Keyboard Builders' Digest / Switch trends
Best-selling keyboard switches of February, 2025
In this month's overview of community-favorite mechanical switches, here are February's top picks, based on real sales data provided by vendors and manufacturers.
Published March 6, 2025
(Cover: KTT x 80Retros GAME 1989 Orange, e.g. at Lume Keebs.)
Hey fellow switch enthusiasts! Most shops have gotten back to me with their top lists, so let's continue our series highlighting the community's favorite switch models! This time, we're diving into February's best-selling switches.
Summary: 17 contributors from all around the globe, representing almost 1 million switches sold, with 113 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 aggregated list, the shooting stars, the detailed results by shops, or to the disclaimer and aggregation rules used by the algorithm.
Switch testers
Many of you asked for switch testers featuring the top 10 or 20 models. 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 huge selection, and also Monacokeys in the EU. Other shops offer more specific switch testers too, e.g. Beaverkeys (CA) or Keebz N Cables (AU). In addition, SwitchTest.shop is a new service – for US customers only.
PSA
- Check out the switch database – with almost 300 switch models – with specs, photos, vendors, prices. Order, 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. ;)
- The archive of all the monthly switch compilations is available too, e.g. the previous, January top list as a reference.
Contributors
Many thanks to all the shops who contributed this month! I made detailed stats mandatory, and all but a single shop sent me detailed sales data this time. Thank you for your confidence on behalf of the community – we all know how sensitive this data is.
Exact sales volumes make life easier and the aggregated list more accurate.
In addition, I can see some interesting trends this way: e.g. many stores reported significantly lower sales this time, part of this could be the Chinese New Year recess early last month. I can see only two shops with significantly more sales compared to January.
Clicking the links takes you to the individual top lists:
BeaverKeys (CA), Lume Keebs (US), Keebz N Cables (AU), MonacoKeys (DE), Clackify (US), Mechboards (UK), SerpentKeys (UK), The Thocc Exchange (UK), YourKBD (CN), Coffeekeys (IT), CandyKeys (DE), UniKeys (CN), Ikasaya (US), AKKO EU (CN), Chosfox (CN), DeskHero (CA), TALPKEYBOARD (JP).
Overview
Several new-old switch models added to the database, and I had the opportunity to try some of them.
Special thanks to Kinetic Labs for spoiling me with an impressive heap of switch samples: Gecko, Turtle, Moon V2, Avocado, Butter, Latte, Capybara. In this sea of linears it's probably natural that I find the silent tactile Turtle the most interesting.
Some notable additions to the database last month:
- The affordable Durock Mocha Silk (linear) and Mocha Chocolate (tactile) made it to the top lists of Beaverkeys and Talpkeyboard.
- Siliworks X HMX Sonja, HMX Canglan V3, HMX Noire, Keygeek Pomkin, Keygeek Higanbana at Unikeys.
Btw, Sillyworks is Siliworks (or Silliworks?) now – I can see both variants…
- Durock Koala's debut at Ikasaya.
- Kailh Deep Sea Silent MINI, the Pink Island version was firstly mentioned by Talpkeyboard.
- Akko's clicky Creamy Cyan debuted on Akko EU's February list.
- The green Hanami Dango at Yourkbd.
- HMX Caramel Pudding and Dangkeeb's silly DK Creamery Birthday Cake at Serpentkeys.
- Aaand… drum roll… AEBoards Raeds Hall Effect (HE) with a dome :) – at Keebz-N-Cables.
There are even more new mentions, take a look at the lists below.
Results
February's Top 10 – aggregated
Beside this Top10 feel free to check out the Top 250+ 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 Milky Yellow Pro linear | buy |
| 3 |  | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | buy |
| 4 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile silent linear | buy |
| 5 |  | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | buy |
| 6 |  | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | buy |
| 7 |  | KTT Kang White V3 linear | buy |
| 8 |  | Gateron Quinn tactile | buy |
| 9 |  | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | buy |
| 10 |  | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | buy |
As you'll see, there's not much overlapping in the individual shop lists, and 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 January to February.
| 1 |  | MMD Princess Tactile V4 tactile | 38 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | GAZZEW Boba U4T tactile | 37 | buy |
| 3 | | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile silent linear | 35 | buy |
| 4 |  | Durock Ice King Linear linear | 33 | buy |
| 5 |  | Akko x MonsGeek Green Fog linear | 31 | buy |
| 6 |  | BSUN x Punkshoo Melody Redux tactile | 31 | buy |
| 7 |  | BSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron linear | 29 | buy |
| 8 |  | Durock Ice King Tactile tactile | 29 | buy |
| 9 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | 29 | buy |
| 10 |  | Cherry MX Ergo Clear tactile | 25 | buy |
And now let's take a look at the individual lists.
