NuPhy’s Halo75 Mechanical Keyboard Is The Perfect Compact Design

NuPhy is a keyboard brand that makes some beautiful mechanical keyboards with regular height and low-profile keycaps. The NuPhy Halo75 has an ANSI 75% layout with 83 keys. It’s a compact design but includes a row of Function/Media keys that work with both macOS and Windows.

Designed for professional typists and gamers, the Halo75 is an enjoyable and efficient keyboard to type on. Like many mechanical keyboards, the Halo75 is fully customizable, which means you can choose the type of switch you want to use and the color and shape of the keycaps that fit over them.

The Halo75 can be ordered pre-fitted with various switches, including two new NuPhy designs called Night Breeze and Rose Glacier. The Night Breeze is a linear switch with smooth and quiet travel. The Rose Glacier switches are more tactile, meaning they have a definite clicky feel that gamers love but might be a bit distracting to use in a shared office.

The touch or feel of a keyboard switch marks mechanical keyboards out from the cheaper membrane designs that often ship as standard with a computer. Membrane keyboards have hardly any travel and feel more like a laptop keyboard. They can be unpleasant to type on for long periods. NuPhy’s switches used in the Halo75 have a 21mm extra-length spring, lubricated in the factory to make them smooth and responsive.

Sound is another critical feature of mechanical keyboards and it’s the reason why so many people love them. NuPhy has developed long stems for its switches made from thermoplastic polyketone. The stems are fine-tuned to offer a pleasing typing sound, making using this keyboard enjoyable.

A significant difference between the Halo75 and other models is the feel of the space bar. Many mechanical keyboards have space bars that often rattle because it is such a long key and requires more stabilization. The sound bar on the NuPhy Halo75 is called a GhostBar and has five chambers and stabilizers made from PBT surrounded by silicone that absorbs the sound. The result is a space bar that doesn’t sound or feel much different from the regular-size keys. It’s a delight to use. Who knew there was so much science involved in the design of keyboards?

One thing I like about the NuPhy Halo75 is how it comes with a box of accessories. The accessories include a selection of different MX switches for you to try out. If you prefer one over another, you can order a replacement set from NuPhy and replace them to suit your typing preference. Also included are some extra keycaps for both macOS and Windows. There’s even a spare space bar in a different color.

Also included with the Halo75 are two tools for removing the keycaps and the hot-swappable switches. NuPhy also bundles a long USB-C cable for charging the keyboard or connecting it to a host computer if you don’t want to use a wireless connection.

When it comes to connecting the Halo75 to a computer, there’s a choice of three Bluetooth channels so the keyboard can be connected to three separate devices: a smartphone, another computer or a tablet. NuPhy also includes a 2.4GHz RF dongle for connecting directly with a computer so that the latency and polling rate of the keyboard are close to the value when using a USB cable. This speed advantage is essential for elite gamers.

All the switches on the Halo75 have RGB LEDs. The colour can be switched along with the lighting effects and the brightness. However, the light show doesn’t stop there; the Halo75 has a Halo lighting effect that lights the rim of the keyboard to give it a ghostly glow. In addition, there are sidelight LEDs on the left and right of the keyboard, which can indicate info like battery charge status, Caps Lock, OS layout and connection mode. All the lighting effects can be turned off to preserve battery life.

The Halo75 has two physical slider switches. One is for power to set the keyboard to Bluetooth, Wireless or wired modes. The second switch changes the layout of the keyboard to work with macOS or Windows.

The design of the Halo75 is superb, especially the way the rows of keycaps are raked and angled. Two levels of adjustable feet lift and tilt the typing angle of the keyboard. The default setting is 5.5 degrees and the two feet can be set at 8.5 or 11 degrees. NuPhy also sells purpose-made wrist rests for its keyboards that match each mode perfectly in height and width. If you want to order a NuPhy keyboard, pay a bit extra to buy a wristrest at the same time. You won’t regret it.

Verdict: The NuPhy Halo75 is a superbly compact keyboard with a sweet and positive typing action. The 75% ANSI layout is a sweet spot in mechanical keyboard design. It’s small enough not to take up too much desk space while offering a full row of function keys and media controls. The typing feel and the response of the Halo75 is spot on. The keyboard is available in Ionic White and Matte Black finishes to match most people’s tastes. Highly recommended.

Pricing & Availability: The NuPhy Halo75 mechanical keyboard is available now and costs $139.

More info: nuphy.com

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