LOFREEFlow84 Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard, 75 Percent Rechargeable Wireless Keyboards with Bluetooth and Wired Connection for Windows, Mac OS/Ghost Linear Switches, Silver

This is my end game keyboard I swapped out the spectre switches with the phantom switches though leading to less typing errors but on this board I type faster than any other keyboard I own.

Ordered via Vine.I already own a traditional style Gaming mechanical keyboard but it's a 65% with volume/rotary knob, I don't game at all but I bought it simply for it's linear mechanical switches, that offer superior feedback and vastly improved, faster typing experience. It's been a pleasure to type with, although since I don't game at all the RGB I've turned off and it's only an EPOMAKER with flamingo linear switches and worth significantly less than this LOFREE Flow84.So in a similar way, since it used to be that the superior mechanical typing experience was only available on gaming focussed mechanical keyboards. In part due to size and other limitations, this meant that non gamers who just wanted more compact and basic low profile keyboards, had to tolerate whatever non mechanical keycaps and switches were available for keyboards of that category.The first thing to establish is what type/category of keyboard this is and who it's marketed towards. Since many want more basic, low-profile keyboards that are compact and portable, it used to be that you'd have to sacrifice the typing experience that is otherwise only possible with Gaming mechanical keyboards. And just like typing on a smart phone or iPad provides zero feedback, typically the only low profile keyboards available did not have mechanical or supported hot swappable switches, which would otherwise vastly improve the overall typing experience. Where the key caps, switches and overall design are important for increasing sheer productivity, both in terms of tactile or linear feedback, and the satisfying but subjective sound produced.Whereby aside from sounding good, the good mechanical keyboards and switches feel so different to that of a standard low-profile or laptop keyboard, that your word count, WPM, accuracy and overall productivity can be vastly increased, in addition to the enjoyable experience of typing.Especially if you are required to type thousands of words per day, for work or any purpose at all. It used to be that you could only find this is gaming mechanical keyboards, which being gaming focussed were not ideal for more general use and productivity, when you just want a keyboard that's lightweight, compact, low profile and don't need the RGB or 2.4Ghz fastest latency draining the battery unnecessarily.Over the last few years some manufacturers have now released some "hybrid" like keyboards, that are not really for gaming but aim to be low profile, portable, compact. With the issue being the more compact and low profile a keyboard is, the less space is available to have the mechanical keys and switches also that people want for the superior feedback, speed and WPM and if possible a satisfying sound.Mechanical keyboards that are not limited in their profile have plenty of space for various switches for your preferred feedback, as well as gasket mounted I.E many layers within the keyboard chassis that act as sound-proofing or suppression, where a cheap and clicky sound is often undesirable.As such, this is what LOFREE and only a few other brands have aimed to achieve here with this keyboard, they're are not exactly the worlds first as there are a few others, but there are some features on this keyboard that stand out from the limited competition. Specifically: "The world's first low-profile switch made entirely of POM material for self-lubrication& smooth feel".In general when your limitation is space itself there are still only a handful of options from various brands. At £160 you could consider this a relatively mid-high end keyboard, and although they have also added some trivial features that might appeal to light or casual gaming. As LOFREE explain in great detail, this is a keyboard designed for general use and ultimate productivity, that tries to be as low-profile as possible. And LOFREEs R&D team have done a great job of achieving both at the same time.As although I cannot say I've compared the very few similar alternatives, in addition to being a very well constructed aluminium designed, they've also squeezed in the same gasket mounts and true mechanical switches typically found in gaming keyboards. Hence creating a low-profile more general use keyboard, with all of the same benefits that are found on Gaming Mechanical keyboards.The result being that this is a more ordinary looking, low profile and portable keyboard, yet has all the performance of a good mechanical gaming keyboard, with their Kailh POM mechanical switches providing supreme performance as well as a seamless and enjoyable typing experience. There are not many keyboards yet on the market that have achieved this so perfectly well, or at least not from the handful that I'm aware of.LOFREE have produced their own three different hot-swappable switch options that can be bought separately and all are different but high quality switches. With this White/Silver model the keyboard comes with Ghost Linear switches, probably the most popular type overall and they have included the precise specs of each switch to help you decide which is for you.I wont go too much into all the differences between each switch, but this white model will appeal to those who already prefer linear switches and as the name suggests (Ghost/Phantom) they also aim to be reasonably quiet. Although the keycap design and height also plays a factor, as unlike in gaming