Find the Best Tactile Switches for your Keyboard (Top Picks in 2023)

  • Brand Updates
  • Posted by: carson-rutz
  • Sep 9, 2022

You may feel so annoying if you continuously make typing mistakes. So, why don’t you get the best tactile mechanical switches for your mechanical keyboard?

However, there are numerous options to consider, so which ones are exactly the best?

To make it easier for you to choose the best tactile switches which meet your needs and preferences, we’ve listed the best tactile switches available right now in this post.

What is a tactile switch?

A key switch known as a tactile switch generates a bump or resistance whenever pressed.

Tactile switch | Ali express
Tactile switch | Ali express

These switches are intended to be audible, yet not so loud as to disrupt the environment around you. In fact, their sound can be very gratifying and give you a good level of pleasure.

In addition, they are generally used to enhance your typing performance and experience, which can greatly aid in encouraging accuracy when typing. For those who are new to keyboarding, getting the best tactile switches would be a fantastic choice.

If you are interested in other switches, we’ve put together everything about switch types in this Introduction to Mechanical Keyboard Switches and this type of switch comparison.

Should you use a tactile switch?

Tactile switches are ideal for beginners who are just dipping their toes into the world of mechanical keyboards. Without any clickety-clack sound like clicky switches, you will feel really nice to use the best tactile switches in workplaces.

Moreover, the tactile switches are also renowned for giving excellent feedback. The slight bump you feel on tactile switches can be an excellent way to prevent careless typing errors. Every time pressing a key, you would receive feedback; you would discover that no keypresses are missed.

As a result, the best tactile switches also help you improve your accuracy and precision during typing. It is smoother to type effectively without making misclicks because of how they feel and sound when you use them.

As a bonus, depending on the kind of switch you choose, the amount of tactile bump supplied varies, allowing you to simply decide how much tactility you actually want.

When compared to normal key switches, the tactile switches have a high level of endurance and provide you with one of the most surprising experiences ever.

Overall, for someone purchasing a mechanical keyboard for the first time, we highly recommend going with the best tactile switches.

Glorious Panda Switches

Brand Glorious PC Gaming Race
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 67g
Travel Distance 3.5mm
Price 0.69
Glorious Panda Switches | GBA Temp
Glorious Panda Switches | GBA Temp

The Glorious Panda switches are of the best tactile switches with the finest quality and offer exceptional tactility, completely living up to their reputation of being glorious. These Glorious Panda switches can be used for a variety of purposes, including typing, gaming, and just carrying out a professional job.

The switches have stems that go with bright golden and orange, making them shine out more. The switches resemble Holy Panda switches in terms of the housing and off-white color.

The Glorious Switches have succeeded in creating a tactile bump that is excellent proof of what a highly tactile switch should feel like while maintaining the switches’ functionality.

In terms of sound, the tactile bump of the Glorious Panda generates a mid-pitched snapping sound, although it is not as sharp as those of other highly tactile switches that compete with it.

The sound can be noticed during both the downstroke and upstroke travel. Besides, the minor scratch noises you notice with any normal typing pace are quickly drowned out by this snapping sound.

Additionally, the tactile switches’ strong actuation force should be still another compelling aspect in its favor, and typing on them does seem quite natural.

For those who prefer a really strong tactile bump that is more distinct than other switches on our list, we highly recommend Glorious Panda switches.

The switch does give you access to a high level of performance perfection at a reasonable price. Nevertheless, the feedback you get might just turn out to be the best tactile switches ever.

Boba U4T Tactile Switches

Brand GAZZEW
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 62g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.65
Gazzew Boba U4T | Nextrift
Gazzew Boba U4T | Nextrift

One of the major players in the mechanical keyboard industry, Outemu, produces the Boba U4T switches designed by Gazzew. The best tactile switches from Outemu are currently all the rage, which makes them fairly elusive online.

Boba U4T comes with both clear and opaque (RGB) housings.

From the overall look, the switches would be one of the best options for a workplace thanks to their quiet bump.

However, the outcome will astound you if you add a film and lubrication to Gazzew Boba U4T switches. The switches’ sound profile deepened significantly further. Indeed, lubricating them will take care of any high-pitched issues that may arise.

