Kailh Choc Brown V1 vs Kailh Choc V2 Red
The Kailh Choc Brown V1 and the Kailh Choc V2 Red are not the same kind of switch, so this comparison is settled by which stroke you want before a single number matters. Our switch library already points each of these at the other. Hear them back to back below with the trims matched before you read a single number.
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 Choc Brown V1 | Kailh Choc V2 Red |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 50 g | 50 g |
| Bottom-out force | 60 g (our estimate) | not published |
| Pre-travel | 1.5 mm | 1.3 mm |
| Total travel | 3 mm | 3.2 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | No | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| 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 figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation and not a manufacturer number, because Kailh publishes no bottom-out figure for the Kailh Choc Brown V1. How that derivation works .
Verdict
Feel is the headline difference here: the Kailh Choc Brown V1 is a tactile switch while the Kailh Choc V2 Red is a linear, and that shapes every keystroke. Check your board first: the Kailh Choc Brown V1 does not use an MX style stem, so the two are not interchangeable in the same keyboard. Both are rated 50 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each, so the spec sheet will not settle weight. The scoring splits them: the Kailh Choc V2 Red for gaming, the Kailh Choc Brown V1 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Choc V2 Red
- Typing pick
- Kailh Choc Brown V1
- Office pick
- Kailh Choc Brown V1
Force curves
Kailh Choc Brown V1
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.
Kailh Choc V2 Red
Kailh publishes no bottom-out force for this switch, so the dashed end of the curve is an estimate, not a spec. Everything up to actuation comes from the published numbers.
Kailh Choc Brown V1 or Kailh Choc V2 Red: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. The Kailh Choc Brown V1 is a tactile and the Kailh Choc V2 Red is a linear, so the Kailh Choc V2 Red runs smooth the whole way down while the Kailh Choc Brown V1 raises a bump at the point it registers. They land on the same 50 g at actuation. That is the only measuring point with a figure for each of them, and bottom-out is exactly where two switches matched at actuation tend to separate. Kailh publishes no bottom-out figure, so treat that 60 g as our estimate. On distance the Kailh Choc V2 Red registers at 1.3 mm against 1.5 mm, and the full stroke runs 3.0 mm on the Kailh Choc Brown V1 against 3.2 mm on the Kailh Choc V2 Red. Settle the stroke you want to live with first and treat everything below as a tiebreak.
Sound is where most people finally pick a side. Played back to back, the Kailh Choc Brown V1 is small sharp tick; compact tactile feedback against shallow clack with a touch more body than V1 from the Kailh Choc V2 Red. These demos are synthesized from published specs and documented character rather than studio recordings, which every player on the site says plainly.
On what they cost to fill a board, both are mid priced. Neither is factory lubed, so enthusiasts often hand lube both for the smoothest result. One compatibility warning: the Kailh Choc Brown V1 does not use an MX style stem, so it will not drop into a standard hot-swap board or accept ordinary MX keycaps.
This one genuinely splits. The Kailh Choc V2 Red for games, because there is no event in the middle of the stroke to fight on a fast repeat. The Kailh Choc Brown V1 for writing, since the bump tells your fingers the key registered, which is most of what typists want. The Kailh Choc Brown V1 for an office, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. Do the listening first. It costs nothing and it changes minds more often than a spec table does.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Kailh Choc Brown V1 page and the Kailh Choc V2 Red page, or test how your current keyboard performs with our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Kailh Choc Brown V1 or Kailh Choc V2 Red for gaming?
We pick the Kailh Choc V2 Red for gaming. A linear stroke means nothing sits between one press and the next, and rapid inputs are where that pays.
Which of the Kailh Choc Brown V1 and the Kailh Choc V2 Red is quieter in a shared room?
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 Kailh Choc Brown V1 leans toward small sharp tick; compact tactile feedback, while the Kailh Choc V2 Red is shallow clack with a touch more body than V1.
Is the Kailh Choc Brown V1 heavier than the Kailh Choc V2 Red?
Neither, as far as the published numbers go: both are rated 50 g at actuation, the only measuring point with a published figure for each. Bottom-out is where two switches matched at actuation often diverge, but neither switch here has a published bottom-out figure at all. Treat this as a tie on the spec sheet rather than a proven match in the hand.
Can the Kailh Choc Brown V1 and the Kailh Choc V2 Red go in the same keyboard?
No. The Kailh Choc Brown V1 does not use an MX style stem, so it needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps, while the Kailh Choc V2 Red is a standard MX switch. Whichever you pick decides the keyboard, not the other way round.
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