keyboards this aims to be as low profile as possible.There are several unique features that make this a top tier keyboard, firstly the Kailh POM switches are actually self-lubricating. That means that not only have they been pre-lubed but they use some technology which continues to lubricate your switches, claiming to make them even smoother over time.It's obvious these switches have been well lubricated, although without knowing exactly how this self lubricating system works I am sure these remain sufficiently lubricated for a very long time, improve in smoothness over time also.So needless to say, these are ready to go straight out of the box, and you can expect them to become smoother over the first few months of use. I haven't been using this one for very long at all but it certainly doesn't need lubrication, perhaps ever.As I would expect these Ghost linear switches have a very satisfying feel and feedback probably as it's what i'm used to. They sound similar with an relatively deep "thock" tone which most people desire, similar to my EPOMAKER but noticeably quieter. And although I have become accustomed to and enjoy a few more decibels.I'm quite confident that most others would find the slightly quieter but still deep "thock" sound, far more desirable and appealing than my louder keys for their intended, more general usage. And also the force, travel and other specs also differ which also contribute to it's overall sound, which LOFREE illustrate very well and provide illustrated graphs and specs compared to the Phantom tactile switches found in the black model which I also have tested.Now it's not the colour alone that is different, this white model is going to appeal to those who want or prefer both the linear feedback and sound, and naturally the colour will be a factor. Though all keys and switches are entirely hot swappable and can be customised if you wanted. For this model, I would say that unless you want to test out their other switches, then this should be left alone as it seems be designed absolutely perfectly and optimally for linear switches. And you'd really struggle to find better ones, likewise the gaskets and aluminium chassis is perfectly designed out of the box. This isn't a keyboard that needs any customisation whatever, and you've really struggle to improve it any further, in terms of looks, feedback, sound and it's fantastic low-profile yet perfectly constructed and robust design.The switches are really very good, such that I am tempted to try them on my EPOMAKER as most likely they are better and superior. You can of course fit virtually any switches or keycaps you wanted - though the keyboard is designed to remain low profile including the keycaps and their profile that come with the keyboard.The build quality of this is spectacular, as their own stock image shows a true photo of the underside which is full aluminium, with brass coloured plated with the LOFREE logo on each side that give it small incline of 10 degrees or so. I prefer a much steeper one on my EPOMAKER, but that has it's own permanent positioning and doesn't ever move.Underneath the keys this keyboard has not skipped anything here with a dozen or so gasket mount layers which have slightly different functions but combined have an acoustic sound deadening effect as well as the feedback, suppressing the higher clicky frequencies and leaving each keystroke with a relatively low pitches linear sound as expected.The all aluminium chassis design also contributes in making this a very solid and stable keyboard, whilst keeping its total net weight down as much as possible, to make this portable. But the aluminium also gives it a fantastic robust and premium looking appearance. It looks like a £160 keyboard just looking at it and typing with it, then even more so once you realise what it is about.They have opted not to use a 2.4Ghz connection, which I think is by design. As although they have implemented some gaming or RGB features, perhaps for some extra appeal. The RGB side lightning, looks ok in total darkness. But it's so dim that really you might as well turn it off, and this is the first feature that I don't quite agree with and prevents it from being perfect.As whilst it does also have single colour backlighting, in total darkness because the key caps have PBT low-profile 5 sided-Dye sublimation (which is very good) since they are not shine through so really you need some ambient lighting unless your screen/monitor is bright enough alone for darkness or low ambient light usage - which this isnt really able to achieve. Similarly making this a full RGB keyboard would have been not just unnecessary, but making this sort of a hybrid in categories. Which is what I think they have gone for to some degree, but then successfully catering for both keyboard designs and purposes would have required some additional changes and improvements in order to execute perfectly and without making sacrifices or not quite meeting expectations.Starting with the battery, now this is a low profile keyboard so space is an obvious limitation. The fact that it's Bluetooth only somewhat makes up for that, compared to the power that would be drained in a 2.4Ghz mode, whilst casual gaming is totally possible, no serious gamer would be satisfied with Bluetooth.At 2000MAh, there is no denying that this is rather low, and if you use this all day for work or other productivity, although Bluetooth and sleep modes can help somewhat. This isn't a keyboard that you can fully charge and then forget about for several weeks. For that, the battery would need to be more like 3000 Mah to 4000 Mah, considering this may be marketed towards professionals who will want to use this 9AM to 5PM, or for long periods