Keyboard Switch Feel
Here's something almost nobody knows about mechanical keyboards: the tactile bump and the moment the key actually types a letter are not the same event, and on most switches they aren't even close. That's why so many people install brown switches and swear they can't feel anything. Pick a switch below and watch it happen.
What your finger actually feels
Every keyboard review says browns have “a tactile bump.” Almost none show you where it sits, how big it is, or how far it is from the point where the key actually registers. Start with what you're typing on right now, then compare.
Tactile
Switch
Resting on top
28 g resistance
Preload
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Bump
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Actuation
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Travel
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How to read the badge. Published curve means a full force curve exists from the maker or an independent tester. Spec only means the maker publishes actuation force and travel and nothing in between, so the shape here is a reasonable reconstruction. Estimated means sources disagree or no figure is published, and the entry is representative rather than exact.
What this is. A visual guide built from published force and travel data. Individual switches, keyboards, keycaps, plates and mounting styles change the feel as much as the switch does, and switches vary between batches. For force-gauge measurements taken on standardised equipment, see RTINGS, who also note that small differences can fall inside their own test variance. ThereminGoat's switch archive and the open Switch Curve Meter project publish independently measured curves.