Store in Covent Garden while I was there. I had this strong urge to buy something, so I ended up getting a new Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse combo for 211 euros. I really like the aesthetics, but now I’m kind of regretting the purchase. I already have the Logitech MX Keys and Logitech K780 keyboards, along with the Logitech MX Master 3S and Logitech M720 Triathlon mice. Lately, I’ve been using the K780 and the M720 because they’re my favorites.

All my Logitech devices can easily switch between three devices just by pressing a button. I’ve been using them with my two Macs, a mini and a MacBook Pro, as well as my iPhone whenever I need to type something longer than a few words. The typing experience on the Magic Keyboard is nice, but I’m not sure it’s better than the K780 or the MX Keys. The biggest issue is that the only way I found to use the keyboard and mouse combo on multiple computers is through the Magic Switch software, which I bought. It works okay, but it’s a bit slow at switching, and since it’s software-based, I have to toggle on the computer that’s currently paired with the devices to switch to the other Mac. I can’t do that on the second Mac without using a different mouse. Plus, the software only works on Mac, not on my iPhone, so switching the keyboard and mouse to my iPhone isn’t easy.

Also, I lost the middle button on the mouse, which I used as a quick launcher for Perplexity, something I use a lot. The swipe left and right feature to navigate between pages of the same app doesn’t work in all apps with the Magic Mouse like it does with the previous and next buttons on the Logitech mice.

Overall, I’m feeling pretty annoyed because this feels like a downgrade for me. I really don’t like it. I’m bipolar and usually do well with the right medication, but sometimes I still get these irrational urges, like spending money when I shouldn’t, and this is one of those times, even if it wasn’t a huge amount.

 

[drrich2]

I already have the Logitech MX Keys and Logitech K780 keyboards, along with the Logitech MX Master 3S and Logitech M720 Triathlon mice. Lately, I’ve been using the K780 and the M720 because they’re my favorites.

You don't have to be bipolar to get that urge to spend money and try something new (though I know it can be a symptom); I'm not, and fight the urge to get a NAS. Not because I need or have much practical use for one, but because I've never worked with one and it would be an opportunity to 'learn by doing.' I need to settle for the flat ethernet cable and clips on order so I can run a line from my router to Mac Mini, where the wifi signal is 'fair.'

Why do you prefer the K780 to the Logitech MX Keys? If you didn't use your keyboard with more than one device, would you still prefer the Logitech K780?

For someone planning to use a keyboard with multiple devices often, I wouldn't recommend the Apple Magic Keyboard. Right now, I've got both that (the smaller one, not full-size) and a Logitech MX Keys bluetooth-paired with my Mac Mini, so I can reach for either. I've been using the MX Keys a lot more, probably because it's newer and I paid the money, but when I stop and think about it, I can't say I like it better as a 'one device' keyboard. My thinking:

1.) The MX Keys has a subjectively greater resistance to typing. It's not hard to type on, but by comparison, the Apple Magic Keyboard has so little key travel and resistance to typing that my fingers seem to whip around it faster.

2.) The MX Keys is much heavier and noticeably bulkier.

3.) The AMK doesn't have the notable time to wake from sleep that the MX Keys does. I noticed this early on and it remains true; I can pick it up, start tapping a key, and it's about the 3rd or 4th tap when the character I'm typing appears onscreen.

4.) One thing of note: My Logitech MX Keys not only has backlighting, unlike the AMK, but the light shines through the letters on the keys (which is often not the case on mechanical keyboards with their default keys; my MX Keys isn't a mechanical keyboard, but some people like backlit keys with shine through keycaps, so if that's a 'thing' for you, so noted).

How does your K780 compare to the MX Keys on the points I mentioned (e.g.: weight, bulkiness, ease/resistance for typing, wakeup from sleep time, backlighting/shine-through-keys)?

 

[xraydoc]

I strongly prefer standard-profile mechanical keyboards. But of all the non-mechanical (i.e., membrane, scissor, etc) keyboards I've used, the Apple Magic Keyboard is my preference there.

 

[VitoBotta]

You don't have to be bipolar to get that urge to spend money and try something new (though I know it can be a symptom); I'm not, and fight the urge to get a NAS. Not because I need or have much practical use for one, but because I've never worked with one and it would be an opportunity to 'learn by doing.' I need to settle for the flat ethernet cable and clips on order so I can run a line from my router to Mac Mini, where the wifi signal is 'fair.'

Why do you prefer the K780 to the Logitech MX Keys? If you didn't use your keyboard with more than one device, would you still prefer the Logitech K780?

For someone planning to use a keyboard with multiple devices often, I wouldn't recommend the Apple Magic Keyboard. Right now, I've got both that (the smaller one, not full-size) and a Logitech MX Keys bluetooth-paired with my Mac Mini, so I can reach for either. I've been using the MX Keys a lot more, probably because it's newer and I paid the money, but when I stop and think about it, I can't say I like it better as a 'one device' keyboard. My thinking:

1.) The MX Keys has a subjectively greater resistance to typing. It's not hard to type on, but by comparison, the Apple Magic Keyboard has so little key travel and resistance to typing that my fingers seem to whip around it faster.

2.) The MX Keys is much heavier and noticeably bulkier.

