Keyboard Builders' Digest / Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of April, 2025
In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are April's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Published May 8, 2025
(Cover: Gateron Type R switches shot by MonacoKeys.)
Hey fellow switch enthusiasts! Not all shop figures have arrived yet — I'm still waiting for a few — but I don't want to delay things any further. That said, here are the preliminary numbers, let's continue our series highlighting the community's favorite switch models! This time, we're diving into April's best-selling switches. Discussion over at r/mk if you'd like to share your experiences or opinion.
Summary: 16 contributors from all around the globe, representing almost 1 million switches sold, with 107 switch models mentioned and 17 new switch models appearing first in the top lists.
The article is quite long, feel free to jump to the list of contributors, to my quick market overview, the aggregated top10 list, the shooting stars, new switches, the detailed results by shops, or to the disclaimer, aggregation rules used by the algorithm, and my closing thoughts with new features and developments. Finally, search and filter the mechanical switch database for your favorite switch types or specific models.
Switch testers
Many of you asked for switch testers. While I'm not a merchant myself, Clackify (US) specializes in exactly that – custom switch testers. Give them a shot. Or there's Unikeys (CN) with a massive selection, and also Monacokeys (DE) and CoffeeKeys (IT) in the EU. Other shops offer more specific switch testers too, e.g. Beaverkeys (CA) or Keebz N Cables (AU).
PSA
I’ve added some new features to the switch database again – which now includes over 300 switch models. After adding the sort by price option last time, some of you asked for a way to find the most recent releases as well. The new sort by release date (aka "newest") feature is based on the earliest listing dates I could find on the contributor vendors’ websites.
That said, I’ve only managed to process around 100 switches so far – older models may follow later. Or not. Because finding exact release dates is often a mission impossible, unfortunately.
Contributors
Talpkeyboard is taking a break until mid-May, so Japan isn’t represented this month – but we still received 16 top lists from vendors and manufacturers all around the globe.
Many thanks to all the shops who contributed this month! Detailed stats are mandatory now since exact sales volumes (rather than mere rankings) make life easier and the aggregated list more accurate. Thank you for your confidence on behalf of the community – we all know how sensitive this data is.
Clicking the links takes you to the individual top lists:
MonacoKeys (DE), Lume Keebs (US), BeaverKeys (CA), UniKeys (CN), Clackify (US), Mechboards (UK), The Thocc Exchange (UK), Coffeekeys (IT), Ikasaya (US), SerpentKeys (UK), Keebz N Cables (AU), YourKBD (CN), AKKO EU (CN), StacksKB (IN), DIYKEY (CN), Mechanical Keyboards (US).
General market trends
Based on the sales volumes provided by all the shops, I can identify some interesting trends. For example, after many stores reported growing sales in March, the overall trend in April was quite the opposite. Only five vendors reported growth, while nine shops showed a clear decline (the rest remained stagnant) — and not just due to the calendar effect; the drops in sales were significant in many cases. I tried to identify some patterns, but this wasn't limited to US shops, so the trend appears to be more general.
Last month's surprising dominance of tactile switches — while not entirely gone — has definitely leveled out, with shops featuring an average of three tactile models in their top 10 lists. Tactiles still account for half of all aggregated list positions, likely due to their smaller variety and greater concentration compared to linears.
Novelties & Database updates
17 new switch models have been added to the database recently, as a result of the incoming top lists. Some of them new, some of them older, but mentioned in the lists below since interest have picked up recently. Thanks to Akko EU, I had the opportunity to try some of them!
Albert was kind enough to arrange a huge shipment for me, including full sets of various popular Akko models – such as the new tactile Cilantro, the clicky Cyan, and the current community-favorite Akko: the Rosewood (leading both at Akko EU and in the aggregated list as well) – plus many more variants in a nicely assembled tester.
Some notable additions to the database:
- The rail bottom-out Gateron Plus.
- Akko x HMX Cilantro, Akko’s first deep-clack tactile switches. Really nice tactile bump, and colorway too!
- Haimu x YG Studio Mulberry. A Haimu tactile with a LY stem containing a metal pole insert. This one made it to multiple top lists.
