The MX2A Red is Cherry's current take on the classic MX Red: the linear switch most beginners meet first. It presses straight down with no tactile bump and no click: smooth, light (45 cN) and quiet compared to a clicky switch. The MX2A generation is factory-lubed and uses a dust-proof stem for smoother travel. Reds are a sensible default for typing and gaming alike, and because the MX cross stem is the hobby's universal standard, they fit almost any keycap set and hot-swap board.
An MX2A-generation silent linear with an RGB-friendly clear housing, aimed at boards with per-key lighting where a milky housing would muddy the colour. 45 gf, 1.6 mm pre-travel, and an extra-polished top housing that Cherry uses to smooth the stem's travel rather than relying on lubricant. The vendor lists a 100 gf bottom-out force, which is implausible for a switch that actuates at 45 gf and is almost certainly a typo, so that figure is deliberately not recorded here.
Gateron's EF line builds the silencing into the switch rather than adding pads after the fact, which is why it stays firmer at the bottom than most silent switches manage. 50 gf on a full 4 mm of travel. Worth considering if you have tried silent switches and found them too soft: this is the version that keeps some definition, while staying quiet enough for a shared room.
The lighter sibling of the G Pro 3.0 Yellow, and the better first switch for anyone who finds most keyboards tiring. It actuates at 45 gf and bottoms out around 50 gf, so the press is short on resistance from top to bottom: fast to type on, and easy to rest your fingers on without triggering a key. Same construction as the rest of the G Pro 3.0 line, a POM stem in a polycarbonate top and nylon bottom housing on a stainless steel spring, and factory lubed before it ships. Pick the Red over the Yellow if you type all day, or if a heavier switch has ever made your hands ache.
Gateron's third revision of the G Pro Yellow, and the switch most often recommended as a first upgrade from whatever came in the box. It is a plain linear: no bump, no click, 50 gf to actuate and 67 gf to bottom out, which is light enough to type on all day and heavy enough not to trigger by accident. The interest is in what Gateron does before it ships. The stem is POM in a polycarbonate top and nylon bottom housing, the spring is 15.4 mm stainless steel, and it arrives factory lubed, so it feels smooth out of the packet rather than after an evening with a brush. That combination is why it turns up in so many builds: it is the closest thing the hobby has to a default.
The Ink housing is Gateron's own plastic blend, and it is the reason this switch sounds the way it does: deeper and fuller than a standard nylon build, with almost none of the scratchiness a heavy linear usually develops. At 60 gf it is the heaviest switch in this index. That suits people who rest their fingers on the keys and hate accidental presses, and frustrates anyone hoping for a light, fast board.
The linear member of the KS-33 low-profile family, 45 gf with 1.7 mm of pre-travel and 3.0 mm total. Low profile means a different mount and different keycaps: KS-33 switches do not accept MX caps. POK on top is Gateron's harder, higher-pitched top housing material, and the switch is factory lubed.
Gateron's silent linear at a light 45 gf, and one of the easier ways to make a loud board quiet without rebuilding it. Silencing a switch means putting rubber where plastic would otherwise hit plastic, and that always costs a little crispness: the bottom-out feels slightly cushioned rather than firm. The KS-9 3.0 handles that trade better than most, helped by a dual-stage spring that keeps the press from going mushy near the end. A sensible pick for an office, or for anyone typing next to someone else.
A 45 gf linear with a polycarbonate top and a nylon bottom, the mixed housing that gives a fuller sound than an all-PC switch without going as deep as full nylon. Travel is 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm to the bottom, slightly shorter than the 4.0 mm MX standard. No bottom-out force is published.
One of the switches that built Gateron's reputation with enthusiasts rather than manufacturers. A heavy linear at 55 gf that bottoms out around 80, so it takes deliberate pressure and returns firmly, and the ink-style housing gives it the deep sound the hobby spent years chasing. Not a beginner switch: if you have only used a stock keyboard it will feel like hard work. If you already know you type heavily, this is the reference everything else gets compared to.
