Lengthy nails aren’t for the weak. Have you ever ever tried eradicating contact lenses with 20mm claws? Terrifying. However except for the worry of poking out my eyeballs, lengthy nail life makes little on a regular basis issues troublesome, too. Opening soda cans, urgent buttons, altering out trash baggage with out poking a gap, and even private hygiene — all of them require you to get artistic. However by far, probably the most annoying factor is typing.
Typing with lengthy nails is the embodiment of “beauty is pain.” On telephones, it makes me gradual, and I find yourself with so many typos. It’s worse on laptops, the place the keys are flat and essentially incompatible with the curve of an extended nail. You find yourself typing with the information of your nails and the perimeters of your fingers. No huge deal if I’m taking pictures off an e mail, however a 1,500-word overview? After some time, it hurts.
It’s why I used to be intrigued when the TikTok algorithm threw the $45 Tippy Kind into my feed.
The Tippy Kind is a silicone keyboard cowl for people with medium-to-long nails. It options tower-like cylindrical keys so you possibly can kind as you naturally would: together with your finger pads and never your nails. The proposed advantages are two-fold. One, it shouldn’t harm in any respect. Two, it protects your manicure.
I can already hear the trolls making jokes about ladies caring about breaking a nail. If it’s so inconvenient, why not simply have quick nails? Properly, I’m not out right here sporting lengthy nails for enjoyable. Being a reviewer usually means performing as a part-time hand mannequin for no matter gadget I’m testing. The Web Nail Police has repeatedly proven up in my feedback over time if my polish is chipped or, god forbid, there’s a smudge of grime below my pure nail.
The worst half is that they’re not incorrect — the images and video footage received’t look as good. By no means thoughts that that is largely a gendered burden. One thing about longer nails elongates the fingers and makes for a extra enticing product photograph.
However good nails aren’t low cost. A set of acrylic or gel extensions, for instance, can value as a lot as $120. Press-ons are far more economical, however I dwell in worry that considered one of them will pop off at an inopportune second. For instance, the opposite day, I misplaced one as a result of I pulled my pants on too aggressively. I’ve had a pair fly off whereas typing. And it’s annoying carrying nail glue all over the place you go — or, within the case of extensions, having to schedule one other appointment. Preserving your manicure for so long as attainable is a type of saving money and time.
In idea, for this reason the Tippy Kind is enticing to long-nail devotees regardless of its $45 price ticket. However like every product, it has to dwell as much as the promise.
The primary time I used the Tippy Kind out of its case, it felt bizarre. CEO and cofounder Sara Younger Wang warned me that there’s a slight studying curve. She wasn’t kidding. It’s arduous to explain, however for those who’re used to squishier keys, this isn’t that. The keys are firmer and require just a little extra stress than your typical laptop computer keys. The cylindrical form additionally offers you much less floor space so, at first, you must take into consideration finger placement.
Adapting doesn’t take lengthy, although. I gauged my progress with and with out the Tippy Kind utilizing a type of one-minute typing assessments. On the primary day, I bought round 60 phrases per minute with 98 % accuracy. After a few week, I used to be averaging someplace between 80–90wpm with 98–99 % accuracy. Anecdotally, typing with the quilt has lowered my typos in comparison with typing with out it.
Nevertheless it’s not good. I had no downside with each medium and lengthy press-ons, however for those who’re rocking extra-long nails, this may not work properly. Additionally, some keys nonetheless aren’t the simplest to press. For instance, the arrow keys are small and awkward, and there’s no cowl for the perform keys except for the Esc key. As well as, you possibly can’t simply shut your laptop computer for those who’re, say, stepping out to the toilet. Lastly, the Tippy Kind is barely out there for MacBooks for the time being, although Wang says the corporate is engaged on variations for Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops.
$45
The Tippy Kind is a keyboard cowl for MacBooks that’s designed to make typing simpler for people with lengthy nails.
Finally, whether or not the Tippy Kind is value shopping for boils right down to how usually you employ a laptop computer and the way dedicated you’re to your nail sport. Are you want gymnasts Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, or Suni Lee, the place not even Olympics-level tumbling can cease you from long-nailed glory? Then, sure, it’s most likely value it. In my on a regular basis life, nonetheless, I largely use a desktop with a mechanical keyboard — which is extra forgiving to lengthy nails. I most likely wouldn’t have felt the necessity for a product like this if I weren’t within the thick of tech overview season.
Even so, the Tippy Kind has been helpful for me these previous few weeks, when my deadlines have been tight, the overview phrase counts lengthy, and the nails fabulous.