Keyboard Builders' Digest
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Keyboard Builders' Digest / Switch trends

Best-selling keyboard switches of December, 2024

In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are December's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.

KBD.news
Published January 8, 2025
Creators! Feel free to tip me off about your keyboard related projects to bring them to 140K readers.

Hey fellow switch enthusiasts! December's numbers are in, so let’s continue our series highlighting the community's favorite switch models.

To sum up: 17 18 contributors got back to me, representing about 1.5-2 million switches sold just from their top10 best-sellers. 22 switch models have been added to the switch database – mostly new models, but also some older ones appearing first in the individual top lists.

Welcome our new contributor, joining for the first time: TALPKEYBOARD – representing the Japanese market.

The article is quite long, feel free to jump to the aggregated list, the detailed results by shops, or to the disclaimer and aggregation rules used by the algorithm.

PSA

Pic: Sillyworks x Gateron Type R

Sillyworks x Gateron Type R

Contributors

Many thanks to all the shops that contributed this month, especially those who provided detailed sales volumes! And all this despite the year-end holiday season and New Year’s craze. 70% of the vendors sent me detailed statistics with sales data or at least total sales numbers, so they deserve a little celebration.

Clicking these links takes you to their top lists:

UniKeys (CN), BeaverKeys (CA), Coffeekeys (IT), Mechboards (UK), MonacoKeys (DE), YourKBD (CN), AKKO EU (CN), CandyKeys (DE), Kinetic Labs (US), Lume Keebs (US), Chosfox (CN), DeskHero (CA), Mechanical Keyboards (US), DIYKEY (CN), Keygem (DE), Gateron (CN), TALPKEYBOARD (JP), Keebz N Cables (AU).

Overview

Several new-old switch models added to the database, and I had the opportunity to try some of them.

ElecFox sent me some nice switches. The BSUN Light Sakuras I received (silent linears without silicone) made it to Monacokeys' Top10 list by the way, topped by Neo Oats.

Pic: BSUN The Flash, ElecFox x HMX Matcha Butter Milk, BSUN Light Sakuras

BSUN The Flash, ElecFox x HMX Matcha Butter Milk, BSUN Light Sakuras

The third ElecFox gift, their Matcha Butter Milk linear, was designed in collab with HMX.

And then I received a heap of keyboards from Epomaker – another source of switches – ensuring the Christmas atmosphere. :)

Their Epomaker Flamingos (coming as part of the Alice 66) are probably one of the most beautiful switches I've ever seen. Great material and color combo. (Yep, the deskmat was not the best choice.)

Pic: Epomaker Flamingos

Epomaker Flamingos

Fans of red colorways had a great month with the Sillyworks x Gateron Type R, the HMX TT Red, and also the KeysMe x Gateron Mars appearing. The Unikeys x HMX Sugar Rush looks kick-ass too. What a fun colorway!

Akko Starlit made it to Akko EU's top10 for the first time. Long live the spark and glitter!

New TTC Hall-effect switches: RGB and POM King of Magnetic. Kailh: the 1mm-trigger Kailh Box Jam Ice Cream. And with TALPKEYBOARD we have a bunch of low-pro and transparent Kailhs now, among others.

Pic: Gateron Zero Degree 0° switches

Gateron Zero Degree 0° switches

Finally, I loved the concept of the Gateron Zero Degree too – with its bottom pads.

Results

December's Top 10 – aggregated

Beside this Top10 feel free to check out the Top 200+ list too. (About the ranking: switch models appearing in multiple shop lists are prioritized over high sales in a single shop. Basic rankings lacking hard sales numbers are also factored in, with a smaller weight.)

