Gazzew Boba U4T vs Durock Koala
The Gazzew Boba U4T and the Durock Koala run to different depths, 0.8 mm apart at the bottom, which changes both how they sound and how far your fingers move all day. Our switch library links the two to each other for that reason. Play the A/B bursts below to hear them back to back, match the volumes, then read the spec table and the verdict.
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 | Gazzew Boba U4T | Durock Koala |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | bottom-out | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | not published | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 62 g | 67 g |
| Pre-travel | 1.7 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.2 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | Yes | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Gazzew and Durock both advertise a bottom-out force, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other.
Verdict
The Gazzew Boba U4T and the Durock Koala are both tactiles, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. The Gazzew Boba U4T also stops sooner, 3.2 mm of total travel against 4.0 mm. The Durock Koala is the firmer of the two at bottom-out, 67 g to 62 g, though 5 g is not much to choose between. We land on the Gazzew Boba U4T for every use we score, and it is the safer of the two in a shared room, so the Durock Koala makes sense only if you preferred its voice in the player above.
- Overall pick
- Gazzew Boba U4T
No use case rescues the Durock Koala here. The Gazzew Boba U4T wins gaming, typing and the office question alike, so the block collapses to one.
Force curves
Gazzew Boba U4T
Gazzew rates this switch at its bottom-out and publishes no actuation force, so the marked bottom-out is the spec and the dashed line into it is an illustration of the stroke, not measured data.
Durock Koala
Gazzew Boba U4T or Durock Koala: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.7 mm to actuation on the Gazzew Boba U4T against 2.0 mm, and 3.2 mm of total travel on the Gazzew Boba U4T against 4.0 mm. Spring weight barely separates them, 5 g at bottom-out with the Durock Koala on the firmer side, which most fingers will not register. Gazzew and Durock are both selling you tactiles here, so both raise a bump close to the point the press registers. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
Now the part spec sheets cannot carry: the voice. Played back to back, the Gazzew Boba U4T is the reference thock: deep, full, immediate against thocky rounded tap, T1-family bump from the Durock Koala. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On cost and convenience, both are premium priced. Factory lube on both, so the smoothness you hear in the player is roughly the smoothness you get.
Who buys which, then? One switch takes every axis we score: the Gazzew Boba U4T is our pick for gaming, for typing and for a shared desk. On speed, it wins on a lighter spring at bottom-out and a shorter distance to actuation. On typing feel, its keystroke stays consistent and comfortable across a full day of writing. On noise, it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. That leaves the Durock Koala to anyone who preferred its voice in the player above, which is a good enough reason on its own. Before you order either, match the volume trims above and hear them back to back.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Gazzew Boba U4T page and the Durock Koala page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Gazzew Boba U4T or Durock Koala for gaming?
We pick the Gazzew Boba U4T for gaming. The scoring gives it a lighter spring at bottom-out and a shorter distance to actuation against the Durock Koala, and both of those show up in a fast game.
Gazzew Boba U4T or Durock Koala: which one is quieter?
They are close. Neither is a silent switch and neither clicks, so loudness depends mostly on how hard you bottom out and the board they sit in. Their character differs though: the Gazzew Boba U4T leans toward the reference thock: deep, full, immediate, while the Durock Koala is thocky rounded tap, T1-family bump.
Which switch is heavier, the Gazzew Boba U4T or the Durock Koala?
The Durock Koala is heavier: 67 g against 62 g, both measured at bottom-out, so this is a fair like-for-like comparison.
More comparisons
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