Keyboard Builders' Digest / Switch trends

Best-selling keyboard switches of March 2026

Here are March’s top mechanical switches, the community’s favorites based on vendor sales data.

KBD.news
Published April 8, 2026

(Cover: XCJZ X WEKT Lucy R5 switches. Photo by Unikeys.)

Let’s keep the series rolling by highlighting the community’s most loved switches and diving into March’s best-selling models! Discussion over at r/mk if you'd like to share your experiences or opinion.

Summary: 18 contributors from all around the globe, representing slightly less than 1 million switches sold, with 112 switch models mentioned and 16 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, newly added 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.

General market trends

Thanks to this compilation being fairly representative — we have data coming from the US to China, Japan to France, Germany to India, and Australia to the UK –, and based on the sales volumes reported by all the participating shops, I can usually spot some interesting trends.

While the March numbers are quite mixed, again, I'd say this was again a slow month with only half of the shops reporting gains at various levels, and with 8 reporting a clear decrease in sales. (One new shop without base data.)

Part of this may be, as explicitely mentioned by StacksKB (India), the US-Israeli war against Iran. High fuel prices turned the small batch import model unfeasable.

The linear vs tactile ratio is 7:3 in the top 10 this time, and similarly 62:32 in the top 100 (with six models representing clickies). The current top tactile, the Gateron's Type R made it to the top spots though. However, keep in mind that the smaller variety and greater concentration of tactiles compared to linears may result in their over-representation.

In addition, silent switches still account for 20% of the top 10 (same as the previous month but still lower than 40% in December) and 22% of the top 100. This latter ratio indicates a slight increase.

Just like in February, looking into the per-shop lists may reveal the effect of stock clearances: Some older switch models appear in the individual Top 10 lists as customers snap them temporarily at discounts. Keep this in mind as well while evaluating the rankings.

For first-hand insights, shared by shop runners, check out the detailed lists below.

Contributors

Many thanks to all the shops that are contributing their detailed statistics to this series. Exact sales volumes (rather than mere rankings) make the aggregated list more accurate. Thank you for your trust 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), InputGear (DE), DiviniKey (US), The Thocc Exchange (UK), Delta Key Co. (FR), UniKeys (CN), Clackify (US), SerpentKeys (UK), Mechboards (UK), BeaverKeys (CA), Keebz N Cables (AU), Coffeekeys (IT), StacksKB (IN), Yusha Kobo (JP), AKKO EU (CN), RGBKeys (NL), Mechanical Keyboards (US).

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 also Monacokeys (DE) and CoffeeKeys (IT) in the EU, Thocc Exchange and SerpentKeys in the UK, while Unikeys (CN) is revamping their tester page. Other shops offer more specific switch testers too, e.g. Beaverkeys (CA) or Keebz N Cables (AU).

Novelties & Database updates

While 16 switch models have recently been added to the database as a result of the incoming top lists, most of these are rather old, some even ancient – like many Gaterons, e.g. KS-9 and G Pro variants.

• The clacky tactile Sillyworks X HMX Waverider V2 – successor to the classic KTT Waverider released back in 2023. It comes with a P tactile bump.

• Keygeek M3 – the first Keygeek switch using the LY material (a POM blend). Paired with the rigid P5 bottom housing, the M3 has a clacky and even metallic sound profile – according to Unikeys.

• The linear Typeplus Peacock. Typeplus as a manufacturer uses a "combinational manufacturing" approach by utilizing specialized manufacturers for individual components before final assembly and quality check at the Typeplus facility.

• The thocky Novaris Studio x Keybay Her Heart. Inspired by the futuristic romance of the film Her. With special focus on the color language.

• HMX Blackberry – YG, the designer, aimed not for a completely noiseless silent linear, but for something offering a clearer, more defined typing experience without sounding intrusive: reduced sound profile without mushyness.

• The tactile HMX Longjing S is pretty much a recolor of the HMX K01 with a mid-clacky bottom-out sound and a small tactile bump.

• XCJZ X WEKT Lucy R5 is the latest iteration of the popular silent linear, with the triple-shot silencing method (gel), without RGB diffuser this time. LICHICX, the manufacturer of Lucy, went bankrupt, so XCJZ has been working closely with WEKT to create R5.

• Gateron Harmonic – another clicky switch in the database, even if it's not new. Dual-rail design, sharp, crisp click. If you’re a fan of Gateron Melodics, these switches could be perfect for you.

• HMX Lulu Silent.
• Gateron Baby Raccoon 2.0.
• Geon Raw Zero – "a low-pitch linear switch with close-to-zero-wobble".

Again, there were some rather old models "hacked" into the top lists as well, partly clearance sales. Some contributors mark this situation clearly, and I can remove these entries, especially when the stock has already gone and it wouldn't make any sense to list an old and out-of-stock model anyway. In other cases I can't exclude suspicious debuts, so they get into the list. That said, this is part of the game and shouldn't really impact the very top of the list.

Top switch brands

These are the top 10 brands of March, in order of all the monthly sales aggregated:

Disclaimer: This list is based on the top10 switches by vendors. That's what I get the exact sales numbers for. I also have total sums, but no manufacturer data for the total sales volume.

