Jan 11, 2025

Introduction

I’ve spent the last six months trying to make peace with the Glove80 keyboard. It’s a well-engineered piece of hardware, but sadly we didn’t click. This isn’t my first rodeo with ergonomic keyboards either - I’ve run through the usual suspects: Keychron Alice, Dygma Defy, Advantage 360. The search continues with renewed urgency as my elbows are starting to get more numb, thanks in part to my terrible habits of working from bed and sitting cross-legged at my desk.

I write code for a living, but I’m not one of those mechanical keyboard zealots. Sure, I’ll watch Ben Frain or Hipyo Tech’s reviews, but I shy away from keyboards with fewer keys than my MacBook or elaborate key wells with confusing layer systems. Neuroplasticity is great and all, but I’ve got pull requests to review.

Full disclosure: I’m a self-taught typist who somehow blazes along at decent speeds using all the wrong fingers. This might explain my difficulty to learn otherwise excellent keyboards.

Eventually the Glove80 and I reached an impasse despite my best efforts, including a somewhat desperate attempt to mimic my MacBook’s layout with black media keycaps. The result was aesthetically interesting, if nothing else.

Enter the Nuio Flow

I was about ready to chalk up ergonomic keyboards as a failed experiment when the Nuio Flow appeared in my Reddit feed. The founders’ Apple pedigree and polished presentation made me curious enough to burn through my remaining WFH budget. There were practically zero reviews online with videos of it in action - just a news segment - but sometimes you have to roll the dice.

The keyboard showed up a week past its December 10th target date. Not bad, considering the Dygma Defy had me waiting months. What actually impressed me was Greg from customer support, who kept me updated daily with shipping updates, even through the weekend. Thank you Greg!

Unboxing

The package came with some surprise holiday extras - a deskpad and wristpads I hadn’t ordered (a thoughtful gesture, much appreciated). They’re part of the Nuio System, where everything connects magnetically together like a productivity puzzle. More on that later.

The keyboard ships in its own carrying case. The packaging is refreshingly minimal, without the usual layers of foam and plastic.

The case has an asymmetric design that opens like a butterfly. The keyboard halves follow the same aesthetic. Some might find the design divisive, but I think it looks lovely.

The two halves

Some angles of the split layout:

The aluminum construction feels solid. Each half has heft but is not heavy. Each also has a USB-C port up front for charging, and the right half includes a three-way Bluetooth device toggle.

Typing impressions

I fired up Monkeytype and tried my best to make an aesthetic and quiet typing video (spoiler: I type like a distracted T-Rex hunting for keys). The key action is nearly identical to my MacBook. I could actually type without feeling like I was learning a new instrument. The mistakes I made felt fixable, unlike with the Glove80 where every keystroke was an adventure.

The keyboard’s wavy, radial shape and QWERTY layout was comfortable. Sure, hardcore enthusiasts might prefer their arrow keys accessible only through a triple-layer shift combined with a blood sacrifice, but sometimes the familiar way is the right way.

In the video, the two halves are close together to fit in the camera frame, but I actually found it much more comfortable to spread them apart.

One of my complaints so far is that the Nuio Flow sleeps pretty aggressively after a few minutes of inactivity. It would be nice to make this behavior configurable (or turn it off if connected to power). Each half also sleeps independently, and so you need to wake them both up with a keystroke. It also seems like only the right half is responsible for sending keystrokes to the computer, so I encountered some weirdness with typing on the left half when my right handn’t woken up yet.

Size comparison with the Glove80

The size difference between the Nuio Flow and Glove80 is substantial, even after removing the Glove80’s wrist rests.

The carrying case is practical - the halves snap in magnetically, and it’s compact enough to throw in a bag for the office or café.

The difference is even more obvious when packed up:

For reference, it’s only marginally larger than my Bose headphones case:

Nuio System

As mentioned earlier, I also received a deskpad and some wristpads from Nuio. They were also in minimal and attractive packaging.

I appreciated the pithy taglines on each item:

The deskpad has a smooth fabric surface, and is surprisingly heavy and rigid. I wish it was a bit wider to allow for more separation between keyboard halves (it seems like a larger deskpad is in the works). The deskpad serves as the base for other accessories in the Nuio system, which are designed to attach magnetically anywhere on the surface.

The wristpads are plush and a little firm, they support the wrists well. They allow my fingers to float above the keys without strain.

Here are some shots of everything together:

The complete setup makes for a very comfortable typing experience, though it might a bit much for a daily commute. A larger carrying case for all the accessories would be nice to have.

Conclusion

The Glove80 is an impressive piece of hardware - this wasn’t meant to be a hit piece. Both keyboards represent valid but different philosophies: the Glove80 fully embraces optimization, while the Nuio Flow prioritizes adaptation. The Nuio Flow feels like exactly what I’ve been looking for: an ergonomic keyboard that respects existing muscle memory while still encouraging better typing habits. The exceptional customer support and thoughtful design choices show care for the user experience. It hits a sweet spot I didn’t know existed.

These are just my first impressions. I am sure I will get a sense of the keyboard’s weaknesses as I use it more. I will add updates to this post as I go along.

Disclosures

I bought the Nuio Flow with my own money and wrote this review unprompted. The wristpads and deskpad were gracious freebies included with my order. I have no financial stake in Nuio or any other keyboard company.