Which Mechanical keyboard switch to get!? Blue or Red (for work/gaming)

[anthonybalao]

Hi I'm new with mechanical keyboard,

 

I'm a web developer / gamer (if time permits =)

 

Was wondering about blue / red / or even brown switch. I do hear that blue-switch is clicky and loud. I haven't really tried any of these switches personally.
I wanted to get the red-switch, since it will be quiet vs the blue. But I'm hesitant, as i might miss out the point of mech keyboard? I do hear that blue-switch does give a good overall experience in terms of satisfaction when typing.

 

My thoughts actually are

RED - so it won't be too loud, specially when doing conference call OR kids sleeping in the office (they sometimes do =)
BUT will i miss out if i go for red? 

 

A feedback from guys who really used and own both will be greatly appreciated.

 

My current keyboard by the way  (k350)  had it since 2010 Hahahah

[GDRRiley]

try them. and don't forget about the other options. there isn't just cherry and there are other keyswtiches they make

I love blacks and want something a little more stiff than them

[Slottr]

Yeah, we can't say for you personally. My brother loves blues and I really like browns and silvers- for different things.

It's specific to you

[kirashi]

31 minutes ago, anthonybalao said:

Hi I'm new with mechanical keyboard, I'm a web developer / gamer (if time permits

 

Was wondering about blue / red / or even brown switch. I do hear that blue-switch is clicky and loud. I haven't really tried any of these switches personally.
I wanted to get the red-switch, since it will be quiet vs the blue. But I'm hesitant, as i might miss out the point of mech keyboard? I do hear that blue-switch does give a good overall experience in terms of satisfaction when typing. My thoughts actually are:

• RED - so it won't be too loud, specially when doing conference call OR kids sleeping in the office (they sometimes do
• BUT will i miss out if i go for red? 

A feedback from guys who really used and own both will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

While I've only ever owned Cherry MX Brown keyboards with rubber o-ring dampeners, I have used both MX Red and MX Blue keyboards for extended periods of time in the past, either at friends' places or when I used to sell this stuff in a retail store.

• MX Blues are straight up not for me, as they're far too noisy and feel very aggressive when I'm using them - I do see the appeal though for those who enjoy an "angry" sound when fragging noobs in online games.
• MX Reds are nice and quiet, but have no tactile feedback when actuating, creating a very disconnected feeling when I use them for extended periods of typing. (I do web design & some light development as well.)
• MX Browns are my favorite because they feel like more beefy versions of rubber dome / membrane keys, but have better consistency and longevity over extended periods of typing, all without making a racket.

 

However, as @Slottr noted, the only person who can really tell you what works best is you, so I would recommend seeing if a local shop will let you try a few display models (assuming you have local shops open right now, given the pandemic) or pickup a Cherry MX sampler like one of the ones linked below.

• https://www.amazon.com/Max-Keyboard-Mechanical-Keyboards-keyswtich/dp/B07ZK6LKZL/
• https://www.amazon.com/WASD-Cherry-Zealio-Keycaps-Sampler/dp/B07V4H646W/
• https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-keyboards-Switch-keyboard-Sampler/dp/B01G3BJOHO/

[Worstcaster]

I have a blue keyboard (Red Dragon).  The keys were too loud at first, but I got used to it.  If I was buying again, I would have gone for a quieter keyboard.  That being said I do like my keyboard's build quality and some of its features (volume wheel, macro keys, RGB options, etc).  Probably your best bet would be to stop by a Best Buy and try some of their display keyboards to feel and hear different types of key switches.

[Froody129]

I can type very quickly on my Blues (much faster than I could ever compose tbh) but they're very loud and the high actuation force means that typing is more fatiguing. My favourite is Browns but it also depends what Browns. The Corsair MX Browns feel like a Red with dirt in them - just horrible.

 

In the end keyboards are entirely subjective. Some people love Blues and never want to use anything else and others prefer just a membrane. I'm currently using a low-profile Brown board and it's great, for me. Try some out if you can.

[Dr0y]

As other said before, you should just try out some keyboards in shops or if you can borrow one from a friend for some time it would be best.  You could try to find a barebone and experiment with different kind of switches like I do. 

 

I've had outemu blue and they were too loud for me.  I got a barebone and bought 2 other kind of switches just to try them.  

 

I've got the gateron yellow which are linear and really really smooth and I didn't even had to lube them for them to be that smooth.  They are quite good for typing and really quiet too, the quietest I ever tried so far. 

 

I've also got some kailh speed copper which are tactile and silent, silent as they don't click like blue and are more like browns switches with higher actuation point and smaller total travel.  The tactile bump is quite distinct and it feels a bit sharp and there's almost no travel before the bump which is strange for me as my blue switches had some noticeable travel before the bump and click.  It's also way different than the ones on the cherry mx brown I had in my razer blackwiddow stealth, those almost felt linear as the bump was not noticeable when typing.  The kailh speed copper are a bit louder than the gateron yellow but quieter than the blue of course. 

 

All in all I don't know which one I prefer between those 2 ... I will have to swap the copper out for the yellow and try them again before I can decide which one I like the most.  You are working a lot with your keyboard. I suggest you take some time to find out for yourself what kind of switches you like the most.  I'm pretty sure you don't want to buy a keyboard and find out that you don't like the switches you got and have to buy another board (that's why I got the barebone, so I can swap switches for less money than a whole keyboard).

 

Hope that helps. 

[Gandek]

Its a preference thing you honestly have to use a switch for at least a day to have a solid opinion. I pretty much used all the cherry switches except greens and found silent reds to be the best for me. My least favorite by far would have to be speed silvers the rest I like.

[00RaZoR11]

On 6/22/2020 at 3:14 AM, anthonybalao said:

Hi I'm new with mechanical keyboard,

 

I'm a web developer / gamer (if time permits

Go to a store where they have showcase units, even if theey aren't cherry, just compare the types of switches, clicky, linear, tactile. 

If silence is an important aspect, I'd suggest steering clear of any clicky switch, they are extremely loud (to me). I tried razer and some other smaller brand's clickies, and I made a decision after the 3rd press.

Linear (red-like) switches are weird, the only feedback you get is when you bottom or out reach the top (if they are good quality. My tesoro "linear" gives feedback on the activation, similarly to a tactile, but in a less subtle way). I think it  would take lots of practice to become efficient with linears. I double typed with them a lot, or just simply didn't press it deep enough. I presume it would cause you lots of headache with your webdeveloper job.

 

Browns are pretty good, you feel when they acivate, and they are much more silent than clickies. 

I've had 3 mech keyboards, 2 coolermaster cherry browns and 1 tesoro linear, and after the ~300usd spent, I feel like I'll just buy a membrane kb once the current ones die completely.

My latest cm mk750 had a big role in my changing of mind, because its switches come from a bad batch i think, and I have replaced like 12 of them (from my older cm quickfire tk, also cherry brown, which -funnily enough- I had hammered for years, and every switch on it still works).

A good membrane kb will give you the feedback and silence and RGB. The hyperx alloy core rgb would be my choice these days. I don't know how it feels, but it can't be bad. Second place is any 20usd rgb thin laptop-style kb.