NocFree & evaluation

Specs (and ToC)

As well as, there are a bunch of different colours and keycap units in some pictures, I am undecided about when precisely they’ll hit the cabinets.

As you may see, I obtained the silver ISO model, with German keycaps. No palm relaxation or tenting package. That is what you may see within the pictures under.

Unboxing & Contents

The NocFree & got here in an aesthetic hardshell case with some branding:

The contents of the bundle:

• The pre-built break up “&” keyboard itself with keycaps and switches mounted
• Fast-start information and repair card with QR code
• mixed software to take away keycaps & switches
• 2.4G dongle (compartment within the housing)
• USB cables
• spare keycaps, switches (x3), and a USB-A/C converter
• kick-ass hard-shell case, regular dimension

Different notable equipment you should buy individually:

• wood palm relaxation (+$25)
• tenting/cost & stand package (+$69)

First impressions, design language

Relating to the design, I am unable to assist however consider the Jiffy, Elytra, and even the Cornix: properly machined aluminum splits, with comparable low-pro switches. The keycap profile is totally different although. The standard of the milled aluminum case provides all these boards a really refined appear and feel – comparatively unusual within the area of interest break up scene for a very long time.

Every of those fashions options one thing distinctive. After the Elytra’s fancy “biomimetic” backside, the Jiffy75’s wood accents and palm relaxation, the NocFree & options, effectively, an “&” brand on the lid of the dongle holder to boost the design. By the best way, some pictures point out there can be different cowl choices, so you need to use it as an accent piece.

A small NocFree engraving on the entrance of the left half.

Apart from that, this can be a clear and easy construct visually.

Format

84 keys, traditional horizontal staggering with the B key solely on the left half. No steep studying curve, the board retains the ANSI/ISO format and QWERTY association as default. You may even connect the 2 halves, leading to a one-piece board – no magnetic snapping although, in distinction to the Jiffy.

The acquainted format advantages newcomers to the break up scene (simpler transition from conventional layouts), but in addition critical typers who’ve mastered e.g. ANSI/ISO QWERTY and do not actually need to relearn typing and retrain muscle reminiscence to adapt to a totally ergo columnar association.

The & provides a devoted arrow cluster, though in a extra crowded means, with out being offset and with out the hole on its left aspect.

Tip: the gadget got here in Mac mode. Press FN+N for Home windows (or FN+M for Mac). That mentioned, the place of FN modifications between the 2 programs, so seek the advice of the person information.

Keycaps

The low-profile PBT keycap set with dye-sublimated legends is usable as it’s. The bundle comes with additional keycaps (orange accents and Win/Mac alternate options). It matches the clear and easy aesthetics effectively.

It is a uniform keycap profile, so you may simply rearrange the keys in keeping with your keymap when you rock a customized one. In any other case the profile is spherical, with a shallow dish, however comparatively giant high floor – as it might be a low-profile XDA variant.

Convex spacebars.

Legend consistency is meh, with many off-center legends.

Close to keycap compatibility, the switches have MX stems, so the 75%-ish format ought to be broadly supported. Skirt top might trigger interference, plus be careful for the precise Shift, and the 1U modifiers on the precise aspect.

Switches

The three swap choices are:

• NocFree Rime – linear, 40gF actuation at 1.2 mm, 3.2 mm full journey, clear housing.
• NocFree Mist – silent linear, 37gF actuation at 1.3 mm, 2.5 mm full journey, mild diffuser.
• NocFree Dew – tactile, ~52 gF tactile drive at 0.5 mm, actuation at 1.5 mm, 2.8 mm full journey.

By the best way, these circumstances are bead-blasted and anodized aluminum, and this silver variant appears to be like completely fingerprint-resistant.

The screws are hidden, so to disassemble the “&”, you need to take away the bumpons first. Fortunately, you do not have to tear them off, you may raise one finish which isn’t glued to the case.

That is undoubtedly a prebuilt-first keyboard, aesthetics was extra necessary than simple disassembly. Nonetheless, taking it aside is not not possible both. At the very least it has all of the screws in the identical dimension and magnificence – one screwdriver is adequate.

4 screws per half to take away the highest case, and there is one other gap to repair the PCB to the underside case, however it was unpopulated in my case. All in all, 8-10 screws. The vast majority of prospects will not hassle with disassembly, however it could be necessary after just a few years of use to test battery well being.

Construction & Mounting

Multipart case, gasket mounting. Mounted 3 levels typing angle.

Multipart within the sense that in distinction to the same old high and backside circumstances, the underside case right here is encapsulated within the outer one, offering an uninterrupted entrance and aspect view. There is a black ornament strip on the again, this hides the clearance for the wi-fi antenna.

Plate

Good frosted acrylic plate, very versatile even with out flex cuts, making the typing really feel even softer.

A skinny sound dampening layer is caught to it, that is why the colour within the photograph.

Stabilizers

On my ISO board, the modifiers are regular dimension aside from the precise Shift to make room for the up arrow key. However due to the 2 spacebars, there are nonetheless 4 stabilizers.

Plate-mounted stabs, no screw-in stab assist, however hey, this can be a low-profile keyboard with low-pro switches.