What is this brand’s plus side? The lengthy stem that serves as the Boba U4bottom-out T’s point is one of its distinguishing features. This results in a bottom that is broader, considerably more fulfilling, and thocky.

Additionally, due to the larger stem, the tactile bump is draggier and seems to last throughout the whole downstroke. The switch’s entire build is excellent, with nearly no rattle and excellent stem tolerances.

The Gazzew Boba U4T keyboard switch will be the best tactile switch for you if you enjoy a long, well-rounded tactile bump. Or else, a switch with a smaller bump will serve you better.

Zealios V2

Brand ZealPC
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 62g, 65g, 67g, and 78g
Price $1.10
Zealios V2
Zealios V2

For fans of tactile switches, the Zealios V2 switches are among the best tactile switches. Zealios V2 is a gem created by a collaboration between ZealPC and Gateron.

These switches are fairly heavy, and you have a variety of bottom-out pressures to select from 62g, 65g, 67g, and 78g.

The Zealios V2 has an audible but not overly loud tactile bump that is deep and clear. They sound mediocre because the tactile event is so abrupt that you can hear the reverb of the leaf flicking back into place. Additionally, the seamless and pleasant tactical feedback gives you just enough to continue typing.

Zealios V2s are akin to Holy Pandas, but they are bigger and stronger. Indeed, their tactile acuity is as least as sharp as a knife. They feature an out-of-the-box smooth P-Bump with no pre-travel and roughly 3 millimeters of post-travel.

The best tactile switches with excellent design, feel, and functionality like Zealios V2 is always sought-after. This is also a very affordable option (only $1.1 per switch)  if you’re going for a more economical build.

Drop Halo Clear Switches

Brand Kaihua
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 45g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.41
Drop Halo Clear Switches
Drop Halo Clear Switches

The Kaihua company produces Halo Clear switches, which are intended to resemble Cherry MX clears in terms of actuation force and spring weight. The clear housing of the switches allowing RGB illumination is just like their name.

The Clears emphasize using a spring that is “pre-loaded.” The tactile bump is placed at the beginning of the keystroke by the pre-loaded spring, allowing you to relax your fingertips on the keys without the switches triggering.

The resistance decreases once you reach the tactile bump and then raises as you near the finish of the keystroke.

When compared to typical tactile switches, the Clears offer a heavier feel with a 78g bottom-out force and 65g tactile force.

Furthermore, these switches will bring you a significant amount of experience with durable housing and construction with a long life of 80 million keystrokes and sturdy housing and construction.

After all, if you’re aiming to budget build, the Halo Clears is among the best tactile switches (costing about $0.6 per switch) with an RGB option.

Besides Halo Clear, Halo True is also a high-quality tactile switch manufactured by KaiHua, so which one is better for you? Read this article to find out the answer.

Durock T1 Switches

Brand JWK
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 67g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $1.29
Durock T1 Switches
Durock T1 Switches

If you’re searching for the best tactile switches with a heavy bump and a nice round, the Durock T1 switch is the way to go.

When typing or playing games, these switches from JWK give you very good tactile feedback.

In addition, the Durock T1s provide a very well-rounded tactile bump practically as soon as the key begins to move. Since they mimic the substance used in Gateron Ink switches, which rank among the smoothest linears, Durock T1s also possess unsurpassed smoothness.

However, they don’t offer the best sound and have quite flimsy housings. What you can do now is to fix them with the film. Because these switches are pre-lubricated with a thin layer of oil, lubrication is not necessary.

Overall, anyone searching for great, robust feedback paired with strong tactility should consider Durock T1. This is one of the best tactile switches if you have a medium budget yet want a crisp but not very forceful bump.

Cherry MX Brown Switch

Brand Cherry MX
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 55g
Travel Distance 2mm
Price $0.96
Cherry MX Brown | Ali express
Cherry MX Brown | Ali express

The Cherry MX Brown is the most common tactile switch available and is regarded as one of the best tactile switches with multiple purposes on the market today.

These have brown stems with steel springs and a black, nylon casing.