1Gateron Oil KingGateron Oil King
linear
buy
2Wuque Studio WS MorandiWuque Studio WS Morandi
linear
buy
3Gateron Milky Yellow ProGateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
buy
4Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3
linear
buy
5Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)
tactile
buy
6Gateron QuinnGateron Quinn
tactile
buy
7Akko RosewoodAkko Rosewood
linear
buy
8HMX Xinhai (light)HMX Xinhai (light)
linear
buy
9Chosfox x Kailh Arctic FoxChosfox x Kailh Arctic Fox
clicky
buy
10Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box WhaleKailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale
silent tactile
buy

This is the result of 17 top lists, mentioning 110 different switch models, with 21 of them being listed for the first time. As you can see, there's not much overlapping, and because of the relatively few repetitions in these lists, it's no surprise that the well-known, widely available, recurring models made it into the aggregated list above.

Here is a more interesting list: the shooting stars.

Shooting stars

These are the switches with the highest gain in rank from November to December.

1Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-ProfileKailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile
silent linear
96 buy
2Gateron Mini iGateron Mini i
tactile
63 buy
3Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box WhaleKailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale
silent tactile
62 buy
4Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2
linear
61 buy
5TTC VenusTTC Venus
linear
46 buy
6Gateron G Pro 3.0 YellowGateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow
linear
43 buy
7Kinetic Labs Gecko SilentKinetic Labs Gecko Silent
silent linear
38 buy
8Durock Ice King LinearDurock Ice King Linear
linear
34 buy
9HMX SakuraHMX Sakura
silent linear
34 buy
10Cherry MX2A BlueCherry MX2A Blue
clicky
29 buy

And now let's take a look at the individual lists.

UniKeys (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic: UNIKEYS x HMX Sugar Rush

UNIKEYS x HMX Sugar Rush

A few new switches that hopped onto the list during December including HMX Sugar Rush, Yogurt, and TT red are all new HMX switches manufactured using HMX's newest mold set. I personally found them to be more balanced compared to OG HMX switches such as Xinhai, Hyacinth V2, or Cloud because the new releases sound fuller and less piercing. They are great options for people who love the HMX clack but want something that's less "noisy" […].

1UNIKEYS x HMX Sugar RushUNIKEYS x HMX Sugar Rush
linear
new $0.35buy
2HMX Snow CrashHMX Snow Crash
linear
-1 $0.35buy
3Sillyworks x Gateron Type R	404Sillyworks x Gateron Type R
tactile
new $0.50buy
4HMX | Sillyworks Hyacinth V2HMX | Sillyworks Hyacinth V2
linear
new $0.28buy
5HMX TT RedHMX TT Red
linear
new $0.35buy
6HMX Xinhai (light)HMX Xinhai (light)
linear
-4 $0.35buy
7HMX Yogurt	366HMX Yogurt
linear
-4 $0.35buy
8KEYGEEK X MZ Y3	508KEYGEEK X MZ Y3
linear
-4 $0.23buy
9KEYGEEK X UNIKEYS PURPLE DAWNKEYGEEK X UNIKEYS PURPLE DAWN
linear
-1 $0.25buy
10MMD VivianMMD Vivian
linear
new nanbuy

Keygeek switches overall haven't gained popularity compared to HMX switches. Only a few very unique ones such as Y3 and Purple Dawn could stay on the top 10 list month after month. I personally think Keygeek needs to work on their molding and materials development in order to create more variations in sound and feel; Otherwise, people would only need 3 Keygeek switches to see what they are all like.

You could say this about HMX in the old days, but it is different now. HMX has finished their POM housing development and tactile switch mold development. During the next couple months, we will release new HMX linear and tactile switches that come with new material combos. If you are interested in seeing how they will turn out to be like, please stay tuned – Dashan.

BeaverKeys (Canada)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic: Keygeek Briny

Keygeek Briny

HMX Xinhai and Gateron Quinn are still enjoying high popularity with the Canadian mech enthusiasts. I think it's fair to say that they earned their spot as evergreen switches that should be part of everybody's collection. I'm hoping to see Keygeek Briny and HMX Yogurt to pop up in the list for January as they both are excellent switches and an absolute pleasure to type on! – Peter.

