There are three main types of switches:
MX Blue: This is the loudest switch found on most mechanical keyboards.
MX Brown: This switch is slightly quieter than blue switches but not as quiet as red or black switches.
MX Red: This is the quietest type of switch and also has a tactile bump when it bottoms out, which aids typing accuracy.
What is a quiet keyboard switch?
A keyboard switch is part of the keyboard that connects the keys to the circuit board. They have different types of switches depending on how they are designed and what they do.
There are several different types of quiet keyboard switches, but they all have one thing in common: they're low-profile, linear switches with no tactile bump or audible click. Most people use them for gaming purposes because gamers don't like the noise that comes from loud mechanical keyboards.
Top-Rated Quietest Mechanical Keyboard Switches
Have A Look In Detail
The quietest mechanical switches are generally considered to be Cherry MX Silent or Kailh Low-Profile Red. These switches use a rubber bumper instead of the metal click mechanism in other key types.
The Razer BlackWidow Elite
The Razer BlackWidow Elite is one of a few keyboards that use these switches, and it’s marketed as the “quietest” gaming keyboard on the market.
In our testing, we found it was quieter than the competition, but not by much. The keys were still audible when pressed, although we could feel the difference from other keyboards we tested.
Cherry MX Silent
Cherry MX Silent is a linear switch designed to be quieter than other Cherry switches. It uses silicone dampers, and the slider has a special coating to reduce friction.
Cherry MX Brown
The Cherry MX Brown switch is tactile with medium resistance. It's similar to the Cherry MX Red but has a softer, more tactile bump and audible click sound.
The best use case for this switch is gaming, where you must press keys down quickly but not too hard. In typing, the Cherry MX Brown offers a much slower actuation speed than Cherry MX Red or Blue.
Cherry MX Blue
The Cherry MX Blue switch is linear with an extremely fast actuation point that requires only 1 mm of travel distance (compared to 4 mm for most other keyboards). This makes it ideal for gamers who want to press keys down quickly without bottoming out too hard.
Cherry MX Silent Red
The Cherry MX Silent Red switches are one of the most popular options on the market today. They offer a smooth linear feel with no audible clicking noise or tactile bump in the middle of travel. The only sound you'll hear is from your fingers hitting the keys! These are great for typing and gaming alike.
Cherry MX Speed Silver (tactile)
The Cherry MX Speed Silver switches are similar in terms of feel to the Cherry MX Red switch except for one major difference: They have an audible click when pressed down.
The click is very subtle and doesn't bother me during daily use, but it may be too distracting for some people who want a completely silent keyboard without any tactile feedback (like me!).
Quietest Keyboards For Mac Users
If you're looking for a quiet keyboard, then Apple makes some of its accessories with low-profile keys and low-noise mechanisms. They're not necessarily quiet, though; they're designed to be as thin as possible, so they take up less space on your desk and make less noise when you type on them.
These include Apple's Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad (which includes volume controls too), Magic Trackpad 2, and Magic Mouse 2 (which also includes clickable scroll wheels).
Which Is The Most Common Type Of Quietest Keyboard Switch?
The most common type of quiet switch is called a rubber dome. You'll find these kinds in cheap keyboards, which could be better. They're just rubber pads underneath each keycap that make contact with the PCB when pressed down and spring back up when released. If you press quietly enough (which is relatively easy), it will make no sound! But if you press too hard or accidentally brush against something (like your desk), it will make a loud clicking sound. This makes rubber domes unsuitable for gaming since they could give away your position while playing stealth mode!
Quietest Switches Can Be Mechanical Or Membrane
Switches can be either mechanical or membrane. Mechanical switches are made up of individual parts that make a clicking noise when pressed, whereas membrane keyboards use thin sheets to make them quiet when typing.
Types Of Mechanical Switches
The quietest keyboard is a membrane one. A membrane keyboard has no keys; it uses a flat sheet covered in conductive material to sense your keypresses.
Membrane keyboards are usually found on laptops and netbooks. They're also used on some keyboards with desktop PCs, but these are louder than the ones made for laptop computers.
The most popular mechanical keyboard switch type is Cherry MX Reds, linear switches that provide light tactile feedback with a smooth action. The next most popular type of switch is Cherry MX Blues; these are clicky mechanical switches that require more force to press down but provide a more audible click than reds when pressed. They also have a bump towards the end of travel for better tactile feedback.
When buying a new keyboard, you must choose one with quiet keys as it will help prevent distractions in class or at work. Consider whether you prefer linear or clicky switches, which will affect your typing experience, and whether they're too loud for you.
There are two main types of mechanical switches — linear and tactile.