The heavier linear Smoothie at 48 gf, all POM housing and POM stem, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.7 mm total. Sits between Strawberry Smoothie at 40 gf and the tactile Chocolate at 55 gf if you are comparing within the line. Bottom-out force is not published.
A speed linear: 1.2 mm of pre-travel against the usual 2.0 mm, so it registers roughly a third of the way sooner than a standard MX switch. That is the whole point of the switch and the reason it is sold for gaming rather than typing, where a short pre-travel makes accidental presses easier. Weight is 45 gf and total travel 3.4 mm. Vendors describe the stem only as a proprietary material, so the field is blank here.
A 40 gf linear, factory lubed, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm total. Light enough to sit at the bottom of the usable range for typing without being a speed switch. Both vendors carrying it describe the housing with a template placeholder rather than a material, so housing and bottom-out force are blank rather than guessed.
The lightest linear in the Smoothie line at 40 gf, and the only one indexed here that keeps the full 4.0 mm MX travel. All-POM housing with a POM stem, the self-lubricating pairing the line is built around. No bottom-out force is published.
A light linear at 37 gf actuation and 42 gf bottom-out, so only 5 gf separates the two: the press stays close to the same weight all the way down, which is what people mean when they call an HMX switch flat. PA12 nylon on both halves is denser than the PA66 HMX uses elsewhere. Travel is 2.0 mm and 3.5 mm.
A 53 gf bottom-out linear in a PA66 top and HMX's P2 bottom, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.7 mm total. The actuation force is missing for a reason: the two shops carrying it quote 45 gf and 37 gf, an eight gram gap that no reading can reconcile, so neither figure appears here.
HMX has spent the last few years making the switches that enthusiasts actually recommend, and this is a representative one: 42 gf, a POK stem in a PA12 top and fibreglass-loaded nylon bottom, on a 22 mm long spring. The material choice is the point. POK on nylon is what gives HMX switches their characteristically dry, clacky sound rather than the deeper tone of an all-nylon build. Factory lubed thinly, which is the right amount.
One of three Retro switches indexed here, all 2.0 mm to actuation with the same polycarbonate top over a PA66 nylon bottom. The C is a 45 gf linear bottoming out at 50 gf, with 3.5 mm total travel. Retro C and Retro T share every published figure, so the difference between them is one HMX describes rather than specifies.
Part of HMX's Retro line, which aims at the sound of older switches without the roughness that came with them. 45 gf over 3.5 mm, so it bottoms out slightly sooner than a standard 4 mm switch and feels a touch more immediate. A safe, unshowy linear: the kind that gets recommended when someone asks what to put in a first custom build and does not want to think about it further.
A 45 gf linear bottoming out at 50 gf, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.5 mm total, in an all-PA66 nylon housing. Nylon on both halves is the deeper, quieter choice against the polycarbonate top used on the Retro C. Every published number matches the Retro C, so pick between them on housing rather than on feel figures.
A 42 gf linear bottoming out at 50 gf, factory lubed, with a full 3.8 mm of travel. The housing is liquid crystal polymer top and bottom, a stiffer and more dimensionally stable plastic than nylon or POM, which is unusual at this price and is the reason to look at this switch. Kailh describes the stem only as running new moulds, so that field is blank.
A 40 gf linear, factory lubed, bottoming out at 50 gf over 3.4 mm. The 10 gf spread between actuation and bottom-out is wider than the HMX linears in this batch, so the press firms up more noticeably as it goes down. No housing material is published by either vendor carrying it.
A light 40 gf linear bottoming out at 45 gf, factory lubed, 2.0 mm and 3.5 mm. The bottom housing is nylon loaded with 30 percent fibreglass, which Keygeek uses to stiffen the shell and raise the pitch of the bottom-out. A polycarbonate top over a filled-nylon bottom is the pairing most of the Keygeek line uses.
A 37 gf linear bottoming out at 42 gf, factory lubed, with a nylon stem rather than the usual POM. The bottom housing carries 50 percent fibreglass, the highest fill in this batch. Total travel is left out: one shop says 3.8 mm and the other 3.4 mm, and a 0.4 mm disagreement is too large to average.