- Cherry MX Northern Light. Interesting semi-silent switch from Cherry.
- Kailh "Cross stem box" Lunar. Standard-looking stem at first sight, but it's still a dust-proof box-like design under the surface.
- Kailh x Ainbell Ocean Heart silent. "Like walking on snow for keyboard."
- HMX Swift V2? Not sure about this. Listings are quite confusing, but some feature a light diffuser.
- BSUN Kuromi – glittery top, nice colorway and vibe. Inspired by the beloved Sanrio character. From last year, picked up by some of you recently.
- Wuque Pearl – with ball bearings.
- Hall-effect: TTC Honey King magnetic, and the humbly named Kailh Magnetic God.
- Low profile: Kailh Choc V2 Jellyfish RGB.
- More: Keygeek Tipsy Red Blush, the feather-light Huano Sakura (35g), HMX Emo, KTT Silent Blue, SW x HMX Garnet.
For even more new mentions, take a look at the lists below.
Results
April's Top 10 – aggregated
Beside this Top10 feel free to check out the Top 300 list too. (About the ranking: switch models appearing in multiple shop lists are prioritized over high sales in a single shop.)
| 1 |  | Gateron Oil King linear | buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Gateron Quinn tactile | buy |
| 3 |  | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | buy |
| 4 |  | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | buy |
| 5 |  | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | buy |
| 6 |  | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) silent linear | buy |
| 7 |  | Sillyworks x Gateron Type R tactile | buy |
| 8 |  | Akko Rosewood linear | buy |
| 9 |  | Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 tactile | buy |
| 10 |  | Neo Oat linear | buy |
As you'll see, there's not much overlapping in the individual shop lists, because of the relatively few repetitions, it's no surprise that the well-known, widely available, recurring models made it into the aggregated list above.
Anyway, here is a more interesting list: the shooting stars.
Shooting stars
These are the switches with the highest gain in rank from March to April.
| 1 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Nocturnal silent linear | 85 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Cherry MX2A Silent Red (PCB-mount RGB) silent linear | 74 | buy |
| 3 |  | Invokeys x Alas Nightshade silent linear | 62 | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | 56 | buy |
| 5 |  | Everglide Aqua King (V3) 62g linear | 55 | buy |
| 6 |  | Cherry Nixie linear | 54 | buy |
| 7 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight silent linear | 51 | buy |
| 8 |  | Invokeys Matcha Reserve linear | 51 | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron EF EverFree Silent Yellow silent linear | 44 | buy |
| 10 |  | Gateron KS-33 Low Profile Brown tactile | 40 | buy |
And now let's take a look at the individual lists.
MonacoKeys (Germany)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Here is the collection of Monaco's best sellers so you can find them all at once.
The new Cherry MX Northern Light switches are really great and really an improvement to other known Cherry switches. So despite their high price, they are worth a try – Michael.
| 1 | | Neo Oat linear | 3 | €0.32 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Outemu Cream Yellow Pro silent tactile | 4 | €0.31 | buy |
| 3 |  | Haimu x YG Studio Mulberry tactile | new | €0.49 | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Canglan V3 linear | -1 | €0.42 | buy |
| 5 |  | BSUN | HC Studio Roselle linear | new | €0.55 | buy |
| 6 |  | Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3 silent tactile | -5 | €0.38 | buy |
| 7 |  | Cherry MX Northern Light silent linear | new | €0.78 | buy |
| 8 |  | KTT Silent Blue silent linear | new | €0.42 | buy |
| 9 |  | MMD Princess Ultra Thock linear | new | €0.39 | buy |
| 10 |  | Gateron Smoothie linear | -2 | €0.37 | buy |
Lume Keebs (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
April was a strong month for silent switches, with TTC Frozen V2 and TTC Bluish Silent both seeing increased sales — likely due to growing demand from office and shared-space users. HMX continues to dominate with ultra-smooth stock switches, with the Hibiscus and Violet leading the pack. We’re also seeing demand for hand-lubed and filmed switches, especially on classics like the Oil King and Aqua King – Emily.
