Low Profile And The Lightest Touch – LoFree Flow Lite 100 Mechanical Keyboard
LoFree Flow Lite 100 is a $109 USD 96% Layout Mechanical Keyboard with a Shine-Through ABs Keycap, 100 keys and with a gasket mount, including a 40gf linear switch, and a built-in roller volume control. Today we will review the Flow Lite 100 and see how it fares for typing and gaming, along with programming.
Introduction
As we have already reviewed the smaller version, we also now explore the Flow Lite 100, which has exactly 100 keys. This is in white, named off-white with Specter Switches, but we also have the Hades switches in for testing, which are a type of Silent Switches, and should explore even further how good a low-profile keyboard can be. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this website and Youtube Channel. Huge thanks to LoFree for providing us with the sample for this review.
PROs – Sleek, beautiful design, smooth typing experience, excellent build quality, reliable, high polling rate, Wireless dongle included, Bluetooth works very well, long battery life, silent switches available that you can purchase separately, modular design, good software available for configuration.
Cons – Charges really slowly, the 96% layout is actually not more intuitive or ergonomic than the smaller ones, and a 100% layout would be much better for typing without looking.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jB4Alv
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oku2j8N
Build Quality/Aesthetics
A rather big part of LoFree’s appeal with the Flow Lite series has been how affordable those low-profile keyboards can be, for the set of features they have. Starting with the Polling Rate, it is up to gaming levels at 1000 Hz, and we have the same Shine-Through keycaps as we’ve seen in the LoFree Flow Lite-84, with 3 colors available for the keyboard.
The Roller volume control is reliable, and can be pressed on, to mute the sound, and LoFree Flow Lite100 also has Flip-Out Keyboard stands. Although the company has more expensive and arguable high-end keyboards, they consider the Flow Lite100 to be the smoothest mechanical keyboard you can get for the price, and the body is made from skin-soothing ABS material instead of aluminium, which should keep the price low but still make it very smooth.
It actually has occurred to me that those low-profile keyboards can be really comfortable, so I went ahead and ordered a couple of low-profile keycaps for KeyChron Q6 Max, and I will let you know how that works out once I receive them. The angling of the Lite100 is either 3 degrees, in the default position, or 6 degrees if you use the kickstand.
To create the switches inside of the Lite Flow 100, LoFree partnered up with Kalih, and you can only order the keyboard with the default Specter Switches, but you can order a set of Hades Silent switches too. Both switches have an operating force of 40gf, a Return Force of 15gf, and a similar total travel of 2.8mm.
Subjective Usage / Sound Quality
A big part of the Lite Flow 100 idea is to offer a satisfying acoustic, so the company uses both a silicone pad and an IXPE pad, along with Sound Absorbing Foam and Gaskets, creating what I consider to be the most pleasing, quiet, dampened sound of a mechanical keyboard. It is a very midrangey thocc sound rather than a loud click or a deep thump for each key.
I actually figured that I prefer the default specter switches, they have a more crisp feeling to them, and although they do have sound, it is a quiet sound, while Hades switches are more silent, but still not quite as silent as I’ve heard with other mechanical keyboards, and Hades switches are a bit rubbery and mushy, using rubber pads for silencing.
For reference, I use a KeyChron Q6 MAX as a daily driver, with TTC Frozen Silent V2 Switches, and while Hades switches are as silent and satisfying to press on, the sound of the Hades switches is quite louder than that of the TTC Frozen Silent V2. I feel like Lite Flow 100 is very responsive, it works very well, and you have three ways of connecting it to your computer, Bluetooth, Wireless or using the Type-C port at the back.
You can connect to all devices via bluetooth, and the battery life is pretty good, as there’s a large 3000mAh battery inside providing up to 100 work hours with all lights turned off. I prefer the look of the keyboard with the lights turned on, but that still gives me over a week of usage without having to recharge, which is plenty with my typical work. Charging is very slow, and takes 3 hours, but you can use the keyboard wired while it is charging.
It is very easy to map the keys and configure them using the LoFree Key Mapper, and the weight of the keyboard is very low at 685 grams. This being said, it is far more stable on my desk than YunZii RT68 which is also lightweight, and the sound is much quieter for the Lite Flow. You can heavily bend the Flow Lite 100, but for a device that will stay on your desk and see very little portable usage I don’t see this as a big issue, and resistance to bending is not generally something I test or care about on keyboards.
In all honesty I would have preferred a 100% standard keyboard, as although I get a high accuracy when typing on the LoFree Flow Lite 100, I feel like they made it 96% just to save some pennies, and this continuous design just makes it impossible to use the numpad, as there’s a shorter 0 key that I press with my pinky, and I almost never get it right, as I keep pressing on the right arrow key. I also cannot ever find the delete key, which is one of the most essential keys in my experience, and it is simpler to get used to working with a KeyChron Alice keyboard which fixes your hands in place, or getting used to AKKO MU01 Mountain Seclusion which has fewer keys, but a more natural layout for them. Basically, once you expect each key to be in a certain position and you can’t find it there, you break your creative flow, and that is pretty bad.
LoFree also designed an ortho F Row, which is directly on top of the number row, which is unnatural, as I’m used to having the gap in between the Escape key and the F row.
The fact that the keyboard is low-profile and flat actually adds to the usage issues, as without the gaps you know from a standard 100% keyboard, it is very hard to identify the F Row, number row, special keys and numpad without looking at them. The issue stems from the fact that with most keyboards, at least you know where to place your fingers.
On the other hand, there is less finger and typing fatigue than I get with any other keyboard, the Low Profile design is very easy and natural to use, I absolutely love the gaming and typing experience, although I am unable to work with code and program efficiently and to do debugging as I keep having to look at what I’m pressing when using those keys.
Value and Conclusion
Lofree fully delivers on creating a comfortable to type on keyboard that is affordable, with the value being exceptionally good, a nice sound, a beautiful design, and a reliable build, with both wired and wireless abilities, LoFree Flow Lite 100 being one of the best mechanical keyboards you can grab for its price.
At the end of the day, we rarely find keyboards that have this kind of beauty to them, but at the same time I can recommend the Flow Lite 100 more for the casual user, someone who wants a beautiful keyboard, and for typing or gaming, rather than someone who needs it for programming and debugging, and with the pleasing sound, you will not annoy coworkers, or you can even install the Hades switches for a silent typing experience, relevant especially if you are an audiophile.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jB4Alv
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oku2j8N
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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