The Lofree Flow Lite is more readable and easier to use than ever thanks to the changes Lofree has made to its construction, switches, and overall design. While it no longer uses aluminum, it feels so light in hand and functions quite well as a multi-purpose low-profile mechanical keyboard. Check out its Kickstarter for more information!
Low-profile mechanical keyboards are quite unique, I haven’t quite figured out what kind of user would get the most out of a keyboard that is so…small. I know that laptop keyboards are flush with the body of the laptop, but laptop keyboards rarely go beyond chiclet. A mechanical laptop keyboard is like a rare white elk. I use mechanical keyboards – they have a distinct nostalgia to them that feel and sound (and occasionally look) like a traditional typewriter. They’re also pretty big, adding a bit of height that make typing naturally ergonomic. When I make recommendations to my friends and family about which keyboard to consider, I usually have sounds, price, and size at the top of my evaluation criteria.
Despite not knowing who would get the most out of a low-profile keyboard, I have a confession to make. I have been using a low-profile keyboard as a secondary keyboard since I originally reviewed it back in the Spring of this year. That keyboard, dear reader, is the Lofree Flow. Since reviewing it, I’ve had it on a desk and used for gaming (Diablo IV, Minecraft, and Baldur’s Gate 3) along with day-to-day work. I’ve also taken it out of the office, putting it in my backpack for when I am going to the office and/or a family member’s house. It’s a joy to use, fits in my backpack with so little effort and concern about weight/durability, and is inoffensive as they come when it comes to acoustics.
Several months of using this little keyboard, I’ve come to appreciate the ingenuity of a low-profile keyboard for light gaming. As I said in my original review, the Flow was a very easy recommendation as a keyboard for casual gaming, work, and the occasional game of greater intensity. Your mileage may vary depending on the size of your hands and such, but the fact remains that the Lofree Flow left an overwhelmingly positive experience on me.
Today, I come to you with a new entry into the Lofree Flow line of mechanical keyboards: Lofree Flow Lite. It was recently announced, its Kickstarter opens TOMORROW, and we’ve had this keyboard in-house for the past few weeks to put it through its paces and properly assess it as a gaming keyboard. Even more, we took the time to compare it to the original Lofree Flow. Without further ado, let’s get to it.
The past few weeks of testing the Lofree Flow Lite have been mostly positive. Similar to its older sibling, the Flow Lite offers a similarly positive tactile, acoustic, and aesthetic experience. In some ways, however, it feels slightly less premium compared to the original Flow. I guess this comes at the cost of a price cut, but if that means that it’s at a price point that’s more appealing to consumers, then I believe it’s worth it.
The Flow Lite has two size variants – an 84-key model and a 100-key model. The only difference between these models is their size and number of keys. Unlike the previous Flow, you get to choose between two switches (Hades and Specter) regardless of which color you want. My review unit was the 84-key model, Specter switches, and in grey.
When I opened the Flow Lite’s box, I was presented with a similar experience as the previous keyboard. The keyboard was nestled alongside a grey USB-A to USB-C cord, no keycap pullers, and no switch pullers. The keycaps and switches are supposedly hotswappable, but I’ve become convinced that Lofree does not want users to modify this keyboard. Using my own keycap puller, it took quite a bit of force to pop off the keycaps, and I had trouble removing the switches. Perhaps this is for the better, though, as this is the type of mechanical keyboard that is fit to be used right out of the box without needing to make adjustments. It’s an easy recommendation for a newer user who is unfamiliar with mechanical keyboards.
The Flow Lite also features multiconnectivity between wired use, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz Bluetooth (great for gaming!) thanks to the little dongle that is thoughtfully slotted into a nook in the back of the keyboard. With a single pull with my index finger, the dongle came free and could be pushed back in without concern of it falling out. When I tested the keyboard out in both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz modes, it connected to my computers (PC and MacBook) without issue. The keyboard fell asleep when not in use and woke up when a button was pressed. This time around, there was no delay in waking up or registering keys that were input when the keyboard was “sleeping.”
I’ve come to appreciate Lofree’s approach to minimalistic keyboards. By utilizing a standardized set of keycaps of the same height and a compact form factor, Lofree’s keyboards can be used on just about any desk. The low-profile keyboards, especially, are great for taking on the road. The addition to the Flow Lite’s body is a volume roller (not a knob!) at the upper right hand corner of the keyboard. It can be pressed to mute/unmute and rolled to increase/decrease your device’s volume. I love the roller, as it’s an excellent low-profile alternative to a volume knob.
The Flow Lite’s keys are uniform and smooth, made up of PBT and Polycarbonate (PBT). They have a slightly softer feel than the Flow model while also remaining comfortable to use for long typing periods. The F and J keys have homing ridges on them, too. The rest of the keyboard is lighter than its premium Flow sibling, in part because of its ABS construction. When holding the keyboard in hand, it is far from unwieldy.
On the flipside, I miss the aluminum body. There’s something about having an aluminum construction that makes the keyboard look and feel premium. The Flow Lite is not meant to be a premium keyboard, however; despite the lack of aluminum, it ends up having a soft aesthetic that is sure to be appealing to those on a budget.