BeaverKeys (Canada)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
I stocked two newly released thocky POK switches from Durock - Mocha Silk (linear) and Mocha Chocolate (t1 tactile). They are both highly enjoyable switches and priced much more competitively than previous releases from Durock – Peter.
| 1 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | - | 0.45CAD | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Oil King linear | 1 | 0.87CAD | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | 1 | 0.85CAD | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Yogurt 45g linear | 2 | 0.49CAD | buy |
| 5 | | KTT Kang White V3 linear | -3 | 0.39CAD | buy |
| 6 |  | Durock Sea Glass linear | new | 0.75CAD | buy |
| 7 |  | Gateron Mini i tactile | 3 | 0.85CAD | buy |
| 8 |  | KEYGEEK X MZ Y3 linear | new | 0.37CAD | buy |
| 9 |  | Akko Mirror linear | new | 0.40CAD | buy |
| 10 |  | Durock Mocha Silk linear | new | 0.49CAD | buy |
Lume Keebs (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
New switches: The KTT x 80Retros GAME 1989 Orange and Red linear switches bring a retro aesthetic with a smooth, light linear feel, designed by the creator of the HMX x 80Retros Game 1989 Classic switch. A perfect blend of nostalgia and performance! Trends: We're seeing a surge in collaborative switch designs, blending unique aesthetics with custom-tuned performance. Announcement: ⚡ Flash Sale – 10% Off All Switches! ⚡ For a limited time, enjoy 10% off all switches during our Flash Sale! Use code SWITCH10 at checkout. Behind the Scenes: We're always testing new switches and working on bringing more exciting collaborations to the keeb community. Stay tuned for upcoming drops! – Emily.
| 1 | | GAZZEW Boba U4T tactile | 9 | $0.65 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | 6 | $0.53 | buy |
| 3 |  | Gateron Ink Black V2 linear | new | $0.75 | buy |
| 4 | | Durock Ice King Tactile tactile | new | $0.49 | buy |
| 5 |  | Everglide Aqua King (V3) 62g linear | new | $0.75 | buy |
| 6 |  | Kailh Cocoa linear | -4 | $0.35 | buy |
| 7 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | - | $0.55 | buy |
| 8 |  | Gateron Smoothie linear | -5 | $0.26 | buy |
| 9 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | new | $0.53 | buy |
| 10 |  | HMX Gulf linear | new | $0.30 | buy |
Keebz N Cables (Australia)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
February was an interesting month where we are seeing a drop in the popularity of HMX switches compared to previous months. Deep seems to be the trend. BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato remains a crowd favourite for it's buttery smoothness and deep sound signature, followed by Keygeek Blue Cheese aka the new thock king. Invokeys Hojicha is also gaining traction, based on the sound and feel, it's the tactile spiritual brother to BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato. AEBoards Raeds HE switch is a new introduction to the list as the first HE switch that replicates the feel of an EC rubber dome. Our team tried the prototypes at the Australian Mechanical Keyboard Expo in 2024 and loved it so much that we asked the AEBoards team if we could stock it – Jason.
| 1 |  | Keebz N Cables x BSUN Taro N Sweet Potato linear | - | 0.75AUD | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Keygeek Blue Cheese linear | - | 0.60AUD | buy |
| 3 |  | Invokeys Hojicha Reserve tactile | new | 0.75AUD | buy |
| 4 |  | Unikeys x HMX Purple Dawn linear | new | 0.32AUD | buy |
| 5 |  | Invokeys Matcha Latte V2 linear | 3 | 1.01AUD | buy |
| 6 |  | Keebz N Cables Ice Kachang V2 tactile | 1 | 0.60AUD | buy |
| 7 | | KTT Kang White V3 linear | new | 0.28AUD | buy |
| 8 |  | SW X Captain Sterling SWK Dragon Ghost linear | -3 | 0.70AUD | buy |
| 9 |  | HMX Xinhai (heavy) linear | new | 0.55AUD | buy |
| 10 |  | AEBoards Raeds Hall Effect (HE) Hall-effect | new | 1.03AUD | buy |
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.
