Complete Switch Guide
The switch is the heart of a mechanical keyboard: it decides how every keypress feels, and it heavily influences how your board sounds. The trick is that switches don’t live alone—keycaps, plate material, mounting style, stabilizers, and even your desk surface can make the same switch sound totally different. This guide gives you a clear mental model so you can choose confidently and tune intentionally.
How Mechanical Switches Work
Most “MX-style” switches share the same basic anatomy: a stem moves inside a housing, compressing a spring. At a certain point in travel, metal contacts meet and the keyboard registers the keypress.
In simple terms:
- Housing (top + bottom): holds alignment and influences acoustics.
- Stem: the moving part; its shape largely defines “linear vs tactile vs clicky.”
- Spring: defines resistance and return.
- Metal contacts: close the circuit at the actuation point.
- Optional click mechanism: click jacket or click bar in clicky switches.
Travel is usually described in two numbers:
- Actuation: when the key registers (commonly around 2.0mm).
- Total travel: how far the switch can move (commonly around 4.0mm).
The Three Main Switch Types
Linear Switches
Linears move smoothly from top to bottom with no intentional bump. When people say a switch feels “clean,” “buttery,” or “fast,” they’re often describing a good linear with a spring weight that matches their fingers.
Where linears shine
- Gaming and rapid repeats (no bump to push through)
- Long typing sessions if you like smooth travel
- “Creamy” and “thocky” sound profiles (especially when lubed)
Good starting points
- Gateron Yellow: the classic “best value” linear.
- Cherry MX Red / Black: reliable baseline (reds lighter, blacks heavier).
- Kailh Box Red: stable feel from the box design.
Tactile Switches
Tactiles add a noticeable bump that tells your fingers, “the key actuated.” A good tactile can reduce bottoming out for some typists and can feel more deliberate for writing or coding.
Where tactiles shine
- Typing (feedback without needing sound)
- Mixed-use setups where you want one board for everything
- People who dislike accidental keypresses on very light linears
Good starting points
- Cherry MX Brown: a common “first tactile” (mild bump).
- Boba U4T: a popular enthusiast tactile (stronger bump, satisfying tone).
- Durock T1: strong tactile feel at a solid price.
Clicky Switches
Clickies are tactiles with an extra mechanism that produces an audible click. They’re unmistakable, polarizing, and often the most fun you can have alone in a room.
Where clickies shine
- People who love audible feedback and “typewriter energy”
- Solo work environments (or very tolerant coworkers)
- Nostalgia: big, confident keypress events
Good starting points
- Cherry MX Blue: the classic clicky baseline.
- Kailh Box White: crisp, lighter click.
- Kailh Box Jade / Navy: “maximum click” territory.
Silent Switches (A Special Category)
Silent switches add dampening pads (usually on the stem) to reduce bottom-out and top-out noise. The best silent builds aren’t just quiet—they’re clean: no rattle from stabilizers, no spring ping, no random case resonance.
Good starting points
- Boba U4 (silent tactile): a favorite for quiet offices.
- Cherry MX Silent Red / Black (silent linear): reliable and widely available.
- Zilent V2 (silent tactile): premium feel, premium price.
Switch Specifications (What Actually Matters)
Specs can look intimidating, but most of them answer simple questions: how heavy, how far, and how fast does it register?
Actuation force (how heavy it feels)
Force is typically listed in grams (g) as a rough indicator of how much pressure is needed. It’s not perfectly comparable across brands, but it’s still useful.
| Feel | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 45–50g | Easy to press, higher chance of accidental presses |
| Medium | 55–62g | A common “all-day typing” zone |
| Heavy | 65–80g | Deliberate presses, more finger fatigue for some |
Actuation point (when it registers)
Standard actuation is usually around 2.0mm, but “speed” switches may actuate closer to 1.1–1.4mm. Shorter actuation can feel snappier for gaming, but it can also increase accidental presses if you rest your fingers heavily.
Total travel (how far it moves)
Most MX switches have ~4.0mm travel. Low-profile switches are usually shorter (~3.0–3.5mm) and feel different enough that they’re worth treating as a separate category when shopping.
Lifespan (how long it lasts)
Switch lifespan is often quoted in tens of millions of presses. In practice, even “50 million” is many years of heavy use—so don’t let lifespan be your deciding factor unless you’re buying extremely low-quality switches.