When comparing the Flow Lite to the Flow, Lofree has made two major improvements to the keyboard’s design. Well, three improvements if you include the volume roller. Lofree has added adjustable feet to this model, meaning that if you need your keyboard at a deeper angle, flipping the feet will do just the trick. In my older review of the Flow, I was slightly disappointed with not being able to customize my keyboard’s angle. Not anymore – Lofree has given me adjustable feet that easily flip up to give me the angled typing experience I desire. The second major improvement is the Specter switches!
The Kailh Specter linear switches that came preinstalled with the Flow Lite now have a decreased actuation force, from 50gf to 40gf. This means that keys are slightly easier to press while still being stable and sturdy enough for minimal false inputs. In practice, I appreciated the decreased force needed to press down on the keys. Lofree says that the 10gf decrease in actuation force results in less typing fatigue over time – I agree. When typing for longer periods, my fingers were slightly less fatigued when using the Flow Lite than using the Flow.
If you’re looking for silent switches, Lofree sells the Hades switches separately. These switches have the same specifications but supposedly feel springier. I wasn’t able to review these switches, so you may have to check out another reviewer’s experience. I wasn’t able to easily remove the Specter switches from my device, so if you’re aiming to upgrade your Flow Lite to utilize Hades switches, you may be in for some difficulty.
The Flow Lite maintains its “pebbly” sound profile, albeit slightly less pronounced given the shift away from aluminum construction. There’s something quite soothing about typing on a device with switches that sound like raindrops falling on river stones, and Lofree is consistent in providing users with that audio profile.
The Flow Lite only has a single source of backlighting in white; it no longer has the colored side lights. In my experience, the RGB side lights drained the battery and ended up being turned off so I could get some additional time using my keyboard. Thankfully, this is no longer an issue on the Flow Lite. The white backlighting complements the keycaps well. Instead of shining around the keycaps (which is something I noted in my previous review), the PBT+PC keycaps had a superior shinethrough that made each and every legend readable in the dark. This was true even at the lowest light setting!
I spent some time testing this keyboard in an office setting and for gaming. This time around, I tested it while playing Wild Bastards, Starfield, Cult of the Lamb, Ninza, ONE BTN BOSSES, VALORANT, League of Legends, and Teamfight Tactics. It ended up working well for casual games, but precision was not this keyboard’s strongest suit.
Starting with the higher intensity games, like VALORANT, Starfield, and Wild Bastards, I honestly did not have the greatest expectations. The Flow Lite had no issues with input lag in wired and 2.4GHz modes, but the compact nature of the keyboard made it difficult to use under pressure. In games where I had to make repeated inputs (like peeking in VALORANT), I made several false positive inputs. The switches’ 1.2mm operating point made it so that inputs were made too easily. It felt comparable to using a chiclet laptop keyboard, which isn’t the most conducive for competitive play.
Medium-intensity games were fine, but I personally struggled with maintaining a consistent hand placement on the Flow Lite. Remember, this keyboard is compact, meaning that there’s very little spacing between keys and even the function keys. If I moved my hand away from the keyboard to take a sip of water or check my phone, I had to make an effort to put my hand back in the correct position. When I didn’t, I would accidentally shift too far and make a litany of incorrect inputs. Other than that, it held up well in Ninza and Cult of the Lamb, specifically in games that had a restricted set of inputs but still intense enough to rise above being a low-intensity game.
Lower-intensity games is where the Lofree Flow Lite shined. Playing ONE BTN BOSSES and Teamfight Tactics was an acoustically pleasing experience. Each button press was easy to make and sounded satisfying. It was a perfect fit.
For most players, the Flow Lite is a keyboard that’s suitable for lower-intensity players, or at least those who play casually. Competitive players will struggle with the keyboard’s compressed setup and smaller form factor, but it’s good enough to be used so long as you’re not expecting fine precision.
You’ve probably reached this point and have picked up on how much of this review is comparative in nature to Lofree’s prior Flow model. This is intentional only because of how the Flow and Flow Lite feel and function similarly. It would behoove me to spend ample time discussing the changes and comparing them to the older model for those who might be on the fence. That said, I would very much prefer the older Flow model, even with some of its faults. The Flow Lite’s changes in the form of its construction, lighting, and height customization make it easier to use.
I wouldn’t expect you to currently own the Flow, though. If you’re reading this, it would be safer to assume that you have yet to try out one of Lofree’s offerings. If that is the case, you should definitely consider the Flow Lite as an introduction to Lofree’s lineup of low-profile keyboards. They’ve demonstrated a commitment to making low-profile keyboards that work great for office workers AND PC gamers while sounding so dang good!
I wanted to leave you with a note about the Lofree Flow Lite’s price: If you reserve it during the Early Bird period, you can get it for as low as $69. For reference, the Flow is priced at $159. The Flow Lite is an excellent introductory keyboard for those wanting to try their hands at a low-profile keyboard.
The Lofree Flow Lite is more readable and easier to use than ever thanks to the changes Lofree has made to its construction, switches, and overall design. While it no longer uses aluminum, it feels so light in hand and functions quite well as a multi-purpose low-profile mechanical keyboard. Check out its Kickstarter for more information!
