Clicky switches make clicky noises. They look like other mechanical switches but have small mechanisms that produce this signature sound for each keystroke. These switches are also known for being loud, and while some are markedly quieter than others, your coworkers, pets, family members, or fellow coffee shop patrons will probably find the sound of clicky keyboards distracting in closed environments.
But when you're in your own space, working, gaming, or just browsing, clicky switches offer a more stable, pronounced tactile feel and signature sound profile that even the best tactile or linear switches don't quite match.
We've tested over 150 switches. Below are our recommendations for the best clicky switch options you can buy. The pricing of keyboard switches can vary quite a bit depending on the quantity you purchase and the website from which you purchase them. It might be worth shopping around a little!
See the Additional Details section below if you're interested in understanding the differences between different clicky designs referenced in this article. Or, if you're looking for more options, see our recommendations for the best keyboard switches, the best linear switches, the best tactile switches, and the best gaming mechanical switches.
We've tested over a hundred keyboard switches, and to maintain our independence, we buy them all ourselves. We don't just rely on subjective testing. Instead, we rigorously test each switch on the same standardized test bench so you can compare them on equal ground. We use specialized tools, including a Mecmesin force tester for force curves and a Beagle 480 USB analyzer for latency. Multiple teams contribute to each review in a process that can take days or weeks.
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Best Clicky Switch
Initial Force:30gfPeak Tactile Force:60gfActuation Force:39gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:48gfKeyboard switch preferences are highly subjective, but we recommend the Gateron Melodic switches as the best clicky option for most people. True to their name, they make a light and clear-sounding click on the downstroke produced by a delicate mini click leaf integrated into the housing, an uncommon mechanism compared to standard click jacket or click bar designs. They also produce a relatively deep bottom-out sound, which is unusual for clicky switches that are typically higher-pitched.
They're pre-lubed from the factory, too, and the result when you're typing at speed is an extremely smooth, bright-sounding clicking rhythm with a rounded, medium-weight feel. They're great for typing during moderate or extended sessions, but if you prefer a more classic clicky switch with a louder, sharper click and stronger tactile feedback, you may prefer our next pick instead.
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Best Mid-Range Clicky Switch
Initial Force:40gfPeak Tactile Force:77gfActuation Force:75gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:68gfAs a less expensive pick, we strongly recommend Kailh Box Jade switches. Note that the pricing for these switches can really vary depending on the total unit count you buy. We recommend shopping around as they're at their best value for around $0.40 USD per switch. These switches feel snappy and tactile, and their click bar design produces a loud, resonant sound signature click on both the downstroke and upstroke that's widely loved among clicky enthusiasts. Like all box-design switches, these switches are also dustproof and a bit more resilient to minor spills, lending them impressive long-term durability compared to non-box designs. While some prefer the sound and feel of these switches stock, you can lube them yourself to dampen some of the harsher, metallic pinging notes that some like to minimize.
Also, note that these switches are on the heavier side. They're heavier than the Gateron Melodic switches above, so keep that in mind if you use your keyboard for long stretches, as your fingers may tire out. On the other hand, if you're looking for an even heavier, more tactile, and crunchy-sounding alternative with the same box design, check out the Kailh Box Thick Clicky Navy switches mentioned later in this article.
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Best Budget Clicky Switch
Initial Force:38gfPeak Tactile Force:57gfActuation Force:50gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:54gfFor a more affordable typing alternative, we recommend the Kailh Box White V2 switches, which have a crisp, stable actuation and are much admired for their tactile feedback. They're also significantly lighter than many clicky switches and have an unusually long and responsive return spring, so they're a great choice if you love a click bar sound profile but are concerned about the heavier feel many clicky switches are known for.
Due to their more budget-friendly price point, you may find the actuation feels less consistent between switches compared to higher-priced options on this list. These switches come pre-lubed from the factory, so they're also a great pick right out of the box if you aren't interested in opening and lubing the switches yourself.
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Best Cheap Clicky Switch
Initial Force:34gfPeak Tactile Force:57gfActuation Force:39gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:61gfIf you're working on a cheaper build and looking for the best clicky option, we recommend the Outemu Blue switches. These switches may be around the same price as our budget pick from some major online retailers like Amazon, but you can often find them cheaper from smaller retailers like The KapCo. These switches have a more affordable and mechanically simple click jacket design, producing their signature sound only on the downstroke. They're also loud, even compared to most clicky options. However, as with the Kailh Box White V2 switches above, these are known for being on the lighter side, so they're a great pick if you're more of a fan of the sound profile rather than the heavier feel often associated with some clicky switches.
However, their comparatively simple design means they're a bit less stable-feeling than a premium option like our best pick, the Gateron Melodic switches. Some enthusiasts find these switches also feel fairly scratchy and produce a slight rattling sound. They offer reasonable smoothness, good tactility, and a fairly lightweight feel at a price that's difficult to match compared to other clicky options, making them a solid entry-level choice.
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Best Heavy Clicky Switch
Initial Force:50gfPeak Tactile Force:90gfActuation Force:82gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:89gfIf an already fairly heavyweight pick like the Kailh Box Jade switches isn't quite heavy enough for your tastes, the Kailh Box Thick Clicky Navy switches are the natural step up. They belong to the same series as the Box Jades, but somewhat counterintuitively, the click bar inside is the same thickness and actually produces a slightly softer, less resonant click sound. The difference is the spring weighting: the Thick Clicky Navy switches feel substantially heavier and are among the heaviest production switches available.
