After several months as my daily driver, the NocFree & nails wireless split typing but stumbles on early-batch QC and risky firmware updates.
The NocFree & is a fully split, wireless mechanical ergonomic keyboard. Unlike similar boards, both halves are completely independent of each other, letting you place each side wherever suits you. Build quality is solid, the typing experience is excellent, and while it is portable, it straddles that definition. It weighs about as much as a laptop.
Pros
- Outstanding, cushioned low-profile typing feel with hot-swappable switches
- True standalone wireless split (no cable between the halves)
- Substantial build weight stops any desk sliding
- Quick, highly accessible support team via Discord
- Clean browser-based key remapping and layer support
Cons
- Heavy, and an oversized case negates true portability
- Severe battery drain with backlighting on (1–2 days max)
- Out-of-the-box QC issues (missing feet and screws) and risky firmware updates
- Keycap printing looks soft and fuzzy
- No battery indicator on the board itself
- Expensive
| Layout | 75% row-staggered split |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.0 (×3), USB-C wired |
| Keycaps & switches | Low-profile PBT (dye-sub), hot-swappable |
| Battery life | 2–3 weeks (RGB off) / 1–2 days (RGB on) |
| Weight | 1.03 kg / 2.27 lbs |
| Software | NocFree Link (Chromium WebHID) |
| Price | US$269–349 |
Typing experience
The NocFree & is a 75%, row-staggered keyboard, which means anyone who has learned to type in the past century will pick it up quickly without relearning the skill. It ships with a choice of linear or silent switches and is hot-swappable if you prefer something else. As a low-profile board, it will feel familiar to anyone who has used a laptop keyboard.
I ordered the linear switches with some trepidation. My previous experience with linears was the Spiderisland keyboard, which felt hollowed out while typing. The difference here is that the NocFree & is both low-profile and cushioned, which prevents that hollow feeling.
On sound, it stays quiet, muted and gentle. It produces a soft, cushioned tone rather than the sharp clack you get from many mechanical boards, which makes it easy to live with in a shared office or on calls.
Each keyboard takes a period of adjustment, and I got my typing speed back to normal quickly. On first use I managed 75 WPM, and over the following days this climbed to 85 WPM. For comparison, on my usual daily drivers, the Keychron K11 Max and the Microsoft Sculpt, I manage 85 to 95 WPM on a good day.
One thing I did find annoying was the placement of the Print Screen key. I kept hitting it as my finger reached for backspace. It was annoying enough that I remapped the key to "End" to stop taking unintended screenshots.
Design and ergonomics
After several months as my daily driver, I can confirm this is a comfortable keyboard thanks to its flexible design. I felt no fatigue even after a long day of extensive typing, and it takes up relatively little space on the desk.
The keys need very little force to actuate, and that ease of actuation took some adjustment. Occasionally, while resting my fingers on the keys, I pressed one by accident.
Unlike Alice (unibody) keyboards, the fully split design means you can place the halves as close together or as far apart as you like, at almost any angle. This is great for typists who want the keyboard at shoulder width, or who need a specific angle that Alice boards cannot provide.
Another benefit is that the keyboard is fully wireless. Getting set up at the desk is as easy as turning on two switches. Most split keyboards are either fully wired or have a cable bridging the two halves, so a truly cordless split is still a rare thing.
Portability
There is no way around it. The NocFree & is heavy, weighing 1.03 kg (2.27 lbs). That is as much as an ultraportable laptop such as the Lenovo X1 Carbon, and you will feel it in your backpack.
While it is technically portable, it really straddles the line between a portable split keyboard and one that should stay on a desk.
The case, for those who order it, is more akin to a suitcase. It is well designed and has a compartment for everything, but it is gigantic. It will fit into a backpack but leaves room for little else. It is impractical to use, and I am a little disappointed the team at NocFree did not design something smaller and lighter.
To carry it around, I ended up buying a couple of padded envelopes. It is not the most elegant solution, and since the envelopes were larger than the keyboard it wasted space, but it beat carrying the board in my backpack with no cushioning.
Build quality
Because of its weight, this keyboard is a tank. It feels substantial and does not slide on the desk. The only niggle is that the USB-A dongle fits tightly in USB-A ports and can be a bit awkward to pull out.
The included low-profile PBT keycaps feel solid, but the printed letters are not especially sharp. They almost look like they were printed on an older inkjet, which is surprising given they are dye-sublimated, and I found that a little disappointing.
Customisation
The NocFree & supports full customisation through NocFree Link, which lets you remap the keys and set up layers. NocFree Link uses WebHID for browser-based remapping. Like most WebHID tools, it currently requires a Chromium-based browser (Google Chrome, Edge or Brave) and will not work in Firefox or Safari.
NocFree also includes a few extra keys in the package, including Mac- and Windows-specific keycaps and some orange ones. My pack came with a special cat keycap, which I repurposed as my End key. They sell additional switches and keycaps separately if you want spares.
