Every switch
Switches
How each switch feels, its specs and the keyboards that come with it. Every page has the 3D keyboard set to that switch, so you can hear it.
Linear
Smooth from top to bottom, with no bump and no click.
- Gateron YellowLinear · 50 g · 4 mmSmooth and light from top to bottom, with no bump and no click. A soft, rounded sound that suits fast typing and gaming.
- Gateron Oil KingLinear · 55 g · 4 mmSmooth and medium-weight from top to bottom, lubed at the factory, with no bump and no click. A deep, full clack that makes it one of the most popular premium linears.
- NovelKeys CreamLinear · 55 g · 4 mmA linear switch whose housing and stem are both made of the same slippery plastic (POM), so it feels slightly scratchy at first and smooths out with use. A deep, low thock.
- Cherry MX BlackLinear · 60 g · 4 mmHeavy and linear: it takes 60 g to press, with no bump and no click, so stray touches rarely register. A deep, solid clack.
- Akko Cream Yellow ProLinear · 50 g · 3.3 mmLight, very smooth and lubed at the factory, with a short 3.3 mm travel and no bump or click. A clean, poppy sound for little money.
- Epomaker FlamingoLinear · 47 g · 3.8 mmLight and smooth, with no bump and no click. A two-stage spring firms up near the bottom, and the clear pink housing gives a bright, crisp sound.
Tactile
A bump you can feel partway down, where the press counts, but no click.
- Cherry MX BrownTactile · 55 g · 4 mmA soft bump partway down tells you the key has registered, with no click. Quiet enough for shared spaces, and a common first tactile switch.
- Gateron BrownTactile · 55 g · 4 mmA very light bump near the top, then smooth to the bottom, with no click. So gentle that some people mistake it for a linear; cheap and common.
- Kailh Box BrownTactile · 45 g · 3.6 mmA soft, gentle bump and a short 3.6 mm travel, with no click. The box around the stem keeps it steady and keeps dust out.
- Glorious PandaTactile · 49 g · 3.3 mmA sharp, strong bump right at the top of each press, then a quick drop to the bottom. A deep thock that made it an enthusiast favourite.
- Drop Holy PandaTactile · 44 g · 3.8 mmA big, rounded bump right at the top of each press, then a fast drop to the bottom. A deep thock; one of the best-known enthusiast tactile switches.
- Gazzew Boba U4TTactile · 42 g · 4 mmA sharp, rounded bump from the very top of the press and a fairly heavy 62 g spring. Smooth, with a deep, thocky sound; a favourite of many reviewers.
- Akko Cream Blue ProTactile · 45 g · 3.3 mmA light, rounded bump and a short 3.3 mm travel, smoothed by factory lube. A good-value tactile, gentler than the original Cream Blue.
- Akko Lavender PurpleTactile · 36 g · 4 mmVery light, at 36 g, with a clear bump near the top. Easy on the fingers over long typing sessions, and a popular budget tactile.
- Epomaker Wisteria TactileTactile · 46 g · 3.1 mmA firm, rounded bump and a short 3.1 mm travel, lubed at the factory. A deep, thocky sound.
- Outemu Silent Lemon V3Silent tactile · 35 g · 3.3 mmSilent and light: a gentle bump at 35 g, with dampers that soften the bottom-out and the return. One of the quietest switches here, and cheap.
Clicky
A bump with a click you can hear, at the point the press counts.
- Kailh Box WhiteClicky · 45 g · 3.6 mmA crisp click on the way down and again on the way up, from a click bar inside the switch. Loud and lively: great at home, less so in an open-plan office.
- Cherry MX BlueClicky · 60 g · 4 mmA sharp, high-pitched click and a bump you can feel on the way down, from a click jacket inside. Loud and classic, so better at home than in a shared office.
- Gateron BlueClicky · 55 g · 4 mmA crisp, bright click and a bump on the way down, a little crisper than Cherry's. Loud, so best kept out of shared offices.
- Kailh Box JadeClicky · 50 g · 3.6 mmA thick click bar snaps on the way down and again on the way up, with more weight than the Box White. One of the loudest clicky switches.
- Kailh Box NavyClicky · 75 g · 3.6 mmThe heaviest switch here, at 75 g: a thick click bar and a strong spring give a deep, loud click on the way down and up.
Magnetic
Linear switches the keyboard reads with a magnet, so you set how far down a press counts.
- Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic NebulaMagnetic linear · 40 g · 4 mmA magnetic (Hall effect) linear: the keyboard decides how far down a press counts, anywhere from 0.1 to 4 mm (0.2 to 3.8 mm on the Keychron K2 HE), which suits gaming. Smooth and creamy, with no bump and no click.
- Gateron Magnetic WhiteMagnetic linear · 30 g · 4.1 mmA light magnetic (Hall effect) linear: 30 g to start moving, and the press point can be set anywhere from 0.4 to 3.6 mm on boards that allow it. Smooth, with no bump and no click.
- Gateron Magnetic Jade ProMagnetic linear · 36 g · 3.5 mmA magnetic (Hall effect) linear with a short 3.5 mm travel and a snappy 20 mm spring. The press point can be set along almost all of it (0.1 to 3.5 mm on the GravaStar Mercury V75). Smooth and quiet.
Side by side
Popular pairs on one keyboard, with their specs lined up.
- Cherry MX Brown vs Cherry MX Blue
- Cherry MX Black vs Cherry MX Brown
- Gateron Yellow vs Cherry MX Brown
- Gateron Yellow vs Gateron Oil King
- Gateron Oil King vs NovelKeys Cream
- Gateron Yellow vs Cherry MX Black
- Akko Cream Yellow Pro vs Gateron Yellow
- Epomaker Flamingo vs Akko Cream Yellow Pro
- Cherry MX Brown vs Gateron Brown
- Kailh Box Brown vs Cherry MX Brown
- Glorious Panda vs Drop Holy Panda
- Drop Holy Panda vs Gazzew Boba U4T
- Akko Lavender Purple vs Akko Cream Blue Pro
- Epomaker Wisteria Tactile vs Akko Lavender Purple
- Outemu Silent Lemon V3 vs Cherry MX Brown
- Cherry MX Blue vs Gateron Blue
- Kailh Box White vs Cherry MX Blue
- Kailh Box Jade vs Kailh Box Navy
- Kailh Box White vs Kailh Box Jade
- Gateron Magnetic White vs Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro
- Gateron Double-Rail Magnetic Nebula vs Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro