Gateron Black vs Kailh BOX Black
On paper these two are the same spring. The Gateron Black and the Kailh BOX Black tie at every published measuring point, so the answer has to come from sound and build. Our 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 | Gateron Black | Kailh BOX Black |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 60 g | 60 g |
| Bottom-out force | 70 g (our estimate) | 70 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 2 mm | 1.8 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 3.6 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Budget | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Both makers rate these 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. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so the two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
Stroke character is a tie. Two linears feel alike under a finger, which pushes the decision onto the rows the spec sheet cannot fill in. Both springs measure 60 g at actuation and match at bottom-out too, so weight will not settle it. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Price splits them too: the Gateron Black is the budget friendly option while the Kailh BOX Black sits in the mid priced bracket, which adds up across a 70 switch board. Our picks: the Kailh BOX Black for gaming, the Gateron Black for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh BOX Black
- Typing pick
- Gateron Black
- Office pick
- Gateron Black
Force curves
Gateron Black
Gateron publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 70 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.
Kailh BOX Black
Kailh publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 70 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.
Gateron Black or Kailh BOX Black: the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. Every force row in the table above reads the same on both sides, 60 g at actuation and 70 g at bottom-out. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. Type is not in play. Both are linears, and nothing sits between the top of either key and the bottom. On distance the Kailh BOX Black registers at 1.8 mm against 2.0 mm, and the full stroke runs 4.0 mm on the Gateron Black against 3.6 mm on the Kailh BOX Black. On paper these are the same switch. The difference has to be somewhere the spec sheet does not reach.
What the table cannot tell you is how either one lands in a room. Through the A/B player above, the Gateron Black comes through as firm, deeper clack with a planted landing, while the Kailh BOX Black reads as firm, clean clack with no rattle. Both packs are synthesized rather than recorded, so read the comparison as a faithful sketch of each voice and not as a measurement of it.
On what they cost to fill a board, the Gateron Black is budget friendly, while the Kailh BOX Black is mid priced. Neither is factory lubed, so enthusiasts often hand lube both for the smoothest result.
Answer the use case and the switch follows. Games point at the Kailh BOX Black, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. Writing points at the Gateron Black, since nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. A shared room points at the Gateron Black, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. Match the trims above, play both, and trust whichever one you keep replaying.
Want the full story on either switch? Read the dedicated Gateron Black page and the Kailh BOX Black page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Gateron Black or the Kailh BOX Black?
We pick the Kailh BOX Black for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Gateron Black or Kailh BOX Black: 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 Gateron Black leans toward firm, deeper clack with a planted landing, while the Kailh BOX Black is firm, clean clack with no rattle.
Which switch is heavier, the Gateron Black or the Kailh BOX Black?
Neither: they match at actuation and at bottom-out alike (60 g at actuation), so any difference in feel comes from the stroke rather than the spring. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those numbers are our own derivation from the forces they do publish.
Which is cheaper to fill a board with, the Gateron Black or the Kailh BOX Black?
The Gateron Black sits in the budget friendly bracket and the Kailh BOX Black in the mid priced one. We do not hold a reliable per-switch price for both, so the bracket is the honest answer rather than a total.
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