Gateron Ink Black V2 vs Kailh BOX Black
The Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Kailh BOX Black match on every force figure either brand publishes, which makes this a comparison of everything the spec sheet does not measure. Our library of every switch we simulate 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 | Gateron Ink Black V2 | 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 | Yes | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Premium | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Gateron and Kailh 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. 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 that derivation works .
Verdict
The Gateron Ink Black V2 and the Kailh BOX Black are both linears, so nothing separates them at the fingertip. 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. The Kailh BOX Black is the cheaper board to fill by a full bracket, mid priced against premium priced. Where we land: the Kailh BOX Black for gaming, the Gateron Ink Black V2 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh BOX Black
- Typing pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
- Office pick
- Gateron Ink Black V2
Force curves
Gateron Ink Black V2
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 Ink Black V2 or Kailh BOX Black: the long answer
Specs first, since the feel gap is what you notice in the first minute of typing. The springs match at both published points, 60 g at actuation and 70 g at bottom-out, so weight is off the table entirely. Neither Gateron nor Kailh publishes a bottom-out figure, so both of those are our estimates. The stroke itself is shared: both give you spring resistance and nothing else. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.8 mm to actuation on the Kailh BOX Black against 2.0 mm, and 3.6 mm of total travel on the Kailh BOX Black against 4.0 mm. On paper these are the same switch. The difference has to be somewhere the spec sheet does not reach.
The ears usually get the last word here. Through the A/B player above, the Gateron Ink Black V2 comes through as signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant, while the Kailh BOX Black reads as firm, clean clack with no rattle. 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, the Gateron Ink Black V2 is premium priced, while the Kailh BOX Black is mid priced. Only the Gateron Ink Black V2 comes factory lubed, so the Kailh BOX Black asks for either an evening with a brush or tolerance of a drier stroke.
The picks split by use. Take the Kailh BOX Black if games come first, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. Take the Gateron Ink Black V2 if the board is mostly a writing tool, since it holds the same feel from the first hour of writing to the last. Take the Gateron Ink Black V2 if other people have to sit near it, as it makes the least fuss of the pair in a shared space. 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 Gateron Ink Black V2 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
Is the Gateron Ink Black V2 or the Kailh BOX Black the better gaming switch?
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 Ink Black V2 or Kailh BOX Black: which one is quieter?
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 Gateron Ink Black V2 reading as signature deep-yet-clacky Ink voice; smooth and resonant against firm, clean clack with no rattle from the Kailh BOX Black.
Which has the heavier spring, the Gateron Ink Black V2 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 Ink Black V2 or the Kailh BOX Black?
The Kailh BOX Black sits in the mid priced bracket and the Gateron Ink Black V2 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
More vs Gateron Ink Black V2
More vs Kailh BOX Black
Or browse every switch comparison on the site.