Hi everyone!
I’m looking for a very strong, heavy and “meaty” tactile switch. After researching quite a few options, I’m currently leaning toward the R5 Keys x Kailb Blueberry Tactile Switch from AliExpress.
The specs listed on the AliExpress listing are:
Tactile
Total travel: 4.0 mm
Actuation point: 3.0 mm
Actuation force: 55 gf
Peak tactile force: 70 gf
Bottom-out force: 80 gf
I currently use Durock T1 Dark Amber, but they feel too light and not tactile enough for me.
I’m not simply looking for a heavy spring. I want the tactile resistance itself to feel substantial under the finger - a large, strong, “meaty” bump with enough resistance through the stroke that the switch doesn’t suddenly feel very light after overcoming a short tactile wall.
I particularly don’t like a short, sharp bump followed by a big drop in resistance. I’d prefer a strong tactile event with a substantial, heavy feeling through the press.
The three switches I’m currently most interested in are:
R5 Keys x Kailb Blueberry Tactile
Gazzew Boba U4 RGB Transparent Silent Tactile V3 65g
WS Heavy Tactile Switch
At the moment, R5 Keys x Kailh Blueberry looks like the closest match to what I’m looking for, mainly because of the combination of 4.0 mm total travel, 3.0 mm actuation, 70 gf listed tactile force and 80 gf bottom-out.
However, I don’t want to limit the discussion to these three.
If there are other switches I have completely overlooked that would be a better match, please recommend them. I may simply have missed some less obvious options.
I’m especially interested in switches recommended by people who actively prefer very strong/heavy tactile switches and find many popular tactiles too weak.
I don’t have a good way to test many switches individually before buying a full set, so I’m trying to get this choice right before ordering 70-100 switches.
My questions:
Does the R5 Keys x Kailb Blueberry actually feel as heavy and “meaty” as these specs suggest?
If you’ve used these switches, which has the strongest and most substantial tactile feel under the finger?
What other switch would you recommend that I may have overlooked?
Thanks!
Have you tried (or heard of) the WINGTREE Yunie Tactile?
It is a tactile switch that is literally just bump, a pronounced and rounded bump over the whole stem travel.
I personally like them a lot for their unusual characteristics, although you might find the stock spring a bit weak. Its comes in two variants, where the stronger one has 57g operational force, and 63.5g bottom out.
But nothing easier to switch springs if the bump would be to your liking.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll look for the WINGTREE Yunie Tactile.
To me, swapping the spring seems like it could change the balance of the switch and make the spring weight more noticeable than the tactile bump. A strong tactile bump is probably more important to me.
I’m a bit curious myself on how the would feel with stronger springs.
I built one board with them stock so far, but I have enough left for another one.
Since I usually prefer heavy springs as well, I might try swapping springs to see how they feel.
While all that is of course purely personal preference and hard to describe with words, I can try a few heavier springs and report back if you like?
Long, medium, short springs?
Linear, progressive?
Up to which weight (I believe I have up to 100g in my collection)?
That would be great! If you’re willing to test just one setup, I’d be very interested in how the Yunie feels with a stronger spring compared to stock. I’m mainly curious whether the stronger spring complements the large tactile bump or starts to overpower it. Even a quick comparison would be really helpful. Thanks!
I know very little about the vast majority of switches out there, so I rarely make recommendations. When I do, I sound like a broken record because I only have a couple I can recommend, and I only mention them when someone just so happens to be looking for something along the lines of what I own. So with all that being said…
If you want a switch that cranks heaviness, tactility and meatiness all up to 11, with the added bonus of a full and loud sound, then the Zeal Clickiez “3-in-1” are worth looking at. By default they’re in clicky mode, so you’d need to be willing to open each switch in order to activate tactile mode. They’re also expensive.
Zeal is taking preorders for a second run as we speak, they say they hope to ship this month.
Hi again,
I quickly combined the Yunies with what fell into my hands, it were TX 85g long springs.
I personally find them a tiny little bit better than with the stock springs, but honestly not really much heavier, at least for my fingers.
One reason for that might be that the stock springs are actually longer than the long TX-springs, which might contribute to the impression of little difference.
My comment to the Zeals:
I agree, they are insanely tactile, but I personally don’t like the feel of their tactility. While I like strong tactility, I find the Zeals too “sharp” in their feel.
Again, all comes down to personal preferences… Only one way to find out, oder them both 
This isn’t really my area, as I mainly use light and some medium-tactiles.
You might be right to start with the Blueberries.
The previous time someone here asked for switches that presented ‘more resistance,’ they ended up going with WS Heavy Tactiles, with heavier aftermarket springs. But you don’t just need resistance, you need tactility.
One of the obvious suggestions are the newer Gateron Type R switches, and competitors, where the tactile bump takes up the entire keypress.