| 1 |  | Neo Oat linear | - | €0.32 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | Outemu Cream Yellow Pro silent tactile | 1 | €0.31 | buy |
| 3 |  | Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3 silent tactile | 1 | €0.38 | buy |
| 4 |  | Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3 silent linear | -2 | €0.38 | buy |
| 5 | | MMD Princess Tactile V4 tactile | 5 | €0.36 | buy |
| 6 |  | MMD Princess Ultra Thock linear | -1 | €0.39 | buy |
| 7 |  | Akko Rosewood linear | 1 | €0.38 | buy |
| 8 |  | HMX | Sillyworks Hyacinth V2 linear | new | €0.39 | buy |
| 9 | | Gateron Smoothie linear | new | €0.37 | buy |
| 10 |  | MMD Holy Panda V3 tactile | -3 | €0.36 | buy |
Clackify (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
This month, the top switches remained largely unchanged, though they shifted around some. As I mentioned previously, popularity doesn't always reflect the best options available, so I encourage exploring a wider range of options! - Calvin.
| 1 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | - | buy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | GAZZEW U4T tactile | new | buy | |
| 3 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | 3 | buy | |
| 4 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -1 | buy | |
| 5 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | 2 | buy | |
| 6 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | -1 | buy | |
| 7 |  | Akko Penguin Silent tactile | -5 | buy | |
| 8 |  | Wuque Studio WS Silent Tactile silent tactile | 1 | buy | |
| 9 | | Everglide Aqua King (V3) 62g linear | new | buy | |
| 10 |  | Gazzew U4 Black silent tactile | new | buy |
Mechboards (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Sold out of Oil kings, so they lost their spot as our top MX switch, replaced by the newly added Gateron Jupiter Banana switch. Gateron still seem to remain king of our MX switches in general – Ben.
| 1 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Twilight silent linear | - | £1.00 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Sunset tactile | 2 | £0.85 | buy |
| 3 |  | Gateron Jupiter Banana tactile | new | £0.32 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Smoothie linear | new | £0.30 | buy |
| 5 |  | lowprokb Choc (V1) Ambients Nocturnal silent linear | -3 | £0.95 | buy |
| 6 |  | Alpaca V2 linear | 3 | £0.55 | buy |
| 7 |  | Kailh Choc (V1) Red linear | -1 | £0.55 | buy |
| 8 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | £0.55 | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron Jupiter Brown tactile | new | £0.32 | buy |
| 10 |  | Kailh Choc (V1) Brown tactile | -2 | £0.55 | buy |
SerpentKeys (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
With a few of our most popular switches from the previous month going out of stock early February, some newcomers have made a top 10 appearance for the first time, including an oldie but goldie…. The KTT Strawberry V2! – Ollie.
| 1 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | 2 | £0.23 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Oil King linear | 5 | £0.60 | buy |
| 3 |  | Invokeys x Alas Daydreamer silent tactile | new | £0.60 | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Caramel Pudding linear | new | £0.33 | buy |
| 5 | | BSUN x Punkshoo Melody Redux tactile | new | £0.44 | buy |
| 6 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | - | £0.33 | buy |
| 7 |  | KTT Strawberry V2 linear | new | £0.38 | buy |
| 8 | | SW X Captain Sterling SWK Dragon Ghost linear | new | £0.43 | buy |
| 9 |  | Invokeys Matcha Reserve linear | -1 | £0.48 | buy |
| 10 |  | DK Creamery - Birthday Cake tactile | new | £0.30 | buy |
The Thocc Exchange (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Well, it isn't really switch related but there's a charity raffle at ThoccExchange.
Cherry MX Oranges were on sale this month and stole the show. Hades V2 consistently popular for deep clacks. Zuoce is taking off - their value for money is on par with Jerrzi switches. Keygeek Jasmines did well thanks to the lovely man Alexotos. Our recent charity raffles have really supported growth - Matty.
| 1 |  | Cherry MX2A "Hirose" Orange linear | new | £0.33 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | TTC Bluish White (V2) Silent silent tactile | 4 | £0.40 | buy |
| 3 |  | HMX Hades V2 linear | -2 | £0.35 | buy |
| 4 | | BSUN x Zuoce Studio Macaron linear | 3 | £0.20 | buy |
| 5 | | Akko x MonsGeek Green Fog linear | 4 | £0.33 | buy |
| 6 |  | Kailh Box Navy clicky | new | £0.45 | buy |
| 7 | | Akko Rosewood linear | new | £0.35 | buy |
| 8 |  | Lichicx Yogurt silent linear | new | £0.50 | buy |
| 9 |  | Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3 tactile | -6 | £0.28 | buy |
| 10 |  | TTC Venus linear | new | £0.50 | buy |
YourKBD (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
The Hanami Pink Dango V2 linear switches are gaining traction lately – sales have been picking up, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. If someone are looking for a solid linear option, I’d highly recommend them! – 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 | $0.50 | buy |
| 6 |  | Chosfox Voyager V2 tactile | $0.54 | buy |
| 7 | | Outemu Silent Lemon/Lime V3 silent tactile | $0.32 | buy |
| 8 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) 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 |
Coffeekeys (Italy)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
The numbers are quite similar to December, but last month, Akko switches joined the family. We are working on improving our switch catalog and introducing new brands. In February, we will also start conducting switch sound tests on our social media and comparing the best-selling items.