of almost non stop productivity and then it has the portability for you to bring it with you back home to the office.Now all of this is irrelevant if you are prepared and prefer to use this in wired mode, which to be fair or if I had to guess, for permanent/long term setups people may have no issue using it wired. It could be 50:50, I really am not sure. But this is also advertised for its compactness, low-profile portability which may include those that would rather not carry around the wired cable, or the hassle of plugging it in and out. This is entirely subjectively based on this user, but it brings me to one unusual and universally negative design choice here. As for this price and calibre of keyboard, one thing I would expect is a proper paracord type C charging cable. This is one missed opportunity here, and addition to that, because of the recessed type C input port you can only used the cable which comes with the keyboard. The majority of generic replica cables will not fit, although I found a few that do, this is an unfortunate flaw if people do not want to carry the cable along with them for portable use.Returning back to the battery, since the RGB side lightning which is adjustable, is so dim unless in absolute darkness that either they should have made it much brighter, adding visual appeal, or not implemented it altogether. With the problem that, even if users decided to keep the side RGB on, it does not look bright or impressive enough and I think most users will choose to keep it off, as it will waste more of the vital 2000Mah battery which is already on the low side. It's perfectly understandable why they could not have just stuck a 4000 Mah battery inside instead, because it would have taken up double the space, and naturally increased costs.And likewise with the single colour backlighting, it's neither colourful or impressive enough to be kept on, and in darkness although you can see separation between the keys, it does not offer improved visibility.I can understand why this would have been a difficult decision in the R&D department, because what £160 keyboard comes with both no RGB/backlighting at all?And side from literally making the side RGB lighting brighter such that it looks good, and/or attempting to double to battery capacity, sacrifices had to be made. And I tend to agree that if this keyboard, is great as it is came with no RGB OR Backlighting in it's title, then it would have inevitably made the keyboard far less broadly appealing.However, despite the 2000Mah battery capacity which helps keep it lightweight and low profile, if you want to use it exclusively in Bluetooth mode with the non paracord and non universally fitted cable also.It still claims 40 hours of running time before a recharge, which is by no means the end of the world, and will depend on your daily usage, providing you are prepared to recharge it once every 5-10 days if I had to estimate based on whether you use it for 8+ hours straight per day, or considerably less.Even the Flow100 which is larger and houses a 3000Mah battery but equally claims 40 hours of use, this doesn't really take too much away from the keyboard overall for my review since I am reviewing it impartially based on a range of differing prospective buyers/users. But if I were to take the 40 hours literally, without knowing any specifics about any sleep modes it would be a bit of a nuisance to my personally as my EPOMAKER and my personal usage/setup relies on wireless.But it may be that like with Wireless Gaming Mice, 40 hours use may not necessarily mean 40 hours of being ON compared to OFF. As both my EPOMAKER and my wireless Mouse have sleeping modes that mean that "40 hours" might actually mean "40 Hours of continuous Use" which is very, very different to simply 40 hours from the time it's turned on.So the battery duration in Bluetooth mode is still adequate in my opinion and the rest of the keyboard does a huge job of making up for this. Especially when from a marketing perspective, offering no RGB whatsoever I think would have been highly unappealing. Although the good news is, if like me you do not care about RGB, and do not even have shine through keycaps. I have turned all of my RGB off on my gaming keyboard, which means I can be lazy and leave it on 24/7 for several weeks.As for general gaming ability, for those who want to use this for work/productivity and the occasional casual gaming, providing you don't care about RGB or Bluetooth vs 2.4Ghz mostly insignificant latency then unless you're the most competitive of Pro Gamers you can do so no problem.For those who want to use this in wired mode, you can forget about all of the above really, just remember the supplied cable is not a paracord design, and the type C recessed port means that many universal replica Type C cables will not fit. You will find that some do, and some do not.And in summary of all of that, I think many users buying this keyboard, will like me have zero interest in the RGB and backlighting, giving a bit more battery. If LOFREE had not made this a somewhat hybrid keyboard, with some degree of RGB elements, or backlighting whether its really effective or not, then I think they'd struggle to sell these. So it was almost like an inevitable sacrifice, that if turned off you can pretend it's not even there and maximise battery life.It's already quite an accomplishment to make this a fully mechanical and hot swappable keyboard with top tier POM Kailh self lubricating switches that cost £47-£54 if bought separately. Then the low profile PBT keycaps. And without describing the purpose and function of each, in order after the switches you get: The Gasket Pad, Positioning Plate, Silicone Pad, IPXE Foam, PCBA, Poron, and