A 42 gf linear bottoming out at 50 gf, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm total. Sits between Cheese V2 at 40 gf and Y2 at 48 gf in the Keygeek range, with a 40 percent fibreglass bottom housing between their 30 and the Full Nylon's 50. Neither vendor states whether it ships lubed.
The heaviest Keygeek linear indexed here: 48 gf to actuate, 53 gf at the bottom, factory lubed, 3.6 mm of travel. The stem is a UPE blend rather than POM, and hollowed at the tip, both choices aimed at the sound rather than the weight. PA12 housing top and bottom.
At 32 gf this is the lightest switch in the index, light enough that resting your hands on the board can press a key. Factory lubed, 2.0 mm to actuation, 3.8 mm total, with a spherical stem tip. Bottom-out force is blank because both shops print 32 gf for it as well, and a spring cannot weigh the same at the top of its travel as at the floor.
The lightest of KTT's Baby series at 40 gf, bottoming out around 45, so the whole press happens in a narrow band of force and feels almost frictionless. KTT's appeal is that this smoothness used to cost considerably more. Good for long typing sessions, and a poor match for anyone who rests their fingers heavily on the home row.
A short-travel linear built for speed: 1.3 mm of pre-travel, so the key registers barely into the press, and 3.5 mm total. That combination is aimed at gaming, where the distance to actuation matters more than how the switch sounds. At 48 gf it is not light, which stops the short travel turning into constant mistypes. A specialist choice, and honest about it.
A silent linear built around a POM and TPE composite stem, where the TPE does the dampening rather than separate pads. 43 gf to actuate and 55 gf to bottom out, so the press builds noticeably towards the end instead of staying flat. The quietest category of switch there is, and priced low enough that silencing a full board does not become a project in itself.
A middleweight linear at 45 gf with a 50 gf bottom-out and 1.9 mm of pre-travel, which is a very ordinary specification and meant as a compliment. Nothing here is unusual, which makes it a sensible default when you want a board to feel normal rather than distinctive. The nylon bottom housing keeps the sound on the deeper side.
A 43 gf linear bottoming out at 49 gf with an unusually short 1.9 mm pre-travel, in a polycarbonate top over Owlab's modified P1 bottom. Total travel is missing: the two shops quote 3.5 mm and 3.6 mm. A tenth of a millimetre is small enough to be a rounding difference and large enough that neither number is worth printing as fact.
A five-pin linear with a polycarbonate top, PA66 nylon bottom and a listed 23mm spring. TTC specifies factory lubrication, 1.6mm pre-travel and 3.6mm total travel. The shop URL contains tactile, but its V2 specification explicitly identifies the switch as linear. Stem material and actuation force are left blank because similarly named listings differ on polymer and force units; confirm the exact revision before ordering.
A factory-lubed five-pin linear with POM top and bottom housings and an extended, dust-proof POK stem. TTC lists 45 gf operating force, 53 gf bottom-out, 2.0mm pre-travel and 3.6mm total travel. These figures describe the Flaming Red V2 rather than an unspecified red switch. Check the board supports its five-pin arrangement and choose the pack quantity at the shop before comparing costs.
A five-pin linear with a polycarbonate top, PA66 nylon bottom and a stem identified by the retailer as P3. TTC lists 1.8mm pre-travel and 3.6mm total travel; the retailer also lists a 22mm spring and light-guide window. Actuation force is left blank because the sources mix gf, g and cN labels. The P3 code is not expanded into an unverified polymer name or used to predict sound.
A factory-lubed linear listed at 43g actuation with 3.8mm total travel, a polycarbonate top and nylon bottom. The checked Milktooth offer is for ten switches. Bottom-out force and pre-travel are not recorded, and the listing's NPI stem-material code is left uninterpreted. This entry covers Gold Red Pro specifically; similarly named Golden Red versions should not be treated as interchangeable without checking the exact product.
