Kailh Choc Red V1 vs Kailh Choc V2 Red
The Kailh Choc Red V1 and the Kailh Choc V2 Red do not fit the same keyboard, so this comparison starts with what you already own rather than with how either one sounds. 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 | Kailh Choc Red V1 | Kailh Choc V2 Red |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Linear | 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. Kailh publishes no bottom-out figure for the Kailh Choc Red V1, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How that derivation works .
Verdict
Kailh is on both sides of this one and both are linears, so the question is which of its own linears suits you. These are not drop-in alternatives to each other. The Kailh Choc Red V1 needs a board built for it and will not take ordinary MX keycaps. Actuation is the only row with a figure for each of them, and both figures read 50 g. By use case, then: the Kailh Choc V2 Red for gaming, the Kailh Choc Red V1 for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Choc V2 Red
- Typing pick
- Kailh Choc Red V1
- Office pick
- Kailh Choc Red V1
Force curves
Kailh Choc Red 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 Red V1 or Kailh Choc V2 Red: the long answer
This pair has a fit problem to clear before feel or sound matter. The Kailh Choc Red V1 does not use an MX style stem, so it will not drop into a standard hot-swap board or accept ordinary MX keycaps. Both are mid priced. Neither is factory lubed, so enthusiasts often hand lube both for the smoothest result.
That leaves the stroke itself. Both are linears, so neither one puts a bump or a click in the way of the press and the argument moves to the numbers. 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. Travel differs at both ends, with the Kailh Choc V2 Red registering first at 1.3 mm and the Kailh Choc V2 Red running deepest at 3.2 mm. Neither one out-feels the other on type, so the small differences in the table are where the decision lives.
The ears usually get the last word here. Put them through the player above and the Kailh Choc Red V1 lands as thin, shallow clack; the sound of ergo split boards everywhere where the Kailh Choc V2 Red lands as shallow clack with a touch more body than V1. One caveat we repeat wherever a player appears: no studio recording sits behind either of these. They are built from what each maker publishes and what the community reports.
So who should buy which? For gaming we lean toward the Kailh Choc V2 Red, because this axis is nearly a tie, and it comes out ahead only once the scoring is added up. For long typing sessions the Kailh Choc Red V1 makes the stronger case, since nothing about it gets tiring by the afternoon, which is the whole test for a writing switch. And if your keyboard shares a room with other people, the Kailh Choc Red V1 is the one we would trust, as it is the one of these two you would not apologize for. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
Each of these has a page of its own with the full spec sheet and the sound notes. Start with the Kailh Choc Red V1 page and the Kailh Choc V2 Red page. If you are here to check the board you already own, use our free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
For gaming, should I buy the Kailh Choc Red V1 or the Kailh Choc V2 Red?
We pick the Kailh Choc V2 Red for gaming. The two are close enough for gaming that either works; our scoring defaults to it by a small margin.
Kailh Choc Red V1 or Kailh Choc V2 Red: 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 Kailh Choc Red V1 leans toward thin, shallow clack; the sound of ergo split boards everywhere, while the Kailh Choc V2 Red is shallow clack with a touch more body than V1.
Kailh Choc Red V1 vs Kailh Choc V2 Red: which one is the heavier press?
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 Red V1 and the Kailh Choc V2 Red go in the same keyboard?
No. The Kailh Choc Red 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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