Switch comparisons

Why back-to-back listening beats spec sheets

Switch shopping usually goes wrong in one of two ways. Either you compare spec sheets that were never written to the same standard, or you compare sound tests recorded on different keyboards, different desks and different microphones. Both make switches look further apart, or closer together, than they really are. Playing the same simulated typing burst through two switch profiles, on the same output chain at matched volume, removes every variable except the switches themselves. That is exactly what the A/B player on each comparison page does.

The spec tables are built with the same discipline. Spring weight is only meaningful at a stated measuring point, and brands do not agree on one: Cherry and Gateron advertise actuation force, while Gazzew and most boutique makers advertise bottom-out force. Every comparison labels the basis for each switch, and a verdict only calls one switch heavier when both numbers sit at the same measuring point. Where the ordering flips between actuation and bottom-out, or where a bottom-out figure is our own derivation because the maker never published one, the page says so rather than quoting the flattering number. Travel, dampening, factory lube, stem compatibility and street price get the same side-by-side treatment.

Where should you start? If you are weighing the two most bought gaming linears, Cherry MX Red vs Gateron Yellow is the classic budget question, and Cherry MX Brown vs Holy Panda shows how far two tactile bumps can differ. Otherwise browse the brand groups above, open any page from our switch library to find its suggested rivals, or work through our quietest switches and best gaming switches rankings. And once the new switches arrive, run the board through the keyboard tester to make sure every key registers cleanly.

Frequently asked questions