Wang warned me that there is a learning curve to using Tippy Type. “Your brain is learning a whole new way to type,” she explains—and she was right. Getting used to it took a few minutes, and my fingers missed the pillars if I tried to type too fast, causing typos.
But as I got more comfortable with the cover, I typed more quickly, eventually totally forgetting I had just applied press-ons. I do type a little slower when I use the Tippy Type, in an effort to avoid typos. But I don’t move as slow as I would with a full set and a raw keyboard. My one gripe is that using keyboard shortcuts (like making an em dash, which requires me to press three buttons at once) takes some finesse. I move even slower and stretch a little further so that I don’t miss the keys. But all-in-all this is the most comfortable I’ve ever been typing with longer nails, with no cringe-inducing sounds or sensations.
My colleague, Angela Trakoshis, is having a harder time adjusting to the Tippy Type. “As someone who presses hard on her keyboard, tapping a silicone nub creates a strange sensory experience for me,” she says. “Even as I sit here and use it, I’m hitting the ‘delete’ button a lot.”
But Trakoshis calls out a major benefit for those who never skip a manicure appointment. “I find that my nail shape dulls out quickly when I type aggressively—and this silicone mat prevents that,” she says. “I love the idea of prolonging my manicure, so I’m going to invest more time into getting used to it.”
Ready to get tapping? The Tippy Type, available on the brand’s site for $45, is compatible with Apple Macbooks. (Wang says Lenovo Thinkpads, HP Elitebooks, and Dell Latitudes versions are coming soon!) Pick your favorite color: matte black, milky white, or cotton candy pink.
Yes, there are way bigger problems in the world—one doom scroll on any social media platform will prove it to you—but manicures are the little slice of happiness some of us have in our day-to-day. Tippy Type makes it so that we can go all out with our nails—and keep our day jobs!