NuPhy Air75 V3 Review — A low-profile keyboard we could use all day

Low-profile keyboards usually make us choose. We can have something slim enough to carry with a laptop, or something that feels genuinely satisfying to type on for hours. Finding both in the same keyboard is much harder.

We used the NuPhy Air75 V3 as our main work keyboard throughout the review, writing and editing long documents, moving between a laptop and desktop computer, and occasionally using it for gaming. To be honest, its biggest improvement just became clearer after a full afternoon of typing, when the deeper switches and softer bottom-out started to matter more than the RGB lighting or optional volume knob.

This NuPhy Air75 V3 review looks at whether the new gasket-mounted design makes it one of the best low-profile keyboard options for daily work, how reliable its wireless modes are and whether Air75 V2 owners have a strong reason to upgrade.

Tested and written by

Lucía Bima

Lucía covers tech, AI, and gaming for TestPlanet in both English and Spanish — because one language wasn’t enough to have opinions in. She holds a degree in Literature and brings over five years of professional writing experience, with roots in SEO and UX writing before finding her home in tech. Gaming is her favorite beat by far: she plays as much as she writes and watches more streams than any professional bio should probably admit.

Design and build — Slim, solid and practical

The Air75 V3 uses an aluminium top frame, ABS lower case and polycarbonate plate. It is not the lightest keyboard we have carried, but that weight gives it a reassuring solidity. We tested it directly on a wooden desk without a mat, and it stayed in place even when we typed quickly or repeatedly used keyboard shortcuts. Its body is still compact enough to fit comfortably beside a laptop or inside a work bag.

The 75% layout includes 84 keys, retaining the function row, arrows and a narrow navigation column while removing the number pad. It took us a little time to stop hitting the wrong navigation key, but we rarely felt that an essential control was missing. We also tried all three typing angles rather than automatically leaving the feet fully extended. The 4-degree position was the most comfortable for longer sessions, while the 8-degree setting worked well when the keyboard sat farther back on the desk.

NuPhy’s rubber feet are particularly useful when the Air75 V3 is placed over a laptop keyboard, as they help prevent it from sliding or pressing directly against the keys underneath. The optional rotary knob is convenient for volume control, but installing it requires removing keycaps and handling a tiny screw. It works, but the process feels unnecessarily fiddly, and the taller knob can feel less stable than the rest of the board.

Typing experience — The reason to choose it

The Air75 V3 uses Gateron Low-Profile 3.0 switches with up to 3.5 mm of total travel. That is deeper than we normally expect from a low-profile mechanical keyboard, and the difference is easy to feel once the novelty of a quick sound test wears off. The keys still respond quickly, but they do not stop as abruptly as laptop keys or many thinner mechanical switches.

To check whether the gasket mount made a meaningful difference, we used the keyboard for long writing sessions and paid attention to how it felt once our fingers started bottoming out more heavily. The plate does not bounce dramatically, but there is enough cushioning to soften harder presses. This is the kind of improvement that can seem minor during the first five minutes and become much more valuable after several hours. The double-shot PBT keycaps also have a subtle concave shape that helps guide the fingers without feeling overly sculpted.

Switch choice matters. The linear Red Nano switches are the safest option for mixed writing and gaming, while Brown Nano adds a light tactile indication that may be too subtle for people expecting a strong bump. The Blush Nano switches are the quietest and the ones we would choose for a shared office. Even with the louder switches, the internal dampening and gasket mount give the Air75 V3 a fuller, less hollow sound than the Air75 V2, although some larger modifier keys can still sound slightly scratchy.

Prefer gaming? See how the new Steam Controller replaces traditional mouse input with trackpads, gyro controls and extensive remapping.

Connectivity and features — Wireless that does not feel secondary

The Air75 V3 supports USB-C, 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.0. Wired and 2.4 GHz modes operate at up to 1,000 Hz, while Bluetooth is limited to 125 Hz. We kept the receiver connected to our desktop and paired the keyboard with other devices over Bluetooth, switching between them during normal work rather than testing each mode once and moving on. The receiver felt immediate, while Bluetooth was perfectly adequate for writing and navigation.

We did not encounter missed keystrokes or obvious wireless interruptions during everyday use. For casual gaming, the 2.4 GHz connection was responsive enough that we did not feel the need to connect a cable. Bluetooth felt slower when we deliberately alternated between the two modes in faster games, but that is expected from the lower polling rate. This is not a competitive Hall effect keyboard, but it works well for people who divide their time between productivity and occasional gaming. Other long-term testing has also reported a significant improvement in connection reliability over the Air75 V2.

The battery is rated for 60 to 100 hours with all lighting enabled and up to 1,200 hours with RGB switched off. We could not verify a 1,200-hour laboratory claim within a normal review period, and buyers should not treat it as a guaranteed real-world result. What matters more is that the keyboard does not feel like it needs constant charging when the lighting is reduced. NuPhyIO also allows key remapping, macros, lighting adjustments and knob customisation, but it is less powerful than the QMK/VIA support available on the previous model.

If you are building a more flexible work-and-gaming setup, read our Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo review. It explores how its detachable keyboard and dual OLED screens work in everyday use.

Value for money — More than a cosmetic upgrade

The NuPhy Air75 V3 sits in the premium part of the low-profile keyboard market. Less expensive wireless mechanical keyboards can match individual features such as hot-swappable switches, RGB lighting or a compact layout. The V3 earns its position through the way those features work together: solid construction, deeper switches, better acoustics, reliable wireless modes and a battery large enough to make cordless use practical.

The comparison with the Air75 V2 is less straightforward. The older model remains slimmer, lighter and perfectly usable, while also retaining QMK/VIA support. The V3 feels better during long typing sessions and sounds less hollow, but it will not make every existing owner type faster or more accurately. We would only upgrade from the V2 if its firmer typing feel, noise or shorter battery life had already become frustrating.

For someone buying a first premium low-profile mechanical keyboard, the Air75 V3 makes much more sense. The typing experience is comfortable enough for daily work, the layout travels well and the wireless connection does not feel like a secondary mode. The software change prevents it from being an automatic recommendation for enthusiasts, but most users will spend far more time typing than adjusting firmware.

Technical specifications

Alternatives

• NuPhy Air75 V2: The previous model is lighter and retains QMK/VIA support. Choose it if software flexibility matters more than the V3’s softer gasket-mounted feel.
• Lofree Flow Lite84: A lighter low-profile keyboard with a soft typing experience and quiet switch options. Choose it if portability and gentle keystrokes matter more than aluminium construction and maximum battery life.
• Keychron K3 Max: A compact wireless keyboard with established QMK/VIA customisation. Choose it if advanced remapping and an open software ecosystem are more important than the Air75 V3’s acoustics.

Should you buy the NuPhy Air75 V3?

After using the Air75 V3 as our main work keyboard, its appeal became fairly simple. It is thin enough to travel with, but it does not constantly remind us that it is a portable keyboard. The keys have proper depth, the case stays firmly in place and the gasket mount makes long sessions easier on the fingers.

However, the rotary knob feels like an accessory rather than an integral part of the design, NuPhyIO is a step back for VIA users and the most impressive battery estimate requires switching the RGB off. Existing Air75 V2 owners also have less reason to upgrade than first-time buyers.

We recommend the NuPhy Air75 V3 to writers, developers and hybrid workers who want a slim wireless keyboard without settling for shallow, laptop-style typing. It is not simply good for a low-profile keyboard. Most of the time, it is simply a very good keyboard.