Alps SKCL Green vs Cherry MX Red MX2A
Check compatibility before feel on this pair: the Alps SKCL Green will not drop into the same board as the other one, which narrows the choice for most people to whatever their keyboard accepts. Our switch library cross-links them because this matchup keeps coming up. Start with the A/B bursts below, then take the spec table and the picks in order.
Hear them back to back
simulated from real specssound loads on your first tapShortcuts: press A or B anywhere outside a text box to fire that burst. Use the volume trims to loudness-match the pair before judging which sounds better.
Spec by spec
| Spec | Alps SKCL Green | Cherry MX Red MX2A |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 50 g | 45 g |
| Bottom-out force | not published | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.7 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.5 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | No | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Alps and Cherry both advertise an actuation force, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for the Cherry MX Red MX2A, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
Both the Alps SKCL Green and the Cherry MX Red MX2A are linears, so this matchup comes down to weight, travel and sound rather than feel. These are not drop-in alternatives to each other. The Alps SKCL Green needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps. Their springs sit close together, just 5 g apart at actuation, with the Alps SKCL Green the marginally firmer press. Where we land: the Alps SKCL Green for gaming, the Cherry MX Red MX2A for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Alps SKCL Green
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Red MX2A
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Red MX2A
Force curves
Alps SKCL Green
Alps publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the dashed end of the curve is an estimate, not a spec. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers.
Cherry MX Red MX2A
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 60 g at the end of the stroke is our estimate and the run into it is dashed. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers. How we derive it.
Alps SKCL Green or Cherry MX Red MX2A: the long answer
This pair has a fit problem to clear before feel or sound matter. The Alps SKCL Green does not use an MX style stem, so it will not drop into a standard hot-swap board or accept ordinary MX keycaps. The Alps SKCL Green is premium priced, while the Cherry MX Red MX2A is mid priced. Factory lube is on the Cherry MX Red MX2A alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the Alps SKCL Green and want it at its best.
On to the mechanical side. The Alps SKCL Green carries the heavier spring at actuation, 50 g to 45 g. That is a real 5 g without being a change of bracket. On distance the Alps SKCL Green registers at 1.7 mm against 2.0 mm, and the full stroke runs 3.5 mm on the Alps SKCL Green against 4.0 mm on the Cherry MX Red MX2A. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and both give you spring resistance and nothing else. None of these gaps is large. Stack them up and they still point somewhere, but gently.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Two different voices: smooth dry vintage glide, muted landing on the Alps SKCL Green, neutral mid-pitched clack with a faint scratch on the slide on the Cherry MX Red MX2A. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
Who buys which, then? Gaming goes to the Alps SKCL Green, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. Writing goes to the Cherry MX Red MX2A, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. A shared room goes to the Cherry MX Red MX2A, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. Whichever way you land, listen to both above with the volume trims matched before you spend anything.
For either one on its own terms, read the Alps SKCL Green page and the Cherry MX Red MX2A page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Alps SKCL Green or Cherry MX Red MX2A for gaming?
We pick the Alps SKCL Green for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Which of the Alps SKCL Green and the Cherry MX Red MX2A is quieter in a shared room?
Neither is dampened, so volume comes down to your board and your typing force. The one audible difference on the spec sheet is lube: the Cherry MX Red MX2A is lubed at the factory, which takes out spring ping and scratch rather than loudness.
Alps SKCL Green vs Cherry MX Red MX2A: which one is the heavier press?
The Alps SKCL Green is heavier: 50 g against 45 g, both measured at actuation, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
Can the Alps SKCL Green and the Cherry MX Red MX2A go in the same keyboard?
No. The Alps SKCL Green does not use an MX style stem, so it needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps, while the Cherry MX Red MX2A is a standard MX switch. Whichever you pick decides the keyboard, not the other way round.
More comparisons
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