Cherry MX Ergo Clear vs Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
The Cherry MX Ergo Clear and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) are separated mostly by spring weight, 5 g of it at actuation, with the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) the firmer press and the Cherry MX Ergo Clear the easier one to hold down. Our full 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 | Cherry MX Ergo Clear | Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | bottom-out |
| Actuation force | 55 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 65 g (our estimate) | 67 g |
| 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 | Premium | Premium |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Watch the "brand rates force at" row: these two makers do not measure at the same place, actuation for the Cherry MX Ergo Clear and bottom-out for the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch). Force numbers only compare within a row. The figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Cherry publishes no bottom-out figure for the Cherry MX Ergo Clear. How that derivation works .
Verdict
This is a tactile versus tactile contest: the Cherry MX Ergo Clear and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. Their springs sit close together, just 5 g apart at actuation, with the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) the marginally firmer press. Their voices split them more than their specs: the Cherry MX Ergo Clear sounds like rounded, softened thud; hand-lubed smoothness, while the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) gives you deep rounded thock with a snappy tactile knock. Where we land: the Cherry MX Ergo Clear for gaming and a shared office, the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) for typing.
- Gaming pick
- Cherry MX Ergo Clear
- Typing pick
- Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
- Office pick
- Cherry MX Ergo Clear
Force curves
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.
Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
Cherry MX Ergo Clear or Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch): the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. At actuation they sit 5 g apart, 60 g against 55 g, close enough that lube and housing will decide the feel before the spring does. Cherry and Community are both selling you tactiles here, so both raise a bump close to the point the press registers. Travel is a straight match, 2.0 mm of pre-travel and 4.0 mm in full on both. Same family of stroke, so read the detail rather than the headline.
Sound decides more of these arguments than force curves do. Two different voices: rounded, softened thud; hand-lubed smoothness on the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, deep rounded thock with a snappy tactile knock on the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch). These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On price and practicality, both are premium priced. Lube is on you with both of these, which is a real cost in time whichever one you order.
Who buys which, then? Gaming goes to the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. Writing goes to the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch), since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. A shared room goes to the Cherry MX Ergo Clear, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. None of this beats hearing them yourself, which the player above lets you do in about a minute.
For either one on its own terms, read the Cherry MX Ergo Clear page and the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Cherry MX Ergo Clear or Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) for gaming?
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.
Which is quieter, the Cherry MX Ergo Clear or the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)?
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 Cherry MX Ergo Clear leans toward rounded, softened thud; hand-lubed smoothness, while the Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch) is deep rounded thock with a snappy tactile knock.
Cherry MX Ergo Clear vs Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch): which one is the heavier press?
The Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch), and the comparison is clean: actuation on both sides, 60 g to 55 g.
More comparisons
More vs Cherry MX Ergo Clear
More vs Community Holy Panda (Original Frankenswitch)
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.