Amazon's annual sales reach 3 million USD, "stunning keyboard" is being snatched up by foreigners

Author: Mai Lin

Image source | Unsplash

As a popular track for overseas treasure hunting, the 3C industry has long become a bloody battlefield. While it boasts a significantly leading scale and consumer potential, it also faces fierce homogeneous competition and market share battles.

However, not all areas in this red ocean are crowded. In some niche segments, there are still markets with considerable demand and relatively mild competition—such as mechanical keyboards.

In recent years, with the booming development of console gaming and e-sports, the demand for mechanical keyboards has seen continuous growth. According to the latest research from Statista, the global keyboard market revenue is expected to reach $5 billion by 2025, and the market size is projected to reach 280.6 million units by 2029.

Of course, on the global mechanical keyboard stage, big brands like CHERRY, Razer, and Logitech have long occupied the high ground. How can emerging brands quickly open up the market?

In response, Lofree, a domestic brand established in 2013, has provided a unique answer—targeting the more niche female keyboard segment.

Within 30 days of launching on overseas crowdfunding platforms, it garnered over a million dollars, climbed to the top of Amazon's best-selling list, and achieved global monthly sales of over ten million... Lofree has delivered an impressive performance with its differentiated brand positioning.

A High-Value Brand Targeting the Female Economy

Although it is situated in the trillion-dollar 3C red ocean, Lofree can be said to be a brand born for the "niche."

In the public's perception, the traditional keyboard market primarily targets male users, and the competition among brands mainly revolves around performance parameters, with little focus on the ultimate expression of design aesthetics.

However, with the continuous rise of the female economy, women's demand for electronic products has gradually shifted from a single functionality to a diversified development. In addition to the quality of the product itself, there is an increasing focus on appearance, emotional value, and other added aspects.

The design inspiration for Lofree comes from this insight. During its research into the mechanical keyboard industry, it keenly observed that the female market's needs had long been overlooked, and thus innovatively proposed the concept of "feminine mechanical keyboards," launching products tailored specifically for women to fill the market gap.

Image source: Lofree

The term Lofree is a combination of Love + Free, which, as the name suggests, signifies a love for freedom. Lofree's target audience is fashionable urban women who pursue a refined lifestyle and emphasize individual expression and aesthetic experience Of course, what makes Lofree most unique is that it does not follow the trend of many 3C brands focusing on low prices and high cost-performance strategies. Instead of relying on cost advantages to create scale effects, Lofree pursues the infinite amplification of design value, not merely as a tool for users but as a symbol of lifestyle. To this end, it further narrows its user base: precisely targeting the top 15% of high-consumption groups.

The niche market that Lofree aims for may seem small, but its brand image is quite rich. It is not just about creating a single female keyboard; rather, it integrates product design with scene requirements to create a dedicated 2m² space for users.

Following the concept of "2m²," Lofree has developed a series of product matrices covering various scenarios such as office, beauty, and outdoor, including "Office 2m²," which features keyboards, mice, speakers, desk mats, and other supporting products, meeting the dual needs of professional women for efficient work and emotional experience, thus building a unique "two-square-meter living circle" ecosystem.

Image source: Lofree

From Niche Market to Global Stage

Born "niche," Lofree also harbors global ambitions.

A small incident at an exhibition—foreign clients questioned whether such stunning products could come from China—strengthened Lofree's determination to push its brand into the global market.

In 2017, Lofree launched the Dot Mechanical Keyboard through the overseas crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. This keyboard integrates Mac compatibility, unique round mechanical keys, and a stylish appearance, garnering significant responses from overseas consumers. In its first month online, it raised $733,639, about 6604% of its original target, allowing Lofree to initially amplify its brand voice.

However, even so, Lofree remained full of concerns: Does the product align with overseas aesthetics and needs? Will there be symptoms of not fitting in?

With such apprehensive feelings, Lofree conducted a series of exploratory research efforts. In 2021, Lofree made a splash at the Fantasy Inn 2021 London Christmas pop-up, showcasing its uniquely designed and visually appealing products such as the makeup series Dot Keyboard, Maus chip Bluetooth mouse, and Jelly Bean calculator, receiving rave reviews from overseas consumers.