| 1 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | - | €0.39 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | 1 | €0.52 | buy |
| 3 |  | Gateron KS-33 Low Profile Red linear | new | €0.24 | buy |
| 4 |  | Wuque Studio WS Silent Linear linear | 2 | €0.34 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -3 | €0.65 | buy |
| 6 |  | Gateron KS-33 Low Profile Brown tactile | new | €0.24 | buy |
| 7 | | Wuque Studio WS Silent Tactile silent tactile | 2 | €0.34 | buy |
| 8 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | €0.52 | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron EF EverFree Curry linear | -5 | €0.17 | buy |
| 10 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | -2 | €0.29 | buy |
| 11 |  | Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 tactile | new | buy |
CandyKeys (Germany)
Outemu Feather silent is a new release from Outemu that is very underrated, more tactile silents are needed, we are still waiting for HMX to join the tactile game. Once they will, we expect a big bang to occur in terms of speed of expanding on tactile switch characteristics – David.
| 1 | | Gateron Oil King linear | €0.65 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | €0.34 | buy |
| 3 | | Cherry MX Ergo Clear tactile | €0.38 | buy |
| 4 |  | HMX Blue Topaz linear | buy | |
| 5 |  | Outemu Feather silent tactile | buy | |
| 6 | | KEYGEEK X MZ Y3 linear | buy | |
| 7 | | HMX Gulf linear | buy |
UniKeys (China)
[7% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Since we got a lot of new releases this month, they took over most of the top 10 places. Both the top two Sonja and Canglan V3 switches are new releases, and both of them come with innovative mold change. Sonja is the first ever scratchy HMX rail bottom out linear switch, and Canglan V3 is the first ever HMX switch that comes with a spherical stem tip. It seems like people are willing to try out these new designs. Other switches such as Serene Green, Y3, Sugar Rush, and Type R are our old friends on the top 10 list – Dashan.
| 1 |  | Siliworks X HMX Sonja linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | HMX Canglan V3 linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
| 3 |  | HMX Serene Green linear | 1 | $0.35 | buy |
| 4 |  | UNIKEYS x HMX Sugar Rush linear | -3 | $0.35 | buy |
| 5 | | KEYGEEK X MZ Y3 linear | -2 | $0.23 | buy |
| 6 |  | HMX Noire linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
| 7 |  | Keygeek x Sharkeys Pomkin linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
| 8 |  | Sillyworks x Gateron Type R tactile | -6 | $0.50 | buy |
| 9 |  | Keygeek Higanbana linear | new | $0.35 | buy |
| 10 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | -4 | $0.35 | buy |
Ikasaya (US)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
I'm seeing more clients asking for Hall Effect (HE) keyboards, with Wooting being a popular choice. Since more brands are making HE switches, there's a good chance we'll see more keyboards adopting them. HE switches are great for gaming because of their fast actuation, which is a big deal for a lot of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts who want to game competitively on their custom boards. With more options coming out, more brands will likely jump in to keep up with the demand – Ivan.
| 1 | | KTT Kang White V3 linear | - | $0.26 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Smoothie linear | - | $0.30 | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Oil King linear | 2 | $0.65 | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | 2 | $0.25 | buy |
| 5 | | Gateron Quinn tactile | 2 | $0.59 | buy |
| 6 |  | Gateron Lunar Probe linear | -2 | $0.54 | buy |
| 7 |  | Durock Koala tactile | new | $0.85 | buy |
| 8 |  | Wuque Studio WS Heavy tactile | new | $0.67 | buy |
| 9 |  | KTT Rose linear | -6 | $0.26 | buy |
| 10 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | $0.55 | buy |
AKKO EU (China)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Creamy Cyan, Akko's first retail clicky switch, made it to place 9th at Akko EU.
| 1 | | Akko Penguin Silent tactile | 2 | €0.37 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Akko Rosewood linear | 3 | €0.37 | buy |
| 3 |  | Akko Cream Yellow Pro V3 linear | -2 | €0.24 | buy |
| 4 |  | Akko Fairy (silent) silent linear | -2 | €0.37 | buy |
| 5 | | Akko Cream Blue Pro V3 tactile | -1 | €0.24 | buy |
| 6 | | Akko Creamy Purple Pro V3 tactile | - | €0.26 | buy |
| 7 |  | Akko Lavender Purple Pro V3 tactile | - | €0.26 | buy |
| 8 |  | Akko Piano Pro linear | - | €0.37 | buy |
| 9 |  | Akko Creamy Cyan clicky | new | €0.29 | buy |
| 10 |  | Akko Dracula linear | -1 | €0.34 | buy |
Chosfox (China)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]
Our new linear switch: Chosfox & HMX Dune Fox – Robin.
