As announced, replacement keycaps are now available that are perfect for Flow.
On January 16, 2025, Lofree Japan (Sanyo Godo Kaisha) updated its official X to announce two new replacement keycap lineups.
The two products have been in stock and available for sale since January 31, 2025.
We were given the opportunity to review Retro/ Matrix.
We will review the installation on Flow as soon as possible.
Representative of GreenEchoes Studio
He launched his own media as a site operator and web writer, and now plans and manages multiple corporate media. He often types heavily in his work, and in his search for greater efficiency, he became addicted to the keyboard swamp and established “GreenKeys”.
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Review] Flow&FlowLite replacement keycaps “Retro/ Matrix
Let’s take a look at the two types of replacement keycaps.
KawamuraThis packaging photo shows Matrix only.
As for Retro, we omitted it because the packaging design is slightly different due to the fact that we purchased it from its home country site when it was first released.
It used to be cardboard fabric, but it has been upgraded.
Let’s start with packaging.
The design looks very clean, with the keycap peeking through a small window.
This kind of minimalist design is the essence of Lofree.
The keycap is in a plastic tray.
It is also very well thought out in that it has a solid depression and a plastic lid over it so that it will not fall apart during transportation.
KawamuraAs is often the case with keycaps, I think the packaging is very well thought out, considering that in some cases the keycaps are in pieces inside when opened despite this kind of packaging.
Also included is a keycap puller, which is a nice touch.
This coloring is also very pretty.
The cream yellow with orange accents will be a desk-fresh piece.
About Retro
Now let’s look at the actual keycap.
Let’s start with Retro.
The FlowLite white color was installed.
The impression is quite classical.
The default state is great in its simplicity and minimalism, but the Retro keycap set is a very good choice if you want to change the atmosphere.
Compare and contrast the color of the keycaps.
The base color of Retro keycaps is “beige” while the genuine keycaps are “pure white.
As for the font, while the genuine keycaps use sans-serif typeface, Retro uses serif typeface (traditional), which enhances the classical English newspaper-like appearance.
KawamuraThis site is a good reference for English typefaces. It is also quite an important factor in flyer design.
Here is a photo of the actual desk.
Hmmm, this is good!
The keyboard seems to match very well with the warm lighting.
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About Matrix
Then let’s look at Matrix.
In this case, I replaced the genuine keycap with the regular version of Flow.
After all, compared to FlowLite, Flow has specifications that are more expensive in key areas, such as the aluminum frame.
Therefore, when photographed from such an angle, the edgy feel of the aluminum alloy matches the inorganic image of the Matrix very well.
The “Matrix” that Japanese people imagine is probably the movie “Matrix.
However, as a theme for this keycap, the image seems to be strongly influenced by the nuances of the original meaning of “numerical matrix”.
As a lineage, it seemed similar to the Edge released by Lofree.
Let’s take a look at a picture of the actual desk.
This is the kind of look that matches well with black-based desks.
KawamuraAn all-black desk is cool, but accents like this give it a playful feel.
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Comparison with genuine keycap
Compare and see the difference with the genuine keycap.
KawamuraI could not capture the Retro and Matrix colors very nicely.
The closest to actual color shades are the ones that have been taken by the stand-alone camera so far.
Only the rightmost FlowLite is a two-color molded shine-through (PBT material), but the other three are all sublimation printing.
Backside.
Judging from the feel of the engraving and the stem shape, Retro/Matrix seems to be made using the same injection molding dies used for Flow.
As for FlowLite, I see that they are manufacturing keycaps on a separate line.
The accuracy of sublimation printing on both Retro/Matrix is very high, and even the smallest details are printed well.
There was no print bleeding, and the product was evaluated to be very accurate.
As for the slope, they all seem to use the same profile, which is a flat profile where the slope does not change from row to row.
It is also a spherical shape that is slightly mortised toward the center.
How does Lofree x Kailh work with low-profile key switches?
After all, one of the concerns in purchasing such replacement keycaps is “fitting with keyboards other than the recommended ones.
As you know, Flow/FlowLite is a low-profile switch developed in cooperation with Kailh, and its footprint is not compatible with the low-profile key switch of its competitor, Gateron.
However, since the “stem portion only” is cruciform in shape, many people may think that it may be stuck.
Here are the results of our verification.
| brand | key switch | fitting |
|---|---|---|
| Lofree x Kailh | Phantom Low-profile POM Switches | ⚪︎ |
| Lofree x Kailh | Ghost Low-profile POM Switches | ⚪︎ |
| Lofree x Kailh | Specter Low-profile POM Switches | ⚪︎ |
| Lofree x Kailh | Hades Low-profile POM Switches | ⚪︎ |
| Gateron. | Gateron Low Profile 2.0 Red | ⚪︎ |
| Gateron. | Gateron Low Profile 3.0 | unrated |
| NuPhy x Gateron | Cowberry | ⚪︎ |
| NuPhy x Gateron | Low-Profile Magnetic Jade Pro | ⚪︎ |
Thus, Lofree’s low-profile replacement keycaps fit Gateron-based low-profile switches without any problems.
KawamuraThe key layout is probably available for Air75 with a similar key layout.
However, please note that we are not responsible for the accuracy of the fitting.
summary
These are the two types of keycaps from Lofree Japan that we have reviewed.
As for low-profile mechanical keyboards, there are still only a few types available, and there are also few types of replacement keycaps, making it difficult to enjoy “keycap replacement,” which is one of the best parts of mechanical keyboards.
These two replacement keycaps are good news for fans of low-profile mechanical key switches.
You may also purchase keycaps for 100keys to use as keycaps for your own keyboard with low-profile mechanical key switches. (However, the print on the keycap may not match the function.)
If you are a fan of low-profile mechanical keyboards, you should definitely consider purchasing one.
Discount Code: ryo10 ryo10
to save 10% off your purchase.
＼ Japan, this way/
Products only available through Lofree Official
(Coupon code supported)
