NuPhy Air75 V2 Review — The Low-Profile Wireless That Tom's Guide Called 'Lovable but Buggy'

The NuPhy Air75 V2 is the low-profile wireless mechanical that turns up on every "best for travel" or "best for Mac" list, and almost every published review agrees on the verdict: best-in-class hardware with software and reliability rough edges that you trade against. Tom's Guide called it "Lovable but buggy" — that's the honest summary in three words.

I read six substantive tech-media reviews in full, pulled six Reddit threads (three of them V2-specific owner threads, three giving brand-level context), and catalogued four YouTube reviews including a 146K-view long-form from SemiPro Tech+Gear (transcripts unavailable — see sources at end). The picture is the most thoroughly documented of any board in this batch.

What you're actually getting

Class-leading battery in a low-profile form factor. NuPhy claims 220 hours RGB-off, 35-57 hours RGB-on. Tom's Hardware: "Nuphy says this raises maximum battery life from 'around 48 hours' to up to 220 hours. This is with RGB off, and enabling the light show expectedly drops that a ton. With full backlighting, you can expect 35 to 57 hours between charges." (review) Tom's Guide reports a real-world test: "The battery is rated by NuPhy for 220 hours with no RGB. After using the Air75 V2 continuously for work and gaming for around 3 weeks, with the backlighting on, I was still at 35%." (review)

A typing experience that doesn't feel like a compromise. Tom's Hardware on the keycaps: "The thick PBT keycaps give a sense of solidity to the typing experience and are scooped enough to cradle the fingertips. That's important because the key profile is totally flat and could be especially prone to typos otherwise." The MakeUseOf review on the foam stack: "Note that these are pre-lubed switches, adding to the smoothness and reducing the overall typing sound. Nuphy has also added some pre-lubed stabilizers, again reducing volume." (review)

Real upgrades over the V1. Tom's Hardware on the feet: "Flipping the keyboard over, I was also pleased to see that Nuphy dropped the removable magnetic feet and went with traditional tilt feet on this version. The magnetic ones had a tendency to pop off when sliding it along a desk." SemiPro Tech+Gear's companion blog post: "The new feet are permanently attached and now provide two typing angles (total of 3), but we also retain the ability to place the Air75 on a laptop deck without pressing the keys." (post) AppleInsider on the polling rate: "With the polling rate being 1,000 Hz, it means the keyboard has very low latency, even when wirelessly used. This is an upgrade over the previous version, which makes the Air75 great for gaming." (review)

How it actually performs in owners' hands

The r/NuPhy V2 has arrived thread (88 upvotes) and the 5-year-Keychron-K2 upgrade thread (82 upvotes) cover the satisfied cases. The OP of the latter: "After 5 years with my Keychron K2, I finally decided to upgrade and this one completely elevated my setup. I've never had a keyboard that feels this good to type on." Top reply, u/Meister021 (2 upvotes): "I got my Air75 V2 with moss switches a few weeks ago. Feels so nice to type on." u/Brad1881 (1 upvote): "One of my all time favorite low profile keyboards."

The 7-month update thread (82 upvotes) is the most useful longitudinal source. u/Miserable_Safe_9213 (3 upvotes), 7 months in: "Still super happy with the keyboard. No problems at all. Quality is great, no signs of wear." Followed by the honest gripe: "Keyboard still takes time to connect to PC every time I turn it on. Much worse than MX Mech in that regard, but I can live with that." And on gaming: "relaxed gaming sessions are very enjoyable with the keyboard but I feel a slight latency."

Critical owner voices are present but a minority. From the Iquinix MQ80 comparison thread, u/trUth_b0mbs (3 upvotes): "I ordered the nuphy air and then returned it same day lol. The typing experience was horrible for me." u/R0bth3g33k: "I have a Nuphy air 75 v2. It sounds like plastic and I do like that it's light and transportable. but that is all." The "sounds like plastic" complaint is consistent with the form factor — at this thickness, you can't have aluminum-keyboard acoustics. The "horrible typing experience" is taste; low-profile keys take adjustment.

Where it falls short

macOS Bluetooth has documented bugs. This is the most consistent media-side complaint. Tom's Guide: "We had a few minor issues, chief among which was a freezing issue on macOS, which fixed itself but doesn't inspire confidence." And: "I also found it quite fiddly to change between Bluetooth channels. It's disappointing to see bugs like this in a premium $119 keyboard." Tom's Guide's overall verdict softens it: "If our experience is anything to go by, though, you may need to be prepared for a little jankiness, which is an unfortunate let down to an otherwise brilliant keyboard." If you can use the 2.4 GHz dongle instead, do.

