Highlights

  • The Lofree Edge 84 is incredibly thin, offers an excellent typing experience, and has solid construction despite its thin size.
  • The keyboard's design is gorgeous with a futuristic look, but it lacks ergonomic support and may be fairly expensive.
  • While not ideal for DIY projects, the Edge 84 is a top low-profile keyboard option with Kalih POM 2.0 linear switches and a white LED backlight.

Lofree has consistently put out some very impressive keyboards over the last couple of years, but with their move into the low-profile space, they have produced two very exciting options in a very short period. A couple of months ago, Game ZXC had the pleasure of checking out the Lofree Flow, which we found thoroughly impressive. While the Flow is still an easy recommendation if you are looking for a low-profile keyboard, Lofree's latest and greatest low-profile keyboard, the Edge 84, is even more exciting.

With a thinner build, improved switches, and an overall gorgeous design, the Edge 84 seems like a worthy successor to the Flow, and we spent the last couple of weeks with this keyboard testing out and putting it head-to-head with the Flow to see if it is a worthy successor.

At the time of writing, Lofree is still in the Kickstarter phase for this keyboard, with an estimated ship date of July 2024. While it is hard to recommend products still in the crowdfunding phase for some companies, Lofree is very reliable and has hit all of its previous shipping dates for other crowdfunded products. Not to mention, if you back the Kickstarter, you can get this keyboard at a pretty good discount. If you are a fan of Lofree and want to see what other products they offer, check out their offerings on Amazon.

Box Contents and Setup Process

The Lofree Edge 84 with box and included accessories
  • Lofree Edge 84 keyboard
  • USB-C to USB-A braided cable
  • Extra keycaps
  • Display stand

As with all of Lofree's products, the packaging is almost as beautiful as the keyboard itself. Unboxing this keyboard is an absolute delight, and after getting the keyboard out of the box, the setup process is super simple. When you first turn on the keyboard, it will automatically be in pairing mode, and whether you are using macOS or Windows, it pops up pretty quickly. Note that the keyboard came out of the box in macOS mode, so if you are using Windows, you have to press FN+N to switch it over for the proper key layout.

If the keyboard is not in pairing mode when you first turn it on, press FN+1 and hold it until the caps-lock light starts blinking. Then, it should show up in the pairing menu on your device.

The display stand is a nice touch to include, especially if you are like us and always have multiple keyboards on your desk. It is an excellent way to get one out of the way and on display. While it is designed to hold the Edge 84, it also works for the Flow and other thinner keyboards. However, it doesn't work as well for chunkier mechanical keyboards.

Design and Features

Best Keyboard for Programming Conclusion

The Edge 84's most significant selling point is its thinness, and while it's not the only excellent aspect of this keyboard, it definitely makes it stand out. Even after two weeks of use, this keyboard is still impressively thin, especially considering it is a fully mechanical keyboard. Compared to the Lofree Flow side-by-side, this keyboard is about half the thickness, which is insane considering that the Flow was already impressively thin at 10mm.

Despite its incredibly thin build, the Edge 84 is surprisingly rigid. Even when trying to flex it, this keyboard has no give and feels incredibly solid to type on. That is largely thanks to its carbon fiber and magnesium alloy build materials, which also lend to its appealing looks. The carbon fiber top plate might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like that automotive and futuristic look that carbon fiber lends itself to, you will not be disappointed by how the Edge 84 looks on your desk. The futuristic design continues onto the keycaps, a very fun legend. However, they do not fully shine through, so it can be hard to read the legend in darker rooms, even with the backlight at full brightness.

Speaking about the backlight, Lofree opted to just go for a white backlight instead of the more gamer-inspired RGB look. As someone who generally doesn't use RGB lighting in their setup, this isn't the most significant downside, but if you are a fan of RGB lighting, the white lighting can be a bit limiting.

The new and improved Kalih POM 2.0 switches on the Edge 84 are an absolute joy to type and even game with. However, because of its much thinner design, the Edge 84 had to drop the hot-swappable PCB that is one of the Flow. We understand why Lofree made this decision, but it makes it much harder to repair the Edge 84 if one of the switches goes out, compared to the Flow, where you can swap out that switch and keep typing. Maybe Lofree can include a hot-swappable PCB in the next iteration to make a truly perfect low-profile mechanical keyboard.