| 1 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) silent linear | 4 | $0.55 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | - | $0.51 | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Oil King linear | new | $0.65 | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Violet linear | new | $0.29 | buy |
| 5 |  | HMX Hibiscus linear | new | $0.30 | buy |
| 6 |  | MMD Vivian linear | -3 | $0.35 | buy |
| 7 |  | GAZZEW Boba U4T tactile | -6 | $0.65 | buy |
| 8 | | Everglide Aqua King (V3) 62g linear | new | $0.75 | buy |
| 9 |  | Invokeys Hojicha Reserve tactile | new | $0.50 | buy |
| 10 |  | Kailh Cocoa linear | -4 | $0.35 | buy |
BeaverKeys (Canada)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
HMX Sonja and Gateron Type R by Siliworks have landed at the store. Gateron Type R instantly made it into the top 10 list which is dominated by Gateron and HMX this month – Peter.
| 1 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | 1 | 0.85CAD | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | -1 | 0.85CAD | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Oil King linear | - | 0.87CAD | buy |
| 4 |  | Durock Ice King Linear linear | 5 | 0.75CAD | buy |
| 5 |  | Gateron Zero Degree 0° silent linear | new | 0.90CAD | buy |
| 6 |  | KEYGEEK X MZ Y3 linear | - | 0.37CAD | buy |
| 7 | | Sillyworks x Gateron Type R tactile | new | 0.75CAD | buy |
| 8 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | new | 0.49CAD | buy |
| 9 |  | HMX Xinhai (heavy) linear | new | 0.49CAD | buy |
| 10 |  | HMX Yogurt 45g linear | new | 0.49CAD | buy |
UniKeys (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Unikeys will be releasing HMX's first full POM linear switch and HMX's first POM housing LY stem linear switch in mid-May. Since the new POM housing mold creates a different sound signature than traditional HMX switches and they come with natural scratch that many enthusiasts sought after, we expect these two new switches to be successful. After that, we are planning to release the first in-house designed HMX tactile switch in June.
| 1 | | Sillyworks x Gateron Type R tactile | 2 | $0.50 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | new | $0.29 | buy |
| 3 | | KEYGEEK X MZ Y3 linear | 6 | $0.23 | buy |
| 4 |  | Siliworks X HMX Sonja HC linear | - | $0.35 | buy |
| 5 |  | UNIKEYS x HMX Sugar Rush linear | - | $0.35 | buy |
| 6 |  | Cherry MX2A Black linear | new | $0.30 | buy |
| 7 |  | Siliworks X HMX Sonja linear | -5 | $0.35 | buy |
| 8 |  | OWlab Ti HE linear, Hall-effect | -2 | $0.48 | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron Plus linear | new | $0.28 | buy
|
Clackify (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Switches overall remain fairly similar this month. Gateron Type R is the major player that I've seen a lot more orders for (understandably). A couple honorable mentions this month are the Gateron Smoothie and Akko Rosewoods - Calvin.
| 1 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | - | buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | new | buy | |
| 3 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -1 | buy | |
| 4 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | - | buy | |
| 5 | | Everglide Aqua King (V3) 62g linear | 3 | buy | |
| 6 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) silent linear | - | buy | |
| 7 | | Sillyworks x Gateron Type R tactile | new | buy | |
| 8 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | buy | |
| 9 |  | GAZZEW U4T tactile | -6 | buy | |
| 10 |  | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | new | buy |
Mechboards (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Lowpro Chocs still our best sellers, but rest of the list seems to be a battle between Kailh chocs and Gateron MX. Interesting to see manufacturers finding their specialities – Ben.
