Okay, so I’ve been messing around with mechanical keyboards for a while now, and I always hear people talking about “the best switches.” Like, there’s this whole world of different switches out there, and it can get pretty overwhelming. So, I decided to do my own little experiment to see what all the fuss was about.
First, I gathered a bunch of different switch types. I’m talking about the popular ones like Cherry MX Browns, Reds, Blues… you know, the usual suspects. I also snagged some of the more “boutique” ones like Gateron Inks and even some Topre switches (those are a whole different beast!).
Testing Everything Out
Then came the fun part – actually trying them out. I swapped them into my hot-swappable keyboard (thank goodness for hot-swap!) and just started typing. I typed up emails, I played some games, I even just mashed on the keys randomly to get a feel for them.
Here’s a super rough breakdown of what I found:
- Cherry MX Browns: These felt okay. Kinda scratchy, like there’s a little bump when you press them. Not bad, but not amazing either.
- Cherry MX Reds: Super smooth, no bump at all. Great for gaming, maybe a little too easy to accidentally press for typing.
- Cherry MX Blues: CLICKY! Oh man, these are loud. Satisfying to press, but my wife would probably kill me if I used these all the time.
- Gateron Inks (Black): Buttery smooth. Like, seriously smooth. These felt really nice to type on, a big step up from the Cherry Reds.
- Topre: Whoa. These are different. It’s like a rubber dome, but way, way better. Kind of a “thock” sound, very unique. Hard to describe!
For real, After my own experiment, I think the “best” switch is completely subjective. It all comes down to personal preference. I get that that is all I needed.
But, after all my testing, I personally fell in love with the Gateron Inks. They just felt so good to type on. I’ve been using them ever since, and I haven’t looked back.
So, if you’re looking to get into mechanical keyboards, don’t get too hung up on finding “the best” switch right away. Just try a bunch of different ones and see what feels good to you. That’s really the only way to know for sure!