1Gateron QuinnGateron Quinn
tactile
2 0.85CADbuy
2HMX Xinhai (light)	414HMX Xinhai (light)
linear
- 0.45CADbuy
3Gateron Oil King	111Gateron Oil King
linear
-2 0.87CADbuy
4HMX | Sillyworks Hyacinth V2	674HMX | Sillyworks Hyacinth V2
linear
new 0.45CADbuy
5Gateron KS-3X47 Pro Yellow	258Gateron KS-3X47 Pro Yellow
linear
new 0.38CADbuy
6Gateron Mini iGateron Mini i
tactile
3 0.85CADbuy
7HMX Xinhai (heavy)HMX Xinhai (heavy)
linear
1 0.49CADbuy
8KEYGEEK X MZ Y3	625KEYGEEK X MZ Y3
linear
new 0.37CADbuy
9Durock Ice King TactileDurock Ice King Tactile
tactile
new 0.75CADbuy
10Durock Sea GlassDurock Sea Glass
linear
new 0.75CADbuy

Coffeekeys (Italy)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

As you can see, Morandi continues to hold the top spot for this month, but the Gateron switches are performing very well, especially the Quinn and Baby Kangaroo models. An interesting update is the Coffeekeys switch tester, which now makes it easier for customers to test and compare switches. We’ve also noticed an increased interest in magnetic switches. Let’s see if this trend continues in the coming months – Coffeekeys.

1Wuque Studio WS MorandiWuque Studio WS Morandi
linear
- €0.39buy
2Wuque Studio WS Silent Linear	139Wuque Studio WS Silent Linear
linear
1 €0.34buy
3Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)
tactile
1 €0.49buy
4Gateron Quinn	177Gateron Quinn
tactile
2 €0.57buy
5Gateron Oil KingGateron Oil King
linear
new €0.59buy
6Gateron KS-27 Low Profile BlueGateron KS-27 Low Profile Blue
clicky
new €0.24buy
7Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro	856Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro
Hall-effect
new nanbuy
8Gateron EF EverFree Curry	123Gateron EF EverFree Curry
linear
new nanbuy
9Wuque Studio WS Dash	26Wuque Studio WS Dash
Hall-effect
new €0.78buy
10Gateron Milky Yellow ProGateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
new nanbuy

Mechboards (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic: lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight

lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight

A restock of Lowprokb choc switches means they once again dominate our top spots. And Oil Kings remain king of the MX switches. Other than that, we’re pretty stable in our top 10 – Ben.

1lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight	264lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight
silent linear
new £0.95buy
2lowprokb Choc (V1) Sunset	711lowprokb Choc (V1) Sunset
tactile
new £0.85buy
3Gateron Oil KingGateron Oil King
linear
2 £0.65buy
4Kailh Choc (V1) Red	769Kailh Choc (V1) Red
linear
-3 £0.55buy
5Gateron SmoothieGateron Smoothie
linear
-2 £0.30buy
6Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow	937Gateron G Pro 3.0 Yellow
linear
new £0.28buy
7Alpaca V2Alpaca V2
linear
2 £0.55buy
8lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Nocturnallowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Nocturnal
silent linear
-2 £0.95buy
9Kailh Choc (V1) BrownKailh Choc (V1) Brown
tactile
-5 £0.55buy
10Novelkeys Cream	990Novelkeys Cream
linear
-3 £0.75buy

MonacoKeys (Germany)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

In addition to providing his insights, Michael has updated the collection with his best-seller switches, so you don't have to search for the products on the website.

Pic: BSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron

BSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron

Many switches went out of stock during December, that's why switches like the Akko Silents are missing or the Outemu Silent Lime/Peach had lower sales numbers. BSUN Light Sakura silent tactile switches have been a new addition to the shop. We have restocks for most switches incoming next week and also some newcomers that will arrive during this month – Michael.

