The ultimate guide to mechanical keyboard switches for 2024

When choosing your switches, you only want the best. The problem is that there are many kinds of switches on our website, and there’s no easy way to learn and compare them. Luckily, we’ve done the research and created this guide for you!

After you’ve spent time reading this, you’ll be able to choose the ones that are best for you.

Table of contents

  • Introduction of the Newest 8 switches
  • Basic parameters(Sort by brands: Varmilo, Cherry, Gateron, and Kailh)
  • Understanding the models of Varmilo – Find the right switch easily and quickly

Introduction of the Newest 8 switches

  1. Varmilo EC V2 Iris
Sea Melody

Iris sw is Varmilo’s first tactile switch. Its typing experience is very similar to the famous Holy Panda Switch. HP has a prolonged smooth bump, which is what it has been known for, so as Iris switch. Varmilo makes an entirely new EC tactile switch with the original typing experience of Holy Panda. As an EC switch, it avoids the physical damage risk of dust, liquid, and friction loss.

It’s a perfect choice for those who love HP and the unique typing experience.

Now you can get it here.

2. Varmilo first speed switch – Varmilo EC V2 Jasmine

Warrior – Soar (Sold out)

Jasmine switch is Varmilo’s first speed switch, linear. Its actuation point is 1mm and its total travel is 3mm. 22mm prolonged spring anti-accidental actuation, strong rebound.

A lot of gamers love speed switches using gaming. It is also an ideal switch for high-speed input requirements.

Now you can get it from some of our MA series keyboards.

3. Varmilo Tactile Switch- Varmilo EC V2 Violet

EC Voilet
45g operation tactile switch. Similar to traditional Brown Switch. Optimized typing experience. Smoother and with better sound

EC Violet Keyboards 

3. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Prestige Silent

Kailh Prestige Silent

42g operation force linear switch, silent and steady. Suitable for office crowd. Elongated spring, elongated stem, Strong sense of confirmation. Thickened silicone pad, eliminates bottoming-out noise. Box structure, steady, dustproof and waterproof. 

Varmilo launched Minilo 75% with silent switches in 2023. 

 Minilo75 Bluebell with Kailh Prestige Silent switches becomes our best seller in 2023. It's a silent, simple, good looking keyboard with all the basic functions.

 If you need numpad, you can get a full-size keybaord with silent switches.

 4. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Prestige Voice

Kailh Prestige Voice

40g operation force linear switch with full POM housing materials. Long spring with single-point trigger mode stem. “HiFi”switch, reduces contact area, reduces noise, and makes the sound more perfect. MX structure with light guide module.

This switch was built for sword68 metal keyboard. They create a wonderfully great sound. You can't miss it.

5. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Crane

The switch adopts Kailh’s high-end POM mold, which has excellent waterproof and dustproof effects. POM Pro material makes the switch core, seat, and upper cover. 37gf operation force linear switch, full POM material case, it gets smoother by using. BOX structure, stabilized pressing, water and dust proof. 20mm prolonged spring anti-accidental actuation, strong rebound.

Kaih Crane switch is designed for the theme keyboard – Crane of Lure.

6. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Prestige Red

45gf operation force linear switch, similar to Cherry Red. BOX structure, stabilized pressing, water and dust proof. 20mm prolonged spring anti-accidental actuation, strong rebound.

7. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Prestige Click

46gf operation force clicky tactile switch, strong and clean tactile feeling, and clicky sound, BOX structure, stabilized pressing, water and dust proof. 20mm prolonged spring anti-accidental actuation, strong rebound.

8. Kailh x Varmilo – Kailh Prestige Light

37g operation force light pressure linear switch, adopt POM to optimize typing sound. 20mm long spring provides strong pretravel and rebound. Stock lubed minimized noise.

Kailh Prestige Light is perfect with Mendozae.

Varmilo selects the classic feel and typing experience widely recognized by players worldwide and deeply optimizes them in terms of feel, sound, and lifespan. Together with the well-known switch brand Kailh, they launch the Prestige series BOX switches.

Varmilo and Kailh cooperated Prestige Series switches using Kailh exclusive BOX structure, longer life span than MX switch, and have unique sound created by torsional spring, the famous NK, and other switches all using this structure.

How to choose?

Kailh Prestige Silent: linear and silent

Kailh Prestige Voice: linear and HiFi

Kailh Prestige Crane: linear and light

Kailh Prestige Red: linear

Kailh Prestige Click: tactile and clicky

Kailh Prestige Light: linear and light

You can get them with Varmilo’s newest themed keyboard – Chang’ e.

 

 

Comparison of Basic parameters

(Sort by brands: Varmilo, Cherry, Gateron, Kailh, and TTC)

Understanding the characteristics of a mechanical switch

Besides the keystroke feel, there are 4 technical characteristics of a switch. Depending on your typing technique and the general purpose of your keyboard, you would need specific values for each characteristic.

1. Operation Force

It’s how hard you have to press the key. Operating force is measured in centinewton (cN) or gram-force (gf). 1 gf is equal to 0.98 cN, so they are almost equivalent. You can say that a switch with 0.50 cN has 0.50 gf.

2. Activation Point

It is the point where a keypress is recognized by the keyboard. This is measured in millimeters. It is also known as Actuation Point or Operating Position.

3. Total Travel Distance

It’s the distance your keycap travels until it hits the upper housing of the switch. It’s basically the distance until you bottom out. This is also measured in millimeters.

4. Tactile Position

The tactile position is where you feel the bump on tactile and clicky switches. On linear switches, there’s no tactile position.