Image source: Lofree

Combining market feedback collected from crowdfunding platforms, Lofree's overseas expansion plan began to take shape.

The first step is to prioritize mature markets During the research process, Lofree found that consumers in the United States and Japan had the highest volume of interest and relatively higher acceptance of the products, thus deciding to make these two major markets the first stop for overseas expansion.

After confirming market demand, Lofree integrated Eastern aesthetics with local cultures overseas, designing differentiated products for different markets. American consumers pursue fashion and high quality, focusing on visual experience, while Japanese consumers prefer minimalist design styles. Based on the consumption preferences of each country, Lofree launched mechanical keyboards that balance aesthetics and performance, successfully capturing a large number of foreign wallets.

The second step is to build diverse sales channels.

To quickly penetrate the overseas market, Lofree chose Amazon, which has a large traffic base, as its main battlefield. I learned that the Best Seller TOP5 products in the keyboard category on Amazon primarily adopt a low-price strategy, with order prices generally not exceeding $20. Observing Lofree's official store on Amazon, it can be seen that its pricing range is generally between $140 and $200, targeting the mid-to-high-end market.

Currently, Lofree's main product categories on Amazon include keyboards, mice, accessories, and computer peripherals, with overall sales performance being quite impressive. One pink dotted keyboard successfully made it to Amazon's Over Pick, with a review rating as high as 4.6, making it Lofree's flagship product.

Official data from Amazon shows that, leveraging the strategy of high aesthetics + high average order value + high quality, after entering the Amazon US and Japan sites in the fourth quarter of 2023, Lofree achieved monthly sales of $260,000 on the US site and $150,000 on the Japan site, with total expected sales of $3 million for the year across the two sites.

Of course, Lofree did not overly rely on a single channel; before expanding to third-party platforms like Amazon, it had already established an independent brand website.

I observed that Lofree's independent site layout is simple and clear, emphasizing a warm and romantic tone. The current product matrix covers mechanical keyboards, keycaps, mice, POM switches, and computer accessories. In comparison, Lofree's pricing on the independent site is slightly higher; for example, the bestselling pink keyboard on Amazon is priced at $189 on the independent site, about $20 higher than on Amazon.

To build a private traffic ecosystem for the independent site and establish a long-term brand, Lofree places great importance on driving traffic through social media marketing and cultivating user mindset.

Taking Instagram as an example, Lofree currently has accumulated 155,000 followers on the platform. Its marketing actions are specifically divided into two dimensions: one is to create scenario-based narratives around the products, such as developing images and short videos of the products in beauty, outdoor camping, and other scenarios to attract users; the other is to leverage influencer marketing, collaborating with fashion bloggers, beauty experts, and other KOLs to increase brand exposure through unboxing videos and scenario-based evaluations.

According to Similarweb data, in February 2025, Lofree's overseas main site had a monthly visit volume of 370,000, with the US market accounting for nearly 21% of the share, showing impressive overall traffic performance, indicating that it has already accumulated a loyal audience in Europe, America, Japan, and Southeast Asia

Overall, Lofree's channel strategy focuses on a parallel model of third-party platforms and independent sites, where Amazon emphasizes traffic harvesting to achieve scaled sales, while the independent site focuses on brand storytelling and product premium capabilities. The two work together to form a sales closed loop.

Creating Beautiful and Valuable Products

The fundamental reason why Lofree can break through both domestically and internationally lies in its strong product capabilities.

In an environment where mainstream keyboard products predominantly emphasize black and white minimalism, Lofree is keen on pursuing a variety of colors, with products generally featuring bright colors, emphasizing high aesthetics and exquisite beauty. It even proposes a distinctive slogan: "Clearly capable of relying on strength, yet choosing to rely on beauty."

However, this extreme pursuit of design aesthetics has led some external voices to label Lofree as superficial, stereotyped as "beautiful waste" and paying a "beauty tax."

