We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: choosing a switch for your mechanical keyboard is hard. It’s probably the most challenging part of getting into the hobby. The only proper way around it is to try as many switches as possible. But not everyone has that luxury, of course, so that’s where guides like our Cherry switch comparison come into the picture.

Our guide can’t replace trying all of Cherry’s MX switches yourself, so that’s still something we’d recommend doing. That said, this comparison should give you a better idea of what to expect from Cherry MX switches and which ones may or may not suit your needs better. Let’s get started.

Cherry MX Switches: An Overview

Before we discuss each Cherry MX switch in-depth, let’s quickly lay out the basic facts. Cherry has a range of “mainline” switches, which you usually see in keyboards. These include the Cherry MX Black, Brown, Blue, and Red. Alongside these are a few silent switches (MX Silent Red and Silent Black) and a short-travel gaming switch, the Speed Silver.

These Cherry switches are the ones you’ll encounter when shopping for a pre-built keyboard, so it pays to get familiar with them. Don’t worry if you’re unfamiliar with some of these terms, as we’ll explain them later.

However, note that these aren’t the only Cherry MX switches the company makes. The company also has a handful of more niche switches it labels “MX Special.” These are often heavier or more tactile versions of their mainline switches and include the Cherry MX Green, Grey, and Clear.

You likely won’t find these in off-the-shelf keyboards, and they’re generally enthusiast options you opt for once you’ve spent more time in the hobby.

Of course, a table like this doesn’t help you if you don’t know your linears from your tactiles. So here’s a quick flow chart that should point you in the right direction:

Tactile? Linear? Clicky? Switch Terminology Explained

If you’re new to mechanical keyboards, then some of the terms in our chart above will be unfamiliar. Let’s quickly run through the basics here.

Switch Types

“Tactile,” “linear,” and “clicky” are the three main types of mechanical switch. Tactile switches have a bump somewhere in the middle of the travel, providing what most enthusiasts consider to be pleasing tactile feedback. If you want to know that you’ve pressed a key, then a tactile switch works great for that.

Source: Cherry

Clicky switches are tactile switches with a loud and audible click accompanying the tactile event. These switches can be fun to type on, but the click may make them less suited for situations where others are within earshot of your keyboard. If you like how typewriters sound and want a bit of that from your keyboard, clickies are the way to go.

Source: Cherry

Linear switches have no bump and are smooth throughout their travel. These won’t offer any physical or sensory indication, which many users find makes them less fun to type on. However, this can be great for fast-paced videogames that require rapid inputs and occasional key spamming.

Source: Cherry

Check out our linear vs. tactile vs. clicky switch comparison if you want more info.

Actuation Force and Travel Distance

Switch types explain a lot, but they can’t explain everything. How do you differentiate between switches when they’re all tactile or linear? Trying each out is the only sure-fire way, but looking at the actuation force and travel distances can give you a good idea.

Actuation force refers to how much pressure you need to actuate (or activate) the switch, usually presented in centinewtons (cN) or gram-force (gf). The two units are nearly identical (1 gf = 0.98 cN), so many users often just use them interchangeably even if it’s not entirely accurate.

Note that some manufacturers prefer to use bottom-out force; it’s measured similarly but refers to how much weight you need to depress the switch fully. As a result, a switch’s bottom-out force is generally higher than its actuation force.

Travel distance indicates how far the stem moves when you press it. Switch manufacturers often quote two different travel distances: pre-travel and total travel. Pre-travel refers to how far you have to press the switch before it activates, while total travel indicates how far the switch travels. Most switches have 2.0 mm and 4.0 mm of pre- and total travel, respectively, but short-travel “speed” switches often reduce that to less than 1.5 and 3.5 mm.

These specs are often combined and presented in a visual graph known as a force curve. It shows the force on the vertical axis and the travel distance on the horizontal axis. Two lines plot the switch’s travel on the downstroke and upstroke, including any tactile bumps or dips.

For example, here’s the force curve for Cherry’s MX Red that shows the switch’s smooth linear travel (in red). We’ll include these force curves for all the switches to give you a visual idea of how a switch feels.

With the basics out of the way, let’s get into why you’re here and go through the different types of Cherry MX switches.

Clicky Cherry MX Switches

Ah, clicky switches. The most divisive switch type of them all. Some users love the high-pitched racket these can dish out when typing, while others find them the bane of their existence. Cherry currently only has two full-sized clicky switches in its stable, the Cherry MX Blue and Cherry MX Green.

