Remote work is here to stay, and with it comes a need for totable tech tools. Whether you’re working from home, a local coffee shop, or a beach in the Caribbean (we won’t tell your boss), a compact keyboard is a must to type up reports while sipping a mai tai. The Nuphy Air60 V2 ($109.95) is a low-profile wireless keyboard that is a good travel companion for getting work done on your phone or tablet, especially when paired with its optional carrying case. Better low-profile, compact alternatives exist, however. Our favorite is the Editors’ Choice-winning Satechi SM1 Slim, which is just as portable and offers a similar set of features for a lower price.
Design: Attractive, But Lacking an Air of Quality
The Nuphy Air60 V2 is a portable keyboard that prioritizes aesthetics, a design-first approach that also extends to its optional carrying case ($29). While we tested the Lunar Gray color for this review, the Air60 V2 is also available in white or black color options. Each option offers many key-switch variants from which to choose, which we’ll discuss below.
The keyboard measures 0.8 by 11.7 by 4.2 inches (HWD), making it smaller than the SM1 Slim. The SM1 Slim is larger because it has a function row and seven additional keys, including Page Up and Page Down. To compensate for the loss of a function row, the Air60 relies on shortcut combinations, which may take some getting used to. You can assign macros and shortcut combinations using VIA software, which we’ll also discuss below.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
We received Nuphy’s Aloe switches with our review sample, a linear switch with 37 grams of actuation force that’s a $10 upgrade. Other switch variants include Reds, Browns, and Blues, each of which drops the keyboard to its $109.99 base price. The Aloes, Cowberries (a linear switch with 45 grams of actuation force), Wisterias (a tactile switch with 50 grams of actuation force), and Mosses (another set of tactile switches with the heaviest actuation force at 60 grams) are also available for an extra $10 or in bulk, as add-ons that can be installed on the Air60 V2 or any other keyboard you may own that accepts low-profile switches.
Along with switches, you can buy extra keycaps, desk mats, and the carrying case for the keyboard, which doubles as a tablet/phone stand. Nuphy offers no option to buy a barebones model, however.
If none of the stock switch options cuts it for you, you can take advantage of the fact that the Air60 V2 is hot-swappable to relatively easily install your own switch set. The Air60 V2 supports other low-profile key switches from third-party manufacturers.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
The carrying case attaches to the keyboard via a set of magnets embedded in the case’s fabric; some cutouts in the case line up with the keyboard’s feet to help orient the keyboard correctly. Using the case with the keyboard works well when you need to work in public. The case folds into a triangle that can prop up a phone or tablet, which is a real help if you don’t have a kickstand to hold up whatever device you’re using.
(Credit: Francisco Lahoz)
When you’re done with work, simply fold the case around the keyboard; a button fastener keeps the keyboard from sliding off the magnets in a neat package. The keyboard works perfectly fine without the case, though. When we reviewed the Asus ROG Falchion RX Low Profile, we didn’t like that its plastic cover couldn’t serve as a case, although it is included in the price of the keyboard.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
All three color variants of the keyboard’s bottom frame are made of see-through ABS plastic that lets you glimpse the inside of the keyboard, while the top half is made of aluminum. This aluminum gives the keyboard a nice rigidity that keeps it from flexing under stress. While a 2.4GHz wireless dongle is included in the box, the keyboard itself has no storage for it, unlike the SM1 Slim, which has a cutout for the dongle next to one of its angled feet.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
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The bottom of the keyboard has a metal plate embedded into the plastic frame. Each corner has rubber feet to keep it stable on your typing surface. The two feet have deployable stands with two angled levels, although they suffer from some build quality issues. They use a pair of plastic tabs on each side to lock in place, but the tolerance is so tight that the tab needs a surprising amount of force to deploy. After deploying the feet a handful of times, we noticed shavings from where the plastic was worn down. The Air60 V2 comes with a one-year warranty.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)
You’ll find two mode-selector switches along the keyboard’s top edge. One allows you to wirelessly connect to a device via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz, activate a wired connection using the included USB cable, or turn the keyboard off. The other lets you switch between a Mac or Windows keyboard layout. Both layouts work perfectly fine for phones and tablets.
The keyboard features per-key adjustable RGB lighting, which you can easily configure with specific colors or effects using a software utility (which we’ll discuss below). The lighting isn’t limited to the keys, as two slits on either side of the keyboard allow light to bleed through. These same slits also act as the indicators for Bluetooth connection status and battery levels. They glow green when the 2,500mAh battery is fully charged. Nuphy states that the battery should last between 30 and 90 hours with the LEDs on and up to 150 hours with them off.
Software: VIA-Compatible Customization
The Air60 V2 is compatible with VIA, an open-source keyboard configurator for QMK-based keyboards. You access VIA through a website. Several smaller keyboard manufacturers like Keychron and Melgeek also use VIA in lieu of developing proprietary software utilities, as VIA is free.
(Credit: VIA)
We had issues getting the Nuphy Air60 V2 set up with VIA; it wouldn’t recognize our keyboard right away, a similar problem we experienced when we reviewed the Keychron C3 Pro. After we downloaded a JSON file from the Nuphy website and uploaded it to the VIA configurator when prompted, the VIA web app finally recognized the keyboard.
With VIA, you can reassign keys, set up key macros for shortcuts, and adjust the RGB backlighting of the keyboard. You can assign each of these customizations to a profile, which you can then save and load as needed.
Verdict: Strictly a Match for Mobile Use
While the Nuphy Air60 V2 seems the perfect companion for remote work, it has too many caveats to recommend unequivocally. While the keyboard’s size makes it convenient to throw in a bag, the plastic tolerances of its angled feet worry us long-term about durability. It pairs well with a tablet or phone, but you won’t get the full functionality unless you’re willing to pay for the extra case.
We do like the keyboard’s aesthetics, but ultimately, it does little to differentiate itself from the Satechi SM1 Slim unless you intend to use it primarily with a mobile device and spring for the extra stand. In that case, the Air60 V2 could be an intriguing option. But for traditional use with a computer, the advantages of a lower price and better overall build quality make the SM1 easier to recommend.
The Bottom Line
Attractive and highly portable, the pricey Nuphy Air60 V2 wireless keyboard is best for use with a phone or tablet, but requires an extra-cost case accessory to achieve its full potential.
About Francisco Lahoz
Junior Analyst, Hardware