Linear switches don't provide feedback when pressed, while tactile ones give you a click as you type. While some people prefer one over the other, most people don't like having both on their keyboards because it makes them louder than they'd like. Most gaming keyboards use linear switches because they're easier to press than tactile ones and have faster actuation points.
What Are The Quietest Keyboard Switches Colors?
The most common keyboard switch colors are blue and brown. Blue switches are more clicky, while browns are smoother and softer. However, many other switch colors are available to satisfy your particular needs.
The quietest mechanical keyboards have blue switches, which can be louder than other switches, so they could be better if you want a silent mechanical keyboard.
Here are the quietest mechanical keyboards with different switch colors available:
Browns: A favorite among gamers because of their smooth action and low noise level. Browns also offer a tactile bump before actuation and an audible click when they bottom out.
Red: Reds are linear switches that make no audible noise when pressed or bottomed out. They're the most popular choice for typing because they're quieter than other colors but still provide a tactile bump that lets you know that you've pressed down on the key enough to register an input into your computer.
Clears: These are linear switches that provide no bump when pressed. They're considered the quietest mechanical switch since there's no tactile feedback.
Topre: Quieter than Cherry MX Black, but not as quiet as Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Red.
Alps: Quieter than Cherry MX Black and Red, but not as quiet as Cherry MX Blue, Brown, or Clear.
Buckling Spring: Quieter than Cherry MX Black and Red, but not as quiet as Cherry MX Blue or Brown (Cherry ML switch).
Why Should You Use Quietest Keyboard Switches?
The quietest keyboard switches are a great choice for people who work in an office setting or those who want to be harmless for their neighbours to be happy. They're also great for gamers who want to hear the clicks of their mouse and the clacking of their keyboard, but not necessarily the loud noise that comes with them.
Many options are available, but some are better suited than others regarding quietness. One of the most popular types is Cherry MX Red switches, which allow you to mute your keyboard's sounds without sacrificing performance or comfortability.
Why does the keyboard switch create sound?
The switches you see on your keyboard are small pieces of plastic connected to two metal parts. When you push down on the keycap, the plastic part moves and presses against both of these pieces of metal. The movement produces an electrical signal sent to your computer, telling it what key you pressed.
To make the keypress easy for you to feel, there needs to be some resistance in the switch. This is usually accomplished by having a spring between the two pieces of metal, keeping them apart until you press down on the keycap. The spring then pushes down on one side, makes contact with the switch's other side, and presses down on the plastic piece so that it makes contact with both sides at once and completes the circuit for that keypress.
What Are Switches Quiet But Clicky?
Matias Quiet Click switches were designed to reduce noise as much as possible while maintaining the tactile feel and audible feedback of Cherry MX Blue switches. However, they're also known for being quite expensive compared to other brands of mechanical key switches.
These are the same as Alps SKCM Blue switches, except they're quieter and have a different tactile feel (they're slightly heavier).
The Matias Quiet Click switch is available in both MX and Alps mounts.
FAQs
Q1: What is the loudest keyboard switch?
A1: Cherry MX Blue. It's known for being audible and clicky, as well as tactile. These switches are most commonly found on gaming keyboards.
Q2: What's the difference between linear and clicky switches?
A2: Linear keys have a consistent resistance throughout their travel distance, whereas clicky keys provide resistance until you hit a bump or "bump" in their travel distance before returning to normal resistance.
Q4: How do you know if a keyboard has quiet switches?
A4: Quieter mechanical keyboards use different switches than those used in gaming keyboards or standard office keyboards. They are generally marketed as "quiet" or "noise-reduced" because they have less chatter (the noise produced when multiple keys are pressed).
Q5: How To Make Your Keyboard Quieter?
A5: If you want to make your keyboard quieter and use rubber keycaps, the solution is to put a piece of foam under each key (you may use an old mouse pad) and then cut out a small hole for the key stem to go through. The foam has enough give so that when you press down on it, it presses on the rubber dome below and makes a clicking noise. The foam also acts as a shock absorber, reducing the noise from bottoming out on the hard plastic bottom of each key.
You may use hot glue to attach the foam pieces to my keys. However, they started coming off after a while because they were too heavy for the hot glue to hold them down securely. So, just let them sit loosely on top of the keys without attaching them, which works great!
Wrap Up:
The quietest keyboard switches are a great way to reduce noise when typing. They are available in various materials, including rubber, silicone, and foam.
The switch you choose will depend on your preferences and typing style. Some people prefer the quieter, softer switches for a more comfortable typing experience.
Others prefer the louder, clickier switches for a more responsive feel. You'll be sure it works quietly, whichever type of switch you choose.
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