A five-pin linear with a published 37 gf operating force, 2.0mm pre-travel and 4.0mm total travel. TTC specifies a POM bottom housing and dust-proof POM stem, with factory lubrication. The checked text does not identify the top-housing material or bottom-out force, so neither is inferred from appearance. Compare this exact V3 listing when shopping; the Golden Pink name also appears on earlier revisions.
A factory-lubed linear with a transparent stem and housings, a listed 24mm spring, 1.6mm pre-travel and 3.6mm total travel. The maker gives 45 gf as initial force, which is not recorded as actuation or bottom-out force. It does not name the transparent polymers in the checked text, so the material fields remain blank. Check the exact product and mounting arrangement before choosing it for a board.
A five-pin linear with POM top and bottom housings, a dust-proof POM stem and factory lubrication. TTC lists 41 gf operating force, 1.4mm operating travel and 3.8mm total travel. Bottom-out force is not recorded in the checked text. The shop uses rapid-trigger wording, but this mechanical switch listing does not establish adjustable actuation or Hall effect board compatibility. Confirm support for its five-pin mounting arrangement.
A factory-lubed linear with a POM top housing, polycarbonate bottom and POM stem. The listed 41 gf actuation and 50 gf bottom-out are lighter than the Venus figures, while total travel is the same 3.8mm. The five-pin housing needs a compatible PCB or hot-swap socket arrangement; a matching MX-style keycap stem does not establish board compatibility. Sold in packs of ten.
A silent linear with polycarbonate top and bottom housings, a POM stem and factory lubrication. Both consulted product descriptions list 43g bottom-out and 3.5mm travel. Actuation is left blank because the Mechanical Keyboards page mixes g and cN labels for that figure. Check the V2 version and three-pin mounting arrangement when comparing sellers. Silent describes the switch design, not a measured noise level for your assembled board.
A five-pin linear listed with a POM stem, factory lubrication and a 22mm spring. Its nominal pre-travel is 1.6mm and total travel is 3.6mm. The maker describes double-gold contacts. Force is left unrecorded because the corporate table calls 42 gf operating force while the shop calls it initial force. This entry covers V3 specifically, rather than the earlier Speed Gold revisions.
A linear revision with a published 45 gf operating force, 3.4mm nominal total travel and a dual-spring design. TTC lists factory lubrication and dust protection around the stem. Pre-travel is left blank because the manufacturer page gives conflicting figures. Pin-count descriptions also differ between listings, so check the exact switch and PCB arrangement before ordering rather than relying on the V2 name alone.
A factory-lubed linear sharing Neptune's POM top, polycarbonate bottom and 3.8mm total travel, but listed at 45 gf actuation and 52 gf bottom-out. Its 1.8mm pre-travel is a switch specification, not a measurement of keyboard latency. Check the board's support for a five-pin mechanical switch before ordering. Milktooth sells ten switches per order, so quantity must be planned in packs.
Wingtree's first switch built to an outside studio's specification: WJBY set the molds, the material blend and the lube, where earlier Wingtree switches were stock designs. A PC top over a PA66 bottom, a modified UPE stem, 42 gf actuation and 52 gf bottom-out across 3.6 mm of travel. It is the most widely stocked Wingtree linear checked for this index, sold in five markets. At 42 gf it is mid-weight, noticeably heavier than the 37 gf Coral.
A thocky-leaning linear with a PC top, a PA66 bottom and a UPE stem, on a 22 mm single-stage spring that gives 45 gf actuation and 53 gf bottom-out over 3.6 mm. Designed by Hitune on one of Wingtree's newer molds. Only one of the shops checked for this index sells it, so it is harder to buy locally than most Wingtree linears.
A full-travel, long-pole linear designed by Wuhai Studio: 4.0 mm in total, 2.0 mm to actuation, PA66 top and bottom, and a modified POM stem with a flat tip. It comes in several spring weights, from 48 gf to 58 gf bottom-out, and either factory lubed or dry, so the force and lubrication fields are left blank here. Check which weight and finish you are ordering.