Brand-reliability flags worth knowing about. This isn't V2-specific but it's adjacent enough to mention. Two highly-upvoted r/MechanicalKeyboards threads document concerns: "Beware of NuPhy keyboards" (479 upvotes) reports an Air75 V1 battery swelling after 3 years, and "NuPhy Customer Support is fake" (380 upvotes) documents a switch failure where NuPhy declined to honor warranty. Both threads are about the V1, not the V2. But same vendor, same battery class, same support team. The 2-3 year battery-bulge timeline means V2 buyers haven't fully tested this yet.

Layout takes adjustment for users coming off Apple keyboards. How-To Geek: "I'm still faster on a Magic Keyboard. Within an hour or two of unboxing the Air75 V2, I'd improved by around 15 words per minute, but I'm around 15 to 25 words per minute faster on Apple's keyboard." And: "I've made way more mistakes on this keyboard compared to the Magic Keyboard, mostly on the right side of the keyboard. The right 'Shift' key is smaller than I'm used to, and the 'Backslash' is a lot bigger." (review)

Software is a step behind the hardware. Tom's Hardware: "The only downside is that since VIA is designed to work with many different keyboards, some of its options are more limiting. You can't easily set a custom static lighting scene, for example. Recording macros, as I mentioned before, is also very limited."

Firmware can have rough edges. Critical owner u/TombRaider96196 (3 upvotes), in the 5-year-K2-upgrade thread: "I hate mine. Shitty ass firmware." One report; not corroborated as widespread, but flagged.

Should you buy it?

Buy if you specifically want a low-profile wireless mechanical, you value battery and portability over premium acoustics, and you're willing to use the 2.4 GHz dongle when Bluetooth misbehaves. AppleInsider's verdict: "The Air75 defies the odds by upgrading the keyboard's materials inside and out. This includes keeping it thin and lightweight while offering strong connectivity and solid performance." MakeUseOf: "Nuphy could have just slapped a fancy new sticker on the Air75 V2 and called it a day—but the 2023 model brings some useful upgrades while maintaining the style, color, and playfulness of the original." Buy from a retailer with extended-warranty support if possible.

Skip if you can tolerate full-height keys (Keychron K2 / V2 sound better), if you want premium aluminum acoustics, or if vendor reliability for 3-5 year ownership is non-negotiable for you.

Wait if you're shopping in late 2026 — NuPhy's product cadence suggests an Air75 V3 or refresh is plausible, and the existing battery-bulge concerns make waiting for documented V2 long-term reliability a defensible call.

Sources consulted

YouTube (4 videos, metadata only — see note)

YouTube transcript pulls were blocked at the network level during this review's research. Citing as reviewer signal:

• SemiPro Tech+Gear — "NuPhy Air75 V2 Review - The Best Gets Better" — 146,519 views, Sep 13 2023 (companion written post fully parsed)
• KeebNews — "NuPhy AIR 75 v2 // Review & Sound Test" — 12,317 views, Dec 16 2023
• Computer Tech & More — "NuPhy Air75 v2 Review" — 1,721 views, Sep 10 2024
• Smart Shopper — "NuPhy Air75 V2 Review: Best Low Profile Keyboard? (2026)" — 60 views, Jan 13 2026

Reddit (6 threads cited, 3 V2-owner-specific + 3 brand context)

• r/NuPhy — "A positive upgrade" — 109 upvotes (V2→V3 owner reflection)
• r/NuPhy — "Air75 V2 has arrived." — 88 upvotes
• r/NuPhy — "NuPhy Air75 V2" — 82 upvotes (5-year Keychron K2 upgrade)
• r/NuPhy — "Air75 V2 vs Logitech MX Mechanical" — 82 upvotes (7-month update)
• r/NuPhy — "My first quality mechanical keyboard. Air75 v2 /w cowberry switches" — 54 upvotes
• r/keyboards — "Iquinix MQ80 & Nuphy Air75 v2" — 37 upvotes (critical owner perspective)

Tech media (6 reviews fully parsed)

• Tom's Hardware — "Nuphy Air75 V2 Review: Redefining Low-Profile Keys" Sep 23 2023
• Tom's Guide — "NuPhy Air75 V2 review: Lovable but buggy" May 3 2024
• How-To Geek — "NuPhy Air75 V2 Review: A Mechanical Keyboard That Mac Owners Will Love" Jun 24 2024
• MakeUseOf — "Nuphy Air75 V2 Review: Excellent Successor Ticks All the Boxes" Oct 12 2023
• AppleInsider — "NuPhy Air75 V2 review: expanding wireless freedom while lessening latency" Nov 9 2023
• SemiPro Tech+Gear — "NuPhy Air75 V2 Review - The Best Gets Better" by Jeff, Sep 13 2023