Kailh Speed Copper vs Kailh Speed Silver
The Kailh Speed Copper and the Kailh Speed Silver 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 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 Speed Copper | Kailh Speed Silver |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Tactile | Linear |
| Brand rates force at | actuation | actuation |
| Actuation force | 40 g | 40 g |
| Bottom-out force | not published | 60 g (our estimate) |
| Pre-travel | 1.1 mm | 1.1 mm |
| Total travel | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Silent (dampened) | No | No |
| Factory lubed | No | No |
| MX-compatible stem | Yes | Yes |
| Price tier | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Street price | varies | varies |
Kailh advertises an actuation force for both of these, so the two headline figures in this table are measured at the same point and can be read against each other. Kailh publishes no bottom-out figure for the Kailh Speed Silver, so the figure marked "our estimate" is our own derivation from the forces that are published rather than a rating. How we derive a bottom-out figure .
Verdict
Feel is the headline difference here: the Kailh Speed Copper is a tactile switch while the Kailh Speed Silver is a linear, and that shapes every keystroke. Actuation is the only row with a figure for each of them, and both figures read 40 g. What really separates them is sound, with the Kailh Speed Copper tending toward bright early tap; the bump arrives immediately and the Kailh Speed Silver toward short, sharp clack that fires early. The scoring splits them: the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming, the Kailh Speed Copper for typing and a shared office.
- Gaming pick
- Kailh Speed Silver
- Typing pick
- Kailh Speed Copper
- Office pick
- Kailh Speed Copper
Force curves
Kailh Speed Copper
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 Speed Silver
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 Speed Copper or Kailh Speed Silver: the long answer
The table above already holds the answer. Here is what it means under a finger. The Kailh Speed Copper is a tactile and the Kailh Speed Silver is a linear, so the Kailh Speed Silver runs smooth the whole way down while the Kailh Speed Copper raises a bump at the point it registers. Weight looks like a tie, 40 g each at actuation, but without a bottom-out figure for each of them there is nothing to check it against. Kailh publishes no bottom-out figure, so treat that 60 g as our estimate. The two stroke depths are identical, 1.1 mm to actuation inside 3.5 mm of total travel. No spec under this one outranks it, so answer the bump question before you weigh anything else.
Sound decides more of these arguments than force curves do. Through the A/B player above, the Kailh Speed Copper comes through as bright early tap; the bump arrives immediately, while the Kailh Speed Silver reads as short, sharp clack that fires early. Worth repeating: the audio here is a simulation built from specs and community descriptions, not a recording of either switch.
On price and practicality, both are mid priced. Neither is factory lubed, so enthusiasts often hand lube both for the smoothest result.
All three questions get different answers on this pair. Fast inputs: the Kailh Speed Silver, because there is no event in the middle of the stroke to fight on a fast repeat. A long draft: the Kailh Speed Copper, since a felt confirmation on every press is what stops a typist bottoming out all day. A room with other people in it: the Kailh Speed Copper, as it is the quieter of the two once the room is listening. The player above is the cheapest part of this decision, so use it before your wallet is involved.
For either one on its own terms, read the Kailh Speed Copper page and the Kailh Speed Silver page. Or leave switches aside for a minute and run your current keyboard through the free keyboard tester.
Frequently asked questions
Kailh Speed Copper or Kailh Speed Silver for gaming?
We pick the Kailh Speed Silver for gaming. On a fast repeat the tactile bump on the Kailh Speed Copper is one event too many, and the linear does not have it.
Is the Kailh Speed Copper quieter than the Kailh Speed Silver?
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.
Kailh Speed Copper vs Kailh Speed Silver: which one is the heavier press?
Neither, as far as the published numbers go: both are rated 40 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.
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