If there’s one keyboard company that has consistently surprised me over the past year, it’s NuPhy. Every time I think I know exactly what to expect from them, whether it’s a playful retro twist, a clever engineering decision, or just an unexpectedly polished typing feel – they somehow manage to push things a step further. I’ve reviewed several of their keyboards at this point, and what has always stood out is how confidently they blend aesthetics and usability. And that brings me to the Node 75.
A new keyboard that initially comes across as their most understated model yet. There’s no dramatic transparent casing, no big metal plate, no bold accent colors. In fact, the first time I took it out of the box, I almost wondered if NuPhy had decided to go “simple” for once. But after spending some proper time with it, the Node 75 turned out to be far more interesting than its minimal appearance suggests.
Nuphy Node 75 is available for purchase over on Nuphy’s website. Amazon link to be added once available.
DESIGN
As soon as you unpack the thing, Node 75 immediately communicates one thing: minimalism is the name of the game. This is a keyboard designed to blend into your setup rather than being a standout piece. The ABS chassis has a clean, almost reserved personality to it, especially in the Ink Gray version that found its way to my review desk. The color sits somewhere between charcoal and graphite, and despite its simplicity, it has an elegance that grows on you the longer it stays on your desk.
Clean layout and a calm, understated look
What gives the keyboard its unique character is the dotted pattern that stretches across the entire top edge. At first glance it looks like a purely decorative nod to retro audio gear, but then you notice the small 5×2 LED matrix on the left – and more importantly, the touch bar subtly embedded on the right.
This is where NuPhy’s design philosophy really comes through. Instead of making the touch bar a flashy feature, they integrated it so naturally into the dotted texture that you almost miss it. Only once you put your finger down is when two tiny protruding dots barely reveal where the swipe surface begins and ends. It sounds like a small detail, but it makes a huge difference in day-to-day use.
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- The dotted top panel that defines the design
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- A closer look at the textured dot pattern
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- The small LED indicators tucked into the dot grid
I was honestly genuinely excited to try the touch bar considering the price point of the keyboard and was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. Swiping left or right feels controlled, double and triple taps register without any fuss, and once your hand learns where the bar sits, using it becomes intuitive. The adjustment period was maybe a day or two. After that, it just faded into the muscle memory of using the keyboard. The LED matrix next to it adds a bit of functional charm, lighting up for battery indications, connectivity mode, and even rhythmically reacting to typing if you want it to.
Physically, the Node 75 feels better than you might expect for a lightweight, all-plastic board. At 659 grams, it’s easy to move around, and paired with the slim profile and three typing angles (4°, 8°, 11°), it’s surprisingly ergonomic for long sessions.
Soft RGB glow seeping gently between the keycaps
The double-shot nSA keycaps sit comfortably under the fingers and match the board’s design language perfectly. The legends are crisp, the texture is just right, and the low-profile geometry helps the whole keyboard feel unobtrusive and easygoing. The keycaps aren’t shine-through, so typing in complete darkness might be a little tricky, but the rounded corners let enough RGB spill through to keep the board visible overall.
PERFORMANCE
As simple as the Node 75 looks, using it reveals a keyboard that feels far more capable than its minimalist presentation would suggest. My review unit came with Nuphy’s Red Nano linear switches – low-profile, silent, and impressively smooth. The moment I started typing, the thing that stood out most was the sound profile: creamy, soft, and deeply satisfying in that signature NuPhy way. It’s similar to what I’ve described in my previous NuPhy reviews in that they’ve reached a point where the out-of-box acoustics are genuinely fantastic without requiring any modding.
Low-profile Red Nano switches feel great to type on
Typing on the Node 75 feels great. The polycarbonate plate and gasket mount give keystrokes a gentle, cushioned feel that’s comfortable over long stretches. Stabilizers are tuned well, larger keys don’t wobble, and the overall experience hits that sweet spot between responsive and relaxing. Thanks to its lightweight, quiet nature and fast wireless mode, this has become my go-to keyboard for office work but I found that it can easily be used as an understated gaming keyboard when I simply wanted to unwind after work.
Speaking of wireless: the Node 75 supports the usual tri-mode formula:
- Bluetooth,
- 2.4 GHz, and
- wired USB-C.
Over 2.4 GHz, the keyboard runs at a 1000 Hz polling rate, and the responsiveness feels very immediate. Wired mode matches that 1000 Hz polling, while Bluetooth runs at 125 Hz, making it better suited for laptops, tablets, or light typing. Of course, you can connect the keyboard to multiple devices and switching between them is fast and effortless.
Physical toggles for connection mode and OS layout
Battery life its definitely one of the highlights. At 3000 mAh, Node 75 delivered excellent endurance during my testing. With RGB at a moderate brightness level, I comfortably squeezed out around a week of mixed use. Work, writing, a bit of gaming, before the LED matrix politely reminded me that it was time to recharge. With the lighting off, the battery stretched into multiple weeks. It’s the kind of battery life that almost makes you forget this thing even has a charging cable.
The Node 75 is fully hot-swappable and supports N-key rollover, but one of its more interesting technical conveniences is its compatibility with both low-profile and full-height switches. With a conversion kit, you can essentially change the keyboard’s typing DNA, which is a level of flexibility that’s rare for keyboards in this price range. It’s one of those features you may never actually need, but knowing it exists could add considerable long-term value for the tinkerers out there.
Node 75 has a really slim, appealing profile
NuPhyIO, the browser-based software, rounds out the experience nicely. It handles key remapping, macros, light effects, firmware updates, and, importantly, touch bar customization. The UI is clean, responsive, and refreshingly unbloated. It’s exactly what lightweight keyboard software should be.
The more I used the Node 75, the more it struck me as a genuinely well-rounded device. Quiet enough for professional environments, responsive enough for casual gaming, comfortable enough for all-day typing, and simple enough that nothing about it ever feels like a chore.
CONCLUSION
The NuPhy Node 75 is a keyboard that succeeds not by trying to be loud or extravagant, but by being quietly excellent. It’s minimalistic without feeling empty, retro without being nostalgic for the sake of it, and modern without relying on flashy gimmicks. The touch bar adds a unique element that feels far more natural than I expected, the typing feel is wonderfully smooth, and the overall acoustic profile sets a new bar for low-profile keyboards in this price range.
It’s lightweight, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed, and its long battery life and strong wireless performance make it easy to integrate into any setup. Whether you’re working, studying, or squeezing in some gaming, the Node 75 adapts without fuss. And that, more than anything, is what makes it such an appealing everyday keyboard.
For under $100, it’s one of NuPhy’s most charming and complete minimalist keyboards to date – and one I can easily recommend to anyone who values a clean desk, a great typing feel, and a quietly capable companion.