A light, short linear built for fast typing: 1.4 mm to actuation, 3.4 mm in total, 37 gf actuation and 43 gf bottom-out. PC top, a PA66 bottom with fiberglass, and a UPE stem, designed by Ruben Studio. The 1.4 mm actuation point is shallow enough that resting fingers can trigger keys, so heavy-handed typists may be better served by the 277 or the VDV.
A linear on a revised version of the mold behind Wingtree's Yuying Black, designed by YG Studio: PA66 top and bottom, a modified POM stem, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm in total. It is sold in 42, 47 and 55 gf bottom-out at the same price, so the force fields are blank. The feel is deliberately a little scratchy rather than smooth, which is the thing to know before buying.
A lively linear designed by Shu: PC top, PA66 bottom, a UPE stem, and 45 gf actuation with 50 gf bottom-out on a 20 mm single-stage spring, over 3.6 mm. The small gap between actuation and bottom-out gives it a light, bouncy return. Of the shops checked, only an international store and a Canadian one carry it, so buyers elsewhere are ordering from abroad.
A linear with a PC top, a PA66 bottom and an LY stem, with 40 gf actuation and 45 gf bottom-out over a short 3.3 mm of travel. That combination makes it one of the lighter and shorter Wingtree linears in this index. No US-dollar price was found at the shops checked, and only Thai and German retailers stock it.
A factory-lubed linear designed by Zuoce Studio to keep the texture and sound of an older sandy-feeling switch rather than smoothing them away. PA66-blend housing, a POM-blend stem, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm in total on a 19 mm spring. Sold in two weights, 45 gf and 55 gf bottom-out, so the force fields are blank. It is textured on purpose; look elsewhere for a glassy-smooth linear.
A full-travel, long-pole linear designed by Xida Studio, with fiberglass-filled PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem and 4.0 mm of travel. It uses Wingtree's textured mold, so the stroke is deliberately scratchy and the sound bright. It is sold in several weights, both lubed and dry, and the two sources disagree on the spring, so force and lubrication are left blank. Check the variant before ordering.
A light linear designed by Xida Studio, notable for a light diffuser in the top housing that spreads RGB lighting. PC top, PA66 bottom, UPE stem, 1.8 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm in total. Unikeyboards sells very light weights, 32 gf and 43 gf bottom-out, while Keybay lists 50 gf, so the force fields are blank. Check the weight before ordering.
A Chiikawa-themed linear with a PC top, a PA66 microfiber bottom, 1.8 mm to actuation and 3.6 mm in total, and 37 gf actuation with 43 gf bottom-out on a 20 mm KOS spring. Light and short, so it will feel quick and easy to trigger. Stem material and lubrication are not stated by the only shop found selling it, in Indonesia, and no US-dollar price was found.
An everyday linear from Wingtree's own range: PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem, 40 gf actuation and 55 gf bottom-out over 3.7 mm, factory lubed. Its published specification is identical to the Yuying Linear's, figure for figure. Nothing in it is unusual, which makes it a sensible first custom linear, and it is stocked in the US, in Europe and internationally.
A silent linear on the Lichicx silencing design, with a silicone silencer built into the stem rather than separate dampening pads. PC top, modified PA66 bottom, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total. It is sold in two spring weights, 45 gf and 53 gf bottom-out, so the force figures are left blank here: pick the weight on the product page. Designed by Black Cat Studio.
A silent linear at 35 gf actuation and 45 gf bottom-out, factory lubed, 3.8 mm of travel. Silencing is done with silicone on the stem, so both the bottom-out and the return are damped, and the switch gives up some of the crispness a non-silent linear has in exchange. Light and quiet is a shared office combination rather than a sound-test one.
A light, short silent linear from the Wingtree and Lichicx line, with silicone dampening on the stem to quiet the bottom-out and the return. PC top, nylon bottom, POM stem, 40 gf actuation and 48 gf bottom-out, and only 2.9 mm of total travel on a 20 mm spring. Short travel plus damping makes each press shallow and soft: quiet, but it can feel mushy to fast typists.
