Unimpressive backlight

　　The Lofree Flow has a white backlight that glows under the low-profile Kailh Shadow switches. There is no RGB backlighting, but that’s not where the problem lies. Along with this backlight, Lofree uses dye-sub PBT keycaps essentially designed for no shine-through. Therefore, the backlighting is a mere halo shimmering through the cracks between the keys — unless you replace them with another set of keycaps.

　　But even as they are designed for no shine-through, the keycaps are not fully opaque. Light from the tiny LEDs awkwardly seeps through the upper part of the keycap and can be incredibly distracting if you have the black color variant, urging you to either replace the keycaps with something more suitable or turn off the backlight entirely.

　　I prefer to keep it off, but if you plan to replace keycaps, knowing there are four intensity levels to the light may be somewhat pacifying.

　　Tushar Mehta / Digital TrendsWhile skipping out RGB on the backlighting, the Lofree Flow has two LED strips at the bottom along its left and right edges. These lights can glow in up to eight colors — either constantly or pulsing. These may be interesting for people who like keyboard housings with underglow, but the limited options for lighting effects and colors and the low intensity lead to a sense of tackiness.

　　

Underwhelming battery life

Tushar Mehta / Digital TrendsAnother aspect that holds the Lofree Flow back is the unimpressive performance of its inbuilt 2,000mAh battery. With the backlight and the sidelight turned at 100% intensity, a full charge lasts only about 24 hours of cumulative usage over a Bluetooth connection. If you keep the lights off constantly, the battery lasts roughly three times longer.

　　That isn’t exactly as bad as with lights on, but the need to charge once every week can sometimes feel taxing. The lack of fast charging can add to your woes as the keyboard can take up to three to four hours to charge fully at a maximum supported rate of 5 watts (5 volts/1 ampere) through the USB-C port.

　　Of course, none of that matters if you prefer a wired connection. However, if you work remotely or actively switch between multiple devices, the battery is something you will need to remember, especially when working away from a stable power supply.

　　

No keymapping support

The Lofree Flow lacks support for configuration through tools such as QMK. This deprives it of the customizability many users seek with mechanical keyboards. This means you cannot use any custom layouts or shortcuts with the Lofree Flow beyond changing the modifier keys on Windows or Mac or setting up basic hotkeys or macros.

　　This complements my earlier arguments about the Lofree Flow being better suited for Mac users who are less likely to seek customization than those who gravitate towards Windows.

　　

Why Lofree Flow is still worth a chance

Tushar Mehta / Digital TrendsThe Lofree Flow feels distinct from a regular low-profile keyboard, primarily due to its exceptional typing experience. The keys are very cushiony and sound incredibly charming, which is hard to come by for its price of roughly $150. Whether you typically lean towards thocky keyboards or have been craving to try one without breaking the bank, the Lofree Flow is a desirable choice. In addition to the sound, the ergonomics of the keyboard and its ease of use and carrying make it a compelling choice over the likes of MX Mechanical.

　　But at the same time, the $170 pricing on Amazon (slashed to $139 on Lofree’s official website till January 10) can feel unjust if you desire more than a pleasant typing experience. The Lofree Flow’s poor battery can deter those who want a keyboard while juggling multiple devices. On top of that, the lack of software-based customization makes it fairly impractical for users who cherish customizing their keyboard to the hilt. Not only that, your options are also limited if you are looking to replace the switches or keycaps.

　　I believe the Lofree Flow makes an excellent addition to your arsenal of mechanical keyboards. It may not be ideal as your only mechanical keyboard that you are looking to mod. But if you want a glorious typing experience without the customizability of mechanical keyboards, the Lofree Flow can fare well even as your sole keyboard.