Guide

Linear, tactile or clicky: choosing keyboard switches

The three switch families, what each actually feels like under a finger, what the weight numbers on a product page mean, and why the manufacturer figure is usually optimistic.

By A. Editor·Published April 2, 2026·Updated June 20, 2026

Every mechanical switch belongs to one of three families. The differences are simple to describe and much harder to predict from a description, which is why “just try them” is the standard advice and why it is unhelpful if you are buying online.

Here is what actually distinguishes them, and what the numbers on a product page mean.

Linear

Smooth from top to bottom. Press it and the resistance increases evenly until the key bottoms out. Nothing happens along the way — no bump, no click, no feedback that the keypress registered.

What it feels like: consistent, and slightly featureless the first time. There is no signal that you have pressed far enough, so you either learn where the actuation point is or bottom out every key. Most people bottom out.

Common examples: Gateron Yellow, Cherry MX Red, HMX Cloud, Kailh Red.

Who it suits: gamers, because there is no bump to press through on rapid repeated inputs, and typists who find tactile feedback distracting. Linears are also the quietest family, which matters in shared spaces.

Tactile

A bump partway down. Press it and resistance increases, then there is a distinct step, then it decreases slightly before bottoming out. The bump sits at or near the actuation point, so you can feel the key register.

What it feels like: informative. You can stop pressing at the bump instead of driving each key to the bottom, which some people find less tiring. The bump varies enormously between switches — some are rounded and gentle, some are sharp and pronounced.

Common examples: Gateron Brown (light, vague), Akko V3 Cream Blue (rounded, distinct), Boba U4T (sharp and heavy).

Who it suits: most typists. If you are buying one board and cannot try before you buy, a medium-weight tactile is the safest default.

Worth knowing: “brown” switches are the standard mild tactile and are frequently described as too subtle to feel. If you want tactility, a browner brown is not the answer — look for switches explicitly described as having a pronounced bump.

Clicky

A tactile bump plus a separate mechanism that makes an audible click. Typically a click jacket or a click bar inside the housing, which snaps as the stem passes it.

What it feels like: like a tactile switch with an announcement attached. The click is not a by-product of the bump — it is a separate part doing a separate job.

Common examples: Cherry MX Blue, Outemu Blue, Kailh Box White.

Who it suits: people who type alone and enjoy the sound. That is the whole audience, and it is a real one.

The problem: volume. The Drift 64 tested here measured 66.8 dB against 51.8 dB for the quietest linear board — a gap far larger than the numbers suggest, because decibels are logarithmic. Clicky switches are not usable in a shared room and are not usable on an unmuted call.

Reading the weight numbers

Switches are specified in grams-force. Two different numbers get quoted and they are not interchangeable:

Actuation force — what it takes to register the keypress. This is the number usually quoted.

Bottom-out force — what it takes to press the key all the way down. Always larger, sometimes by 15 g or more.

A switch listed at “45 g” is almost certainly quoting actuation. A switch listed at “62 g” might be either. If a switch seems unusually heavy for its family, check which figure you are reading.

Rough bands: below 45 g is light, 45 to 60 g is standard, above 65 g is heavy.

The ratings are optimistic

Measured actuation force on this site consistently comes in above the manufacturer figure. The Aperture’s Gateron Yellows are rated 50 g and measured 52.1 g. The Sable’s Outemu Browns are rated 55 g and measured 57.4 g. The Meridian’s Kailh Reds are rated 45 g and measured 46.3 g.

None of those gaps is large, and the direction is consistent: real switches take slightly more force than the box says. Treat published weights as approximate and comparative rather than exact.

Pre-lubed and why it matters

Budget switches are increasingly sold “pre-lubed”, meaning factory-applied lubricant on the sliding surfaces. This is a genuine improvement — it removes the scratchy quality that unlubricated cheap linears have, and it makes the switches more consistent with each other.

Factory lubing is not as good as hand lubing, and it is applied unevenly. But it is free and it is on the box, and a pre-lubed budget linear is meaningfully better than one that is not.

The practical advice

If you are buying your first mechanical keyboard and cannot try switches first:

Buy a hot-swap board. This matters more than which switch you pick, because it makes the decision reversible. A switch set costs about $25; a soldered board costs you the whole board.
Start with a medium tactile. It is the safest default and the easiest to have an opinion about.
Avoid clicky unless you are certain and you type alone.

The switch you end up preferring after a year is frequently not the one you would have picked on day one, which is the real argument for hot-swap.

Questions

Which switch type is best for typing?

Tactile, for most people — the bump gives feedback that a key has registered, so you can stop pressing. But this is genuinely preference rather than fact: plenty of fast, accurate typists use linears and find the bump distracting.

Are clicky switches bad?

They are loud, and that is a practical problem in shared spaces rather than a quality problem. The click is a separate mechanism from the tactile bump, and it is the loudest thing a keyboard can do — around 10 dB above a quiet linear board.

What does 45g or 67g mean on a switch?

The force needed to press it, in grams-force. Below about 45 g is light, 45 to 60 g is standard, above 65 g is heavy. Manufacturers usually quote actuation force, but sometimes quote bottom-out force, which is a larger number for the same switch — check which one you are reading.

Can I change switches later?

Only if the board is hot-swap. Hot-swap boards use sockets and switches pull straight out with a tool. Soldered boards require desoldering every switch individually, which takes hours and equipment. If you are unsure what you like, buy hot-swap.

Do heavier switches cause more fatigue?

Not straightforwardly. Heavier switches take more force per press, but they also resist accidental presses, so some people rest their fingers on them more comfortably. Fatigue correlates more with how hard you bottom out than with the switch rating.