Kailh BOX Brown vs TTC Bluish White
One of these is ready out of the bag and one is a project: the TTC Bluish White comes factory lubed, the Kailh BOX Brown does not. 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 | Kailh BOX Brown | TTC Bluish White |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Tactile |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 45 g | 42 g |
| Bottom-out force | 60 g (our estimate) | 50 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.8 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 3.6 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | Yes |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Kailh and TTC 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. The two figures marked "our estimate" are our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because neither Kailh nor TTC publishes a bottom-out figure. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
This is a tactile versus tactile contest: the Kailh BOX Brown and the TTC Bluish White share the same stroke character, which makes the smaller spec gaps decisive. Only the TTC Bluish White arrives factory lubed, which is an evening of work saved on a full board. Their springs sit close together, just 3 g apart at actuation, with the Kailh BOX Brown the marginally firmer press. Split by use: the Kailh BOX Brown for gaming, the TTC Bluish White for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh BOX Brown
- Typing pick
- TTC Bluish White
- Office pick
- TTC Bluish White
Force curves
Kailh BOX Brown
Kailh publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 60 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.
TTC Bluish White
TTC publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the 50 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 Brown or TTC Bluish White: the long answer
Start with what you will have to do to them, not with how they feel. Both are mid priced. Factory lube is on the TTC Bluish White alone. Budget the extra time if you pick the Kailh BOX Brown and want it at its best.
That leaves the stroke itself. Type is not the difference here. Both are tactiles, and both raise a bump close to the point the press registers. Spring weight barely separates them, 3 g at actuation with the Kailh BOX Brown on the firmer side, which most fingers will not register. Neither the trigger point nor the depth matches: 1.8 mm to actuation on the Kailh BOX Brown against 2.0 mm, and 3.5 mm of total travel on the TTC Bluish White against 3.6 mm. None of these gaps is large. Stack them up and they still point somewhere, but gently.
Sound decides more of these arguments than force curves do. The Kailh BOX Brown sits at muted, rounded tap; tidy and controlled; the TTC Bluish White answers with poppy muted tap with a big rounded bump. As everywhere on the site, these are simulations built from published specifications and documented character. Accurate enough to compare, not a recording.
The picks split by use. Take the Kailh BOX Brown 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 TTC Bluish White 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 TTC Bluish White 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.
There is more on both than a head-to-head can carry. Start with the Kailh BOX Brown page and the TTC Bluish White page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for gaming, the Kailh BOX Brown or the TTC Bluish White?
We pick the Kailh BOX Brown for gaming. Honestly either is fine here. It takes the nod once the scoring is added up, and only just.
Which of the Kailh BOX Brown and the TTC Bluish White is quieter in a shared room?
Nothing in either one is built to reduce noise, so on raw volume this is a tie decided by your keyboard rather than your switch. What you will actually hear is a difference of pitch and texture, which the player above shows better than a sentence can.
Is the Kailh BOX Brown heavier than the TTC Bluish White?
The Kailh BOX Brown, by 3 g. Both figures are published at actuation, 45 g against 42 g, so they are measured at the same point and can be read straight.
Do the Kailh BOX Brown and the TTC Bluish White need lubing?
The TTC Bluish White arrives lubed from the factory, so it is usable straight out of the bag. The Kailh BOX Brown does not, and on a full board that is an evening of work if you want it at its smoothest. Plenty of people run unlubed switches happily; it is a question of whether a slightly drier stroke bothers you.
More comparisons
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Or browse every switch comparison on the site.