Lofree Flow Lite 84 Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard – Gliding Over Marble Keys
LoFree Flow Lite 84 is a $99 USD Mechanical Keyboard with a low-profile design, 75% layout or 84 keys, and it comes with a New 40 gf linear full POM Switch. Today we will review the LoFree Flow Lite84 and see how it works compared to other mechanical keyboards that we’ve been reviewing recently.
Introduction
LoFree is a high quality keyboard manufacturer that’s been getting more and more popular these days, having developed a couple of both low-profile and standard mechanical keyboards. 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 – Smooth and silent typing experience, natural and clean layout, very good connection strength for the wireless receiver, multiple bluetooth pairings allowed, long battery life, reliable build quality, superb keycaps with a shine-through effect for the symbols on the keys, exceptional overall product with an affordable price.
Cons – Hard to pair with Windows and the Wireless Receiver as it defaults to mac and Bluetooth, very slow charging speed for the battery.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4he1eTE
Build Quality/Aesthetics
LoFree Flow Lite84 can come in multiple color options, and both in this 75% profile and also a larger profile that we will be reviewing in the near future. This variant is the Marble with Specter Switches, and it is designed to be an Affordable-For-All Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard, with a 1000 Hz Polling Rate, Shine-Through Keycaps and a LoFree Key Mapper software if you want to configure the keys in a different way than they come out of the factory.
I actually had pretty big trouble getting the LoFree Flow Lite84 to run correctly, because it starts in mac mode, and it also starts in Bluetooth mode. As I was trying to use the USB adapter, I eventually figured out that you can get it to run by pressing FN+4 to switch to the USB Receiver, and then press on FN+N to switch the working mode to Windows from MAC. If you leave it in mac, the windows key will not work, and some letters seem to be mapped differently.
Once it is configured properly, all keys work perfectly, including the volume roller on the right side, on which you can press to quickly mute the sound – a very useful feature to have. The LoFree company has multiple keyboards made to date, but Flow Lite 84 is the smoothest affordable keyboard they made, with a smooth ABS material for the case instead of aluminium. The biggest feature and selling point of the Flow 84 is the low profile it offers, and you can even increase the angle at which it is sitting by using the flip-out kickstand, which gives you a choice between 3 degrees or 6 degrees of angle for the keyboard.
To actually give you this typing experience, LoFree is using two types of switches, Specter and Hades, which are made by Kalih and are Low-Profile Full POM Switches. Those switches will soften the touch and reduce muscle strain in the fingers, allowing for a more natural curvature of your hand while typing, and with a typing force of 50gf to 40gf, they should feel light for typing. The main difference between the specter and the Hades is that Specter is a standard Linear Switch, while Hades is a Silent Linear Switch. Hades uses Silicone dampeners inside to create the sound it has.
The inner layering of the LoFree Flor Lite 84 is quite complex and we have gasket pads, silicone pads, IXPE Pads and Sound Absorbing PU Foam inside. The battery life inside is a rather small 2000mAh battery, considering that smartphones now come with up to 7000mAh of batteries, but this battery offers up to 80 working hours for the LoFree Lite 84 which is good, considering that this equals around a week of usage. The charging speed is very slow, and it takes 3 hours to fully charge the keyboard.
If you’re looking for the keycaps, we have a complex PBT Top layered and glued over a PC base. Those keycaps are shine-through and the legends are visible through the PBT top. You can hot swap every component of the LoFree Flow Lite84, including the kecaps, switches and even open it up to replace the electronic components.
Subjective Usage / Sound Quality
Onto the subjective side of things, I feel like the sound test part the company has online doesn’t do justice to the LoFree Flow Lite 84 keyboard, the sound is much quieter, more dampened and cleaner, with an almost marble-like resonance to it. This being said, certain keys have a quiet but audible metallic clink to them, which can be a bit annoying at times.
I experienced zero bugs with the keyboard once I set it up, but as it starts in Bluetooth and Mac, you have to remember how to set it for windows and Wireless if you’ll be using it that way. I found myself typing at 95% of my max speed on the Lite 84, although for programming, I am nowhere near as quick, as I am, used to having the keypad and would need a 100% profile instead of the 75% profile that we’re reviewing today. Happily, LoFree makes a version that has a larger layout too, and we will explore it too.
For the most part, the only keys I am not used to are the Function top row, because it is straight on top of the number row, isntead of having a difference in position as it does on most keyboards. I also found myself pressing on the Print Screen quite often instead of BackSpace, but those are my usage issues, not issues with the keyboard itself.
The provided cable is of a good quality, although a bit short for me, and the wireless receiver has a good signal strength, even if it is plugged in at the back of my PC computer, next to the router, so it is a very reliable unit. The keyboard itself is a bit lightweight for me, it slides easily on my desk, and I can move it with my pinky when re-adjusting my hand, plus there is a bit of flex when pressing on the keys a bit harder, although it is minimal.
The low profile is softer on the hands and wrists and despite typing this entire review on the Lite Flow 84, I feel no typing fatigue, which I typically do feel a bit with my main keyboard, the KeyChron Q6 MAX. While I feel that the experience of using the low-profile LoFree Lite Flow 84 is not as universal as with most standard keyboards, anyone who ever used a laptop keyboard will love it to bits. This, and for a plane trip, it is perfect to hide away next to a tablet, for example, and get work done while you’re flying.
The best part, for audiophiles, is that the noise level is so low I rarely hear myself typing when using the LowFree Lite Flow 84, even if I am using open-back headphones, a medium, listening volume will overcome the typing sound entirely, so even when using the standard keys for the Flow Lite 84, I don’t really hear it, and next time we will review the larger version with the Silent Hades switches too, to see if they can further improve the typing sound with the Flow Lite 84 Mechanical Keyboard.
Value and Conclusion
LoFree Flow Lite84 has outstanding value given the low price, but high quality for the build, satisfying, almost marble-like sound for each key press, and the slightly dampened, but ergonomic type feel. While this is not exactly the productivity keyboard you want for a typist, it is sleek, affordable and connects basically to everything, being a pleasure to use.
At the end of the day, if you’re used to low-profile keyboards, if you want some of that mac smoothness, but you want it for an affordable price, and at a better quality, with a faster type speed than mac offers, LoFree Flow Lite 84 offers a reliable package, with a strong backlight, adjustable height for the keyboard, and despite the low weight, a very good build quality and it is a fully recommended purchase for those who want a low-profile keb.
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/4he1eTE
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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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