| 1 | | Chosfox White Fox V2 linear | $0.30 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Outemu Silent Honey Peach V3 silent linear | $0.24 | buy |
| 3 | | Chosfox & HMX Hanami Dango V2 linear | $0.35 | buy |
| 4 |  | Chosfox x Kailh Arctic Fox clicky | $0.55 | buy |
| 5 | | Chosfox Voyager V2 tactile | $0.55 | buy |
| 6 | | Hanami Dango Green tactile | $0.50 | buy |
| 7 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | $0.69 | buy |
| 8 | | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Whale silent tactile | $0.49 | buy |
| 9 |  | Chosfox x JWK DD / Jingle linear | $0.30 | buy |
| 10 |  | Chosfox Poison Gas tactile | $0.30 | buy |
DeskHero (Canada)
Xinhai continues to do well upon its return to inventory. Milky Yellow is a strong value pick. Oil Kings consistently in the Top 3 due to its large marketing presence. HE Jade Pros making a strong initial appearance – Jerrold.
| 1 | | HMX Xinhai (light) linear | 6 | 0.45CAD | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | Gateron Milky Yellow Pro linear | -1 | 0.35CAD | buy |
| 3 | | Gateron Oil King linear | -1 | 0.90CAD | buy |
| 4 | | Gateron Baby Kangaroo (V2) tactile | new | 0.90CAD | buy |
| 5 | | HMX Yogurt 45g linear | -2 | 0.48CAD | buy |
| 6 | | Wuque Studio WS Morandi linear | 2 | 0.63CAD | buy |
| 7 |  | Haimu Heartbeat silent linear | -3 | 0.45CAD | buy |
| 8 |  | Keygeek Keylin linear | new | 0.60CAD | buy |
| 9 |  | Gateron Magnetic Jade Pro Hall-effect | new | 1.20CAD | buy |
| 10 |  | HMX Jelly linear | -4 | 0.46CAD | buy |
TALPKEYBOARD (Japan)
The ChocV2 Deep Sea Silent MINI Islet is the immovable number one, again. The top has not changed at all in the past few months. TTC Frozen Silent V2, our standard silent linear switch, is back after a long time. It is a high-quality silent linear, but the high price was a bottleneck. This time, we were able to reduce the price with TTC's consideration. DUROCK's new Mocha switches using the new POK material made it to rank 5th (tactile) and 8th (linear). The tactile Chocolate was more popular than the linear Silk, which was a surprise – Yousuke.
| 1 | | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini White/Islet Low-Profile silent linear | - | ¥96 | buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | | TTC Frozen V2 Silent (TTC Silent Glacier) linear | new | ¥130 | buy |
| 3 | | Durock Ice King Linear linear | 2 | ¥80 | buy |
| 4 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent Pro Box Islet silent linear | -2 | ¥96 | buy |
| 5 |  | Durock Mocha Chocolate tactile | new | ¥54 | buy |
| 6 |  | Tecsee Pudding Medium linear | -3 | ¥64 | buy |
| 7 |  | Kailh Deep Sea Silent MINI Pink Island silent linear | new | ¥116 | buy |
| 8 | | Durock Mocha Silk linear | new | ¥54 | buy |
| 9 |  | Kailh Choc V2 White Rain linear | new | ¥92 | buy |
| 10 |  | Kailh Deep Sea PRO Pink Islet Silent silent linear | -3 | ¥96 | 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 every single contributor provided exact numbers this time, standardization, normalization, and other techniques remain essential to come up with a ranked list.
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 month 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 hours to complete. Yep, all this despite the heavy automation wherever possible. (I'm getting better at this though!)
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. 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.
Thanks for reading this far, see you next month!
Published on Thu 6th Mar 2025. Featured in KBD #188.
Related
Are progressive springs really progressive?
Some force curve measurements of progressive springs by GreenPylons.
Ajazz x Huano Banana switch
Ajazz x Huano Banana switches reviewed by ThereminGoat.
TKC Blackberry review
TKC Blackberry switches reviewed by u/ThereminGoat.
Outemu clicky optoelectric switches
A quick teardown of the Outemu clicky optoelectric switches by Chyrosran22.