Cherry MX Blue

Cherry’s MX Blue used to be the clicky switch until the emergence of Kailh’s Box switches (which are some of the best clicky switches available). But while they’re no longer the default choice for those looking for a clicky switch, they’re still enjoyable medium-weight switches with pronounced tactility and a high-pitched click on the downstroke.

The tactile bump and click make these good for typists, especially if you work in isolation (like I do), away from colleagues or housemates. We think Blues are OK to game on, too, although the click isn’t ideal if you have an open mic broadcasting to your teammates.

That said, the tactility and slower upstroke aren’t great if you play games that require fast (and repeated) inputs. So while you’ll probably be fine with MX Blues in slower-paced games, we recommend you look elsewhere if you play competitive shooters or the like.

The MX Blues are also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Green

Cherry’s MX Green is the MX Blue on steroids. It uses the same click jacket design but with a much heavier spring that takes significantly more force to actuate and bottom out. You also get a bit more tactility, with a deeper and slightly quieter click that I find more enjoyable than the Blues.

The heavier spring makes these generally harder to use than the MX Blues, whether for gaming or typing. You’ll need to be quite a heavy typist to deal with the increased actuation and bottom-out force, although you could possibly get used to these for work.

The weight will likely be too heavy for gaming, however, especially for games where you need to hold a key down for extended periods (like the WASD keys in an FPS). We won’t say it’s impossible to game on, but you’re better off with almost any other switch if you’re buying or building a gaming keyboard.

Linear Cherry MX Switches

Linear switches make up most of Cherry’s switch lineup, with 6 out of the company’s 12 full-size switches being linear. And it’s not hard to see why: linears are smooth and work in any context, whether gaming or typing.

Cherry MX Red

Cherry’s MX Red is very likely the company’s most popular switch, being a mainstay on many mid-priced prebuilt keyboards from manufacturers like Cooler Master and Ducky. It’s a lightweight linear switch with a 45-gram actuation force that makes it easy and quick to press.

The MX Red is a great gaming switch for fast-paced action games, where speedy inputs and rapid keypresses are essential. The lack of a tactile bump also makes repeated keypresses a lot easier, so you won’t have issues with missing a crucial timing in-game.

MX Reds are OK for typing, but they’re not very satisfying and can take some getting used to. The light actuation makes it easy to press keys accidentally, which can lead to typos. The low weighting also means you’re likely to bottom out when typing, which can be uncomfortable with some keyboards. That said, the light-fingered amongst you may not find either of these to be significant issues.\

The MX Red switches are also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Black

The Cherry MX Black takes the smooth, linear travel of the MX Red and swaps in a beefier spring to create a heavier switch.

The MX Black has the same strengths and weaknesses as the MX Red: they’re good for gaming and still OK for typing. However, as far as Cherry MX Red vs. MX Black goes, the Black’s significantly stiffer spring reduces accidental keypresses and makes it harder to bottom out, at the cost of noticeable finger fatigue for some users.

If you prefer light switches, then the finger strain likely won’t be worth it. Heavy-handed folk, however, should enjoy the MX Black much more than the MX Red. It’s more satisfying to type on, provided you enjoy (or can get used to) the weight.

Note that you can find two versions of the MX Black on the market at the time of writing. There’s the standard MX Black (linked above) and the MX Black Hyperglide. The latter uses Cherry’s new “Hyperglide” tooling for a smoother feel that allegedly comes close to vintage MX Blacks.

Having never tried vintage Blacks, I can’t say how close the Hyperglides come. But they are smoother than the standard MX Blacks and worth trying out.

The MX Blacks are also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Black Clear-Top

Cherry’s MX Black Clear-Tops are Cherry’s new premium linear switch. These are slightly heavier than the MX Blacks (65 grams vs. 60 grams) and come lubed from the factory, a notable departure from Cherry’s standard MX switch lineup.

The MX Black Clear-Tops recreate the mythical “Nixie” switches, the MX Blacks used in Nixdorf keyboards in the 1980s. Nixie switches are highly regarded in the community for their smooth action, and these MX Black Clear-Tops recreate it very well. These are very smooth linears that feel great to type on and are miles ahead of even the MX Black Hyperglide switches.

Unfortunately, the MX Black Clear-Tops aren’t quite as readily available as standard Cherry linears. They’re harder to come by and will also cost more than MX Reds or MX Blacks.