A silent linear on the Lichicx design, with a silicone silencer built into the stem and a newer top-housing mold. PC top, modified PA66 bottom, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total, designed by XLLAB. It is sold in 42 gf and 53 gf bottom-out, so force is blank here. At 4.89 dollars for ten it costs more per switch than any other Wingtree switch priced in this index.
A Hall effect magnetic linear: PC top, PA66 bottom, POM stem, 45 gf actuation and 55 gf bottom-out over 3.6 mm, factory lubed. On a compatible magnetic board the actuation point is adjustable and rapid trigger is available. It will not register on an ordinary mechanical hot-swap board, which reads a metal contact leaf this switch does not have, so check your board first.
One of Wingtree's stock linears, with a thocky, clean sound, a light diffuser in the PC top, a PA66 bottom and a UPE stem, 1.8 mm to actuation and 3.5 mm in total. It is sold in two weights, 50 gf and 60 gf bottom-out, plus a hand-lubed option with longer springs, so the force fields are blank. The factory-lubed version is the one priced here.
A plain, dependable Wingtree linear: PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem, 40 gf actuation and 55 gf bottom-out over 3.7 mm, factory lubed. Its published specification is identical to the VDV's. Also sold hand-lubed with longer springs at a higher price; the factory-lubed version is the one priced here. Stocked internationally and in Australia and New Zealand.
The second version of the Yuying linear, on Wingtree's newer textured housing and stem molds, so the stroke is deliberately scratchy and the sound clacky. PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem, 42 gf actuation and 50 gf bottom-out, 1.8 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total, factory lubed. Buy the original Yuying Linear instead if you want a smoother press.
Cherry's silent tactile, and a departure from the company's reputation for restraint: 45 gf with a 1.9 mm pre-travel and a bump you can actually feel. Cherry's silencing is built into the stem and housing rather than added as pads, which is why it does not feel as damped as most silent switches. Factory lubed. If Cherry MX Brown always felt vague to you, this is the same idea done properly and quietly.
A tactile from Gateron's drinks series, light for a tactile at 40 gf and short overall at 3.4 mm. The polycarbonate housing runs top and bottom with a POM stem, the pairing Gateron reaches for when it wants a brighter sound than nylon gives. Two figures are missing on purpose: no vendor publishes a bottom-out force, and the pre-travel both of them quote is shorter than an MX tactile bump can physically sit, so it is left out rather than repeated.
The heaviest tactile in the Smoothie line at 55 gf, with an all-POM housing and POM stem. POM against POM is the self-lubricating combination, which is why the Smoothies are usually sold on smoothness rather than on a sharp bump. Bottom-out force is not published for this switch.
A low-profile tactile on Gateron's KS-33 platform, so it is not an MX switch and will not fit MX keycaps or a standard hot-swap socket. Everything is shorter than MX: 1.7 mm to actuation and 3.0 mm to the bottom, against roughly 2.0 and 4.0 on a full-height switch. At 50 gf it is the middle weight of the three KS-33 flavours indexed here, and it ships factory lubed.
The tactile version of the same silent housing, at 55 gf with a short 1.5 mm pre-travel, so the bump arrives early and the key registers soon after it. Tactile and silent is a harder combination than either alone, because the dampening that kills the noise also blunts the bump. This keeps enough of it to feel deliberate. Heavier than the Pink, and the right choice if you want feedback from a switch nobody else can hear.
Named after the tea, and part of the run of Gateron switches aimed at enthusiast taste rather than the retail shelf. 48 gf with a bump leading into a 55 gf bottom-out, on the full 4 mm of travel, so it feels roomier than the shorter-travel tactiles here. Middleweight, unfussy, and easy to live with over a long day.
At 59 gf this is one of the heavier tactiles in the index, in an all-nylon housing with a POM stem. Nylon on both halves is the quietest and deepest of Gateron's common housing choices. Total travel is 3.4 mm, noticeably short, so the switch reaches the bottom sooner than an MX-standard 4.0 mm. Bottom-out force is unpublished.
