Cherry MX Clear vs Cherry MX Ergo Clear
The Cherry MX Clear and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear are separated mostly by spring weight, 10 g of it at actuation, with the Cherry MX Clear the firmer press and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear the easier one to hold down. Our full switch library puts these two on each other's shortlist, and the player below is the fastest way to settle it: match the volumes, then work down through the 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 | Cherry MX Clear | Cherry MX Ergo Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 65 g | 55 g |
| Bottom-out force | 95 g (our estimate) | 65 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both of these are rated at actuation, which is the one case where the advertised numbers compare directly. Every other force row still has to be matched basis to basis. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for either of these. What actuation force actually measures .
Verdict
The Cherry MX Clear and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear are both tactiles, so nothing separates them at the fingertip until you look at springs and acoustics. The springs are far apart, with the Cherry MX Clear at 65 g actuation versus 55 g for the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, a gap you feel within a paragraph of typing. Budget also has a say, since the Cherry MX Clear is mid priced and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear is premium priced. Split by use: the Cherry MX Ergo Clear for gaming, the Cherry MX Clear for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Cherry MX Ergo Clear
- Typing pick
- Cherry MX Clear
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Clear
Force curves
Cherry MX Clear
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 95 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.
Cherry MX Ergo Clear
Cherry publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 65 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.
Cherry MX Clear or Cherry MX Ergo Clear: the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. Springs split them by 10 g at actuation: 65 g for the Cherry MX Clear, 55 g for the Cherry MX Ergo Clear. The stroke itself is shared: both raise a bump close to the point the press registers. The two stroke depths are identical, 2.0 mm to actuation inside 4.0 mm of total travel. Same stroke character, so the spring is the fact to weigh.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Put them through the player above and the Cherry MX Clear lands as deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out where the Cherry MX Ergo Clear lands as rounded, softened thud; hand-lubed smoothness. One caveat we repeat wherever a player appears: no studio recording sits behind either of these. They are built from what each maker publishes and what the community reports.
On cost and convenience, the Cherry MX Clear is mid priced, while the Cherry MX Ergo Clear is premium priced. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
This one genuinely splits. The Cherry MX Ergo Clear for games, because the two are close enough here that either works, and our scoring gives it the nod by a hair. The Cherry MX Clear for writing, since nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. The Cherry MX Clear for an office, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Cherry MX Clear page and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Cherry MX Clear or the Cherry MX Ergo Clear?
We pick the Cherry MX Ergo Clear for gaming. This is close to a coin toss. The scoring hands it over by a margin you would not feel in a match.
Is the Cherry MX Clear quieter than the Cherry MX Ergo Clear?
Volume is roughly a wash: no dampening and no click mechanism on either, so your typing force and your case decide the level. The character is not a wash, with the Cherry MX Clear reading as deep thud with a heavy, emphatic bottom-out against rounded, softened thud; hand-lubed smoothness from the Cherry MX Ergo Clear.
Which switch is heavier, the Cherry MX Clear or the Cherry MX Ergo Clear?
The Cherry MX Clear, and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 65 g to 55 g.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Cherry MX Clear or the Cherry MX Ergo Clear?
The Cherry MX Clear sits in the mid priced bracket and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear in the premium priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
More comparisons
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