Wingtree has a lot of interesting new switches, so their heaviest tactiles might offer something for you.
The closest switch I have used to your requirements are Holy Bobas. I see that you mentioned the U4 switch. It has a pretty strong tactile leaf.
So if you use a substantial stem, such as YOK Panda, you can have a pretty substantial and noticeable bump. Using a strong spring, like a 68 G - 78 G 14mm spring. But even this might not be substantial and tactile enough.
In the past, people tended to recommend Durock Anubis or the Moyu Black. But the Anubis probably isn’t that much different from T1s, and the Moyu Black might be too sharp for your liking. Lumia Bitter Tea may also be too sharp.
Maybe the original Gateron Kangaroos, which had quite a substantial ‘dual-bump’ IIRC. But that might not be the preferred tactility.
I personally found the JWICK & Chosfox Voyagers to have an interesting and gradient tactility, but they were also scratchy and wobbly. And they are medium-tactiles, by your standards.
What you really need is probably a heavier variant of the Gateron Lanes. Something that uses the leaf more, so you can feel the stages of tactility.
Or something spiritually like a “vintage Clear.” On the larger side of a Clear-style bump, with housings providing some additional scratch-tility. Springs that actuate around 60-65 g, and bottom out at 68-72. So, very poppy for their weight. Or very progressive springs, allowing high tactility at the top, but greater spring-resistance near bottom-out.
By the way, here are some switches I have no experience with, but seem relevant:
-
Haimu Mulberry: “Premium tactile switch featuring a unique metal stem insert that enhances the tactile experience by delivering a bright, metallic sound signature.”
-
White Jades / Green Jackets
This is a different kind of tactility from U4T. High-pitched. I think that they are meant to be like the Zeal frankenswitches.
In the past, people liked Gateron Quinn. But the Quinn is just a Baby Kangaroo variant. The Momoka Sharks were also popular as notable tactiles. However, they are listed as having a “sharp” tactility.
Can confirm - these things in tactile mode, especially the heavier variant, are the most over-the-top “beefy” tactile switch I’ve used so far, to an arguably impractical degree. Great for individual push-buttons though.
Looking around, I’d make some additions to my suggestions and notes:
ADDITIONS:
-AKKO Creamy Blue Pro are known to have a bump that is less-sharp than Momoka Sharks.
-Leobog Interstellar are sometimes said to be a ‘better version’ of the Sharks. A prominent and well-defined bump.
-The CIY Asura might be similar in concept to the WS Heavy Tactile.
-Gateron Quinns are probably less-sharp than Sharks, and even T1s.
I would not recommend Sharks for you [sharp tactility, short bump-duration with long linear fall-off.]
However, the Leobog Interstellar may be a better implementation of the concept.
-The BSUN Ocean is kind of like a Type R, but has some linear post-travel.
-The AKKO Cilantros are probably worth trying. They use heavier springs with a D-shaped bump.
-"Dark Eyes" on AliExpress are high-weight heavy-tactiles.
-MMD Ink, 67 gf variant. Rounded-bump.
-Haimu Mulberry variants: Rock and MP. Different materials.
-BSUN Olive - something in the quality range of the WS Heavy.
Conclusion:
Maybe try the Leobog Interstellar. They’re sharp like the Momoka Sharks, but said to be implemented better. CIY Asura may be interesting if you like WS Heavy Tactile.
The Haimu Mulberry and its variants seem interesting. And the AKKO Cilantro are popular. They may be too light for you, but they’re at least a medium-tactile.
I found the Type R’s interesting but not the most noticeable tactile due to the tactility being stretched over the entire key press. This is not to say it’s not a big bump – it definitely is – but more that it’s less noticeable in action due to the smooth transition.
One switch I’d not seen mentioned (and who knows if it’s even available anymore) that is sorta similar to the Type R but instead of a sine-wave curve it’s more of a triangle wave, which is the KTT Monochrome Onyx with it’s weird plateau bump. Not seen anything quite like it since.
I think the main thing to figure out is how much overall resistance you want (which is going to be mostly the spring) vs. the bump’s displacement (the difference between peak and trough on the force curve, which is mostly the shape of the stem and contacts).
I agree that the poster should try to determine the resistance and displacement.
Type R alternatives, like the BSUN Ocean, could be worth investigating. Large bump, but also post-travel. Creating a greater distinction between tactile and non-tactile.
Couple more to think about:
- Haimu Pastel Thistles. Said to be very tactile.
- MMD Princess. The V4 60 g variant is said to offer decent resistance. Maybe not as much as WS Heavy Tactile, though. V2 might be more tactile, if they can still be purchased.
Personally, I enjoyed Gateron Green Apple as a ‘heavy’ or medium-heavy tactile. They were polite, but noticeably tactile. Probably a better factory switch than Root Beer Float, which requires more care. I also found BSUN Hillstone to be pretty tactile, but it has a quick stop. And it’s not like it’s super-heavy.
