Complete Switch Guide

The switch is the heart of a mechanical keyboard. Understanding switches helps you choose the perfect typing experience.

How Mechanical Switches Work

Basic Components

Every mechanical switch has:

1. Housing (top and bottom) - holds everything together
2. Stem - the part that moves up/down, connects to keycap
3. Spring - provides resistance and return force
4. Metal contacts - complete circuit when pressed
5. Optional: Click bar/jacket (clicky switches only)

When you press a key:

1. Stem compresses spring
2. At actuation point, metal contacts touch
3. Keyboard registers keypress
4. Spring returns stem to rest position

Travel Distance:

• Total travel: 4mm (standard)
• Actuation point: 2mm (when key registers)
• Bottom-out: 4mm (key fully pressed)

The Three Main Switch Types

Linear Switches

Characteristics:

• Smooth press from top to bottom (no bump)
• Consistent force throughout
• Quieter than tactile/clicky
• Fast actuation

Best For:

• Gaming (rapid keypresses)
• Fast typing
• Quiet environments
• Those who dislike tactile feedback

Feel: Imagine pressing a smooth button. No bumps, no clicks, just smooth linear resistance.

Popular Linear Switches:

Cherry MX Red

• Force: 45g
• Sound: Quiet
• Feel: Smooth, light
• Use: Gaming standard, light typing

Cherry MX Black

• Force: 60g
• Sound: Quiet
• Feel: Heavier, smooth
• Use: Heavy typists, prevents accidental presses

Gateron Yellow

• Force: 50g
• Sound: Quiet
• Feel: Smoother than Cherry Red
• Use: Best budget linear (incredibly popular)

Cherry MX Speed Silver

• Force: 45g
• Actuation: 1.2mm (vs. standard 2mm)
• Sound: Quiet
• Feel: Very fast actuation
• Use: Competitive gaming

Kailh Box Red

• Force: 50g
• Sound: Quiet
• Feel: Stable (box design), smooth
• Use: Linear purists, gaming

Tactile Switches

Characteristics:

• Noticeable bump at actuation point
• Feedback without noise
• Moderate sound
• All-purpose feel

Best For:

• Typing (confirms keypress)
• Office environments
• All-purpose use
• First mechanical keyboard (safe choice)

Feel: A small bump halfway through the keypress. You feel when the key actuates without hearing a click.

Popular Tactile Switches:

Cherry MX Brown (The Gateway Switch)

• Force: 45g (55g at bump)
• Sound: Moderate
• Feel: Light tactile bump
• Use: Most popular switch, all-purpose
• Note: “Scratchy” compared to modern switches

Gateron Brown

• Force: 55g
• Sound: Moderate
• Feel: Smoother than Cherry Brown
• Use: Better value than Cherry Brown

Boba U4T (Enthusiast Favorite)

• Force: 62g
• Sound: Moderate (satisfying “thock”)
• Feel: Strong, crisp tactile bump
• Use: Premium tactile typing experience
• Price: $0.65-0.75 per switch

Holy Panda (Legendary Tactile)

• Force: 67g
• Sound: Deep “thock”
• Feel: Pronounced round bump
• Use: Typing enthusiasts, collectors
• Price: $1.00-1.50 per switch (expensive!)

Durock T1

• Force: 67g
• Sound: Moderate
• Feel: Strong tactile bump
• Use: Affordable Holy Panda alternative

Glorious Panda

• Force: 67g
• Sound: Moderate-loud
• Feel: Similar to Holy Panda
• Use: More affordable Holy Panda alternative

Clicky Switches

Characteristics:

• Tactile bump + audible click
• LOUD (coworkers will notice!)
• Satisfying feedback
• Retro typewriter feel

Best For:

• Typing enthusiasts
• Solo work environments
• Those who love the sound
• Nostalgia (IBM Model M vibes)

Feel: A tactile bump accompanied by an audible “click” sound. Unmistakable, satisfying, and loud.

Popular Clicky Switches:

Cherry MX Blue (The Classic)

• Force: 60g
• Sound: LOUD click
• Feel: Tactile bump + click
• Use: Typing standard, office enemy

Kailh Box White

• Force: 50g
• Sound: Crisp, high-pitched click
• Feel: Sharp tactile, light
• Use: Lighter clicky alternative

Kailh Box Jade (MAXIMUM CLICK)

• Force: 60g
• Sound: VERY LOUD, thick click
• Feel: Heavy, pronounced click bar
• Use: Click enthusiasts, thick “clack” sound

Kailh Box Navy (Heaviest Click)

• Force: 75g
• Sound: VERY LOUD, deep click
• Feel: Very heavy, IBM Model M feel
• Use: Those who want maximum feedback

Kailh Speed Bronze

• Force: 50g
• Actuation: 1.1mm (very fast)
• Sound: Loud click
• Feel: Fast clicky
• Use: Clicky + speed for gaming

Silent Switches (Special Category)

Why Silent Switches Exist: Office use, shared spaces, gaming at night, respectful to others.