1Evo80 x Keygeek OatEvo80 x Keygeek Oat
linear
- €0.32buy
2Outemu Cream Yellow Pro	437Outemu Cream Yellow Pro
silent tactile
new €0.31buy
3MMD Princess Tactile V4	113MMD Princess Tactile V4
tactile
new €0.36buy
4MMD Princess Linear V4	582MMD Princess Linear V4
linear
new €0.36buy
5Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3	646Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3
silent tactile
-2 €0.38buy
6KTT Kang White V3KTT Kang White V3
linear
new €0.27buy
7BSUN Light Sakura	965BSUN Light Sakura
silent linear
new €0.39buy
8Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3
silent linear
new €0.38buy
9Neo x HMX Azure	500Neo x HMX Azure
linear
new €0.32buy
10BSUN x Zuoce Studio MacaronBSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron
linear
new €0.21buy

YourKBD (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic: Kailh Deep Sea Silent Box Whale & Islet

Kailh Deep Sea Silent Box Whale & Islet

Wishing you and the entire community a fantastic New Year filled with success and growth! – Ryan.

1Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box WhaleKailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale
silent tactile
new $0.55buy
2Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-ProfileKailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile
silent linear
8 $0.59buy
3Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3	333Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3
silent linear
-2 $0.24buy
4Chosfox&Outemu YichuChosfox&Outemu Yichu
silent linear
new $0.25buy
5Chosfox Poison Gas	656Chosfox Poison Gas
tactile
-1 $0.30buy
6Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2
linear
new $0.36buy
7Chosfox Voyager V2Chosfox Voyager V2
tactile
- $0.54buy
8Chosfox White Fox V2	200Chosfox White Fox V2
linear
-6 $0.30buy
9Kailh Box Red V2Kailh Box Red V2
linear
-6 $0.32buy
10Kailh Choc (V1) Brown	484Kailh Choc (V1) Brown
tactile
new nanbuy

Keebz N Cables (Australia)

Pic: Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang Linear

Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang Linear

In December, we saw a major surge in our in-house switch range, probably in line with our black Friday and Christmas sales. In particular the Taro N Sweet Potato switch which has recently been named Click and Thocks favourite linear of 2024. There has also been an uptick in Invokeys Matcha Latte V2 switches as we are one of the last stores in the world to still have stock. Zuoce Studio's Macaron linear switch is starting to trend as a super budget friendly switch made by BSUN at approx. $0.13USD per switch and comes in 4 different colours for mixing and matching. Other than that, Ghost Dragons remain popular and people are still going back to trusty old favourites KTT Kang White V3 and HMX Macchiato of more recent times – Jason.

1Keebz N Cables x BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato	763Keebz N Cables x BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato
linear
- 0.75AUDbuy
2Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang Linear	174Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang Linear
linear
new 0.60AUDbuy
3Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang V2	633Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang V2
tactile
- 0.60AUDbuy
4HMX Ice CendolHMX Ice Cendol
linear
5 0.56AUDbuy
5Keebz N Cables Mountain KingKeebz N Cables Mountain King
tactile
new 0.65AUDbuy
6Invokeys Matcha Latte V2	594Invokeys Matcha Latte V2
linear
new 1.01AUDbuy
7BSUN x Zuoce Studio MacaronBSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron
linear
-1 0.21AUDbuy
8KTT Kang White V3	719KTT Kang White V3
linear
new 0.40AUDbuy
9HMX YG Macchiato	774HMX YG Macchiato
linear
new 0.50AUDbuy
10SW X Captain Sterling SWK Dragon Ghost	609SW X Captain Sterling SWK Dragon Ghost
linear
-8 0.70AUDbuy

AKKO EU [10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Our data this month is slightly abnormal because our EU website had to be down for half a month due to the issue with the English domain name. So, the data this time may not be very accurate – Albert.

1Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3
linear
- €0.24buy
2Akko RosewoodAkko Rosewood
linear
- €0.37buy
3Akko Penguin SilentAkko Penguin Silent
tactile
- €0.37buy
4Akko Fairy (silent)Akko Fairy (silent)
silent linear
- €0.37buy
5Akko Cream Blue Pro V3Akko Cream Blue Pro V3
tactile
- €0.24buy
6Akko Lavender Purple Pro V3	898Akko Lavender Purple Pro V3
tactile
1 €0.26buy
7Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3	416Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3
tactile
-1 €0.26buy
8Akko DraculaAkko Dracula
linear
1 €0.34buy
9Akko Silver Pro V3	579Akko Silver Pro V3
linear
new €0.37buy
10Akko Starlit	775Akko Starlit
linear
new €0.34buy

CandyKeys (Germany)

Pic:

2025 should be the year of things settling down with brands chirping out available boards and switches which most likely will be of all very good quality. These days no brand can afford to release a bad board – David.

