{"id":1902,"date":"2025-12-13T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.actutech.app\/the-best-thing-i-bought-this-year-a-portable-mechanical-keyboard\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T19:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T15:00:00","slug":"the-best-thing-i-bought-this-year-a-portable-mechanical-keyboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/the-best-thing-i-bought-this-year-a-portable-mechanical-keyboard\/","title":{"rendered":"The best thing I bought this year: a portable mechanical keyboard"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tA keyboard perfect for barside writing.\t<\/figcaption><\/p><\/figure>\n

As a writer, I take the tools of my trade relatively seriously. I\u2019m not crazy enough to drop $3,600<\/a> on a keyboard, but I also find typing on a MacBook for extended periods of time deeply unsatisfying \u2014 and distracting. So this spring, I started looking into distraction-free<\/a> writing setups, which included an e-reader \/ writer and a mechanical keyboard<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I started with\u00a0the Boox Palma 2<\/a> because its E Ink screen and limited connectivity could make it a solid distraction-free solution if paired with a good keyboard. After a lot of research, the keyboard I settled on was the NuPhy Air60 V2<\/a>, with the company\u2019s heaviest tactile Moss switches and the gorgeous NuFolio case in \u201cnostalgic tan,\u201d which is really more of a bold yellow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, I am no connoisseur of mechanical keyboards, but I find the Air60 V2 to be delightful to type on. Its low-profile keys don\u2019t have the same travel and feedback as my regular keyboard or my vintage IBM Model M, but it is still an enormous improvement over my MacBook\u2019s scissor switch keyboard. The Moss switches offer decent-enough thock<\/a>, but they\u2019re not so loud that I would avoid using the keyboard in public. It might be a bit much for a quiet cafe, but I\u2019ve sat and worked on articles and short stories while seated at a bar and definitely didn\u2019t feel self-conscious about it.<\/p>\n

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The ability to pair it with three devices means I can move the NuPhy between my personal laptop, my work laptop, and the Boox with ease. It also comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but I\u2019ve had little need for it.<\/p>\n

I frequently bring the Air60 with me to get some writing done on quiet nights when I\u2019m bartending. (Come see me at Flagship Brewery<\/a> Tuesdays and Thursdays.) If I need to use my laptop, the Air60 is designed to fit perfectly over a MacBook keyboard while leaving easy access to the trackpad. But more often I\u2019ll bring the Palma 2. The NuFolio acts as a stand as well as a keyboard cover, and the Palma\u2019s flip case hangs perfectly over the top, creating a nice little self-contained writing setup that is ideal when I don\u2019t want (or need) access to the internet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I even turn to it at home sometimes. When I decided to start writing fiction again for the first time in nearly 20 years, I installed Obsidian<\/a> on the Palma and, paired with the Air60, it became my go-to. As someone who frequently relies on timers to stay on task, I found the NuPhy and Palma a panacea for my attention struggles. Part of that is because I actually look forward to typing on the Air60. The feel, the sound, even the color scheme are all deeply satisfying in a way that no laptop keyboard could ever be.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a perfect solution. The 64-key layout is great for portability, but it can be a bit cramped \u2014 I make a few more errors typing on the Air60 than I do on a more generous keyboard. And its shallow angle can be a bit uncomfortable for extended periods of sitting at a desk. But it\u2019s actually perfect with a standing desk (or a bar) or even while resting in your lap.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure that the NuPhy was going to be a wise use of my limited funds when I bought it earlier this year (I was just over a year deep into unemployment and relying on diminishing freelance assignments). But nine months later, it\u2019s become an indispensable part of my writing routine.<\/p>\n

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NuPhy Air60 V2<\/h3>\n
\"NuPhy<\/figure>\n

Where to Buy:<\/h3>\n