(CIY Asura might be a better switch to test against WS Heavy Tactile, and they are supposed to be cheap.)
EDIT: HMX Hydra and the “Retro J” switches are similar to Gateron Type R. HMX usually has good construction, and the Hydra will have a very distinct bump.
I’ve tried CIY Asuras - I thought they were pretty good for a cheap switch, but not great. I’d say their punchy tactile feel is their strong point, but as someone who cares a lot about acoustics, I found them very noisy and messy-sounding. Worth a try if clean sound isn’t important, they are quite punchy. I’d say similar things about Gateron Jupiter Bananas, but I don’t think they are as cheap, or quite as punchy.
This reminds me: I really wish Haimu Bettys were still available - they are my favorite punchy tactile. They are similar in feel to Asuras, but are quite clean. They ran once and then disappeared forever! I’d like to think that some of the other Haimus out there are very similar, though - I just haven’t verified it myself.
The Betty’s namesake, a magical librarian from a show I’ve never seen - Beatrice, from Re:Zero
After poking around my switch samples, I noticed some Haimu Sea Salt Tactiles I have felt remarkably similar to Bettys. From there I started digging and compared their force curves - (thanks @ThereminGoat !) - while they are quite similar, they don’t exactly match, but this encouraged further research. (If anything, the Sea Salt Tactiles are a little more punchy, with the similarly-weighted force peak ramping up sooner / more sharply in the key travel.)
I thought I might pick up a full set of Sea Salt Tactiles, only to find that they, too, are basically sold out everywhere aside from some over-priced examples on AliExpress, and a partial set available from a shop in Canada - so I can’t really recommend those. Shucks.
I then remembered that CannonKeys has a large selection of Haimu switches, including some exclusive ones, which also have their force curves published on the respective sales pages.
After exhaustively comparing them all, these Mist Blues look to be the closest match to my otherwise favorite tactile (the Haimu Betty):
While not 1:1, it’s very close, with key points like travel distance, peak force, and where that peak happens being very comparable.
I didn’t find quite as close a match for Sea Salt Tactiles, but this Pastel Thistle switch is likewise very close, just with a slightly shorter travel - and according to its graph, should be likewise more punchy than the Betty or Mist Blue with a nearly wall-like, front-loaded bump:
I’m grabbing sets of both >.>
(Neither of these are as heavy as the big bad Zeal Clickiez in tactile mode, but I’m actually looking to use these with my normal-strength fingers.)
Edit - while I’m thinking about comparing switches - I forgot to mention earlier that if anyone is interested in CIY Asuras or Jupiter Bananas but wants something that’s actually pretty clean from the box - try BSUN Pines.
If you’re ok risking your keycaps, put a Cherry MX Clear stem and spring in a Cherry MX Blue housing (which has a slightly more tactile leaf).
Those are classic!
Although, it’s easier to make stronger Clears today.
The original post mentioned T1 switches. I think you can get MX Clear stems to function in some T1 housings. It’s more tactile than regular Clears. Needs a stronger spring. At least 65 G 14mm would be desirable, and the higher the better.
I prefer to use Boba housings for this purpose. I’m pretty sure I got MX Clear stems to work at those weights. You’d want to use a certain type of top-housing, maybe the ‘no-slot’ tops, for compatibility. You end up with a much stronger Clear-style bump, backed by a high-weight 14mm or mid-weight 16+ mm spring.
[It may be worth experimenting with YOK Panda / Kailh Polia stems and MX Clear stems in the Boba housings. And T1 housings. But it is helpful if the person who posted the question identifies the type of bump and force-curve they are looking for.]
These Geon Trimmer tools are a godsend for stuff like this - I can confirm they work:
Great for MX Clears, old BOX switches, and anything else that’s just a little too thicc in the stem. (Not sure I’d recommend the other end of the tool for caps, but the switch-trimming end is great.)
Can also confirm this as being one of my favorite franken combos, I have a full set! Not quite as clean as some top-shelf modern options but they feel great and have an amazing bottom-out sound 
Well, I picked up some Thistles and Blue Mists.
They are good, and the Thistles are indeed punchy - but they really aren’t quite as good as Bettys and Sea Salt Tactiles respectively, and I can only recommend them if you don’t mind some modest leaf ping. (They are still leagues better than the CIY Asuras when it comes to cleanliness of sound, for example - just not quite as sublime as the now-extinct Bettys.)
For this thread, the Thistles are more relevant being significantly more punchy - but they also have worse leaf ping between the two, and it’s a bit inconsistent in the batch with some having barely any and some being more noticeable to me.
I’m also someone who is borderline obsessive about clean switch sound - so it really might not stand out for most people. The Thistles enjoy very positive reviews on the CannonKeys website, and I think it’s deserved.
More details here in the mail thread.