The stabilizers aren’t good however usable.

PCB

It is a prebuilt keyboard so most of you will not must get so far as disassembling it – prying the PCB off the plate, foam layers, switches. That mentioned, the PCB options hotswap sockets (Jerrzi footprint) and north-facing LEDs (white solely, not RGB).

Some horizontal flex cuts to max out the flexibleness and softness.

Backside & Weight

No fancy weight, a easy backside with the good bead-blasted aluminum floor.

Clear and easy. No tenting legs, and the tiny screws are hidden beneath the bumpons.

Tenting & Typing angle

No tenting by default, however there’s an non-compulsory tenting package you should buy individually – mixed with the wi-fi charger/docking station, so the value is fairly steep for a tenting answer (+$69).

The typing angle is fastened, about 3 levels.

Sound dampening & Really feel

Keyboard sound shouldn’t be actually a factor within the largely DIY-dominated break up scene, is it? Effectively, prebuilt keyboards because the Cornix have proven that it may be, and this NocFree performs effectively on this regard as effectively. Positively not the loud and hole DIY break up sound and really feel we’re used to: the “&” is muted (silent linears), however not utterly silent.

And the typing really feel is pleasantly mushy, typically possibly too mushy for my style.

Most of my plastic and 3D-printed splits, often with enormous XDA caps, are loud and rattly. In comparison with them, the “&” has extra refined sound in my view. That is partly because of the three sound dampening layers: one caught to the plate, a skinny swap foam, and a poron layer for the hotswap sockets, filling out the underside case. Being a low-profile keyboard, all the pieces is thinner on the “&”.

At this level I’ve so as to add that I don’t know what some individuals discuss once they confer with silent switches as “mushy”. Clearly, the silicone dampeners are damping the affect first, the muted sound is a results of this. So the altered really feel is predicted. If the shortage of a crisp bottom-out is what you imply by mushy, then you may name this mushy if you want.

Lights & Indicators

Per-key lighting, however no RGB, simply white mild. The LEDs are north-facing, the silent switches include mild diffuser. (And the non-silent linear swap possibility comes with totally clear housing.)

No indicator lights for CapsLock or Win/Mac mode. Just for charging, connecting and on/off state.

Connectivity

The & is a tri-mode wi-fi (USB/Bluetooth/2.4G) keyboard, powered by 2x1250mAh batteries. I would say it is extra wireless-first, as communication between the halves is wi-fi even in wired mode, plus the connector is on the within – no means to make use of the board snapped collectively in wired mode or when charging.

There’s a devoted on/off swap on the precise half, and a connection mode selector on the left one.

Undecided if any of those keys do precise battery decoupling.

As well as, you can not use this board totally wired: the precise half is the slave, and as such it all the time connects wirelessly to the left grasp half. That means you can not disconnect or take away its battery.

Certainly, remapping the keys works as anticipated, nonetheless, there aren’t any correct layer features accessible. No double-function mod-tap possibility, no technique to arrange e.g. SpaceFN.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is all the time difficult. This NocFree is not good from this standpoint both, however whereas balancing between a standard format and ergo options it checks out numerous packing containers:

• Relating to ergonomics, break up layouts imply which you can put the 2 halves at a snug angle and distance to open your chest, guaranteeing more healthy wrist angle, assuaging ulnar deviation.

• Because of the comparatively low profile, wrist extension should not be a difficulty both.

• Tenting, assuaging forearm pronation, is an additional possibility right here, however be at liberty to be artistic. 😉

• One factor that does not actually work is: the traditional horizontal staggering. Whereas not the NocFree’s fault, the traditional association of keys is inherently flawed in some ways, particularly for the left half.

• Lastly, let me level out the break up spacebar – it is a fantastic enchancment over a traditional one-piece keyboard. Even when it provides much less alternatives in comparison with an honest thumb cluster, it permits for straightforward entry of additional layers (tap-hold perform) – bringing often-used keys nearer to the house positions, leading to much less finger journey.

Portability & Carry case

The NocFree & is a good board each to your desk and when mobility is a vital requirement. That mentioned, it comes with a normal-sized hard-shell carry case, which is big compared to the lovable little circumstances of the Jiffy and Elytra.

The board’s wi-fi options make it inherently moveable. As well as, each the on/off switches forestall no unintentional keypresses and wakeups throughout journey.

I am undecided in regards to the carry case although. The Jiffy75 got here with the cutest carry case I’ve ever seen. I wrote the identical within the Elytra evaluation, however anyway. Two compact circumstances with nice plush cushioning, and the supplies had been very good as effectively.

The NocFree case is gigantic as compared. Like 2-3x the width of the smaller circumstances for no cause. Positive, that is 75%, bigger than the opposite too, however after some eyeballing, the NocFree & would simply match the Jiffy case.

All in all, the NocFree & is completely suited to on the go, however fairly surprisingly much more so with out its carry case.

Comparability

From all the upper high quality aluminum splits I’ve reviewed just lately, listed here are some notable choices to contemplate – beginning with traditional horizontal staggering:

Elytra (tl), Jiffy75 (tr), Cornix (bl), NocFree & (br).

Conclusion