Switch comparison
Browse all switches from the keyshelf database and compare their technical specs side by side.
0 switches
| Brand / Model ↑ | Type ↕ | Actuation force (gf) ↕ | Tactile force (gf) ↕ | Bottom-out force (gf) ↕ | Pre-travel (mm) ↕ | Total travel (mm) ↕ | Pins ↕ |
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Mechanical switch specs explained
What is actuation force?
Actuation force is the force in grams (gf) required to trigger a switch – the point at which the keypress is registered. Lower values like 35–45 gf suit fast typists, while higher values (55–65 gf) provide more tactile feedback and fewer accidental keystrokes.
What is bottom-out force?
Bottom-out force is the force required to press the switch all the way to the bottom. Linear switches typically have a bottom-out force of 60–75 gf. Too high a value can lead to finger fatigue – lighter switches allow for more relaxed typing over long sessions.
What is tactile force?
Tactile force is the peak force required to overcome the tactile bump in tactile switches. It is typically 10–20 gf above the actuation force. The greater the difference, the more pronounced the tactile feedback – making it easier to feel exactly where the keypress registers.
Pre-travel and total travel
Pre-travel is the distance a key travels before the keypress is registered. Total travel is the full distance to the bottom. Most switches have a pre-travel of 1.8–2.2 mm and a total travel of 3.5–4.0 mm.
Linear, tactile, clicky – the switch types
Linear switches glide smoothly and silently to the bottom – particularly popular for gaming. Tactile switches have a noticeable bump during the downstroke – on many modern tactile switches, the bump is felt near the top of the travel, before the actual actuation point. This improves typing accuracy and reduces typos, making them a favourite among typists. Clicky switches add an audible click to the tactile bump and are equally great for heavy typing, but noisy. Silent variants dampen the impact at both ends of the travel.
3-pin vs. 5-pin switches
Most conventional mechanical switches come in 3-pin or 5-pin variants. 5-pin switches have two extra plastic alignment pins for a more precise, wobble-free mount on the PCB. On boards with a 3-pin PCB, 5-pin switches can be used by simply clipping off the two extra plastic pins. Many keyboards natively support both variants.
Magnetic switches (Hall-effect) often have only two plastic pins, and sometimes none at all – they are held in place via a plug-in connection on the PCB.