Okay, so I’ve been messing around with mechanical keyboards for a while now, and I finally decided to dive deep into the whole “switch” thing. I kept hearing about Gateron and Kailh, so I figured, why not try them both out and see what the fuss is all about? I grabbed a couple of each – some Gateron Browns and some Kailh BOX Browns – to keep things kinda similar.
Getting Started
First things first, I got my hands on a cheap little switch tester. You know, one of those things with like nine different slots so you can pop switches in and out. I figured this would be way easier than swapping switches on my main keyboard every five minutes.
The Experiment
I loaded up the tester with the Gaterons and Kailhs, making sure I had a mix of both. Then, I just started typing. Nothing fancy, just random sentences, words, whatever came to mind. I wanted to get a feel for how each switch felt under my fingers.
- Gateron Brown: The first thing I noticed was that the Gaterons felt a little… smoother? Like, there was less resistance when I pressed down. The tactile bump was there, but it was pretty subtle.
- Kailh BOX Brown: These guys were definitely different. The bump was way more noticeable, almost like a little “click” without the actual clicky sound. They felt a bit more… solid, I guess?
Digging Deeper
After messing around with the tester for a while, I decided to get a little more serious. I opened up my main keyboard (it’s hot-swappable, thank goodness) and installed a few of each switch in different areas. This way, I could compare them side-by-side while doing actual work.
I spent a few days typing on this mixed setup, really paying attention to how each switch felt during different tasks. Typing emails, writing code, even just browsing the web – I wanted to see if one felt better than the other in certain situations.
My (Totally Subjective) Conclusion
Honestly, after all that, it’s still tough to say which one is definitively “better.” It really comes down to personal preference.
The Gaterons are smoother, no doubt. Great if that is what you’re looking for!
The Kailh Box Browns, though? They felt really stable and I can for sure see why some love these.
Which do I use now? BOTH! I like to mix them to get the best of both.