1Akko RosewoodAkko Rosewood
linear
- €0.37buy
2Akko Penguin SilentAkko Penguin Silent
tactile
- €0.37buy
3Gateron Magnetic Jade ProGateron Magnetic Jade Pro
Hall-effect
- €0.75buy
4Gateron Milky Yellow Pro	812Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
- €0.34buy
5HMX SakuraHMX Sakura
silent linear
new €0.39buy
6Cherry MX Ergo ClearCherry MX Ergo Clear
tactile
new €0.38buy
7Gateron EF EverFree CurryGateron EF EverFree Curry
linear
-1 €0.26buy
8Cherry Nixie	869Cherry Nixie
linear
-1 €0.44buy
9HMX YG MacchiatoHMX YG Macchiato
linear
-1 €0.39buy
10Cherry MX Brown (non-Hyperglide OG)	614Cherry MX Brown (non-Hyperglide OG)
tactile
- €0.44buy

Kinetic Labs (USA)

Pic: HMX Butter

HMX Butter

We re-stocked HMX Latte in December, which is currently our most popular switch. HMX and Gateron continue to dominate for us, and last month no tactiles made the list (Salmon tactiles are out of stock, our usual best selling tactile), but we have a new tactile releasing some time in late Jan / early February that I think will get people excited. Salmons are expected to come back in January as well – Christian.

1HMX ButterHMX Butter
linear
1 $0.45buy
2Kinetic Labs Gecko SilentKinetic Labs Gecko Silent
silent linear
4 $0.60buy
3HMX Latte	795HMX Latte
linear
-2 $0.45buy
4Kinetic Labs Moon V2	85Kinetic Labs Moon V2
linear
- $0.62buy
5Wuque Studio WS Morandi	823Wuque Studio WS Morandi
linear
-2 $0.43buy
6Gateron Milky Yellow Pro	874Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
-1 $0.23buy
7Gateron Oil King	964Gateron Oil King
linear
new $0.65buy
8Kinetic Labs Avocado	107Kinetic Labs Avocado
linear
-1 $0.50buy
9KTT Kang White V3	645KTT Kang White V3
linear
new $0.27buy
10Gateron SmoothieGateron Smoothie
linear
new $0.30buy

Lume Keebs (USA)
[5% off with the KBDNEW/KBDNEWS coupon code]

1HMX Cheese	717HMX Cheese
linear
5 $0.38buy
2HMX VioletHMX Violet
linear
1 $0.28buy
3GAZZEW Boba U4TGAZZEW Boba U4T
tactile
new $0.65buy
4Durock Ice King TactileDurock Ice King Tactile
tactile
new $0.42buy
5TTC Venus	511TTC Venus
linear
4 $0.50buy
6Invokeys Hojicha ReserveInvokeys Hojicha Reserve
tactile
new $0.50buy
7Gateron Mini iGateron Mini i
tactile
new $0.60buy
8Kailh Cocoa	681Kailh Cocoa
linear
-4 $0.35buy
9KeysMe x Gateron MarsKeysMe x Gateron Mars
linear
new $0.55buy
10Wuque Studio WS Morandi	440Wuque Studio WS Morandi
linear
new $0.39buy

Chosfox (China)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic:

