A new company called Nuio, founded by two brothers with backgrounds in design and manufacturing, is rethinking desk accessories with the goal of making our computers more comfortable to use. It’s debuting today with a collection of magnetic peripherals called Flow that’s centered around a wireless split keyboard, all designed to make it easier to find your perfect ergonomic layout, even if that’s constantly changing throughout the day.
Tom Wilson, the CEO of Nuio (a combination of new and I/O), previously worked at companies including Apple, Google, and Frog Design, while Greg Wilson, the company’s CMO, spent years at Frog Design and the creative agency Digitas. The brothers cofounded Nuio with the goal of improving how we physically interact with our computers. “There are literally no right angles in the human body,” says Tom. “Yet we spend most of our lives hunched over rigid, rectangular keyboards and peripherals.”
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That’s why the Nuio Flow is an entire system of accessories and not just a standalone keyboard. It’s designed to strike a balance between products like Logitech’s Ergo series featuring a one-size-fits-all keyboard with a fixed ergonomic layout and more advanced split options like the ZSA Moonlander Mark I that users can spend weeks fine-tuning and customizing. Through the use of simplified peripherals like stands, wrist pads, and a magnetic base, assembling a comfortable keyboard layout with the Flow system is almost as easy as using Apple’s MagSafe accessories.
The star of the show is the $399 Flow keyboard, which has a fully split design with two independent halves featuring keys arranged in a radial, wave-shaped layout designed to feel more natural for your fingers to reach.
Unlike other split keyboards that appeal to those who like to customize everything right down to the feel of the keys, the Flow uses proprietary rubber dome switches and custom backlit concave keycaps that aren’t designed to be swapped out with third-party alternatives. The Flow is instead targeted at those who prefer the feel and quiet sound of a laptop keyboard — specifically those found on a MacBook — with a similarly short key travel and less resistance than mechanical switches.
Each half of the split keyboard is made from stamped aluminum, which, alongside the rechargeable batteries in each one, gives them a satisfying heft. Aside from an included dual-headed USB-C cable for charging both halves simultaneously, the Flow is completely wireless. It connects to PCs and mobile devices over Bluetooth as a single device, while a toggle on the back lets you connect the Flow to three different devices and switch between them without having to go through the pairing process again.
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A rubberized bottom helps keep the Flow keyboard from sliding around once you find a layout that’s comfortable for you. For even more grip, both halves can magnetically attach to a $129 Deskpad accessory that’s also rigid enough to be used on your lap should you find yourself wanting to use the keyboard while sprawled out on a couch.
The Flow can be further accessorized with adjustable stands. They’re $59 each, but most users will want one for each side of the keyboard, so two are slightly cheaper at $99. They connect to the underside of the keyboard in a few different spots using magnets, elevating both halves while also allowing them to be angled in any direction by about 10 to 15 degrees, providing more layout options. When you find an ideal angle, a tension wheel on each stand can be tightened to lock its position.
Once you’ve got both halves of the Flow elevated, you’ll probably want something to support your wrists. Nuio also sells a pair of cushioned wrist pads for $99 that magnetically attach to its Deskpad. And while Nuio isn’t introducing a mouse with its Flow system, you can add a $249 compact wireless touchpad that supports gestures and does the whole magnet thing, too.
Unlike some products from new companies that look great in promotional materials but underdeliver on quality, the Flow keyboard and all of its accessories feel like they’ve come from a team with a lot of experience in both design and manufacturing. I’ve been testing the keyboard and its peripherals for a few days (not the touchpad), and the quality feels on par with what companies like Apple deliver, which makes sense given the brothers’ pedigree. There haven’t been any compromises made with the materials, build quality, or functionality of Nuio’s first products — but that comes with a steep price tag.
Fully split keyboards are already generally not cheap. ZSA’s Voyager and Moonlander Mark I both debuted at $365, while the wireless Dygma Defy is $369. But they all come with built-in mechanisms for adjusting their heights and angles. The Flow keyboard with the magnetic deskpad and a pair of stands is $627, while the entire Flow system, with the wrist pads and touchpad, will set you back $975.
Everything in the Flow system, including accessories offered in colors that include space gray, silver, gold, rose gold, espresso brown, deep green, and midnight blue, is available for preorder today. However, only the space gray version of the Flow keyboard with macOS legends, the matching touchpad, and the other accessories in black will ship starting on December 1st, 2024. If you want one of the alternate colors or a version of the Flow keyboard featuring both macOS and PC legends, you’ll have to wait until January 1st, 2025, for those to ship.