However, we think they’re worth it. These MX Black Clear-Tops aren’t perfect, but they’re Cherry’s first switch worthy of being considered one of the best linear switches available.

Cherry MX Speed Silver

Cherry’s MX Speed Silver is the company’s entry into the burgeoning short-travel “gaming” switch market. These switches feature shorter pre- and total travel, allowing for faster actuation and allegedly reducing input latency.

I remain agnostic about the benefits of the reduced switch travel for gaming, as I’ve never felt a benefit from using a gaming switch. But they likely won’t hurt your gaming either, so they may be worth trying out to see if you can gain an advantage from the quicker inputs.

The main issue with short-travel switches like the MX Speed Silver comes when typing. The quicker actuation and shorter travel make accidental inputs and typos much easier than standard switches. You can get used to it, but you’re likely better off with standard MX Reds or Blacks if you want a board for gaming and typing.

Cherry’s MX Speed Silvers are also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Silent Red

The Cherry MX Silent Red takes the basic MX Red and adds rubber padding to the stem to reduce bottom-out noise and further dampen the already quiet sound profile. The result is a resounding win in terms of acoustics, but it’s not quite as clear-cut in the feel department.

Sound-wise, the MX Silent Red is significantly quieter than the stock MX Reds. With most of the bottom-out clack removed, you mostly only hear the subtle slap of your keycaps hitting the housing. So they’re not totally silent, but they’re as quiet as a mechanical switch is going to get.

The main issue is that the rubber padding gives the MX Silent Reds a mushy, imprecise bottom-out feel that many users (including myself) don’t enjoy. They’re not as bad as a cheap rubber dome, but they’re not nearly as crisp as a standard MX switch. The Silent Reds are also a bit scratchier than stock Reds, too.

Unless you really need a quiet keyboard, we think the traditional MX Red is a much better buy.

The MX Silent Reds are also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Silent Black

The Cherry MX Silent Blacks are, you guessed it, MX Blacks with the same added rubber padding seen in the MX Silent Red. So all the positives and negatives of the MX Red are present here too.

That means you gain supremely low-noise operation at the cost of a squishy and less satisfying typing feel. The MX Silent Blacks I’ve used feel smoother and quieter than the MX Silent Reds, which may make them a more desirable switch if you want to build the quietest mechanical keyboard possible.

However, as with the standard MX Red vs. MX Black comparison, the increased spring weight will prove tiring for some of you. So, while there are benefits to going with the MX Silent Blacks, the MX Silent Reds are the safer option for most users.

Cherry MX Tactile Switches

Tactile switches are the halfway point between the smoothness of linears and the loud click of clicky switches. Cherry isn’t necessarily known for its tactiles, with only one tactile switch in its mainstream product line.

Cherry MX Brown

Cherry’s MX Brown is the company’s only mainstream tactile switch (for now), and one of the more divisive switches in Cherry’s lineup. Some users love its subtle tactility and all-rounder appeal, while others find the tactility subpar and disappointing.

The main issue with the MX Browns is that they feel more like scratchy linears than genuine tactile switches. And while that’s entirely true, that’s also what makes it a standard recommendation to newbies and anyone still unsure whether they want a tactile or linear switch. The MX Brown gives you a taste of each, although admittedly without excelling at either.

MX Browns are fine for gaming and typing, so they’re a good compromise choice if you enjoy how they feel. However, I rarely see users sticking to MX Browns long-term, often moving on to linears or heavier tactiles once they decide which they prefer.

Cherry MX Browns are one of the most common MX switches, and you can find them in many off-the-shelf keyboards. They’re also available with clear housings.

Cherry MX Grey

Cherry’s MX Grey is the heaviest switch in the company’s lineup. It’s a stiff 80-gram switch with a robust, unmistakable bump, the polar opposite of the MX Brown’s weak tactility.

Cherry has had linear, tactile, and clicky versions of its Grey switch, all with subtly differing stem colors. But the tactile MX Grey is the only one that’s survived in the company’s lineup to this day. Unless you’re a vintage keyboard fan (in which case you’re likely not reading this), you’re unlikely to encounter the linear and clicky MX Greys any time soon.

It’s safe to say that the MX Greys aren’t for everyone. The tactility is enjoyable, but the 80-gram actuation force will likely tire your fingers quickly. They also sound audibly scratchy, which is the antithesis of what most want from a mechanical switch.