1Chosfox x Kailh Arctic Fox	930Chosfox x Kailh Arctic Fox
clicky
- $0.60buy
2Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3
silent tactile
6 $0.22buy
3Chosfox Voyager V2	301Chosfox Voyager V2
tactile
-1 $0.55buy
4Kailh Box Red V2	479Kailh Box Red V2
linear
-1 $0.29buy
5Chosfox&Outemu YichuChosfox&Outemu Yichu
silent linear
-1 $0.25buy
6Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale	126Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale
silent tactile
-1 $0.49buy
7Chosfox White Fox V2Chosfox White Fox V2
linear
-1 $0.30buy
8Chosfox x JWK DD / Jingle	389Chosfox x JWK DD / Jingle
linear
-1 $0.30buy
9Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3	368Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3
silent linear
- $0.24buy
10Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2	559Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2
linear
- $0.35buy

DeskHero (Canada)

Pic:

1Gateron Oil KingGateron Oil King
linear
- 0.90CADbuy
2Gateron Milky Yellow Pro	177Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
6 0.35CADbuy
3HMX Game 1989HMX Game 1989
linear
2 0.51CADbuy
4Durock LavenderDurock Lavender
linear
- 0.92CADbuy
5Gateron Magnetic JadeGateron Magnetic Jade
Hall-effect
-3 1.10CADbuy
6HMX Hibiscus	815HMX Hibiscus
linear
new 0.45CADbuy
7Blue Macaw	622Blue Macaw
silent tactile
new 1.00CADbuy
8Cherry Nixie	216Cherry Nixie
linear
new 0.90CADbuy
9Cherry MX Black HyperglideCherry MX Black Hyperglide
linear
- 1.00CADbuy
10HMX Retro KD200	954HMX Retro KD200
linear
-7 0.51CADbuy
11Gateron Smoothie	780Gateron Smoothie
linear
-5 0.58CADbuy
12Durock Coral Durock Coral
silent linear
new 1.00CADbuy

Mechanical Keyboards (USA)

Pic:

1Cherry MX2A Brown	498Cherry MX2A Brown
tactile
new $0.40buy
2Cherry MX2A Silent Red (PCB-mount RGB)	425Cherry MX2A Silent Red (PCB-mount RGB)
silent linear
-1 $0.40buy
3Gateron Oil KingGateron Oil King
linear
3 $0.65buy
4Cherry MX2A Blue	654Cherry MX2A Blue
clicky
new $0.40buy
5Gateron Milky Yellow Pro	531Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
4 $0.26buy
6Cherry MX Silent RedCherry MX Silent Red
linear
new $0.40buy
7Gateron SmoothieGateron Smoothie
linear
new $0.30buy
8Gateron Jupiter BananaGateron Jupiter Banana
tactile
-5 $0.28buy
9Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)
tactile
-7 $0.60buy
10Cherry MX1A ClearCherry MX1A Clear
tactile
new $0.40buy

DIYKEY (China)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic:

1TTC POM King of Magnetic Switch	868TTC POM King of Magnetic Switch
Hall-effect
$1.50buy
2Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-ProfileKailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile
silent linear
$0.60buy
3Kailh Choc V2 White Rain	419Kailh Choc V2 White Rain
linear
$0.58buy
4TTC RGB King of Magnetic Switch	463TTC RGB King of Magnetic Switch
Hall-effect
$1.20buy
5Kailh Box Jam Ice Cream	714Kailh Box Jam Ice Cream
linear
$0.58buy
6Kailh Box Jellyfish PROKailh Box Jellyfish PRO
clicky
$0.60buy
7Gateron Magnetic Jade ProGateron Magnetic Jade Pro
Hall-effect
$1.00buy
8Gateron Magnetic Jade Gaming	733Gateron Magnetic Jade Gaming
magnetic linear
$1.05buy
9Vertex V1	951Vertex V1
linear
$0.30buy
10Kailh Box Night Firefly	458Kailh Box Night Firefly
clicky
$0.60buy

Keygem (Germany)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic:

Ours is the same list as before ? Next month will be different since some are sold out now :P – keygem.

