KiiwiLinear vs tactile vs clicky switches
The three kinds of mechanical switch, and how each one sounds. A linear goes straight down, a tactile has a bump and a clicky clicks. Type below and switch between a linear (NovelKeys Cream), a tactile (Holy Panda) and a clicky (Kailh BOX White) to hear the difference.
Type the words below, then switch above. Headphones make the difference obvious.
The short answer
Linears are smooth and quiet: no bump and no click, so almost all of the sound is the key bottoming out. Tactiles add a bump partway down that you feel, and a tap you can hear on the way down. Clickies make a click on every press on top of the bottom-out, which makes them the loudest of the three.
Linear: straight down
A linear switch travels from top to bottom with nothing in the way: no bump and no click. What you hear is the key bottoming out, so the tone comes from the switch's materials, its spring and the keycaps.
Linears range from light to heavy. The Cherry MX Red and Gateron Red are light 45cN switches; the Cherry MX Black is a heavy 60cN. Premium linears like the NovelKeys Cream and the Alpaca are known for their tone: the Cream deep and full from its all-POM build, the Alpaca a soft, rounded thock.
Tactile: a bump you feel
A tactile switch has a bump partway down the press, so you feel the moment the key registers. There's no click, so it sits between a linear and a clicky in loudness.
How strong the bump is changes the sound. A gentle tactile like the Cherry MX Brown or Gateron Brown sounds close to a linear. A sharp one like the Holy Panda, Glorious Panda or Everglide Crystal Purple lands each press with more force, with a crisp tap on the way down. Topre is its own kind: a rubber dome under a spring gives a cushioned bump and a deep, muted thock.
Clicky: a click on every press
A clicky switch has a part that snaps as the key goes down, so every press makes a click you can hear across a room. It's the sound most people picture when they think of a mechanical keyboard.
The click comes from different parts on different switches. The Cherry MX Blue uses a click jacket. Kailh's BOX White and BOX Navy use a click bar: the White crisp and bright, the Navy heavy and very loud. The IBM Model M uses a buckling spring, and Blue Alps a click leaf.
Which should you choose?
If you share a room or want quiet, a linear or a gentle tactile. If you like to feel each key register, a tactile. If you want the classic loud mechanical sound and nobody minds, a clicky.
The quickest way to decide is to listen. Type the sentence above on each type, then open any switch in the library to hear it on its own.
Hear one brand's take on all three in Cherry MX Red vs Brown vs Blue, or browse every switch by type.
At a glance
| Linear | Tactile | Clicky | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Smooth, straight down | A bump partway down | A click on every press |
| Sound | Mostly the bottom-out | A tap, then the bottom-out | A click on top of the bottom-out |
| Loudness | Quietest | In the middle | Loudest |
| Examples | Cherry MX Red, Gateron Red, NovelKeys Cream, Alpaca | Cherry MX Brown, Holy Panda, Topre | Cherry MX Blue, Kailh BOX White, IBM Model M |
| Played here | NovelKeys Cream | Holy Panda | Kailh BOX White |
Questions
What's the difference between linear, tactile and clicky switches?
A linear goes straight down with no bump and no click. A tactile has a bump partway down that you can feel. A clicky makes a click on every press. Linears are the quietest and clickies the loudest.
Which switch type is the quietest?
Linear. With no bump and no click, almost all of the sound is the key bottoming out. A gentle tactile like the Cherry MX Brown comes close.
Which switch type is best for typing?
It comes down to feel. Tactiles are the common middle ground: the bump tells you the key registered, without the noise of a click. Linears suit people who like smooth, light presses, and clickies suit people who want to hear every key.
Are Cherry MX Red, Brown and Blue linear, tactile and clicky?
Yes. The Red is linear, the Brown is tactile and the Blue is clicky. Kiiwi has a page that compares just those three, side by side.
Can I get these sounds on my Mac?
Yes. Kiiwi plays all 38 recordings, linear, tactile and clicky, under the keyboard you already own, from the menu bar.
Get these sounds on your Mac
Kiiwi has all 38 recordings, these included, and plays them under the keyboard you already own. In your headphones or on your speakers, from the menu bar. $4.99 once.
Download for macOS