| 1 | | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight silent linear | 4 | £1.00 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Nocturnal silent linear | 8 | £0.95 | buy |
| 3 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Sunset tactile | -2 | £0.85 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -2 | £0.65 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Smoothie linear | -2 | £0.30 | buy |
| 6 |  | Kailh Choc (V1) Red linear | -2 | £0.55 | buy |
| 7 |  | Cherry MX2A Blue clicky | new | £0.58 | buy |
| 8 |  | Kailh Choc (V1) Brown tactile | -2 | £0.55 | buy |
| 9 |  | Kailh Choc (V1) Pro Pink linear | new | £0.55 | buy |
| 10 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | -3 | £0.55 | buy |
The Thocc Exchange (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Cherry MX Oranges and HMX Hades continue their run! Super excited to have the successor to HMX Hades in stock now – the Keygeek x Moyu Athena which will be featuring on this list soon based on the feedback. Thanks to KBD.News for the hard work on this article every month – Matt.
| 1 |  | Cherry MX2A "Hirose" Orange linear | - | £0.30 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | HMX Hades V2 linear | - | £0.30 | buy |
| 3 |  | Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3 tactile | new | £0.23 | buy |
| 4 |  | Cherry MX2A Brown tactile | 6 | £0.30 | buy |
| 5 | | Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3 silent tactile | new | £0.30 | buy |
| 6 |  | BSUN Kuromi linear | new | £0.35 | buy |
| 7 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | - | £0.33 | buy |
| 8 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | new | £0.43 | buy |
| 9 |  | Huano Sakura linear | new | £0.45 | buy |
| 10 |  | Wuque WS Pearl linear | new | £0.60 | buy |
Coffeekeys (Italy)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
As seen this month, WS Morandi continues to lead as our best-selling switch, with consistently strong demand across categories. Silent switches maintained solid performance, driven by steady interest in quieter typing experiences. Low-profile switches also continued to attract attention, with numbers comparable to last month. On the other hand, magnetic switches saw a decline in interest, showing weaker performance this month. For the month of May the BSUN switches will be also available in-stock – Tommaso.
| 1 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | - | €0.39 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | 2 | €0.52 | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | -1 | €0.52 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron KS-33 Low Profile Brown tactile | 3 | €0.20 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | -2 | €0.25 | buy |
| 6 |  | Gateron EF EverFree Curry linear | new | €0.17 | buy |
| 7 | | Gateron EF EverFree Silent Yellow silent linear | 3 | €0.28 | buy |
| 8 |  | Wuque Studio WS Silent Tactile silent tactile | new | €0.32 | buy |
| 9 | | Gateron Oil King linear | new | €0.65 | buy |
| 10 |  | Wuque Studio WS Red linear | new | €0.28 | buy |
Ikasaya (US)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
| 1 | | Gateron Oil King linear | 3 | $0.65 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | KTT Kang White V3 linear | -1 | $0.26 | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | 2 | $0.25 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | -1 | $0.59 | buy |
| 5 | | Wuque Studio WS Silent Tactile silent tactile | new | $0.75 | buy |
| 6 | | HMX Xinhai (heavy) linear | new | $0.34 | buy |
| 7 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | - | $0.55 | buy |
| 8 |  | Gateron Ink Box Black linear | new | $1.14 | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron Lunar Probe linear | new | $0.54 | buy |
| 10 |  | Akko Silver Pro V3 linear | new | $0.30 | buy |
SerpentKeys (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
The Matcha & Hojicha Reserve from Invokeys have gone head to head this month, with the Matcha Reserve narrowly taking the top spot. We’ve just recently had a big restock from Gateron, including a couple popular switches from Punkshoo, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see either the Summertime V2’s or Cream Soda’s breaking into the top 10 next month! – Ollie.
| 1 | | Invokeys Matcha Reserve linear | 4 | £0.47 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Invokeys Hojicha Reserve tactile | -1 | £0.47 | buy |
| 3 | | Invokeys x Alas Nightshade silent linear | 6 | £0.60 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -2 | £0.60 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | 1 | £0.23 | buy |
| 6 |  | SW X Captain Sterling SWK Dragon Ghost linear | new | £0.43 | buy |
| 7 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | new | £0.33 | buy |
| 8 |  | HMX DuckDuck (Sunset Gleam) linear | new | £0.33 | buy |
| 9 |  | BSUN x Punkshoo Melody Redux tactile | new | £0.43 | buy |
| 10 |  | SW x HMX Garnet linear | new | £0.33 | buy |
Keebz N Cables (Australia)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Our in-house range of switches continue to sell strong as a result of the permanent price drops. A new addition to our Top 10 this month is the Haimu x YG Studio Mulberry Tactile switch. A Haimu tactile with a LY stem containing a metal pole insert – Jason.