1Gateron Oil King	978Gateron Oil King
linear
- €0.55buy
2GAZZEW Boba U4T	861GAZZEW Boba U4T
tactile
- €0.66buy
3GAZZEW U4T	684GAZZEW U4T
tactile
- €0.56buy
4Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)	470Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)
tactile
- €0.55buy
5Durock Silent T1 - ShrimpDurock Silent T1 - Shrimp
silent tactile
- €0.63buy
6KBDfans x Mod Musings X-ray Roller	201KBDfans x Mod Musings X-ray Roller
linear
- €0.63buy
7Gateron Milky Yellow Pro	452Gateron Milky Yellow Pro
linear
- €0.32buy
8Wuque Studio WS Morandi	784Wuque Studio WS Morandi
linear
- €0.40buy
9Gateron Magnetic Jade	893Gateron Magnetic Jade
Hall-effect
- €0.67buy
10Gateron Ink Black V2	302Gateron Ink Black V2
linear
- €0.63buy

Gateron (China)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Pic:

1Gateron Magnetic Jade ProGateron Magnetic Jade Pro
Hall-effect
- $0.80buy
2Gateron Magnetic Jade	348Gateron Magnetic Jade
Hall-effect
2 $0.80buy
3Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2)
tactile
2 $0.60buy
4Gateron Magnetic Jade MaxGateron Magnetic Jade Max
Hall-effect
-2 $1.00buy
5Gateron Zero Degree 0°Gateron Zero Degree 0°
silent linear
new $0.65buy
6Gateron Sea Salt SmoothieGateron Sea Salt Smoothie
linear
- $0.24buy
7Gateron Oil King	786Gateron Oil King
linear
- $0.64buy
8Gateron MelodicGateron Melodic
clicky
new $0.65buy
9Gateron Quinn	384Gateron Quinn
tactile
new $0.60buy

TALPKEYBOARD (Japan)

While appearing here for the first time, TALPKEYBOARD's Yousuke has been releasing his best-selling switches on his blog for some time. Feel free to check out lists of previous months too.

Pic:

The results for December show that silent and low-profile switches remain strong. While there have been no significant changes in the top-ranking popular switches over the past few months, the following switches have ranked starting from 11th place: Kailh Spring MINI ChocV2, Kailh All-POM White Rain, PH Studio Little Rabbit (28g!), SillyworksxNapworks HMX Nap (37gF) – Yousuke.

1Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Islet	434Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Islet
silent linear
¥96buy
2Tecsee Pudding MediumTecsee Pudding Medium
linear
¥64buy
3Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile	472Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet
silent linear
¥96buy
4Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini Brown/Whale Low-Profile	272Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini Brown/Whale
silent tactile
¥90buy
5Durock Ice King LinearDurock Ice King Linear
linear
¥80buy
6TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier)	824TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier)
linear
¥130buy
7Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box WhaleKailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale
silent tactile
¥96buy
8Kailh Deep Sea PRO Pink Islet SilentKailh Deep Sea PRO Pink Islet Silent
silent linear
¥96buy
9Gateron Zero Degree 0°Gateron Zero Degree 0°
silent linear
¥120buy
10YG Studio x HMX Canglan V2YG Studio x HMX Canglan V2
linear
¥66buy

About the aggregated list and algorithm

Due to the lack of complete and homogeneous data – until every single contributor provides exact numbers – standardization, normalization, and other techniques are essential to come up with a ranked list. The first ideas for standardization came from Pupsino and ProfNugget, thank you guys.

The current system:

  • incorporates sales volume as a percentage – to mitigate the domination 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 lists without sales data, the score deducted from the rank (with a smaller weight)
  • incorporates previous months with decaying weights – to smooth fluctuations and, primarily, to rank the relatively large number of 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 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.

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, however, some were put together manually. I asked for the numbers of the previous month.

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.

Pic: Kinetic Labs x Gateron Gecko silent linears

Kinetic Labs x Gateron Gecko silent linears

Final thoughts

Hey, I hope this write-up was useful to some of you because, again, it took me about 20-25 hours to complete. Yep, all this despite the heavy automatization.

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 detailed investigations about missing actuation forces, pre-travels and whatnot. 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 enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

What else? 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.

Thanks for reading this far, see you next month!

Do you like this post? Share, donate, subscribe, tip me off!

Published on Wed 8th Jan 2025. Featured in KBD #183.


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