A very light tactile at 35 gf that still bottoms out around 52, and that wide gap is the whole point: the bump arrives early and gently, then the press firms up underneath it. Unusually forgiving for a tactile, where the common complaint is that the bump costs too much effort. HMX's material choices give it a dry, sharp sound rather than a muted one.
The tactile of the Retro set and the odd one out: 36 gf to actuate but 55 gf at the bottom, a 19 gf climb that is the steepest in this batch, over only 3.0 mm of travel. A light bump followed by a firm floor. Pre-travel is 2.5 mm, deeper than the 2.0 mm its linear siblings use.
A medium tactile at 48 gf rising to about 55 at the bottom. The bump sits early in the travel and is pronounced enough to be unmistakable without the sharpness some tactiles use to prove a point. Shorter total travel at 3.4 mm keeps the press feeling tight. A reasonable first tactile for someone coming from linears who wants to feel where the key registers.
A light silent tactile at 40 gf, which is unusual: most tactiles start heavier because the bump needs force behind it to be felt. The compromise here is a gentle bump rather than a sharp one, so it reads as texture in the travel rather than a distinct step. The same POM and TPE stem as the Phantom does the silencing. The vendor's spec block lists two actuation figures, so only the 40 gf from the product name is recorded.
A factory-lubed silent tactile with a polycarbonate top, nylon bottom and POM stem. The consulted listings agree on 50g bottom-out and 3.5mm total travel. Actuation is omitted because one retailer mixes g and cN labels. Choose this exact silent V2 listing rather than assuming every Bluish White version has the same damping and mounting arrangement. Milktooth lists the V2 as a three-pin switch, in packs of ten.
A short tactile with a P-shaped bump and a heavy 62 gf bottom-out against 42 gf actuation, over 3.3 mm of travel. PC top, PA66 bottom and a modified UPE stem with the rounded tip Wingtree uses on its long-pole tactiles. The gap between actuation and bottom-out is wide, so it suits people who type hard; light typists may find the end of the stroke stiff.
The shorter, higher-pitched sibling of the BM10. The bottom housing swaps PA66 for PC with fiberglass, and total travel drops to 2.9 mm, with 50 gf actuation and 56 gf bottom-out on a 20 mm spring. At that travel the bump and the bottom arrive close together. If you are used to 4 mm switches, try a few before filling a board: 2.9 mm feels abrupt at first.
A tactile with a light-to-medium bump and a lightly grainy feel, according to the one shop checked that sells it. Nylon top and bottom, 37 gf actuation and 3.8 mm of travel, factory lubed. Bottom-out force, pre-travel and stem material are not published there, so those fields are blank rather than estimated. Among the shops checked for this index, only one US retailer stocks it.
A tactile with a PC top, a PEI bottom that gives it the gold colour, and an LY stem, the first Wingtree switch to use one. Actuation is 45 gf and bottom-out 53 gf over a short 3.3 mm of travel, so the bump and the bottom arrive close together. Factory lubed, lightly on the stem legs and with dry film on the spring. Some shops list it as Golden Apple V2 PEI; it is the same switch. Try it before a full set if you are used to 4 mm travel.
The tactile version of the Matcha Cream, also by Zuoce Studio: a light bump, a PA66-blend housing, a POM-blend stem, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total. The lube is applied sparingly to keep the scratchy character while controlling noise. Two spring weights, 45 gf and 55 gf bottom-out, so the force fields are blank. The bump is light; for a strong tactile, look at the BM10 or the Yunie Tactile.
Wingtree's first custom light tactile, designed by SULAB on new molds rather than those of the Yuying Brown. PA66 housings with fiberglass, 10 percent in the top and 30 percent in the bottom, a POM stem, 2.4 mm to actuation and a full 4.0 mm in total. Sold in 48, 52 and 58 gf bottom-out, so the force fields are blank. A silent Puer Tea also exists and is a different switch.
A tactile with a gentle bump, a textured, grainy feel and a full 4.0 mm of travel, with a light 37 gf actuation and 46 gf bottom-out. Nylon top and bottom, factory lubed. Pre-travel and stem material are not published by the one shop checked, so those fields are blank. A German retailer sells a 4 mm Wingtree Purple Sprout Tea that may be the same switch; that could not be confirmed.