If you’re seeking big tactility, check out the Cherry MX Ergo Clear instead. It has a similar tactile bump but with a much lighter spring, making for a much more enjoyable switch to use.

Cherry MX Clear

The Cherry MX Clear is a midway point between the lightweight and light-tactility MX Brown and the monster MX Grey. It’s a natural step up from the MX Browns and may suit those who want more tactility without the sometimes harsh tactility of modern enthusiast tactile switches.

While the MX Clear’s 65-gram actuation doesn’t seem too heavy, the weighting and tactile bump can make these feel much more fatiguing than expected. However, the clarity and authority of the tactile event may make these worth checking out, even if you’re not a heavy-handed typist.

That said, the new MX Ergo Clear will likely render the old MX Clear redundant for most users, as it retains most of the tactile goodness with a more finger-friendly spring. But these may still be worth trying if you know you like heavy switches.

Cherry MX Ergo Clear

The Cherry MX Ergo Clear is another recent addition to Cherry’s switch lineup, alongside the MX Black Clear-Top. Like the Black Clear-Top, the MX Ergo Clear draws inspiration from the enthusiast community, taking what used to be a popular mod and turning it into an official Cherry product.

The notion of an “Ergo Clear” switch dates back to 2011, with the original combination of Cherry MX Black springs inside an MX Clear housing. The resulting switch retained most of the Clear’s pleasing tactility but with a much more agreeable weighting. Users eventually started using the MX Brown spring instead, which became the “standard” Ergo Clear from then on.

Cherry’s official Ergo Clear follows the Clear stem-Brown spring combo, with an actuation force closely matching the MX Brown. The magic is in the stem, however, which provides much more tactility than the MX Brown. It’s still not quite as good as some of the best tactile switches out there, but it’s much closer than every other Cherry MX tactile.

Unlike the MX Black Clear-Top, Cherry states that Ergo Clears “will also be found in upcoming keyboard models.” That’s welcome news for those seeking more tactile Cherry MX switch options on mass-produced keyboards.

The Ergo Clears are also available with clear housings.

Should You Buy Cherry MX Switches?

Cherry may be the premier name in mechanical keyboard switches, but their switches aren’t always the best out there. Over the past few years, the quality of MX-style clone switches from Chinese companies like Gateron and Kailh has increased exponentially, to the point that many consider them better than the Cherry originals.

To be clear, we’re not counting the higher-end enthusiast switches these companies manufacture, either. Basic switches like the Gateron Red and Black are generally smoother and cheaper than Cherry’s MX switches, making them an easy choice for many newbies. But it’s not just that these companies make better switches than Cherry: they also make more switches.

For example, Gateron makes the Gateron Yellow, which occupies a great middle ground between the MX Black and Red. And then there are all the click bar Kailh switches, like the Kailh Box Jade, which sound better and are more tactile than Cherry MX Blues. In many ways, Cherry lags quite far behind all the companies that emerged after patents lapsed in the late 2010s.

Cherry’s thankfully struck back with its new 2022 switches, the MX Black Clear-Top and the Ergo Clear. So they’re at least acknowledging the threat and constant innovation of the Chinese competition. One wonders whether these new switches will make a serious dent in an increasingly crowded market, but that’s a different topic for another day.

That said, durability is one area where Cherry switches still hold an advantage. Most of Cherry’s mainline switches have a lifespan of ~100 million actuations. This is a significant advantage over even the most durable “clone” switches, which generally top out at 80 million actuations. It isn’t the most resounding advantage, but it’s welcome reassurance if you want to buy a ready-made keyboard and have it work for years and years to come.

So, is it worth going with Cherry MX switches over cheaper clones? It depends. If you’re on a tight budget, clone switches will offer a lot more bang for your buck and often perform just as well (if not better).

But Cherry’s options are still relevant if you want the reassurance of a long-lasting, tried-and-tested switch. They may no longer be the best, but they’re still well worth considering.

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it: a quick run-down of Cherry’s current full-size switch lineup. We’ve focused on the full-size options as they’ll be the ones you’re most likely considering if you’re either shopping for a new keyboard or considering replacing your switches.

It’s worth reiterating that the only way to know which switches suit you is to test them out yourself. Switch testers can help, but the best way is to grab an affordable hot-swappable keyboard and a bunch of switches, and go to town. Have fun!