Lengthy nails usually are not for the weak. Have you ever ever tried eradicating contact lenses with 20mm claws? Terrifying. However other than the concern of poking out my eyeballs, lengthy nail life makes little on a regular basis issues tough, too. Opening soda cans, urgent buttons, altering out trash luggage with out poking a gap, and even private hygiene — all of them require you to get artistic. However by far, essentially the most annoying factor is typing.
Typing with lengthy nails is the embodiment of “beauty is pain.” On telephones, it makes me sluggish, 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 Sort into my feed.
The Tippy Sort is a silicone keyboard cowl for people with medium-to-long nails. It options tower-like cylindrical keys so you’ll be able to sort as you naturally would: along 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? Nicely, I’m not out right here carrying lengthy nails for enjoyable. Being a reviewer usually means appearing as a part-time hand mannequin for no matter gadget I’m testing. The Web Nail Police has repeatedly proven up in my feedback through the years if my polish is chipped or, god forbid, there’s a smudge of filth below my pure nail.
The worst half is that they’re not fallacious — 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 usually are not low cost. A set of acrylic or gel extensions, for instance, can price as a lot as $120. Press-ons are far more economical, however I dwell in concern that certainly 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 in every single place you go — or, within the case of extensions, having to schedule one other appointment. Preserving your manicure for so long as potential is a type of saving money and time.
In concept, this is the reason the Tippy Sort is enticing to long-nail devotees regardless of its $45 price ticket. However like all product, it has to dwell as much as the promise.
The primary time I used the Tippy Sort 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 laborious to explain, however for those who’re used to squishier keys, this isn’t that. The keys are firmer and require a little bit extra strain than your typical laptop computer keys. The cylindrical form additionally offers you much less floor space so, at first, it’s important to take into consideration finger placement.
Adapting doesn’t take lengthy, although. I gauged my progress with and with out the Tippy Sort utilizing a kind of one-minute typing assessments. On the primary day, I bought round 60 phrases per minute with 98 % accuracy. After a couple of week, I used to be averaging someplace between 80–90wpm with 98–99 % accuracy. Anecdotally, typing with the quilt has diminished my typos in comparison with typing with out it.
But it surely’s not excellent. I had no drawback with each medium and lengthy press-ons, however for those who’re rocking extra-long nails, this may not work effectively. Additionally, some keys nonetheless aren’t the best to press. For instance, the arrow keys are small and awkward, and there’s no cowl for the perform keys other than the Esc key. As well as, you’ll be able to’t simply shut your laptop computer for those who’re, say, stepping out to the lavatory. Lastly, the Tippy Sort is barely out there for MacBooks in the intervening time, although Wang says the corporate is engaged on variations for Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops.
$45
The Tippy Sort is a keyboard cowl for MacBooks that’s designed to make typing simpler for people with lengthy nails.
Finally, whether or not the Tippy Sort is value shopping for boils all the way down to how usually you utilize a laptop computer and the way dedicated you might be 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, nevertheless, I principally 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 Sort has been helpful for me these previous few weeks, when my deadlines have been tight, the overview phrase counts lengthy, and the nails fabulous.