Varmilo EC V2 Switches

Brand Name Image Type Operation Force/gf Terminal Force/gf Activation Point/mm Total Travel/mm Features
Varmilo EC Daisy Linear 35 45 2 4 extremely light
Varmilo Daisy L Varmilo Daisy L Linear 35 45 2 4

HiFi

Mechanical version of EC Daisy 

Varmilo EC Silent Daisy EC Silent Daisy Linear 35 45 2 4

Silent

Light

Varmilo EC Orange Linear 38 45 2 4 spacebar switch of Daisy keyboard
Varmilo EC Jasmine Linear 40 60 1 3 extremely fast
22mm spring
Varmilo EC Sakura Linear 45 55 2 4 Bestseller
similar to Cherry Red
Varmilo EC Moxa Linear 45 55 2 4 smoothest
16mm spring
Varmilo EC Rose Linear 55 65 2 4 Cherry Red<Rose<Cherry Black
Varmilo EC Ivy Clicky 50 65 2.3 4 clicky
similar to Cherry Blue
Varmilo EC Iris Tactile 45 60 2 4 similar to Holy Panda
Varmilo EC  Violet Tactile 45 58 2 4 similar to Cherry Brown

Varmilo EC switches are popular for their extreme typing experience. Smoothness is the most outstanding feature because of the no physical contact points. Varmilo EC switch keeps the original touch of the mechanical keyboard by using the EC trigger principle with the same inner structure as the traditional mechanical switch.

You can pick a themed keyboard designed by varmilo on our website.

 

Cherry MX Traditional Mechanical Switches

Brand Name Image Type Operation Force/gf Terminal Force/gf Activation Point/mm Total Travel/mm Features
Cherry MX Red Linear 45 60 2 4 classic mechanical switch
Cherry MX Silent Red Linear 45 60 2 3.7 silent
Cherry MX Silver Linear 45 70 1.2 3.4 speed
Cherry MX Black Linear 60 85 2 4 heavy
Cherry MX Blue Clicky 50 60 2.2 4 clicky
Cherry MX Brown Tactile 50 60 2 4 tactile

Cherry’s MX switches are widely considered to be the gold standard of PC keyboard switches, and they come in several kinds (designated by “color”) with distinct pressure, texture, and audio-feedback characteristics.

Gateron G Pro 2.0 Switch

Brand Name Image Type Operation Force/gf Terminal Force/gf Activation Point/mm Total Travel/mm Features
Gateron White Linear 38 45 2 4 light
Gateron Silver Linear 43 50 1.2 3.4 speed
Gateron Red Linear 45 50 2 4 20.5mm prolonged spring
Gateron Yellow Linear 50 67 2 4 quiet; Cherry Red<Yellow<Cherry Black
Gateron Brown Tactile 50 60 2 4 similar to Cherry Brown

Gateron switches are common among keyboard enthusiasts, especially in Europe. Gateron switches are smoother, which makes them feel better than Cherry. G Pro 2.0 switches upgrade the mold on the basis of the G Pro Series and have an RGB SMD condenser, which is renowned for its excellent lighting effect and tactile typing experience.

 

Kailh X Varmilo Mechanical Switches

Brand Name Image Type Operation Force/gf Terminal Force/gf Activation Point/mm Total Travel/mm Features
Kailh

Prestige 

Silent

Kailh prestige silent Linear 42 50 1.8 3.6

Silent

BOX structure
20mm prolonged spring

Kailh

Prestige

Voice

kailh prestige voice Linear 40 50 2 3.4

HiFi

MX structure light guide module.

Kailh Crane Linear 37 45 1.8 4 light
BOX structure
20mm prolonged spring
Kailh Prestige Red Linear 45 55 1.8 3.6 similar to Cherry Red
BOX structure
20mm prolonged spring
Kailh Prestige Click Tactile 46 60 1.8 3.6 clicky
BOX structure
20mm prolonged spring
Kailh Prestige
Light
Linear 37 47 1.8 2.2 light
20mm prolonged spring

Kailh BOX switches are really cool. They have a different stem design, making them feel more stable and wobble a little bit less. The step is shaped, well, like a box. Kailh Box switches feature a boxed stem, designed to be dust and water-resistant.

Varmilo knows that Kailh’s quality control facilities were first-class and their standards didn’t tolerate anything less than perfect. How they operated was mind-blowingly impressive. True enough, their regard for high quality is very much reflected in their products.

Understanding the models of Varmilo – Find the right switch easily and quickly

 

Model Keys Switch Connection Hot-Swap Backlit
MA 21 EC Wired White
87 EC Wired White
108 EC Wired White
VA 21 Cherry/Kailh Wired
87 Cherry/Kailh Wired no/white
108 Cherry/Kailh Wired no/white
87-RGB Cherry Wired RGB
VB 21 Cherry Bluetooth
VD 87 Cherry/Kailh Dual-Mode
108 Cherry/Kailh Dual-Mode
Miya68-C 68 EC Wired White
Miya68-D 68 Cherry/Kailh Dual-Mode
Miya68-Pro 68 Cherry/Kailh Wired no/white/pink
Miya68-Mac 68 Cherry/Kailh Wired(Dual-OS) no/white
Miya68-RGB 68 Cherry/Kailh Wired RGB
VXB 67/81 EC Dual-Mode White
VXH 67/81 Cherry/Kailh Wired yes White
VXT 67/81 Cherry/Kailh/Gateron Three-Mode yes RGB
VBM108 108 EC Wired White
VBS108 108 Cherry/Kailh Three-Mode
VA104C 104 Cherry Wired
MA104C 104 EC Wired White
VPE 87/108 Cherry/Kailh Three-Mode yes White
VPM 87/108 EC Wired White
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