Waffree US Brings Wireless Aluminum Split Keyboard to ANSI Layout Buyers
Waffree US, priced at 99,800 JPY, flips the usual market script: the Japanese boutique launched JIS first, ANSI second, with sales opening April 6.
Kanazawa Engineering's boutique split keyboard brand Waffree reversed the typical launch playbook with the Waffree US, a fully wireless, aluminum-machined split announced on X on March 30. Where most custom keyboard makers debut ANSI English layouts first and add JIS variants later, Waffree did the opposite, building its reputation on Japanese-layout hardware before expanding to ANSI. Sales open April 6 at 99,800 JPY, tax included.
The board ships as a left-right split pair machined from aluminum, with the left unit weighing 800g and the right coming in at 1,100g across combined dimensions of 143mm x 362mm. That weight puts it firmly in the premium artisan category, where aluminum construction is chosen for its acoustic properties and rigidity over any concern for portability.
Connectivity spans three modes: wired USB (2.0 or higher), Bluetooth 4.0+, and 2.4GHz wireless with a stated 5-meter practical range. Charging caps at 5V 500mA. For a split board in 2026, the tri-mode implementation removes the usual trade-offs: wired for zero-latency work sessions, 2.4GHz for low-latency wireless, and Bluetooth for multi-device switching.
Buyers select their switch at purchase from four factory options: Linear_45gf "The Salt Ice," Linear_40gf "Gray Wood," Tactile_45gf via Kailh Box Brown, and SilentLinear_40gf using the Outem Silent Peach V2. PBT keycaps are included, with Mac legend keycaps visible in product photos. The ANSI physical layout is the critical unlock here: group buy keycap sets are overwhelmingly ANSI-first, and the JIS original locked owners out of most of that ecosystem entirely.
The 99,800 JPY price puts this in the same conversation as other high-end custom splits rather than commercial wireless boards. For buyers outside Japan, import costs will layer onto that figure, but the specification sheet, wireless aluminum split construction, four switch choices, and full ANSI compatibility, is a serious entry in the current split keyboard space.
With the JIS-first, ANSI-second arc now complete, Waffree's catalog covers both ends of the layout spectrum from the same aluminum split chassis.
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