Connectivity
You can connect the keyboard wirelessly through the included USB-A dongle, over Bluetooth (which supports up to three connections), or wired. The USB-A dongle lives underneath the "&" symbol on the right side of the board, cleverly hidden behind a metal cover.
It works with both Mac and Windows, and includes keycaps for each in the box.
The keyboard has USB-C ports on both sides for charging. If you use a wired connection, you only need to connect the left half to your computer, and the right half connects wirelessly to it.
The keyboard wakes quickly. I just tap a key to make sure it has reconnected before carrying on.
In earlier firmware I occasionally experienced sticky keys, but subsequent updates sorted this out. I have relied solely on Bluetooth and had no connectivity issues. My tests with the wired connection and the USB-A dongle also showed no problems.
Battery life
With the backlight off, the keyboard manages 2 to 3 weeks of average office use. With it on, you will get 1 to 2 days at most. The battery life with backlighting on is so poor that I turned it off permanently in software. It is a little perplexing how much it drains. For comparison, the Keychron K11 Max manages almost 2 weeks with backlighting, and that is after more than 2 years of consistent use.
You can check the battery level through NocFree Link. As of the current firmware, there is no way to check the remaining charge on the unit itself.
Other accessories
NocFree does sell a separate tenting kit, numpad and charging stand, but since they add to the overall price, I did not buy them to test.
Firmware update experience
Updating the firmware is a smooth process, though it is geared towards the intermediate user. You download the firmware, which comes as three separate files: one for the left side, one for the right, and one for the dongle. You then activate firmware update mode and drag the correct files into the Finder or Windows Explorer drive that the keyboard mounts. Install the wrong firmware and you brick the keyboard.
While not the most user friendly method, the instructions for firmware updates are actually pretty good, and they also have videos taking you through it.
Challenges and other quality issues
NocFree is a small company, and I give it more leeway than I would a product from Logitech or Microsoft. That said, some of the issues I ran into are difficult to ignore.
Quality control issues: when the keyboard arrived, the screws holding the unit together and the rubber feet were completely missing. I contacted NocFree through Discord and, to their credit, they responded quickly and shipped the screws, tools and rubber feet so I could install them.
Firmware fiascos: about a month in, I updated the firmware NocFree posted and ended up bricking my keyboard. Support was quick to investigate and respond, and it took two rounds of troubleshooting before the board was restored, roughly two weeks end to end.
Flashing the firmware on a bricked board is also awkward. It involves removing the keyboard's back and shorting the circuit board with two screwdrivers, all while it is plugged into the computer. Non-technical users may struggle.
I do not anticipate further firmware problems, since these felt like early teething issues.
Conclusion
The NocFree & delivers on its core promise: an exceptionally comfortable, low-profile, truly wireless split typing experience that opens up your posture. It is also portable, though at the very edge of what counts as easy to carry.
The hardest part of scoring it is that the keyboard is better than the ownership experience. The typing feel, ergonomics and hardware build are outstanding, but out-of-the-box quality control hiccups and a failed firmware update stopped me fully trusting the board during the review period.
Where factory QC falls short, though, NocFree's human element shines. Their support operates with a speed, directness and genuine care you rarely get from megacorporations like Logitech or HP, who often seem allergic to customer contact altogether.
It is also expensive. You can get capable split and ergonomic boards from Keychron, or cheaper alternatives on AliExpress, for noticeably less. The premium here buys the truly wireless split design and the direct, responsive support, not a longer spec sheet.
If you are an ergonomic enthusiast who appreciates hardware innovation and values responsive, direct-from-maker support, it is easy to recommend. But if you want a seamless, plug-and-play travel companion, you may want to wait while NocFree irons out the early-batch teething pains.
The NocFree & is sold direct from NocFree.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fast-charge the NocFree &?
No. NocFree warns against high-wattage USB-PD chargers such as MacBook or phone bricks, because they do not negotiate correctly with the board's internal power delivery. Charge it from a standard 5V computer USB port to avoid damaging the batteries.
How is the battery life on the NocFree &?
With the backlight off it lasts 2 to 3 weeks of average office use. With RGB on you get 1 to 2 days at most, so I turned the lighting off permanently in software.
Does the NocFree & work with Mac and Windows?
Yes. It ships with both Mac and Windows keycaps, and connects over a 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth (up to three devices), or USB-C wired.
Is the NocFree & truly wireless between the two halves?
Yes. Both halves are fully independent with no bridging cable. If you connect it wired, you only plug the left half into your computer and the right half links to it wirelessly.
Can you remap the keys on the NocFree &?
Yes, through NocFree Link, a browser-based tool that uses WebHID. It handles remapping and layers, but only works in Chromium browsers like Chrome, Edge and Brave, not Firefox or Safari.
Is the NocFree & good for travel?
Not really. It weighs 1.03 kg (2.27 lbs), about as much as an ultraportable laptop, and the optional case is suitcase-sized. It is technically portable but sits at the very edge of easy to carry.
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