How They Work: Rubber dampeners on stem reduce bottom-out and top-out sound.

Popular Silent Switches:

Cherry MX Silent Red (Linear)

• Force: 45g
• Sound: Very quiet (quieter than membrane!)
• Feel: Smooth, dampened
• Use: Office linear option

Cherry MX Silent Black (Linear)

• Force: 60g
• Sound: Very quiet
• Feel: Heavier silent linear
• Use: Prevent accidental presses, quiet

Boba U4 Silent (Tactile) - Best Silent Tactile

• Force: 62g
• Sound: Very quiet
• Feel: Pronounced tactile bump, silent
• Use: Office tactile, premium quiet option

Zilent V2 (Tactile)

• Force: 62-78g (multiple weights)
• Sound: Very quiet
• Feel: Smooth tactile, dampened
• Use: Premium silent tactile (expensive)

Switch Specifications Explained

Actuation Force

What It Means: Force required to actuate the switch (register keypress).

Common Forces:

• Light: 45-50g (Cherry Red, Gateron Yellow)
• Medium: 55-62g (Cherry Brown, Boba U4T)
• Heavy: 65-80g (Cherry Black, Box Navy)

Heavier vs. Lighter:

• Light: Fast typing/gaming, less finger fatigue, more accidental presses
• Heavy: Deliberate typing, fewer errors, more finger fatigue

Personal preference! Try before committing.

Actuation Point

What It Means: Distance key must travel before registering.

Standard: 2mm Speed switches: 1.1-1.4mm

Why It Matters:

• Shorter = faster actuation (gaming)
• Standard = less accidental presses (typing)

Total Travel

What It Means: Total distance key can travel.

Standard: 4mm Low-profile: 3-3.5mm

Why It Matters:

• Longer travel = more key travel before bottoming out
• Shorter = faster return, less finger travel

Switch Lifespan

How long switches last:

• Cherry MX: 100 million keystrokes
• Gateron: 50 million
• Kailh: 70-80 million
• Premium (Zeal, Boba): 50-80 million

Reality check: Even 50 million = 10+ years of heavy use. Lifespan rarely matters in practice.

Switch Brands Deep Dive

Cherry MX (Germany) - The Original

History: Invented mechanical keyboard switches in 1980s. Industry standard for decades.

Pros:

• Reliable, proven
• Widely available
• Compatible with all MX-style keycaps
• Good quality control

Cons:

• Scratchier than modern alternatives
• More expensive than clones
• Not the smoothest anymore

Bottom Line: Solid choice, but modern alternatives often smoother/cheaper.

Gateron (China) - Smooth & Affordable

History: Cherry MX clone manufacturer. Improved on smoothness.

Pros:

• Smoother than Cherry MX
• Much cheaper
• Widely available
• Excellent value

Cons:

• Slightly wobblier stems (vs. Cherry)
• Less brand prestige

Best Switches:

• Gateron Yellow (linear) - legendary budget switch
• Gateron Brown (tactile) - smoother than Cherry Brown

Bottom Line: Best value in switches. Gateron Yellow is a community favorite.

Kailh (China) - Innovative

History: Started as Cherry clone, now innovates with Box switches and speed switches.

Pros:

• Box design = more stable, dust/water resistant
• Speed switches for gaming
• Thick click (Box Jade/Navy) unmatched
• Good pricing

Cons:

• Box switches had stem size issues in 2018 (fixed now)
• Quality varies by line

Best Switches:

• Kailh Box Red (linear) - stable
• Kailh Box White (clicky) - crisp click
• Kailh Box Jade (clicky) - thick, satisfying click
• Kailh Speed Silver (linear) - fast gaming

Bottom Line: Great for specific needs (Box switches, speed, clicky).

Premium/Boutique Switches

Zeal (ZealPC) - Canada

• Zealios (tactile), Tealios (linear), Zilent (silent tactile)
• Extremely smooth, tight tolerances
• Expensive ($0.90-1.20 per switch)
• For enthusiasts chasing perfection

Gazzew (Boba) - USA/China

• Boba U4T (tactile), Boba U4 (silent tactile), Boba LT (linear)
• Excellent value for performance
• Strong tactile bump
• $0.55-0.75 per switch

Durock - China

• Durock T1 (tactile), Durock L-series (linear)
• Great quality, affordable
• Holy Panda alternatives
• $0.50-0.70 per switch

Holy Panda (Drop/Invyr)

• Legendary tactile switch
• Created from Halo True stem + Invyr Panda housing
• Now mass-produced by Drop
• $1.00+ per switch
• Peak tactile experience

Switch Modding (Advanced)

Lubing Switches

What It Is: Applying lubricant to switch components for smoother feel and reduced noise.