The Cherry MX Brown Switches are recommended for those who want a switch with a tactile bump, flexibility, moderate actuation force, as well as noiseless operation.

While some people remark that the tactile bump is essentially nonexistent, most people will find typing to be very comfortable and not finger-breaking.

These Brown Switches have a slight end bump that is noticeable but not bothersome. The tactile bump of the MX Brown switches also appeases customers who want a light and somewhat snappy experience. with the light feedback on both the upstroke and downstroke.

The Cherry MX Brown Switches’ black casing offers quiet, firm, and deep topping and bottoming out. Additionally, the thick, pure nylon housing creates a spectacular series of impacts that sound fantastic.

Besides, given their popularity, you should be able to see these switches on a variety of pre-built keyboards.

Furthermore, Cherry MX switches are the best tactile switches in terms of robustness and dependability. Prior to being delivered to the customer, they undergo stringent quality testing and are rated for over 100 million keystrokes.

Cherry MX Clear Switch

Brand Cherry MX
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 65g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.45
Cherry MX Clear Switch | Reddit
Cherry MX Clear Switch | Reddit

The Cherry MX Clear is the Cherry MX Brown’s younger sister; however, the Clear weighs a lot more and has a bigger bump. The tactility is fairly round and not too sharp.

The Cherry MX Clear can be a wonderful choice for you if you like to type a lot. Additionally, you may be sure of its great longevity because the Cherry MX brand stands behind it.

Since they are less popular than Cherry Brown switches, you will typically need to purchase the switch separately and put it into a keyboard by yourself.

There are still many more interesting things about the best tactile switches from Cherry brand, don’t miss out on this post: Cherry MX Switches: A Complete Color Review.

Kailh Speed Copper Switch

Brand Kailh
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 60g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.28
Kailh Speed Copper Switch | Scaff
Kailh Speed Copper Switch | Scaff

Another very reliable option for gaming in this list is Kailh Speed Copper. This switch has a milky white switch housing, a translucent color on the top housing, and a brown stem design.

Although the tactile bump is not as strong, it still provides excellent tactile feedback. Thanks to that, a very enjoyable gaming experience are provided by the quick and bumpy typing feedback together with the resulting thocky sound.

These switches would be a fantastic choice for someone who plays video games frequently because the Speed Copper switch has a little shorter travel distance, which can help you save time in games that need a split-second reaction time.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best tactile mechanical switches for increasing your effectiveness with a lifespan of 70 million key presses. 

Gateron Brown

Brand Gateron 
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 55g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.70
Gateron Brown | Punk Ston
Gateron Brown | Punk Ston

How can we ignore the Gateron family of switches while talking about affordable, high-quality tactile switches? The best tactile switches coming from the company Gateron were debuted with the Gateron Brown switches.

The switches are simple to use, lower in weight and offer a very good tactile bump. Another important element that you should discover to be really interesting and amazing is the low actuation point.

Moreover, The Gateron Brown switches are available quite affordably on Amazon. Yet, there are certain disadvantages to the lower prices.

One of them is that the switches might not provide you with the same stability as other tactile switches available. The switches’ lower actuation should further make them a popular choice for simple actuation.

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Zilent V2

Brand ZealPC
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 62g, 65g, 67g, and 78g
Price $1.3
Zilent V2
Zilent V2

The widely used Zealios V2 now has a silent variant – the Zilents V2. This is a really fantastic tactile switch, much like its brother.

There are many features that the Zealios and Zilents V2 have in common; however, you’ll notice that the Zilents have a little less tactility. This can be attributed to the lower travel distance.

Furthermore, the Zilents’ sound dampeners perform a great job of eliminating any audible noises that might have been caused by the tactile bump without generating any mush.

Yet, like Zealios, the Zilents are also so expensive that you should expect to pay about $1.3 per switch.

Topre Tactile Switch

Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 55g
Topre Tactile Switch
Topre Tactile Switch

The Topre Tactile switches can be one of the intriguing choices for obtaining the best tactile bump to the fullest extent achievable.

Topre switches, however, differ somewhat from the typical tactile switch.

With the rubber dome that is included, they are made to provide you with an electrostatic and captive switch. On the Topre switches, you can discover that all the characteristics provided by the mechanical switches are there.