| 1 |  | Keebz N Cables x BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato linear | 1 | 0.67AUD | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang V2 tactile | -1 | 0.45AUD | buy |
| 3 | | Haimu x YG Studio Mulberry tactile | new | 0.64AUD | buy |
| 4 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | 2 | 0.66AUD | buy |
| 5 |  | Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang Linear linear | - | 0.30AUD | buy |
| 6 |  | HMX Noire linear | -2 | 0.58AUD | buy |
| 7 | | KTT Kang White V3 linear | 1 | 0.28AUD | buy |
| 8 |  | Keebz N Cables Mountain King tactile | 2 | 0.40AUD | buy |
| 9 |  | HMX Ice Cendol linear | - | 0.35AUD | buy |
| 10 |  | HMX Emo linear | new | 0.32AUD | buy |
YourKBD (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
We’re planning to develop more switches in the low-profile category soon – stay tuned! – Ryan.
| 1 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile silent linear | - | $0.59 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Kailh Choc (V1) Pro Pink linear | - | $0.55 | buy |
| 3 |  | Chosfox White Fox V2 linear | - | $0.30 | buy |
| 4 |  | Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2 linear | - | $0.36 | buy |
| 5 |  | Hanami Dango Green tactile | - | $0.39 | buy |
| 6 |  | Chosfox Voyager V2 tactile | - | $0.54 | buy |
| 7 |  | Chosfox x Kailh Arctic Fox clicky | new | $0.55 | buy |
| 8 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) silent linear | - | $0.68 | buy |
| 9 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale silent tactile | - | $0.55 | buy |
| 10 |  | Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3 silent linear | - | $0.24 | buy |
AKKO EU (China)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
The Cilantro switches are Akko’s first deep-clack tactile switches – Albert.
| 1 | | Akko Rosewood linear | 1 | €0.37 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Akko Penguin Silent silent tactile | -1 | €0.37 | buy |
| 3 |  | Akko Fairy (silent) silent linear | - | €0.37 | buy |
| 4 | | Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3 tactile | - | €0.26 | buy |
| 5 | | Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 tactile | 1 | €0.24 | buy |
| 6 |  | Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3 linear | -1 | €0.24 | buy |
| 7 |  | Akko Lavender Purple Pro V3 tactile | - | €0.26 | buy |
| 8 |  | Akko x MonsGeek Green Fog linear | - | €0.32 | buy |
| 9 |  | Akko Creamy Cyan clicky | 1 | €0.29 | buy |
| 10 |  | Akko Piano Pro linear | new | €0.37 | buy |
StacksKB (India)
Gateron is back in the rankings as soon as we restocked. HMX is out of rankings because no single SKU dominated, even as sales were steady. We recently stocked the OF switches by Click Inc - a nice full POM linear, and also stocked the Monsgeek Green Fog - the first heavy linear in a while, and also Akko Starlit switches. We also stocked the Raeds HE switches, which are the best way to get a topre-ish feel without having to splurge on an EC keyboards.
| 1 | | Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 tactile | - | ₹20 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3 tactile | - | ₹22 | buy |
| 3 | | Akko Rosewood linear | 1 | ₹31 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Smoothie linear | new | ₹23 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | new | ₹46 | buy |
| 6 | | Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3 linear | - | ₹20 | buy |
| 7 | | Akko Fairy (silent) silent linear | new | ₹31 | buy |
| 8 |  | Gateron Sea Salt Smoothie linear | new | ₹23 | buy |
| 9 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | ₹46 | buy |
| 10 | | Akko Penguin Silent silent tactile | - | ₹31 | buy |
DIYKEY (China)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Strong demand continues for low-profile and silent switches (items #1, #2, #7). Growing interest in Hall Effect technology (#6, #9). The newly launched TTC Flaming Purple V2 (#8) exceeded sales expectations – Tami.
