I’ve often heard the envy from my colleagues and sisters, who want to experience the joys of a thocky keyboard, but worry about the aftermath of long typing sessions with their long nails. Simply put, even with a basic laptop keyboard, typing with long nails takes a lot of practice, with a side serving of persistent inconvenience. A solution is finally here, though it’s anchored to the wild west of Kickstarter crowdfunding.
The big solution
DeLiz is a full-sized mechanical keyboard that has uniquely sculpted keycaps, which look eerily similar to Hershey’s Kisses chocolate owing to their pronounced teardrop shape. These special keycaps, however, feature a flattened top with a round outline and slightly recessed surface. And yeah, it looks unlike any keyboard I’ve seen in my life.
But why? Well, it solves a tangible problem, something its creator apparently had a personal brush with. “It’s already around four years ago that I experienced the difficulties of typing with long nails and a market that doesn’t offer any proper solutions for many affected people,” the keyboard’s creator, Stephan Hammer, writes on the crowdfunding platform.
As far as the rest of the specifications go, the DeLiz keyboard will incorporate linear red switches and claims to offer a silent click experience. It will only be sold in wired mode over USB-C, while the deck relies on a white backlight with brightness controls. Aside from English, it will also support German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese, according to the keyboard’s creator.
The bitter pill
DeLiz is a one-of-a-kind product that appears to have freshly gone live on Kickstarter. But at the moment, it has yet to secure any sizeable funding, and there are no details about its early backer rewards, or even a FAQ section. At the time of writing this article, the DeLiz campaign has only attracted one backer and is currently far away from its $146,718 crowdfunding goal.
I’d strongly suggest waiting a few more days (or weeks) before you plonk your cash on supporting it. In the meantime, if you (and your long nails) desperately need a solution, check out the Tippy Type keyboard cover, which is essentially a membrane cover with raised keycaps and plenty of space between them to accommodate your nails. It is available for MacBooks and a wide range of keyboards offered by the likes of Logitech.
The solution for laptop keyboards is not too wide, but if you’re lucky, your Lenovo ThinkPad, HP, or Dell laptop might just find the right fit in the Tippy Type portfolio – all for under $50. In case you’re curious, this keyboard cover has been fairly well received by folks who love their long nails.