By all accounts, theLofree 1% Misty mechanical keyboardaims to strike a fine balance between aesthetics and functionality. This shows in its complimentary design, such as the semi-transparent housing along with frosted keycaps that pair with the white LED backlight to create a cohesive yet customizable look. Meanwhile, the linear switches and poron silencing cotton pad support a quiet experience for those looking for non-intrusive typing.
In many respects, the Lofree 1% Misty keyboard offers a great baseline for those after a quiet, compact keyboard. However, with any keyboard, its offerings should be considered carefully against your set-up.
Lofree 1% “Misty” Semi-Transparent Mechanical Keyboard
The Lofree 1% “Misty” semi-transparent mechanical keyboard offers a strong thematic design and a compact build. For those looking to further customize beyond its fully frosted keycaps, the switches are hot swappable. The concentrated, white LED backlighting complements the design while allowing personalization in both brightness and lighting effect to suit the keyboard’s use while keeping the typing sound to a minimum with its poron silencing pad. Both wired and Bluetooth connectivity allow the keyboard to be used across multiple systems, based on your set-up of choice.
Frosted Design, Compact Build
Compared to some of Lofree’s thematic keyboard releases, the 1% Misty offers a more compact experience with its 68-key layout. It’s sized at ~12.05 x 5.67 x 1.2in, which places it in close dimensions to the likes of compact laptops such as the MacBook Air. The semi-transparent housing complements the white LED backlight by both highlighting and limiting any excessive light. So you’ll get an appropriate splash of white light without it overtaking the typing area or indicator section.
Due to its compactness, the smaller design limits multimedia and function keys to being accessible only via combination presses. To help with conditioning, the popping complementary colors on the keycaps provide a clear indicator of where to press for activation.
The pre-lubed Kailh Jellyfish linear switches are also hot swappable, but the base keyboard package doesn’t come with a keycap or switch puller. So, if you’re looking to customize, you don’t have to worry about soldering at all, but you’ll still need to source the rest.
Connecting To All Your Devices
Depending on your needs, the keyboard offers a Mac/iOS or Windows/Android switch at the bottom to help match your system presets. Similarly, there’s a switch at the bottom to swap between wired and Bluetooth mode for your intended use.
After establishing a Bluetooth connection, you can short-press the Fn key with Q, W, or E to swap between devices. In testing, this was done to swap between different Windows and Android devices to test between work and recreational uses.
While a wired connection via the included woven USB-C cable remains the easiest, the Bluetooth 5.1 makes hiccups minimal between devices. If an issue does occur, pairing the more troublesome item in isolation can quickly solve it.
Your Battery Life and Charging Time
The Lofree 1% “Misty” keyboard comes with a 2,000mAh battery that can be charged at the keyboard’s back via USB-C. This comes out to around sixty hours of working operation with a three-hour charge time. So if you’re planning to travel with it for a few days, the keyboard offers plenty of battery life for shorter stints.
Once low on battery, the power indicator light at the top will flash; you may notice some reluctance to connect via Bluetooth. If you work periodically in wired mode, the keyboard can be charged in that state, so you won’t have to schedule your own charging time.
Making the Most of Lighting
As a design-centered keyboard, the Lofree 1% Misty makes use of its white LED backlight to complement the frosted keycaps and chassis. The semi-transparent housing also benefits from these lights as it makes the inner components more visible for inspection. Seven LED effects are also available with the option to increase or decrease the brightness of the light via the keyboard’s shortcuts.
In practice, the different lighting allows a more minimal or showy effect depending on your current use. Whether you want to create a lighted path of your previous keystrokes or see a breathing effect, this mechanical keyboard can match your style. Plus, these can be easily swapped at a paired key press, so you can adapt to different environments quickly.
A Fluid, Quiet Typing Experience
Beyond the aesthetic highlights, typing with the base pre-lubed Kailh MX Jellyfish linear switches offers a responsive yet quiet experience. There’s 4mm of travel and 40g of activation force, so typing feels natural with an appropriate degree of rebound after each press. The N-key rollover (NKRO) and overall accuracy is incredibly solid, especially when weighed against speedier typing scenarios, whether you’re preparing for a specialized field or if you’re already working in an office setting.
While there’s still auditory feedback per keystroke, especially at faster typing speeds, it fades out easily. But it’s still diminished compared to a low-volume conversation or against clickier switches. The poron silencing cotton pad aids with this dampening process, and the result feels natural.
Beyond switch preferences, the biggest complaint that could be levied is the height of the keyboard. Even with the feet retracted, the taller height of the keyboard can leave your wrists a bit sore after extended use. While a wrist cushion or desk mat can easily rectify this, you should consider these as a small additional investment.
In terms of the processed keycaps, the pad printing and UV coating do a good job at keeping them fingerprint-free. But if you are using the keyboard in a more humid environment, you may notice some fogging at the back of the keycaps, especially after more intense gaming sessions.
Should You Buy the Lofree 1% Misty Keyboard?
TheLofree 1% “Misty” mechanical keyboardis a frosted keyboard with quality components that provides a pleasantly smooth typing experience. While the lack of base switch choice may prove a limitation for some, the linear switch complements the overall peaceful design while still allowing for switch interchange later on. For extended typing, the taller keyboard design works best when placed atop a comfortable surface or where a wrist rest is handy.
But if you’re able to align your preferences with what this keyboard offers, it’s an incredibly relaxed typing experience. At just shy of $240, it’s more of an investment keyboard for some, but the core smoothness and quiet use make it a reliable, personalized accessory.
