The Apple Keyboard Is Bad. Upgrade to the Nuio Flow Instead

Unless you’re a keyboard enthusiast or a gamer, with custom builds for specific tasks, it’s highly likely you’re using whatever keyboard you saw first on a shelf at Best Buy. You probably know nothing about it, other than the fact that it works and gets you through the day. But a company called Nuio, cofounded by brothers Tom and Greg Wilson, want to up the ante on ordinary keyboards, starting with the Flow Keyboard—a premium, fully wireless, ergonomic, split keyboard.

As an ergonomics accessories company, the Wilson brothers have created an entire ecosystem centered around Flow. In addition to the split keyboard, Niuo offers a whole host of high-end magnetic attachments to pair with it, including a trackpad, deskpad, adjustable stands, and wristpads. All sold separately, you can customize your setup for peak comfort. And since the entire setup is wireless, you can use it virtually anywhere—whether that’s at your desk, on a flight, or even on your lap.

While the Flow Keyboard is, at its core, another split keyboard, Niuo has set out to redefine what it means to have a “standard” keyboard by customizing everything from the shape of the base to the keys themselves. I’ve been using it for only a week, but it’s altered how I think about my own everyday keyboard. It’s available for preorder directly from Nuio’s site starting at $399, and will ship beginning December 1.

Compact and Clean

Nuio was founded by Tom Wilson (CEO) and Greg Wilson (CMO), brothers who both have an extensive background in the design and technology space. Tom Wilson is a former Apple exec who worked on the company’s portable devices like MacBooks. Greg Wilson was formerly a designer at renowned industrial design firm Frog Design (Tom Wilson also worked there at one point) and also had his own consultancy called Wilson & Co.

As the brothers began kicking ideas around for a new company, they wanted to focus on a product that hadn’t been changed in a while. With Tom’s background in hardware components, they landed on the keyboard.

“We wanted to start with the keyboard simply because not only had it not changed, but it’s literally been 40 years since everybody has a rectangular keyboard,” Greg Wilson explained in a virtual briefing. “With all the technology today, why are we doing it that way? It doesn’t really fit anyone. It’s a remnant of how typewriters were built.”

When designing the Flow keyboard, the Wilson brothers made it a point to stay away from that traditional rectangular shape. Instead, they wanted to create a keyboard that contorts to the natural way your hands rest on the keyboard, rather than the other way around. So, they opted for a 3D wave design with contoured keys that are supposed to feel like they’re hugging your fingertips. Both the enclosure and keys are built from scratch and proprietary to Nuio.

But it’s not the split keyboard or ergonomic design that’s revelatory here—it’s the attention to detail. Tom Wilson worked on devices like the 17-inch MacBook Pro and the first-generation MacBook Air during his time at Apple, so it’s easy to see the tech giant’s influence. Between the aluminum enclosure, the low-profile keys, the easy connectivity, and the clean build (no wires in sight!), it blends in with Apple’s own peripherals and devices nicely. It’s tough to look at the Flow Keyboard and not immediately think of the Magic Keyboard or a MacBook.

Rather than mechanical switches (as seen on most split keyboards), the Flow keyboard comes with scissor switches for less key travel. They’re backlit too, so you can type in darker environments more easily. With a wireless link between the left and right side, you don’t need use any wires to connect both sides to each other. Simply pair it to your computer via Bluetooth and start typing.

On the back is a USB-C port on each side for charging and a battery status light indicator. The right side also has a three-position switch that allows you to connect up to and swap between three different devices via Bluetooth. In terms of battery life, Nuio says the keyboard can last up to two weeks with normal usage and some backlight usage. It also comes with a three-headed USB-C cable, so you can charge both sides simultaneously as needed.

Even though there are two pieces, the keyboard is compact. Both sides come in at 1.01 inches tall and a little more than 6 inches wide. So, it won’t take up a lot of room on your desk. It’s slightly on the heavier side though, weighing in at 1.33 pounds. I’m used to it since I use heftier mechanical keyboards regularly, but if you use a thinner keyboard, you might be surprised by the extra weight. Nuio includes a carrying case with your purchase to make it easier to travel with.

It’s also available in two layouts—there’s a macOS model if you’re strictly a Mac user, and a dual version to switch between Mac and Windows. The latter have different shortcut keys, like a win and alt key on both sides. But both feature the same function row keys, complete with keys for Do Not Disturb, brightness, volume, playback controls, and more.

This carries over to the accessories too, which are simple but elegant—all of which attach magnetically. You’ll have a choice between a trackpad with mechanical click and backlight ($249); small adjustable stands to place the keyboard at a more comfortable height or slant ($59 for a single, $99 for a pair); wristpads ($99 for a pair) if you want more support under your wrists throughout the day; and a desk pad (starting at $129) that comes in both small and large sizes—the latter isn’t available quite yet.

The stands click into place right under each side of the keyboard. Meanwhile, the rest of the accessories (including the keyboard) attach to the deskpad. It makes the entire setup to look super sleek and keeps your desk looking neat. But it also keeps each accessory in place without moving everything around. (The trackpad isn’t available yet, so I didn’t test it.)

Both the keyboard and the trackpad also come in a few different colors including Space Gray and Silver (which will match your Mac setup), along with Brown, Dark Green, Rose Gold, and Midnight Blue. The wrist pads and the desk mat, however, only come in white or black. I do wish Niuo would offer the entire setup in all the same colors. As someone who owns a bubblegum pink keyboard, I would’ve loved an entirely rose gold setup.

Seamless and Expensive

I did not type this entire story on the Flow keyboard. I normally use a mechanical keyboard, and if you’re also switching from a mechanical to an ergonomic keyboard, there is a learning curve. This will not be an issue if you’re already using a split keyboard.

As with all ergonomic keyboards, the wave design is supposed to be easier on your body. Even with a wired split keyboard, it can be easy to default to a crouched position at your desk—which can also lead to neck, back, and shoulder pain. But the Flow Keyboard gives you the freedom to place it anywhere. While I’ve been mainly using it at my desk, I’ll sometimes place it on my lap when I’m starting to feel shoulder strain, which allows me to lean back and correct my posture.

The lack of wires also allows you to move both sides as close or far apart from one another allows me to constantly tweak it to find the most comfortable placement on my desk. I’m also a fan of the low-profile keys, which honestly feel a lot like typing on my MacBook.

The entire experience has been smooth—between the seamless connectivity, setup, and incorporating it into my workflow (albeit slowly). But it’s worth noting that for the entire ecosystem, including the keyboard, stands, wrist rests, desk pad, and trackpad, you’ll have to shell out a whopping $1,034. At $399, just the keyboard itself is more than two to three times the price of our other picks.

In a world where more people are working remotely, on-the-go, or from home, it’s no secret that we’ve all raised our standards when it comes to peripherals. Rather than settling for subpar proprietary equipment, people have begun to pay more attention to aesthetic and features—especially when it comes to our keyboards.

The Nuio system feels just as expensive as it is. The fact that it’s infinitely movable is great, especially when most of us spend a majority of our days in front of our screens. If you’re already a wireless, split keyboard user, this is worth the upgrade. If you’re not, but you’re interested in its benefits, you should probably try a cheaper version to see if you like the layout first.

The entire Flow Keyboard system is currently available for preorder, but certain configurations and accessories will ship on different dates. The macOS version in Space Gray, the trackpad, and the dark accessories will begin shipping on December 1. The dual OS version, the other six colorways for the keyboard and trackpad, along with the white version of accessories, will ship on January 1.