finally the premium aluminium frame with an underside Aluminium base.So Although I had to mention this is at best a moderate capacity 40 hour battery, for those users who know exactly what this keyboard is for, it's unique design and category. What makes this ultra special primarily which creates the superb feedback and sound is because this has literally all the high-end components necessary that you would find in high end Gaming Mechanical keyboard, sacrificing on nothing at all. This last bit of aluminium even makes the underside look fantastic, and with the Brass Coloured Durable feet which give it it's low profile incline and match the side Brass LOFREE Logo'd brackets (side RGB area).There are various very small screws visible but I actually personally think this contributes to the engineering prowess, and the R&D that has made this a remarkable keyboard to use, I remember the first time I upgraded to my EPOMAKERS Flamingo switches which I do like but I cannot say they are better than these Kailh POM switches. When you type on this keyboard, it turns typing into a truly enjoyable and seamless typing experience. And that is what any buyer of this keyboard will experience, if they are either brand new to mechanical keyboards, and/or familiar with the preference of high quality linear switches. Thats the part that is difficult to describe or comprehend until you literally begin typing on it.I've literally hit the 2000 character limit and I had much more to say. So to conclude I'm going to have to summarise are say that while not 100% flawless, for it's intended purposes and if you understand what this is, then this is fantastic and rather specially engineered low-profile fully mechanical & hot-swappable keyboard from LOFREE. Precisely as intended.Aside from average battery life, nobody will buy this and be disappointed UNLESS you already use or prefer Tactile switches in which case you want the Black Version. Which besides keycaps/switches is identical and equally amazing to use.I have a dilemma here as to be honest, for it's specific purpose and such high quality, I feel this deserves 5 stars all day, and I cannot give it 4.5. However my strict rating scheme is that 5* products have zero flaws whatsoever, which is more common in something like a basic charging cable.So whilst i'm giving this far more complex keyboard 4/5 stars, bear in mind it's only due to the minor, subjective, even inevitable or unavoidable things such as an average 40hr battery life.Make no mistake, if you buy this Ghost Linear Switch White version for the right purposes and as it's intended - nobody will be disappointed or returning this.Overall it's so brilliantly designed and unique that to almost all users this is a 5/5 product. So forgive me LOFREE, I just dish out 5/5 so rarely for sufficiently complex and moderate value items. I may even change my mind and breach my own rating scheme, because this honestly deserves 5/5 stars, regardless.

This has been my first experience of using a mechanical keyboard and found that it offered a very satisfying, comfortable and surprisingly quiet typing experience. I don’t play games or use this for gaming but I liked how it felt to type on. It looks sleek and expensive, feels well built and durable, and will look great on any desk. It is compact and space-saving however personally I would have liked the numerical keypad at the side which traditional keyboards have although I understand this would mean it would have to be larger so it’s horses for courses. It is thin and light enough to fit nicely in a laptop bag if you need to take it anywhere with you. For most people who want this kind of keyboard, they won't be disappointed. It's a really well-designed product and I will be loathe to ever return to a traditional keyboard.

The low-profile design is sleek and modern, and the linear switches provide a smooth and quiet typing experience. The wireless connectivity allows me to work and play without the hassle of cables. The battery life is impressive, and the keyboard recharges quickly. The Bluetooth and wired connection options provide flexibility for different setups. The build quality is excellent, and the keyboard feels sturdy and durable. The keycaps are well-designed and comfortable to use.

This keyboard is probably the best keyboard I’ve ever used. For the price, I’d certainly hope that was the case. But there’s more to it than that.Typing on this is a dream come true. I tend to prefer flat keys over the big office style ones and these are on the flat side. They are so easy to type on. Just the right amount of pressure. Everyone might have a different preference but these are technically very good.On top of that you can change a lot about this keyboard. Part of the cost is the flexibility and customisation. That’s not something that I’m overly interested in but I understand how it adds to the cost and value.The keyboard has back lighting that doesn’t shine through the keys so it’s more for aesthetics. And it does look good. The red light underneath either side are nice but not really needed. The dual keyboard layout for Mac as well add to its use. The layout is American.The overall quality is fantastic. If it wasn’t for a few small issues it would get full marks for the cost. But it is lacking in two areas. The feet aren’t adjustable so you’re stuck typing at the given angle. And there is no 2.4GHz option for a connection. The Bluetooth is solid but nothing is better or more energy efficient than a 2.4GHz dongle you can optionally use and get much better battery life. At this price point I’d expect the full package.Still, it’s the best keyboard I’ve used and if you’re willing to pay for it then it’s a great choice. I’m happy with it.