It’s not often where I look at a keyboard and think, “Dang. That’s a gorgeous keyboard.” After reviewing keyboards of all shapes and sizes, I’ve become accustomed to similar rectangular form factors, the occasional volume knob or screen, or cutesy designs. I love uniformity, don’t get me wrong, but when something looks less like a keyboard while still behaving like one, you have my full and undivided attention.
Lofree’s DOT lineup of keyboards are novel products: They take a 75% layout mechanical keyboard, they redesign it with a classic typewriter in mind, and then they layer a unique thematic on top of it. Today, I have Lofree’s Lipstick wireless mechanical keyboard to review.
Click here to check out the Lipstick Mechanical Keyboard from Lofree! (non-affiliated URL)
Lofree has positioned the Lipstick as a keyboard inspired by the timeless allure of lipstick, featuring keycap colors that look just like lipstick shades, a rounded top edge that looks just like a tube of lipstick, along with a little rubber lipstick tip for an Esc key. It oozes bold femininity and colorful elegance, all within the confines of a mechanical keyboard. The moment I took the unit out of the keyboard, it looked like an art piece more than anything.
The Lipstick is made of ABS plastic, a material that is just as durable as it is lightweight. The edges of the keyboard are transparent, giving me small glimpses into the keyboard’s innards. It doesn’t have adjustable feet, but the keyboard’s typing angle is positioned just so that it feels great to type on for long periods.
The Lipstick’s keycaps are molded similar to other Lofree DOT keyboards. The base of the PBT/PC keycaps look like traditional Cherry MX keycaps, but the tops of the keycaps (where your fingers rest) have a curved indent that feels similar to the sculpted indented tips of MOA keycaps. They’re a perfect cross between the two keycap profiles in that they feature a degree of uniformity along with feeling properly ergonomic when in use. The larger keys are basically twice the size of two regular-sized keycaps.
Lofree describes these keycaps as being “dual colored,” which confused me at first. As it turns out, the keycaps have two distinct color layers in that the bottom layer has the lipstick colors while the top layer is transparent. The legends are printed on the top layer, making them relatively easy to see unless you’re attempting to identify the bottom row of maroon keycaps. The legends on the maroon keycaps are virtually unreadable, even with the LEDs shining around the keycaps. That said, I love the colors selected for the entire keyboard, and I especially love how the transparent top layer creates an illusion of the bottom colored layer looking suspended within the plastic.
Typing on the Lipstick feels slightly different than I expected given their sculpted indented caps, but my fingers got used to the feeling over some time. The F and J keys’ homing nubs are prominent and helped naturally position my hands. The main tactility issue I encountered during my review period is that the keycaps attracted fingerprints like none other, requiring me to constantly wipe the keyboard down to ensure that it retained the proper shimmer. I’ve tested transparent keycaps in the past (such as those on the KiiBOOM Phantom series) and they haven’t had this issue, so perhaps these keycaps have a unique blend of transparent materials.
Oh, and the lipstick Escape key? It’s a novel addition, but it doesn’t feel the most stable. When my finger brushed it during natural use, I could feel the lipstick keycap wobble more than the rest of the keycaps. Hopefully, the keycap has long-term stability.
I love it when keyboard manufacturers create something new and pretty like the Lofree Lipstick. The novelty Escape key is the icing on the hypothetical cake outside of the eye-catching warm color scheme, partial transparent build, and natural shininess of the keycaps. When prebuilt keyboards include novelty keycaps or thematically appropriate visual elements, it signals to consumers about how they can build a unique keyboard. Hopefully, Lofree continues to add other novelty keycaps and other designs like they did with the Lipstick.
Beyond traditional features, the Lipstick is fit for wireless work thanks to multiple connectivity options in the form of Wired, 2.4GHz, and Bluetooth. The 2.4GHz dongle (which is the preferred wireless mode for playing via Bluetooth) magnetically slots into the top of the keyboard, which is especially smart. I primarily tested the Lipstick in its Wired mode, but it was quick and easy to set up wirelessly.
Let’s move onto the Lipstick’s switches. Lofree includes a unique set of Gateron switches with this keyboard. These linear switches are a collaboration between Gateron and Lofree, meaning that they’re unavailable elsewhere. Lofree hasn’t said much about these switches beyond having a POM stem (which often produces a deeper sound), but I was able to surmise several details about these switches through prolonged use. Their pre-travel feels relatively deep, requiring me to push nearly all the way down for activation. I’m thinking they’re at least 2.0mm, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they were in the 2.2mm-2.5mm range. In terms of actuation force, these switches require very little pressure at all. This results in a good typing experience thanks to how the switches’ sensitivity is compensated by their deeper travel required for activation.
In theory, a sensitive switch (actuation and pre-travel) would be good for higher-intensity gaming. A deep pre-travel is not best suited for games that require twitchy inputs (such as needing to peek in VALORANT), though. I tested the Lipstick across games of multiple intensities and found that the deeper pre-travel hindered my progress. Medium intensity games like RPGs and metroidvanias (like Possessor(s)) felt fine. The Lipstick shined during low intensity games, though. Simpler platformers, puzzle games, and/or turn-based games felt very satisfying to play when using my Lipstick.
Sure, I might not turn to the Lofree Lipstick for hardcore gaming, but I know of so many other folks who would love a keyboard like this to use in their offices during the day or perhaps playing some lightweight games at night. I loved typing on this keyboard while I was working during the day because of its smooth switches and shape of the keycaps. Perhaps my tentativeness towards using it for gaming could be because I don’t want to hurt it, it’s just that pretty.
Heck, part of me just wants to show it off. There’s nothing like having an art piece on my desk.
At some point, form should step aside in favor of function. While the Lofree Lipstick looks stunningly beautiful, its construction and novelty keycaps are not best-suited for hardcore players. If you’re wanting a truly unique 75% keyboard and prefer casual games, then the Lofree Lipstick should be top of your holiday list.
