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The original Lofree Flow was one of my favorite keyboards in the year it was released, even though it did have some downsides and limitations. The Flow Lite then came out in 2024 and went in a slightly different direction but did make a couple improvements, with a more affordable price. Now here comes the Flow 2, and Lofree seems to have both listened to user feedback and also ignored it at the same time.

I’m not really sure how we got here, but Lofree made some objectively good decisions with the Flow 2, and a couple questionable ones (to put it politely). User comments on the product images in social posts have been a little more direct in their judgement of the design choices. But let’s go over all aspects of the Flow 2 before I render my verdict.

Edit 7/10/25: Some updates & corrections have been made to this article following details released with the Kickstarter launch.

Specifications

There are significant design and spec differences from the original Lofree Flow. While the original did have an aluminum-alloy frame, it was not the solid, CNC machined aluminum of the Flow 2. The body definitely feels like an upgrade in terms of material quality, and it does not feel easy to flex or dent. It is available in two finishes: silver with white keycaps and space gray with black keycaps (to go with your mac of course).

The Flow 2 also sports a larger capacity battery at 3,000mAh compared to the 2,000mAh cell in the original, with the exception of the 68-key variant which has a 2,000mAh battery. I have not seen a specific estimate of the use time from Lofree at the time of writing but it should be marginally better than the Flow V1. However, I wouldn’t expect spectacular battery life here because the firmware is QMK-based in order to work with VIA, and QMK firmware is not the most power-efficient.

Update 7/10/25: Lofree has published battery life estimates of 90hrs for the 68-key and 120hrs for the 84 and 100-key variants (all lighting off). As expected, this is an improvement over the original Flow but far less use time than options like the NuPhy Air75 V3 (1,200hrs) and the UQUNIX MQ80 (300hrs).

There is also the addition of a 2.4GHz connection to go along with the three bluetooth connections, which is welcome. All the wireless connections worked well for me in my testing. There is no storage on the body of the keyboard for the 2.4GHz receiver though, which would have been nice.

The Flow 2 offers three sizes/layouts, with the 68-key option being the new addition. This new layout is a 65% which lacks the F-row but retains a few nav keys and the arrow keys for a functional but compact layout that I really like. The 84 and 100 key options represent 75% and 96% layouts, respectively. The Flow 2 also has fold-out feet which the original lacked, providing a second typing angle.

The front height of the keyboard (21mm including the keycaps) along with the sharp edge of the Flow 2 (which sits at 15mm) make it a little less ergonomic for your hands/wrists compared to the original Flow. While still “low profile” compared to a regular high profile keyboard, the Flow 2 definitely feels thicker and I felt the need to use a wrist rest, especially when comparing it to something ultra-thin like an Apple Magic Keyboard (pictured above).

The big physical difference is that controversial extension on the right side of the keyboard. The top features a thin LED strip which serves as an indicator light and an embossed Lofree logo. While your interpretation of the look of this is subjective (I personally find asymmetrical design like this on a keyboard to be off-putting), there are objective downsides to what they put on the side of this extension: a capacitive touch bar and the USB-C port. More on this in the cons section.

Technical Specifications

• Layout & Build
  • 68/84/100 keys (three sizes)
  • ANSI layout
  • Fold-out feet with two typing angles
  • Dimensions & Weight:
    • 68: 341x107mm / 635g
    • 84: 341x126mm / 745g
    • 100: 398x126mm / 870g
    • Front Height: 15mm (21mm with keycaps)
• Connectivity
  • Bluetooth (up to three devices)
  • 2.4GHz wireless (1,000Hz polling)
  • USB-C wired connection (1,000Hz polling)
  • Connection mode switch under foot
  • Windows/MacOS modes (key command)
• Internal Components
  • Hot-swappable PCB compatible with Kailh low profile V2 switches
  • Kailh linear, tactile, and silent linear switch choices
  • Plate-mounted stabilizers (light factory lubrication)
  • Sound-dampening foam layers and silicone case padding
• Keycaps & Backlighting
  • PBT keycaps with shine-through legends (MX)
  • North-facing white backlighting with 3 modes (off/solid/breathing)
• Software & Customization
  • VIA web app for key remapping & macro creation
• Battery Life
  • 3,000mAh battery capacity

Pros

Lofree did make some good choices here, so let’s outline the pros.

• Improved Build Quality: The aluminum case of the Flow 2 is a step up in quality from the original. There is almost zero flex and it does not feel as if it would dent easily. The construction feels very solid.
• Wireless Connectivity: The Flow 2 adds 2.4GHz to three bluetooth connections and all performed well for me. The connectivity is on-par with top competitors, though the polling rates have not been published that I could find.
• VIA for Customization: Compared to the zero customization on the Flow V1, the Flow 2 takes a big step forward with VIA for remapping and macro creation. There is no questionable software to download and the web tool is simple to use regardless of your OS.
• Improved Keycaps/Lighting: The keycaps are an improvement over the original – they feel higher quality and also don’t allow the backlight to shine through the solid area of the keycap (only through the legends), for a more refined look. The backlight overall is also better, though still limited to only two modes (solid and breathing).
• Three Size Options: The addition of a 68-key 65% layout is nice and not super common for low profile keyboards. Between the 68, 84, and 100 key options, there should be a size that fits your needs.

