Alright, so everyone’s been yapping about these Boba switches, the U4 and the U4T. Figured I’d see what all the fuss was about myself. You know how it is, you hear the hype, and you just gotta get your hands on ’em. So, I went and got a batch of both. Didn’t want to just read about it, I needed to feel it, live it, because that’s the only way to really know, right?
First Up: The Boba U4 – The Quiet One
Got these U4s first. Popped ’em into my trusty hotswap board, the one I use for all my switch experiments. My kid’s usually napping when I get some typing time, or I’m working late, so the ‘silent’ part really caught my eye. And man, they weren’t kidding. These things are quiet. Like, really quiet. Almost too quiet, you know? The bump is there, pretty round, not super sharp or aggressive. You press it, there’s a nice, noticeable bump, then a soft landing. It’s… cushioned. Very smooth, no scratchiness that I could tell, which is a big plus. I typed on them for a solid day, writing emails, coding a bit. Good for not waking anyone up, that’s for sure. But I dunno, something felt a bit… polite? Like it was afraid to make too much noise or be too assertive. It did its job, did it well, but didn’t scream for attention.
Then Came the U4T – The Thocky Brother
Next day, I pulled out all the U4s and swapped ’em out for the U4Ts. The ‘T’ is for ‘thock’, or so they say. And yeah, these things have a sound. A deeper sound, not clicky like those annoying blues that drive everyone nuts, but a satisfying ‘thock’ when they bottom out, especially on my board with PBT keycaps. The bump on these U4Ts feels a bit sharper, more defined than the U4s. It’s like the U4’s louder, more outgoing sibling. You definitely know you’ve pressed a key. I liked that. There’s a certain punch to them, a crispness to the tactile event. Typed on these for a day too. Definitely more feedback, both in sound and feel. It felt more direct, more connected to what I was typing.
The Showdown: U4 vs U4T, Side-by-Side
So, after trying them separately, I did the real test. This is where you really start to notice things. I put U4s on the left side of my keyboard, U4Ts on the right. Then I just started typing, paragraphs of random stuff, switching from left-hand words to right-hand words, just to feel the difference back and forth, almost immediately. This is where it got interesting.
Going from the U4T to the U4, the U4 felt almost… muted? Not bad muted, but like all the sound and sharp feeling just vanished. It was like suddenly putting on noise-canceling headphones for your fingers. And going from U4 to U4T, it was like, BAM, hello feedback! The contrast was stark.
- Sound: U4 is super stealthy. Seriously, if you need to type like a ninja, this is it. U4T has that nice, deep thock that many folks, including me, chase after. No contest if you want quiet, U4 wins hands down. If you want a satisfying sound, U4T is the clear winner.
- Bump: U4’s bump is rounder, softer, more spread out. U4T’s bump is more pronounced, a bit snappier, more to the point. I found myself preferring the U4T bump a bit more; it felt more decisive.
- Bottom-out: U4 is soft, like landing on a tiny rubber pad. U4T has a more solid bottom-out, which contributes to that thocky sound.
I even tried gaming a bit with both setups. For gaming, I honestly didn’t notice a huge difference in performance. My KDA didn’t magically improve with one over the other. But the U4T just felt more satisfying with each press, each ability activation. The U4s were fine, just less drama, less theater.
My Final Take – Which One Did I Stick With?
Okay, so after messing around with them for a good week, swapping them in and out of different keyboards, trying different keycaps, annoying my family probably with all the testing, I had to make a choice for my main daily driver board. I really thought I’d be all over the U4s because, you know, peace and quiet is often golden. And they are great for that, seriously. If I was working in a shared office space, or if my main computer was in the bedroom next to a sleeping partner, U4 all the way. No doubt about it, they are top-tier silent tactiles.
But for my main setup? Where I can make a bit of noise, in my own space? I ended up sticking with the Boba U4Ts. Yeah, the thocky ones. There’s just something about that sound and the more defined, snappy bump. It makes typing feel more… intentional? More engaging. The U4s are excellent silent tactiles, probably some of the best I’ve tried if silence is your absolute priority. But they were just too gentle for my daily grind. I like a bit of personality in my switches, a bit of character, and the U4Ts have that in spades. It’s like choosing between a really comfortable, quiet luxury sedan and a slightly sportier car that gives you more road feel and a nicer engine note. I went for the road feel and the sound this time.
So, that’s my story with the Boba U4s and U4Ts. Both are solid switches, no question. Gazzew, the designer, really knows his stuff. It just comes down to what you’re looking for, what your environment is like, and what kind of feel you prefer. Do you want to be a keyboard ninja, silent and deadly efficient? Go U4. Do you want a bit more oomph, a bit more thock, and a satisfying tactile punch with every press? U4T is your guy. For me, the U4Ts just hit that sweet spot. Now, I’ve got a bag of U4s sitting here… probably for a future ultra-quiet build project, who knows. But for now, I’m happily thocking away on my main board.