Guide
How to choose keyboard switches: linear, tactile or clicky?
By Noa, founder of Keyforge · · 4 min read
The switch is the part you feel with every keystroke. Before you get lost in colours and model names, three questions are enough to narrow things down: what feel, how much force, how much noise.
Linear, tactile or clicky: three different feels
Under each key, a stem slides inside a small housing and compresses a spring. Partway down, it brings two metal leaves into contact: that is the actuation point, the moment the keystroke is sent to the computer. What sets the three families apart is what you feel — and hear — on the way there.
| Type | Feel | Noise | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear | Smooth from top to bottom, no bump | Quiet: most of the sound comes from bottoming out | Gaming, fast typing, deep sound |
| Tactile | A bump just before actuation | Moderate | Heavy typing, office work |
| Clicky | A sharp bump and a crisp click | Loud, high-pitched | Typing alone, fans of audible feedback |
A tactile bump is not an obstacle: it tells you the key has registered, and many people end up no longer pressing all the way down, which is easier on the fingers. A linear switch keeps the motion uninterrupted — which is why it dominates among gamers. A clicky switch adds a dedicated click mechanism: fun, but heard across the room.
Force: how many grams under your finger
Spec sheets usually list the actuation force, in grams (g) or centinewtons (cN) — the two are close, 1 cN weighs about 1 g. Some also give the bottom-out force, which is always higher: the spring compresses as you press further.
- 35 to 45 g: light, fast and easy on the fingers — but more typos when a finger rests too heavily.
- 45 to 55 g: the sweet spot, where most switches sit.
- 60 g and up: firm, forgiving of resting fingers, more effort over a long day.
The spring matters as much as the number: a long or progressive spring gives a smoother build-up of force and a snappier return. Two switches with the same rating can feel very different.
Travel and actuation point
A standard switch offers about 4 mm of total travel, with actuation around 2 mm. That is the reference everything else is compared to.
- Speed switches actuate earlier, around 1 to 1.5 mm: popular for gaming, less forgiving of accidental touches.
- Long-pole switches have a longer stem that bottoms out sooner: shorter travel, a sharper and louder bottom-out.
- Low-profile switches shorten everything, but need keycaps and a board designed for them.
Materials, lubrication and sound
Housings and stems are not made from the same plastic from one model to the next, and you can hear it. As a rule of thumb, a nylon housing sounds deeper and more muted, a polycarbonate one brighter — and it lets backlighting shine through. Stems in POM and polyethylene blends are known for their smoothness.
Lubrication does the rest: it removes scratchiness and spring ping. Many switches now come factory-lubed; lubing them yourself is possible, but plan two to three hours for a full board.
To go further, Mechanical keyboard sound explains what each part contributes to the sound.
Mechanical, electrocapacitive, magnetic
The vast majority of switches follow the MX format: a cross-shaped stem that nearly every keycap fits onto, and two metal pins (3-pin version), sometimes with two extra plastic posts for stability (5-pin version).
Electrocapacitive switches detect a keystroke without metal contact, through a change in capacitance. They are known for their smoothness, muted sound and durability — but need a circuit designed for them, and do not always take MX-stem keycaps. Magnetic (Hall effect) switches track the key position with a magnet: the actuation point becomes adjustable, a real edge in competitive gaming — again, only with a compatible board.
How to choose without regrets
- Start from how you use it. Gaming: a light linear. Office and writing: tactile. Sound for its own sake, alone in your room: clicky.
- Set a force range — 45 to 55 g if in doubt.
- Check compatibility: MX format, 3 or 5 pins, hot-swap sockets or a solder PCB.
- Buy a few extra: one switch per key plus spares — 70 for a 65%, 90 for a TKL.
- Try before you commit: on a hot-swap board, a handful of each type is enough to decide.
The size of your keyboard also sets how many switches you need: see which mechanical keyboard size to choose.