Neutral Aspects

I include a neutral category to account for aspects that are highly subjective and may be interpreted differently based on your point of view and preferences.

• Asymmetric Design: The choice to have the case extend out on the right side is definitely going to be controversial. But if we ignore the touch bar on the ride side for a moment, just the asymmetric look itself is something that you may like or dislike or be indifferent to. But there’s no denying it’s a bit of an “out there” choice.
• Limited Backlight Options: As mentioned earlier, the backlight is white-only and limited to two modes (solid and breathing). If you don’t use backlighting this is a non-issue, but it’s not nearly as many options as most competitors.
• Height/Thickness: The Flow 2 is a low profile mechanical keyboard, but it feels a little less ergonomic to me and that’s because of the sharp case edge and front height. The Air75 V3 from NuPhy is similar in terms of height but has a softer edge and has a slight downward angle so it was more comfortable for me without a wrist rest. I would recommend a low profile wrist rest with the Flow 2 unless you “float” your arms above the keyboard.
• Firm Typing Feel: The Flow 2 moved away from the gasket-mount flexible feel of the Flow V1. I’m not sure why…the case is thick enough to still have a more flexible mount. But the feel of the Flow 2 is firm – more firm than competitors like the NuPhy Air75 V3 and IQUNIX MQ80. Whether you like or dislike this is up to your preferences.
  • Update 7/10/25: On the Kickstarter page Lofree states the Flow 2 still features a gasket mount. I should have been more clear in my above statements. The mounting style is still “gasket” however the range of flex/movement is much less in my sample units compared to the original Flow. It’s firm enough that you would assume it’s not a gasket mount if you weren’t told otherwise – unless Lofree makes a change in the production units.

Cons

Lastly we have some cons for the Flow 2.

• Touch Bar on Right Side: While you may or may not be bothered by the asymmetric design, most are likely to be bothered by the capacitive touch bar on the right side of the case. Because the right side of the keyboard is extended, it sits closer to your mouse if you are right-handed. I found it quite easy to bump into the touch bar with my mouse-hand during use. It’s also easy to brush or touch this bar when adjusting the position of the keyboard. If you’re left-handed, you won’t have quite as many issues with this, but you still will likely touch it without intending to on occasion. This design choice is honestly baffling to me because the potential for accidental inputs seems fairly obvious. To top it off, there is no command to disable the touch bar. Hopefully Lofree can add this in the future with a firmware update because I would love to turn it off.
  • Update 7/10/25: The Kickstarter page for the Flow 2 states that the touch bar can be disabled by holding Fn + Space for 3 seconds. This must be a firmware update that will come in the production units because my pre-production sample does nothing when I use this key command, and it was not included in the user manual in the box where the other key commands are listed.
• Side-Mounted USB-C Port: Just to make sure you’re extra-frustrated with the right side of this keyboard, the USB-C port is also located there. Of course the provided USB cable has a right-angle attachment but if you like to use your own, it creates an awkward angle. The back of the keyboard which you never look at and doesn’t interfere with your daily activities? Free of any ports or buttons.
• Switch Sound Issues: The Flow 2 gets three new Kailh low profile switches that have upgraded “windows” for the backlight to shine through. The typing feel of the linear and silent linear options is perfectly fine (I tested both), but the sound presents an issue. Both of them had issues with spring ping in my units. This is a metallic sound that you hear while typing – the harder you hit a key, the louder the “pingy” sound. It’s not present on every individual switch, but it’s there on enough of them that I can hear the ping sound resonate while typing and it’s objectively not a “good” sound. There is a sample of this sound at the end of the video embedded above. Unfortunately the only solution to this is to lube individual switches which is quite tedious (even if you’re a keyboard enthusiast).
• Price After Kickstarter: The last downside I want to mention is the large discrepancy between the Kickstarter pricing and the MSRP. The Kickstarter “early VIP” pricing that you get access to by placing a $1 reserve order is very attractive for a keyboard with this build quality ($89/$99/$109 depending on the size). However if you miss the Kickstarter and check out the Flow 2 after it’s available through Lofree’s site, the MSRP is $189/$199/$209. That’s up there with premium mechanical keyboards, most of which don’t have the downsides of the Flow 2. My opinion is that’s too much to pay for a low profile keyboard when the excellent NuPhy Air75 V3 exists for $139 and the solid-aluminum IQUNIX MQ80 is available for $159. I’ll be posting a separate comparison article and it won’t be pretty.

Conclusion

So overall, is the Lofree Flow 2 worth it? If you’re left-handed, I can say maybe. Lefties will have at least slightly fewer issues with the capacitive touch bar on the right side of the keyboard. Even with the addition of a command to disable the touch-bar, you still have to get past the asymmetrical design and pingy switches. The Kickstarter early bird pricing is attractive but after the Kickstarter, assuming it escalates to the stated MSRP I find it hard to recommend for most people. Here’s hoping that a third time’s a charm for the Flow.