Besides, minimal bump noise and excellent tactility are both available. Topre switches provide a louder “thonk” and crisper tactile feedback than Cherry MX Brown switches. In practically every way, the rubber dome design should be extremely innovative.

Other advantages of Topre switches are their increased tactility, reduced noise, and non-mushy bottom-out.

If you want to buy a Topre tactile switch, then the first thing to do is learn “what is a tactile keyboard”. The reason is that these switches are only accessible on a few keyboards, in which Happy Hacking Keyboard is most preferable. That’s why using a Topre switch may provide a totally different typing experience.

Outemu Brown Switches

Brand Outemu
Actuation Type Tactile
Actuation Force 45g
Travel Distance 4mm
Price $0.55
Outemu Brown Switches
Outemu Brown Switches

Although Outemu may not be a market leader in terms of tactile switches, they have been making progress to do so as the mechanical switch market has grown.

Outemu Brown is a clone of Cherry MX Brown, much like Getron Brown; however, it has a few minor differences.

Outemu Brown switches are offered at a low cost but guarantee high-quality efficiency. The typing feedback is a little choppy, and the sound that is created sounds more like a “tick” than a “thock.”

In comparison to other popular selections, the feeling is not too bad despite the low price.

The biggest drawback of Outemu Brown switches is that their build quality is occasionally poor. The lifespan might not get you very far, and the switches should feel different from switch to switch.

But the Outemu option can be the best tactile switch if you’re looking to save money.

If you are confused about choosing between some big brands like Cherry, Gateron, Outemu, or Kailh, remember to read this post before getting the best tactile switches from these brands.

Best Tactile Switch For Gaming

The best tactile switch will offer a better gaming experience if it requires less actuation force and has a shorter travel distance. The best tactile mechanical switches for gaming are listed below:

  • Kailh Speed Copper
  • Glorious Panda
  • Cherry MX Brown
  • Gateron Brown
  • Outemu Brown

The most pleasant Thocky Tactile Switch

The term “thocky switch” refers to the switch that makes the most enjoyable typing sound. The best tactile switches with pleasant thocky are listed as follows:

  • Gazzew Boba U4t Thocky
  • Glorious Panda

The Smoothest Tactile Switch

The best tactile switches patterns for providing slick typing feedback are as follows:

  • Gateron Brown
  • Cherry MX Brown
  • Kailh Speed Copper
  • Cherry MX Clear

Tactile vs Clicky Switches

Clicky switches are the complete opposite of tactile switches, which are very silent and provide a distinct tactile bump. The clicky key switches offer distinctive click, as its name suggests. Clicky switches offer a tactile bump as well, but what makes them unique is their sound.

If you’re seeking to start into mechanical keyboards, both tactile and clicky switches are suitable choices for beginners. But remember that it might not be a good idea to use clicky switches in the workplace that needs high concentration.

Tactile vs Linear Switches

Linear switches are renowned for their silent operation and bump-free keypress. A linear switch operates in a direct, interference-free downward motion from the moment it is pressed until it bottoms out.

Gamers that want low latency are quite keen on linear switches like the Cherry MX Reds.

In the end, it all boils down to personal taste. Consider linear switches if you think a quiet, smooth key switch is what you require. Choose the best tactile switch if you want a pleasant tactile bump.

Conclusion

The tactile switches are really unique and amazing in their own way, don’t you think?

Each of the best tactile mechanical switches listed above provides a wonderful tactile experience with a pleasing bump without being overly loud or rattling when the key is pressed. Along with that, many other benefits will truly help you boost your typing and gaming experience.

Be sure to read our post before making the purchase if you’re set on buying a set of the best tactile switches for your new mechanical keyboard.

FAQs

What is the best tactile switch?

Tactile Switches are small switches that are perceptible to a user’s touch. The key aim of tactile switches is to create a tactile bump and an audible click sound that is fairly quiet with each key press.

Which tactile switch is the best for gaming?

Here are The best tactile switches for gaming: Kailh Speed Copper, Glorious Panda, Cherry MX Brown, Gateron Brown, Outemu Brown.

Author

Posted by:

carson-rutz

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