Switch Brands (How to Think About Them)
Brand matters most as a signal of consistency: tolerances, factory lubrication, and spring quality. Within any brand, specific switch models still vary a lot.
Cherry MX (Germany) — The Original Baseline
Cherry is the reference point for MX-style switches. They’re reliable and widely compatible, but many modern alternatives are smoother out of the box for less money.
Gateron (China) — Smooth and Affordable
Gateron became popular by offering smooth travel at great prices. If you want a “safe pick” that isn’t expensive, Gateron is often the answer.
Kailh (China) — Variety and Innovation
Kailh’s Box switches and click bars are distinctive. If you want a stable stem feel or you love clickies, Kailh is worth a look.
Boutique / Enthusiast Options
- Gazzew (Boba): consistent tactiles and excellent silent options.
- Zeal (ZealPC): premium feel, premium price.
- Durock: strong lineup of tactile and linear options with solid value.
- Holy Panda (Drop/Invyr lineage): a famous tactile feel with a collector aura.
Switch Modding (When You Want to Tune the Feel and Sound)
Modding is optional. Stock switches can be great. But if you’re chasing a specific feel (smoother, less ping) or a specific sound (creamier, deeper), these are the common levers.
Lubing
Lubing reduces friction noise and can make a switch feel and sound more consistent. Done well, it turns “scratchy” into “smooth” and often rounds off harsh high frequencies. Done poorly, it can make a switch feel sluggish and sound dull.
Common lubes:
| Use | Common choices |
|---|---|
| Linears | Krytox 205g0, Tribosys 3204 |
| Tactiles (careful) | Tribosys 3203 (avoid the tactile bump area) |
| Springs | Krytox GPL 105 (oil) |
Films
Films sit between housings to tighten tolerances. They help most when a switch has housing wobble. Many modern switches don’t need films, so it’s best treated as an “if necessary” tweak.
Spring swapping
Springs are the cleanest way to change a keyboard’s “effort level.” If you love a switch’s sound but hate the weight, spring swapping can be more effective than buying an entirely new switch.
Finding Your Perfect Switch (Without Overthinking It)
If you’re unsure, the fastest path is to make the decision small, then scale up.
- Decide your environment: quiet required, or sound is welcome?
- Pick a family: linear for smoothness, tactile for feedback, clicky for sound.
- Pick a weight band: light, medium, or heavy.
- Try before you commit: a switch tester or a hot-swap keyboard saves money long-term.
A simple “first try” sampler looks like this:
- Linear: Gateron Yellow, Cherry MX Red (or Black)
- Tactile: Cherry MX Brown, Boba U4T
- Clicky: Cherry MX Blue, Kailh Box White
Once you know what you dislike (too heavy, too loud, too bumpy), the space of options collapses quickly.
Common Switch Myths (A Reality Check)
- “Cherry is always the best.” Cherry is a baseline; modern alternatives can be smoother and cheaper.
- “You must lube switches.” No. Lubing is a tuning option, not an entry requirement.
- “Linears are only for gaming.” Many writers and programmers love linears for long sessions.
- “Heavier is better.” Heavier is different. The best weight is the one you can use comfortably.
- “Clicky means more tactile.” Clicky means more sound; the strongest tactile bumps are often non-clicky tactiles.
Recommendations by Use Case (Starting Points)
These aren’t “the best switches,” they’re sensible first picks that are easy to find and representative of their category.
| Use case | What to look for | Good starting points |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | light/medium linear, clean return | Gateron Yellow, Cherry MX Speed Silver, Kailh Box Red |
| Typing / writing | medium tactile with clear bump | Boba U4T, Durock T1, Cherry MX Brown |
| Office / shared space | silent switches + tuned stabilizers | Boba U4 (silent tactile), Cherry Silent Red |
| All-purpose | medium tactile or medium linear | Gateron Yellow, Gateron Brown, Cherry MX Brown |
| “I want the sound” | clicky switches | Kailh Box White, Box Jade, Cherry MX Blue |
Takeaway
Pick your environment first (quiet vs expressive), then choose a switch family (linear/tactile/clicky), then weight. After that, everything else is refinement. The best switch is the one you enjoy using—and the one that fits your life without annoying everyone around you.
Next Steps
- Keyboard Layouts - Choose your size and form factor
- Building Guide - Assemble a board around your switch choice
- Keycaps Guide - Tune feel and sound with keycaps