Results

March's Top 10 – aggregated

Beside this Top10 feel free to check out the Top 400+ list too. (About the ranking: switch models appearing in multiple shop lists are prioritized over high sales in a single shop.)

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 February to March:

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.

Silent switches continue to be overall strong for us, we will get the full new lineup of Wingtree x Lichix silent switches during April and are very excited for them! – Michael.

Lume Keebs (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

The keyboard switch market is really shifting toward personalization and experience, people aren’t just looking for something to type on, they want switches that feel unique, smooth, and satisfying – Emily.

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

Can we get some more clicky love please? I assume it has gotten too annoying for Game Chat and Offices… RIP Clicky Switches! – David.

DiviniKey (US)

This month’s top ten was shaped in part by the return of several switches that had been out of stock for some time. Popular favorites like Y2 and Type R quickly reentered the rankings once they became available again, while newer additions such as Roller V2 and Peacock made an immediate impression. HMX Yogurt S took a slower path, but ultimately worked its way into the top ten by the end of the month.

Looking at the list as a whole, one pattern continues to hold. Linear switches remain the dominant preference, accounting for six of the ten spots this month.

And to continue a thread from last month, HMX Saru V2 is no longer just a work in progress sitting in the background. Production is now underway with release expected in about 2 months. The goal remains simple: creating the most “linear” tactile – Veasna.

The Thocc Exchange (UK)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Blue Cheese and Y2 are just unstoppable at the moment. Great to see Keygeek on such form – and with lots of new releases incoming. I was particularly impressed by the Durock Ice King line this past month. Linear and Tactile versions are getting fantastic reviews from customers. Stock Cherry Oranges are getting back into the meta now too – Matty.

Delta Key Co. (France)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

A big hit during March, maybe due to the situation in the world – Guillome.

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

Clackify (US)
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Lots of new switches were added this month, so be sure to check them out! HMX Blue Stars and Black Cats making the top 10 this month is well deserved in my opinion. I'm betting the HMX Puppies make the list next month too! – Calvin

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

Keygeek Blue Cheese V2 took the top spot this month, with Gateron Type R not far behind. Good to see HMX Xinhai still making the list - they’ve remained consistently popular. A few new switches are also on the way, including WingTree G One Linear and WingTree x Lichicx Yamatake Silent Tactile – Ollie.

Mechboards (UK)
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We ran out of many of our favourite switches this month, which gave the newer TTC switches a chance to shine, with Frozen V2 Silent taking the number one spot – Ben.

BeaverKeys (Canada)
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Thocky and silent switches are dominating the March sales charts. We added HMX Taro and HMX Butter as two new silent options to the store as well as two new deep sounding switches which are HMX Puppy and Keygeek Peachy – Peter.

Keebz N Cables (Australia)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Keygeek Blue Cheese V2 continues to be a crowd favourite. Thock reigns supreme – Jason.

Coffeekeys (Italy)
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March showed a clear recovery compared to February, with demand concentrating around top-performing models. While no major new launches occurred during the month, strong results from key Gateron switches drove overall growth, confirming the importance of established best-sellers in sustaining and scaling performance – Tommaso.

StacksKB (India)

We ran a sale in March which affected the rankings. The US-Israeli war against Iran has basically obliterated the small batch import model. Fuel surcharges have skyrocketed and carriers have imposed additional surcharges meaning that small shipments from China are no longer viable. Plus INR currency decline, and higher domestic fulfillment costs. And reduced consumer discretionary spending. The next few months will be tough – Aditya.

Yusha Kobo (Japan)

We added the HMX Lulu Silent & the BSUN Her Heart switches to our lineup, and they immediately joined our Top 10 for March. The Lulus sold out pretty fast. As usual - lots of silent switches in our Top 10. We added some new switches to our lineup for April - so excited what next month's ranking will bring – Sabrina.

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

RGBKeys (The Netherlands)
[10% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

Mechanical Keyboards (US)
[5% off with the KBDNEWS coupon code]

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 may 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 month to break ties.

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 may 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 & Developments

Hey, I hope this write-up was useful to some of you because it took me a lot of time to complete it again, despite the heavy automation wherever possible. Thankfully, this time I'm closer to 10 hours again – at least not the painful and unsustainable 15-20 hours I spent with the early write-ups. This is only partly the result of my efficiency, less new switches influence this number a lot – less time spent with looking for missing data, proper photos, and including new models into the database.

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.

• Share your thoughts on Reddit!
• Check out the switch database – with 489 switch models – with specs, photos, vendors, prices, typing tests.
• Some features: Search by keyword, filter by tags. You can order the list by price and release date now, as well as filter switches by color. Use permalinks to custom lists like silent tactiles or light, lubed linears with dust-proof stem and light diffuser. ;)
• Try the Switch Quiz to narrow down the full range of switches according to your preferences.
• Finally, the archive of all the monthly switch compilations is available too, e.g. the previous, February top list as a reference.

Thanks for reading this far, see you next month!

Published on Wed 8th Apr 2026. Featured in KBD #209.

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