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Comfort

Side view of the Lofree Edge 84 (2)

The Edge 84 is not an ergonomic keyboard by any stretch, but it is reasonably comfortable to use all day with little to no fatigue. Usually, a keyboard with no wrist rest would get pretty tiring after typing on it for a couple of hours, but again, thanks to how thin this keyboard is, you can easily rest your wrist on the desk and reach every key on the keyboard. If you don't struggle with RSI (Repeated Stress Injury) or carpal tunnel, it is recommended to pick up a padded wrist rest for this keyboard, but it is not necessary for an enjoyable experience.

Unlike the Flow, the Edge 84 includes adjustable feet to change the typing angle from nearly flat to a very pleasant slope. For most of the testing period, we used it with the feet up, but if you prefer to have your hands flat against the keyboard, it is still very comfortable to use either way.

The keycaps have a slight scoop, which makes it easy to find the best finger placement while typing. However, the home row notches are not super pronounced, which has led to some typos while testing. The TKL form factor provides a good blend of space to spread out and have your shoulders spread, but it also doesn't take up a ton of desk space. However, if you have bigger hands, you might find this keyboard a bit cramped at times.

Performance

Keys removed on the Lofree Edge 84

Low-profile keyboards are not always known for their excellent performance and typing experience, but the Edge 84 easily dispels those preconceived notions. This keyboard is a blast for both typing and playing games. The Kalih POM 2.0 linear switches provide a very similar feel to full-size linear switches, within half of the travel distance.

As someone who is not typically a fan of linear switches, this keyboard was surprisingly easy to pick up and feel natural typing on. Each keypress feels responsive and bounces back fairly quickly while remaining relatively quiet. Lofree says that these switches are rated for library-level quiet, and while that might be pushing it, it is not much louder than most laptop keyboards and feels much better to type on. If Lofree's crowdfunding goes well for the Edge 84, Game ZXC would also love to see this keyboard with a tactile switch option.

When it comes to gaming, low-profile keyboards are not the first choice for many gamers, but the Edge 84 delivers a very pleasant gaming feel across the board. This keyboard is not designed for gaming first, but the 1,000 Hz polling rate and rock-solid Bluetooth connection make it a strong candidate for a multi-use keyboard. In fast-paced competitive games, the low-profile switches felt advantageous at times, but they did take some getting used to after playing with a full-height mechanical keyboard for a bit. And in slower-paced story games, this keyboard felt incredible; the switches have enough resistance to make accidental keypresses, not a concern, but light enough that it wasn't too straining to play for hours at a time. Plus, with the fancy extra keycaps, you can swap out the WASD keys for some fun orange or red keys for a little bit of extra flair.

In other tasks like video editing and web browsing, the TKL form factor provides enough keys so that you don't have to use the function layer for shortcuts constantly. The function row works for both macOS and Windows setups, and the key legend makes it easy to swap back and forth between those operating systems with minimal issues.

Is The Lofree Edge 84 Right For You?

If you are looking for a solid, low-profile keyboard, the Lofree Edge 84 is hard to go wrong with. Despite not having a hot-swappable PCB like the Lofree Flow, this keyboard is easily one of Game ZXC's top low-profile keyboards. However, if you are a fan of DIY projects or can customize your keyboards, the Edge 84 might be a bit limiting, and you will probably like the Lofree Flow a bit more. The Flow will allow you to test out all three low-profile switches from Lofree, plus the whole swath of switches out there from other companies that are compatible with the Flow.

Lofree Flow

Low-Profile with hot-swappable switches

Check It Out Here!

NuPhy Air 75 V2

More colorful design

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Corsair K100 Air

Full-Size low-profile keyboard

Check It Out Here!

FAQ

Q: Is Lofree worth it?

Lofree has proven to be a worthwhile brand if you are looking for mechanical keyboards. From their low-profile options like the Flow and Edge 84 to their more traditional keyboards like the Gem 80, Lofree makes outstanding keyboards that deliver excellent performance and durable build quality.

Q: How do you connect the Lofree keyboard to Bluetooth?

To enter pairing mode, press FN+1 until the light on the caps lock starts blinking. Once that light starts blinking, you should see the keyboard pop up in the pairing menu on your device.