A tactile designed by Ruben Studio with a full PC housing and a UPE stem, 2.4 mm to actuation and 3.3 mm in total, leaning thocky rather than bright. Actuation and bottom-out are left blank because the two sources disagree: Divinikey lists 38 gf and 56 gf, Unikeyboards 45 gf and 55 gf. Treat both as unconfirmed until the maker publishes one figure.
A tactile at 42 gf actuation and 50 gf bottom-out, with the longest travel in this batch at a full 4.0 mm and a short 1.8 mm to the bump. All-nylon housing. The Light in the name is relative to the rest of the Torrero range rather than to tactiles generally: 42 gf is mid-weight for a tactile.
A silent light tactile from the Wingtree and Lichicx line: silicone dampening quiets both the bottom-out and the return while keeping a soft bump. PC top, nylon bottom, POM stem, 40 gf actuation and 55 gf bottom-out on a 16 mm spring, over 3.6 mm. Silent tactiles trade crispness for quiet, so the bump reads softer than on an undamped switch with the same figures.
A silent tactile with a large, HP-style bump, from the Wingtree and Lichicx line. Silicone dampening removes the bottom-out and return noise while the bump stays pronounced. PC top, nylon bottom, POM stem, 45 gf actuation and 52 gf bottom-out on a 16 mm spring over 3.6 mm. The bump is big for a silent switch, which makes it a poor pick for anyone after a subtle tactile.
A silent tactile designed by XLLAB with Lichicx: a refined bump, silicone dampening, a PC top, a PA66 bottom and a POM stem. It has 45 gf actuation and 53 gf bottom-out on a 22 mm spring over 3.8 mm, factory lubed with a mix of GPL 105 and 205. It is quiet enough for shared spaces, but the damping takes some of the sharpness off the bump compared with an undamped tactile.
A silent tactile on the classic Lichicx silent mold, designed by XLLAB, with a small bump and a silicone silencer in the stem. PC top, modified PA66 bottom, 2.0 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total. It is sold in 42 gf and 53 gf bottom-out, so the force fields are blank. The bump is small; anyone who wants obvious tactile feedback should look at the Taro or the Pumpkin instead.
A tactile with a large P-shaped bump that takes up most of the travel and ends in a very short linear stretch. Full PC housing, a UPE stem, 2.2 mm to actuation and 3.2 mm in total. It is sold in 60 gf and 63.5 gf bottom-out, plus a hand-lubed option, so force is blank. The bump is strong and the travel short, a combination light typists may find tiring over a long session.
A light tactile with a small bump in the manner of an MX Brown, on a long-pole stem that gives it a clacky sound. PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem, 45 gf actuation and 58 gf bottom-out, 2.4 mm to actuation and 3.7 mm in total, factory lubed. Two shops publish identical figures for it. If you want a pronounced bump, this is the wrong switch.
The tactile version of the Yuying V2, on the same textured molds, so it is scratchy and clacky by design. PA66 top and bottom, a POM stem, 42 gf actuation and 50 gf bottom-out, 1.8 mm to actuation and 3.8 mm in total, factory lubed. Its bump is light; anyone wanting a strong tactile should look at the Yunie Tactile or the BM10.
A low-profile clicky, which is an unusual thing to want and a very specific thing to enjoy. Total travel is 3.0 mm rather than the usual 4.0, so everything happens sooner, and at 60 gf the press is firm. The POK top and POM bottom housing give the click a harder, drier sound than a standard-height clicky. Only relevant if your board takes Gateron low-profile switches, which is worth checking before you buy.
A click-bar clicky switch with a partial-Box POM stem and polycarbonate top and bottom housings. TTC lists 1.6mm pre-travel and 3.7mm total travel for Brother V2; the retailer specifies five-pin PCB mounting and a 22mm spring. Actuation force is left blank because the sources mix gf, g and cN labels. No measured sound level, stem-wobble comparison or firsthand typing test is claimed.
