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Test Bench 1.0.1  
Changelog

 0
Updated 

Our 1.0.1 keyboard switch test bench makes several improvements to our Keystrokes test group and minor changes to the Compatibility and Illumination groups. We've also added 53 new switch reviews, including low-profile switches, which are a new addition to our database.

What's Changed?

Test Group Changes
Keystrokes
  • Renamed the Operating Force measurement to Peak Tactile Force
  • Two new measurements: Initial Force and Bottom-Out Force
Compatibility
  • New Keycap Mount comparison for Choc V1 switches
Illumination
  • New comparison result for Upper Housing Finish

Keystrokes

Our goal with these changes is to align our terminology closer to community usage and expand our measurements so they better capture how a keystroke feels at different points throughout its travel.

Renamed Measurements

We recognized that the terms we used to describe two of our comparison measurements, Actuation Force and Operating Force, were often used interchangeably by manufacturers and the wider community. This overlap made our results harder to interpret and complicated comparisons with manufacturer specifications or other reviewers' force-curve databases. To address this, we've renamed our Operating Force comparison to Peak Tactile Force.

Peak Tactile Force

This measurement represents the highest amount of force required for the tactile bump before actuation. This measurement only applies to Tactile and Clicky switches and is reported as the average value from all samples.

Two New Measurements

Initial Force

This is the amount of force required to overcome the switch's preload and start the keypress. Reported as the average value from all samples.

Bottom-Out Force

This is the force measured at the end of the key's travel when fully pressed down. Reported as the average value from all samples.

OLD NEW
Test box with an actuation force graph of a clicky mechanical switch showing Tactile Point, Actuation Point, and Total Travel points identified on the graph, and the measurements for these points listed below the graph.
Our originally published Keystrokes test group for Kailh White Owl Box switches.
Test box with an actuation force graph of a clicky mechanical switch showing Initial Force, Peak Tactile, Actuation, and Bottom-Out points identified on the graph and the measurements for these points listed below the graph.
Our new Keystrokes test group for Kailh White Owl Box switches, showing newly-added Initial Force and Bottom-Out Force measurements and Operating Force renamed to Peak Tactile Force.
Actuation graph of the Kailh White Owl Box switch. Press and release curves show tactile point, actuation point, reset point, and total travel at 3.5 mm.
Close-up of our originally published Actuation Graph for Kailh White Owl Box switches with Tactile Point, Actuation Point, Total Travel, and Reset Points identified.
Actuation graph of the Kailh White Owl Box switch showing press and release force curves. Key points labeled are Initial Force at the start of the press, Peak Tactile Force near the bump, and Bottom-Out Force at the end of total travel.
Close-up of our new Actuation Graph for Kailh White Owl Box switches with changes highlighted: New Initial Force and Bottom-Out Force measurements and Operating Force renamed to Peak Tactile Force.

Compatibility

We've added a new Keycap Mount result for Kailh Choc V1 stems.

For now, our PCB Pinout test remains a simple binary that indicates only whether a switch uses a standard MX-style footprint. This creates some ambiguity, as we've recently added a small number of Kailh Choc V1, Kailh Choc V2, and Gateron Low Profile 2.0 switches to the database, none of which have an MX-style pinout. Let us know if more detailed pinout compatibility data is something you'd like us to include in future updates.

Two low-profile Kailh mechanical switches shown on a wooden surface, one facing top side showing its Choc V1 stem shape and the other showing the bottom pins and fairly narrow center post.
Kailh V1 Robin Choc V1 switches with a clearly identifiable Choc V1 keycap mount and smaller center post.
Two low-profile Kailh mechanical switches shown on a wooden surface, one facing top side showing its MX-Style stem shape and the other showing the bottom pins and fairly wide center post.
Kailh Deep Sea Silent Mini Brown Choc V2 switches with a clearly identifiable MX-Style with Perimeter keycap mount and larger center post.

Illumination

We've added a new comparison result for the Upper Housing Finish test to identify switches with an opaque housing and a light guide.

Two mechanical keyboard switches with white housings and red cross-shaped stems shown on a wooden surface, one facing top side and the other bottom side. Both switches feature a clear light guide window built into the housing for improved illumination.
Jerrzi Honey Bean switches, example of a switch with an opaque upper housing finish with a light guide.

53 New Switch Reviews

Alongside these changes, we've tested a new batch of 53 switches. This set features a wider range of enthusiast-oriented MX-style products and, for the first time, introduces low-profile switches to our test bench.

Standard Profile

Low-Profile

Let Us Know What You Think

Your feedback is instrumental in improving our testing. If you have comments, questions, or suggestions about this or any future updates, reach out to us below in the comments, on our Discord server, or email us at feedback@rtings.com.

101 Keyboard Switches Updated

We have retested popular models. The test results for the following models have been converted to the new testing methodology. However, the text might be inconsistent with the new results.

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