But for Lofree, "beauty" itself is not a sin; the pursuit of "beauty" is also part of user demand and an important way for the new generation of young consumers to express individuality and satisfy emotions. Therefore, in a context where 3C brands generally focus on price competition and technology competition, Lofree's choice is to compete on experience, combining beauty with value, rich in connotation, which is the core of Lofree's brand philosophy.

In terms of product design and development, Lofree never deliberately pursues explosive products but instead stands from the user's perspective, examining products and brands with the mindset of young people to create products that resonate emotionally with consumers and provide aesthetic experiences in life.

Under this brand proposition, Lofree has built a unique product creation logic.

Innovative Design Drives Brand Premium

In Lofree's view, Chinese brands going global have entered a new stage of "Chinese original design," so from the very beginning, it has placed great emphasis on amplifying the value of design.

Based on this, Lofree's product design prioritizes aesthetics, integrating aesthetics with pragmatism.

First is the bold innovation in color. Compared to traditional keyboards that emphasize solid minimalist tones, Lofree adopts a colorful palette. Taking its most classic lipstick dot keyboard as an example, this product combines 79 cosmetic colors with keyboard design, creating a dazzling visual effect, akin to a complete set of lipsticks, easily capturing consumers' attention.

Image source: Lofree

Secondly, there is the differentiated design of keycap shapes. Unlike the typical square keycap styles, Lofree's keycaps resemble a typewriter, which is highly recognizable. The rounded corner design, combined with excellent axis performance, allows it to stand out from a sea of homogeneous keyboards Of course, in addition to its high aesthetic appeal, Lofree also takes into account the user experience. The author learned that Lofree has multiple patented technologies for key switches and keycaps, enhancing functionality based on aesthetic innovation, thereby improving the tactile feel and comfort for users.

Moreover, to address the cultural environments and aesthetic differences of different countries, Lofree pays great attention to listening to consumer feedback, actively collecting real user feedback through Amazon, independent sites, and crowdfunding platforms, and quickly iterating on product shortcomings.

At the same time, Lofree has established a dedicated international business team focused on product research and development and market expansion in vertical tracks, keenly observing the localization needs of overseas markets.

Expanding Products Based on Scenario Needs

As mentioned earlier, Lofree has proposed a unique 2㎡ concept, dedicated to creating a personalized 2㎡ space for consumers by exploring the relationship between people, products, and space.

To this end, its product expansion strategy is not to push one product at a time, but to segment needs around the 2m² scenario, expanding one space after another.

Lofree has divided various life scenarios such as home, beauty, office, and outdoor, thereby creating a rich and diverse product portfolio that adapts to different scenarios.

On Lofree's independent site homepage, consumers can see a selection of various product sets. For example, co-branded products in collaboration with LVMH's beauty brand, primarily featuring foundation liquid tones, cover basic accessories like keyboards and mice, while also introducing beauty-themed items such as jelly palm rests, mobile power banks shaped like foundation bottles, and three-mode wireless numeric keyboards resembling computer appearances.

Image source: Lofree

Overall, Lofree customizes product designs based on different scenario needs, gradually expanding from basic accessories like keyboards and mice to diverse categories such as calculators, speakers, and desk lamps. Through this design thinking of scenario-based combination sets, a synergistic effect is formed between categories, allowing consumers' brand impressions of Lofree to shift from fragmented to holistic, further deepening brand recognition.

To further capture the minds of overseas consumers, Lofree has also launched several customized series. For instance, a chocolate keyboard for Valentine's Day; a minimalist and elegant milk tea keyboard tailored for urban women; and a midsummer keyboard featuring a retro green tone.

Image source: Lofree

With differentiated products that combine design aesthetics and practicality, Lofree has successfully built a fun ecosystem covering multiple daily life scenarios within a 2m² space BrandArk Observes Brands

In an environment where many 3C brands are generally striving to break through from the price and technology fronts, Lofree has taken a different path by returning to the user's real experience, creating a 2m² space for consumers to achieve personalized expression and enjoy the pleasures of life.

In the increasingly fierce competition of brand homogenization in the overseas market, Lofree focuses on the unmet female market, standing out with its unique design aesthetics and emotional value.

Lofree is not just an "idol type," but also a powerhouse.