| 1 |  | Kailh Choc V2 Jellyfish RGB linear | $0.60 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent MINI Pink Island silent linear | $0.58 | buy |
| 3 |  | Kailh Lunar linear | $0.85 | buy |
| 4 |  | TTC Honey king Hall-effect | $1.29 | buy |
| 5 |  | Vertex V1 linear | $0.60 | buy |
| 6 |  | TTC RGB Magneto King of Magnetic Switch Hall-effect | $0.99 | buy |
| 7 |  | Kailh x Ainbell Ocean Heart silent linear | $0.58 | buy |
| 8 |  | TTC Flaming Purple V2 linear | $0.45 | buy |
| 9 |  | Kailh Magnetic God Hall-effect | $0.79 | buy |
| 10 |  | HMX Swift V2 linear | $0.35 | buy |
Mechanical Keyboards (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
| 1 | | Gateron Oil King linear | 2 | $0.65 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Cherry MX2A Silent Red (PCB-mount RGB) silent linear | 7 | $0.40 | buy |
| 3 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | new | $0.60 | buy |
| 4 | | Neo Oat linear | - | $0.28 | buy |
| 5 | | Cherry MX2A Blue clicky | new | $0.40 | buy |
| 6 | | Cherry Nixie linear | 4 | $0.42 | buy |
| 7 |  | Gateron Jupiter Banana tactile | new | $0.28 | buy |
| 8 |  | Keygeek Tipsy Red Blush linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
| 9 | | Cherry MX2A Brown tactile | -2 | $0.40 | buy |
| 10 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | -2 | $0.26 | buy |
Disclaimer
Keep in mind that most of the time I'm not in a position to verify the validity and accuracy of the data provided by shop runners. Some of these lists come automatically from their databases, with screenshots, however, some were put together manually. I asked for the numbers of the previous month, but some shops query the past 30 days, etc.
That said, take everything with a grain of salt, but I hope this compilation will still hold some value, highlighting trends, giving you some tips, and as a snapshot of the zeitgeist it will be also interesting to look back at on the long run.
About the algorithm
While contributors provide exact numbers, standardization, normalization, and other techniques remain essential to come up with a ranked list due to some remaining inconsistencies, unfortunately.
The current system:
- incorporates sales volume as a percentage – to mitigate the dominance of a single huge vendor
- rewards switches present in multiple lists – to compensate the effect of some switches being offered in a single shop only, thus reflecting availability
- incorporates the previous months with decaying weights – to rank the products that are in a tie.
As with all such statistical methods, if we were to tamper with the algorithm, it would produce completely different results.
Another source of confusion and inconsistency is the arrival of belated lists. When such datasets come in, I update the database but often not the already published article. While I add the specific list to the database, I don’t update the overall rankings in the write-up.
Final thoughts
Hey, I hope this write-up was useful to some of you because, again, it took me about 15-16 hours to complete. Yep, all this despite the heavy automation wherever possible.
Again, the new models were both the best and most challenging part of the process: researching these new switches, adding them to the database, and often diving into desperate investigations about missing actuation forces, pre-travels and whatnot. (I still don't get why manufacturers don't indicate the tactile force of tactile switches, where operation weight is pretty irrelevant.) It's time-consuming but also the most exciting aspect – discovering all the fresh, shiny, and innovative releases.
Once again, I learned a lot about vendors, switches, and managing the ever-evolving switch database while compiling this article.
I hope you enjoyed reading this piece as much as I enjoyed putting it together! Feel free to use and reference this post and the switch database. Spread the word so it makes sense for me to invest all this time and effort.
- Check out the switch database – with more than 300 switch models – with specs, photos, vendors, prices, typing tests.
- New features: you can order the list by price and release date.
- More features already implemented earlier: Search by keyword, filter by tags. Even permalinks to custom lists like silent tactiles or light, lubed linears with dust-proof stem and light diffuser. ;)
- Finally, the archive of all the monthly switch compilations is available too, e.g. the previous, March top list as a reference.
Thanks for reading this far, see you next month!
Published on Thu 8th May 2025. Featured in KBD #191.
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