Keyboard switches

[poppasilk]

What are the quiestest switches whether it be cherry, kailh (box, speed) and gatreon. Thanks

[kelvinhall05]

Rubber domes.

[geo3]

7 hours ago, kelvinhall05 said:

Rubber domes.

I have a full mechanical that's quieter than most rubber dome keyboards and it's not even using silenced switches. 

 

@poppasilk

They make silent switches (switches with bits of rubber inside to dampen out the sound of the slider impacting the switch housing) like Zilents, Silent Gateron Inks, or MX Silents.  However that's only part of the story. Everything effects the sound: plate material, case material, dampening material inside the case or between the plate and PCB, type of keycaps, whether our not the springs are lubed, whether or not the stems are lubed, and above all else lubed stabilizers.   

 

A board with all the treatments listed above with normal switches will likely be quieter than a board with silent switches but none of the treatments. Of course if your goal is absolute quietest you'll want both. 

[kelvinhall05]

5 minutes ago, geo3 said:

I have a full mechanical that's quieter than most rubber dome keyboards and it's not even using silenced switches. 

 

@poppasilk

They make silent switches (switches with bits of rubber inside to dampen out the sound of the slider impacting the switch housing) like Zilents, Silent Gateron Inks, or MX Silents.  However that's only part of the story. Everything effects the sound: plate material, case material, dampening material inside the case or between the plate and PCB, type of keycaps, whether our not the springs are lubed, whether or not the stems are lubed, and above all else lubed stabilizers.   

 

A board with all the treatments listed above with normal switches will likely be quieter than a board with silent switches but none of the treatments. Of course if your goal is absolute quietest you'll want both. 

OP said switches, not keyboard. A good chassis can make a mech board quiet and a cheap chassis can make a dome board loud (and vice versa), but as far as the switches themselves go, domes tend to be quieter.

[Dr0y]

quietest switches I have are the kailh silent box brown