Thoughts on Kailh Speed Pink switches

Kailh has several different speed switch variants which all have a higher actuation point than their typical counterparts. The Speed Pink switches are also a recolor of their Speed Bronze switches. As they utilize a click-bar for their click sound and tactile feel they are an interesting option for being both a shorter actuation while being a clicky option.

As they are a recolor of the Kailh Bronze switches they have identical specifications. They have a 1.1mm actuation point, 3.5mm bottom out, and 1.2mm reset point. Like the Bronze they utilize a click-bar which means they also produce two distinct clicks per movement, one on the downstroke and the other on the upstroke. The bar itself is one of the narrower ones meaning it is lighter, than the bar found in Box Navy or Box Jade switches. It’s rather light so the tactility is subtle and there’s very little resistance for the tactile movement. As the reset point is lower than the actuation point, it also means the click itself comes slightly after the switch has sent the actuation. I find this at times maddening because on some switches, depending on variability, you can actuate without feeling the tactile event or hearing the click. It makes the switches feel highly variable and uneven experience. It’s almost like using different kinds of switches all in the same board, feeling disconnected and almost random.

I think part of this is what forces are involved with these switches. The actuation is listed at 50g of force and 70g for bottoming out. Paired with the high actuation point and light click-bar they feel simultaneously too heavy and too light. In my opinion they’re unbalanced. I’d either want a lighter spring, to bring the click-bar tactile moment more to the forefront or retain the spring and opt for a thicker click-bar to add more resistance. Testing out by putting the click-bar from a Box Navy into a Speed Pink produces a louder switch but also a far more tactile experience. I prefer a stronger tactility if I am using a tactile switch and the relative tactility is too low it doesn’t feel as satisfying to me. Putting that heavier switch into the spacebar makes it far punchier, more enjoyable to type with. Again, that’s my personal preference of course. For those of you who do prefer a lighter tactility these will be more tuned to your liking. But, if you want a punchier feel these may feel lacking for you.

As far as construction, they are fairly typical materials with a POM stem, polycarbonate top housing and nylon bottom housing. They’re pretty smooth for what they are with the tactility being sharp and quick because of the click-bar. Being a clear top housing, with a hollowed-out portion of the switch for LED-passthrough they are excellent for RGB. Stem wobble is unremarkable, they’re not particularly offensive but also aren’t the most stable. East-west wobble is slightly more apparent than north-south wobble. They’re mostly standard Kailh clicky switches with a high activation point.

Click-bars do produce a click that I find preferable to click-jackets. They do produce two clicks per press but with typing they tend to blur together into it sounding more like a fast double-click rather than two distinct clicks. By utilizing thinner click-bars that means the click is snappy, fast, and more moderate in volume. Heavier click-bars, like the Box Navy, have a deeper click that is louder. I compare these to being more like a quiet snapping, similar to a pen click. It’s metallic in sound making it have a more even resonance than with click-jackets having a more irregular pop from making the sound from plastic. I don’t find the sound as satisfying as the other inherent mechanical sounds of switches but for clicky switches I think they have a pleasant volume and sound profile.

I think there is a niche for them for people who want a low-to-moderate tactile clicky switch. I’m not sure how large that audience is but given the continued production of these switches there is clearly an audience out there for them. I think more traditional clicky switches are a better choice if you are looking at clicky switches. Something like Kailh Box White, Box Jade, or even Box Navy make more refined options. They don’t have quite the same level of disconnect between click and actuation. The Box White sound similar to the Speed Pink and Bronze with the Box Jade and Navy both being more tactile, louder, and heavier options. These are an interesting switch but, ultimately, one I will keep in my collection more for comparison’s sake than any sort of regular use. These do put me in mind to retry my Box Navy switches again though because they really do have a strong tactile feel and I’m wanting to revisit more tactile switches again.