If you're a firm or forceful typist who likes a switch that pushes back under your fingers, these are exactly what you're looking for. Just be warned that they aren't for the faint of heart, and they can get tiring to use even over moderate-length typing sessions.
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Best Clicky Switch For Gaming
Initial Force:36gfPeak Tactile Force:57gfActuation Force:53gfSee all our test resultsBottom-Out Force:67gfFor gaming, we recommend the Kailh Speed Bronze switches. As their name suggests, these switches are all about reaction speed. They're lightweight and have a very short pre-travel distance, but you still get strong tactile feedback on actuation and a surprisingly clean clicking sound. These switches are well-suited for fast-paced or competitive games when input speed is crucial.
A short pre-travel means comparatively longer reset travel, so a faster initial reaction speed comes at the price of repeated input speed. This can be an issue if you play FPS games that are heavily reliant on tap strafing, for example. These switches are a great choice for any clicky enthusiast gamer as they provide excellent latency performance that many clicky switches lack, coupled with light actuation and reasonable smoothness from the factory that you can upgrade yourself with a bit of home lubing. Note that these switches typically aren't available from major retailers, but you can get them directly from Kailh's website.
Notable Mentions
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Gateron G Pro 2.0 Blue:
The Gateron G Pro 2.0 Blue switches offer a moderate weight, a satisfying tactile bump, and a reasonably smooth out-of-the-box feel since they come pre-lubed from the factory. That said, they're typically a bit more expensive than the Outemu Blue switches, and while they're often cheaper than the Kailh Box White V2 switches, they don't offer the same durability and premium feel.
See our review -
TTC Brother:
While they're typically a bit more expensive than Outemu Blue switches, the TTC Brother switches are a standout budget choice if you're looking for a very lightweight clicky switch. They're much less fatiguing to type on than most other clicky options, and although they have a silicone dampener that prevents them from being too loud, they still produce a satisfying sound signature.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 23, 2025:
We've added Gateron Melodic switches as our new top pick, moving our previous top pick to the 'Best Mid-Range' category. We've also introduced a new 'Best Heavy Clicky Switch' category with the Kailh Box Thick Clicky Navy as our pick and adjusted the names of several other categories to make them more broadly applicable.
Apr 28, 2025:
We're not making any changes to our picks with this update, but we're keeping a close eye as trade conditions evolve. If you notice any unusual pricing or availability issues, feel free to let us know—it helps us keep our recommendations as accurate and helpful as possible.
Jan 24, 2025:
We've reviewed all recommendations to ensure their relevance, pricing, and availability remain up to date, but our lineup of picks remains unchanged with this update.
Oct 29, 2024:
We've audited this this article and confirmed the ongoing price and availability of all our recommendations. We haven't made any changes to our lineup with this update.
Aug 14, 2024: We’ve updated some of the links to smaller distributors on this list for the best current stock availability but haven’t made any changes to our lineup of recommendations.
Additional Details
If you're new to keyboard switches or maybe just dipping into clicky switches for the first time, we've included some extra information below that can help you decide on the switches that are right for you.
While most clicky switches look similar, they generally fall into one of three camps determined by the small mechanism that makes their signature sound.
Click Jacket vs Click Bar vs Click Leaf
Click Jackets
Click jackets are the original and most common design for clicky switches. First introduced by the Cherry company in the early 1980s, Cherry's original MX Blue switch was and often still is the standard against which most clickies are measured.
Overall, clicky switches with a click-jacket design are typically more lightweight; people often describe them as 'tappy' or 'ticky' sounding. Click-jacket switches are also less mechanically complex, making them easier to manufacture and typically more affordable. Cherry continues to make various clicky versions of their classic MX switches, and other major switch manufacturers, like Gateron and Outemu, produce similar versions of their own.
Click Bars
Click bars are a relatively new development in the realm of clicky switch designs. They use a thin spring-steel bar that flexes as the stem moves past it, producing a distinct click and tactile event on both the press and release.
Many enthusiasts appreciate this design for its heavier, more mechanical, and often "crunchy" feel, which amplifies many of the qualities people enjoy in older click-jacket switches. Click-bar switches are typically a bit more costly due to their more precise manufacturing requirements. Kailh Box switches, along with some models from NovelKeys, Glorious, and other manufacturers, use this design.
Click Leaf
Although rooted in vintage designs from the late 1970s and 1980s, a small handful of modern switches have implemented a click-leaf mechanism.
This mechanism uses a metal leaf spring that flexes against the switch stem and snaps past a tension point, creating the tactile feel and the click sound. Conceptually, this mechanism bears some similarities to a click bar in that both use spring steel to generate a click, but click-leaf implementations typically sound smoother and more rounded, whereas click bars tend to produce a sharper, more percussive tick and often distinct downstroke and upstroke clicks. Recent switches that use a leaf-based click include Zeal Clickiez (in their clicky configuration) and Gateron Melodic.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best clicky switches for most people. While no switch is perfect for every person and every use, most will perform adequately in any role.
When choosing our recommendations, we factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability. If you'd like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's a list of all the tactile keyboard switches we've tested below.