NuPhy has built a reputation for making mechanical keyboards that feel premium, thoughtful, and well-engineered, whether they’re full-sized, compact, or low-profile. With an Australian price starting from AUD $189, the Air75 V2 falls firmly in the premium low-profile category—but is it worth it if you’re already accustomed to other low-profile boards?
Having used a variety of them, like the Logitech MX Mechanical Mini, I wasn’t expecting the Air75 V2 to feel drastically different. I knew I’d get shorter key travel, a thinner chassis, and a lighter frame, but what I was looking for was whether NuPhy had refined the experience enough to make it stand out from the crowd.
Design and Build
First impressions? Clean, solid, well-made. The aluminum top plate gives the keyboard a premium feel, while the translucent plastic bottom adds a modern, slightly futuristic aesthetic without looking tacky. It also lets the RGB lighting shine subtly underneath the board; not enough to see unless you turn the board. It’s compact, lightweight, and refined, yet still feels durable enough to hold up under daily use.
The board is designed specifically to be used with laptops. At just 316.4mm wide, 132.5 mm deep and just 13.5mm thick, it’s clearly made to fit on top of the keyboard deck of most MacBooks and other laptops. It sounds novel but your mileage will vary. I didn’t find it all that comfortable to use in this way.
One area where NuPhy has genuinely improved usability is with adjustable feet. Instead of being locked into a single flat typing angle (which many low-profile boards suffer from), the Air75 V2 offers two height settings. While they don’t provide the steep incline of a traditional mechanical keyboard, they make a big difference for comfort, especially over long typing sessions.
On the back edge, the USB-C port handles both wired connectivity and charging, but wireless performance is where this keyboard really shines. The 1ms 2.4GHz connection means there’s no noticeable input lag, even when gaming, while Bluetooth 5.0 allows effortless switching between multiple devices. NuPhy has also added a magnetic USB dongle storage compartment underneath the keyboard—a small but incredibly handy inclusion for keeping everything organized.
Quality improves with the double-shot PBT keycaps that come in a variety of Lego like colors that you can mix and match to craft the board of your particular tastes. Nuphy also has some new Dye-sub keycaps which bring a whole new life to the boards.
Typing and performance
If you’re used to traditional mechanical keyboards, the Gateron low-profile and Daisy 2.0 switches might feel a little too shallow at first. But for those accustomed to other low-profile keyboards, the Air75 V2 feels pretty much the same. Nuphy offers a wealth of swappable switches, all factory lubed with funky names like Aloe, Cowberry, Wisteria and Moss. There’s also the traditional Gateron red, blue and brown. I got the Gateron Browns which have a 3.2mm travel. The keystrokes have just enough depth to feel satisfying, without the fatigue that taller switches sometimes bring.
That said, while the flat keycaps can be divisive, they’re fairly standard across most low-profile keyboards. If you’re used to sculpted keycaps, expect an adjustment period. NuPhy’s gasket-mounted design helps soften bottom-outs, making typing more comfortable than a typical tray-mounted board. The addition of sound-dampening foam layers also refines the acoustics, giving keystrokes a more muted, premium sound profile. The board sounds thocky but I would have preferred even quieter actuation.
But despite all this, the keys on mine felt immediately, well, stiff. I’m not sure whether it’s the keycaps on my unit but typing didn’t feel smooth or pleasant; there was definitely micro-resistance to my keystrokes. I mention it because it’s so immediately obvious compared to every other board I have on hand. However, over time, the board either ‘broke in’ or I just got used to it and it wasn’t a bother anymore.
I will say that in gaming, that’s not been an issue. The Air 75 is fast and responsive, never missing a beat on keypresses. Keys are registered promptly with all the usual N-Key rollover that we are accustomed to on other boards. Is it the fastest board out there? No. While the 1000Hz polling rate keeps things ultra-low latency, there’s no magnetic switches here so no rapid trigger or adjustable actuation. Then again, this isn’t marketed as a gaming board but if that’s something you’re after, there is also a version of the Air 75 that uses Hall effect magnetic switches. And yes, that one is marketed as the gaming keyboard.
The Air 75 V2 also has RGB lighting which is better than before, but still not the most vibrant. The side ambient lighting adds a nice aesthetic touch, but overall, the illumination lacks the intensity found in some high-profile mechanical keyboards. Furthermore, the legends on the keycaps aren’t shine through which dulls the lighting effect.
NuPhy has also designed the Air75 V2 to be Mac-friendly, with dedicated Mac keycaps and a toggle switch for switching between Windows and macOS. It works as advertised but there’s a known freezing issue on macOS, where the keyboard temporarily stops responding. This happens randomly and I couldn’t replicate it and while it resolves itself, it’s something to be aware of if you primarily use Apple devices.
Customization and Software:
Unlike some low-profile keyboards that limit customization, the Air75 V2 embraces VIA/QMK support, making it easy to remap keys, adjust function layers, and set up macros. If you like fine-tuning your keyboard setup, this is a huge plus. The best part is it doesn’t require you to install any software as its all accessible via the web browser.
What’s not cool though is the overly involved process of updating the keyboards firmware. To my account there’s at least four different files required, each requiring different method of installation. The worst was when after the board firmware update, the 2.4Ghz connection stopped working. Turns out it requires a wireless radio firmware update too but that needed me to use my smartphone to wirelessly install the update to the board. Now, I’m no stranger to tech but this is the most ridiculous update workflow I’ve ever encountered on any peripheral. Nuphy, you gotta do better.
One of the biggest wins for the Air75 V2 is its battery life. With a 4000mAh capacity, NuPhy claims up to 220 hours of usage on a single charge, which feels entirely realistic. Even with RGB lighting enabled, the keyboard lasts weeks before needing to be plugged in—something I wasn’t expecting, given its compact design. I have charged it once in the month since I first unboxed it and it’s still going strong with no sign of dying soon.
Final Verdict: Refined and Reliable
The Air75 V2 is not a revolutionary keyboard, but it doesn’t need to be. Instead, it’s a thoughtfully upgraded version of what a low-profile mechanical keyboard should be—solid build quality, great wireless performance, great battery life and multi-OS, multi-device compatibility.
I wasn’t convinced by the overall typing experience; it fell well short of my experience with other boards. It could be just my unit or the switches. That said, the Air75 V2 delivers a great experience that many a laptop warrior feels fast, precise, and well-made. If you’re looking for one of the best low-profile mechanical keyboards available, this is it.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely—but not because it’s radically different or groundbreaking. I’d recommend it because NuPhy understands what makes a good low-profile board, and they’ve polished it to near-perfection.
Mastex Australia kindly provided the Nuphy Air 75 V2 for the purpose of this review