Benefits:

• Smoother keypresses
• Reduced scratchiness
• Quieter bottom-out
• More “thocky” sound

Effort:

• 2-4 hours for full keyboard (70-100 switches)
• Requires disassembling each switch
• Requires lubricant ($10-20), brush, switch opener

Recommended Lubes:

• Krytox 205g0 (linears and tactile legs/spring)
• Tribosys 3203 (tactiles, avoid lubing bump)
• Krytox GPL 105 (springs only)

Worth It?

• Stock switches are fine for most users
• Lubing is for enthusiasts chasing perfection
• Noticeable difference, but not necessary

Filming Switches

What It Is: Adding thin film between top and bottom housing to reduce wobble.

Benefits:

• Tighter tolerances
• Less stem wobble
• Slightly improved sound

Worth It? Only if switches have housing wobble. Modern switches less need it.

Spring Swapping

What It Is: Replacing stock springs with different weights or types.

Why:

• Prefer heavier/lighter actuation
• Progressive springs (vary force through travel)
• Longer springs (reduce spring ping)

Common Swaps:

• Stock 55g → 62g (heavier feel)
• Stock spring → slow curve spring (smoother ramp-up)

Finding Your Perfect Switch

The Switch Tester Method

Step 1: Buy Switch Tester ($15-30) Get 9-12 switch sampler with variety:

• Linear: Cherry Red, Gateron Yellow, Kailh Box Red
• Tactile: Cherry Brown, Boba U4T, Gateron Brown
• Clicky: Cherry Blue, Kailh Box White, Kailh Box Jade

Step 2: Test for Multiple Days

• Type sentences on each switch
• Game on linears and tactiles
• Note which feel best

Step 3: Narrow Down

• Eliminate types you dislike
• Focus on 2-3 favorites

Step 4: Order Keyboard with Winner Or buy hot-swap keyboard and experiment!

Switch Decision Tree

Do you need quiet? → YES: Silent switches (Cherry Silent Red, Boba U4 Silent) → NO: Continue

Do you like feedback? → YES: Tactile or clicky → NO: Linear

If Tactile: Do you want sound? → YES: Clicky (Cherry Blue, Box White, Box Jade) → NO: Tactile (Cherry Brown, Boba U4T, Holy Panda)

If Linear: Gaming or typing focus? → Gaming: Light linear (Cherry Red, Gateron Yellow) → Typing: Medium-heavy linear (Cherry Black, Gateron Black)

Common Switch Myths

Myth: “Cherry MX is always the best” → False. Modern clones (Gateron, Kailh) often smoother and cheaper.

Myth: “You need to lube switches” → False. Stock switches perfectly fine. Lubing is optional enthusiast mod.

Myth: “Linear switches are only for gaming” → False. Many people love linear for typing. Personal preference!

Myth: “Heavier switches are better” → False. Preference varies. Many prefer 45-55g over 70g+.

Myth: “Clicky switches are the most tactile” → False. Clicky = sound. Tactile switches like Holy Panda have stronger bumps.

Switch Recommendations by Use Case

Gaming (FPS, MOBA, Fast-Paced)

Best: Linear, light actuation

• Gateron Yellow (best value)
• Cherry MX Speed Silver (fastest)
• Kailh Box Red (stable)

Typing (Code, Writing)

Best: Tactile, medium weight

• Boba U4T (premium tactile)
• Cherry MX Brown (safe starter)
• Durock T1 (great value)

Office (Quiet Required)

Best: Silent switches

• Boba U4 Silent (best silent tactile)
• Cherry MX Silent Red (silent linear)
• Zilent V2 (premium silent)

All-Purpose

Best: Medium tactile

• Cherry MX Brown (classic)
• Gateron Brown (smoother, cheaper)
• Boba U4T (enthusiast pick)

Enthusiast/Collector

Best: Premium switches, unique feel

• Holy Panda (tactile legend)
• Zealios V2 (smooth tactile)
• Boba U4T (strong tactile, great value)

Takeaway

The best switch:

• Matches your typing style and preference
• Fits your environment (office vs. home)
• Feels good to YOU (ignore elitists)

Start with:

1. Switch tester
2. Hot-swap keyboard
3. Experiment!

Don’t overthink it. Your first switch choice won’t be your last. Hot-swap keyboards make experimentation easy.

Next Steps

• Keyboard Layouts - Choose your keyboard size
• Building Guide - Assemble your first custom keyboard
• Keycaps Guide - Complete the build with keycaps