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PBT Keycaps

The Crazed Child

I was reading the mechanical keyboards subreddit and a user claimed that they hated MX Blues until he tried them with PBT keycaps. Reading this I found it quite unbelievable, the purpose of using PBTs is to have a longer lifespan and durability, not to change the feel of the switch.

 

Has anyone tried this? Is what he saying true?

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It's a different type of plastic, so they do feel a bit different.  Grocery bags, LEGO bricks, and nylon all feel very different too.  "Plastic" is an extremely broad category.

I know, but would the keypress itself feel any different?

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The keypress, or at least the bottoming out of the keys will feel different because of the material. However, it's such a slight difference that to you it may not be worth the premium. And yes, the keycaps do last longer compared to ABS keycaps. Slick gave a quick and simple description during the Ultimate Mechanical Keycap Guide. 

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In terms of switch feel it will not change, PBT caps are the only things I put on my Boards though, the feel of PBT is just so much better than ABS!

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In terms of switch feel it will not change, PBT caps are the only things I put on my Boards though, the feel of PBT is just so much better than ABS!

Whenever possible, I'd take PBT's over ABS any time.....just waiting for more custom PBT sets that appeal to me.

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