3.) The AMK doesn't have the notable time to wake from sleep that the MX Keys does. I noticed this early on and it remains true; I can pick it up, start tapping a key, and it's about the 3rd or 4th tap when the character I'm typing appears onscreen.

4.) One thing of note: My Logitech MX Keys not only has backlighting, unlike the AMK, but the light shines through the letters on the keys (which is often not the case on mechanical keyboards with their default keys; my MX Keys isn't a mechanical keyboard, but some people like backlit keys with shine through keycaps, so if that's a 'thing' for you, so noted).

How does your K780 compare to the MX Keys on the points I mentioned (e.g.: weight, bulkiness, ease/resistance for typing, wakeup from sleep time, backlighting/shine-through-keys)?

It's pretty interesting because a lot of folks say the MX Keys is better than the K780. But honestly, I actually like the design and typing feel of the K780 more. The MX Keys is nice to type on, but for some reason, I make fewer typos with the K780. It is definitely bulkier, though. I don’t notice any delay at all when it wakes up from sleep. It doesn’t have backlighting, but I wouldn’t use that anyway since I prefer having a light attached to the main screen to brighten up the keyboard area when the room is dark.

 

[drrich2]

Switch and Click (YouTube reviewer) has a new review set on quiet keyboards worth a look:

Silent Keyboards Used To Be Trash... Now They're Awesome

The Lowfree Flow 2 and Nuphy Air75 v3 at the end are brands I recognize. Strong praise for the Nuphy. Of course, with it and other mechanical keyboards with switch options, you have to pick a switch type that gives quiet typing.

 

[ascender]

I've been trying a Logitech MX Mechanical Mini for the last week or so and have been very pleasantly surprised. I know it's the mainstream mechanical option but in the UK it meant I could get it from Amazon next day and it wasn't too expensive. I was starting to feel like the very low profile Apple devices weren't doing my hand and wrists any good, so wanted to try something different.

I like the travel & tactility of the keys. It's nice and compact, but has full sized arrow keys and an extra vertical row of keys with del, home, end etc.

It's a nice sturdy piece of kit, has usb-c connectivity and is Mac-specific. It's not taken much to adjust to it from my Magic Keyboard and I think it's a keeper. The lack of TouchID isn't as bad as I thought it might be - once you've logged onto your Mac, you authenticate first time and that seems to be valid until you lock your machine.

So far, very impressed.

 

[drrich2]

YouTube channel Switch and Click put out a view video, The Best Keyboard of 2025 (No Contest), granting this honored distinction to...the Nuphy Air75 V3. While she acknowledged it's not a 'one size fits all,' it's the one she chose.

Of course, not everyone wants a 75% keyboard, which switches you choose will impact your experience and not everyone wants the same thing. But given the mission of this thread to inform, seems like this is worth pointing out. The option to buy it with Blush (very quiet) switches already installed would be a selling point for me if I were in the market for a mechanical keyboard, since I don't like 'clacky' racket.

 

[xraydoc]

YouTube channel Switch and Click put out a view video, The Best Keyboard of 2025 (No Contest), granting this honored distinction to...the Nuphy Air75 V3. While she acknowledged it's not a 'one size fits all,' it's the one she chose.

Of course, not everyone wants a 75% keyboard, which switches you choose will impact your experience and not everyone wants the same thing. But given the mission of this thread to inform, seems like this is worth pointing out. The option to buy it with Blush (very quiet) switches already installed would be a selling point for me if I were in the market for a mechanical keyboard, since I don't like 'clacky' racket.

The Air75v3 is probably one of the best low-profile keyboards I've ever used. There's a big asterisk that comes with that statement, however.

Seems solid and very well built. The Gateron LP 3.0 switch, despite the very limited options, do sound and feel good (as long as you're happy with "Brown", "Red", "Silver" and silent "Blush" -- exactly one tactile option). But — and here's that asterisk — low-profile keyboards still can't compare to standard-height keyboards in terms of feel, sound and customizability (and for me, accuracy while typing). Some of it comes down to switch choice and some of it is due to the limitations of low-profile keycaps (often, standard-profile keycaps will not function properly on a low-profile keyboard, so simply swapping out low-profile keycaps doesn't always work).

Low-profile keyboards definitely have their advantages, though, and I use my Air75v3 at work as a portable keyboard where carrying around a heavy standard keyboard would quickly become annoying. But I would not be happy using one as my only keyboard or as a permanent desktop keyboard.

What would be interesting to see is a thin-as-possible standard MX switch & stabilizer keyboard. That might be the ultimate compromise for me and I would put up with a little bit of extra weight and thickness for such a device, but I'm not aware of keyboards that have been designed for such a niche.

 

[VitoBotta]

I have the new new Magic Keyboard without the numeric keypad and the new Magic Mouse, but also the MX Keys Mini and MX Master 3s. I am struggling to decide which combo to keep and which to sell. I feel like I type faster on the Apple Magic Keyboard, but like you said with the Apple devices I can only connect to one computer. However I found a workaround in the Magic Switch app - https://www.magic-switch.com/ - which allows me to switch between my two Macs (M4 Pro mini and M3 Pro MBP). It works pretty well, with one caveat: you need both computers nearby and turned on at the same time to be able to switch the keyboard and mouse from one to the other.

At the moment I am using mostly the Apple devices and will see if I can live with the Magic Switch app.

 

[VitoBotta]

I just realized that I had replied to this thread a while ago...