Preview: Lofree, a typewriter-inspired wireless, backlit mechanical keyboard

Typewriter-inspired mechanical keyboards are nothing new, like with the popular, if pricey, Qwerkytoys QWERKYWRITER. While a lovely piece of engineering, the QWERKYWRITER’s price leaves open the possibility for a more streamlined and inexpensive approach to simulating a typewriter-like portable keyboard experience. The LOFREE keyboard attempts to meet that challenge.

Similar to the QWERKYWRITER, which was a Kickstarter success story, the LOFREE is hitting Indiegogo on March 7. Early bird pricing is going to be a more-than-reasonable $59, with the eventual retail price hitting $99.

While the LOFREE uses the popular Apple Magic Keyboard layout, it will also work with most Bluetooth-enabled devices, including those running iOS, Windows, Macintosh, and Android. The nice thing is is that despite being wireless (there’s a backup wired connection option), it also features an adjustable backlight, which is something not even the QWERKYWRITER sports, and something a lot of wireless mechanical keyboards lack. While it lacks a tenkey (number pad), and therefore doesn’t meet the requirements to become my personal holy grail, its support for pairing with up to three devices is still a nice touch for something meant as a portable.

The target backlighting in action.

While it remains to be seen what delivery date they’re targeting, the type of mechanical switches they’ll be using, and how enjoyable its round keys will actually be, it’s a product I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on. While it may not capture a lot of the romance of a typewriter like the QWERKYWRITER does, the LOFREE’s price is a lot more friendly to the old budget.

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