Thoughts on Tecsee Jadeite switches

The Tecsee Jadeite switches are the third type of switch I got when I ordered three sets of mystery switches from NovelKeys this latest round of mystery switches. Like the Tecsee Ice Grape switches these are a linear design from Tecsee. Unlike the Ice Grape switches these are not factory lubricated. Otherwise, they have similar stats to those Ice Grape switches.

These are another typical linear design. Where there are more potential issues are how they feature an HMWPE stem and upper housing. When identical materials are used on parts that rub against each other there is an increased potential for the keys sticking or binding. This issue can be exacerbated with off-center key presses. Testing them with higher profile keycaps, as I am with MT3 Susuwatari, this will be easier to test. And with more use this is more apparent in daily usage, especially when used for gaming.

Binding can be a more difficult problem to explain. In concept, it’s simple. When you press the switch you feel it rub in such a way that it holds in place. And in theory it’s simple but getting that point across can be more difficult because it is almost never uniform in how it manifests. Some switches are more prone to it than others, such as the switch I have for my “G” key that is particularly egregious in binding. Another issue is that the binding is highly affected by how I am pressing the key. Perfectly centered key presses don’t experience the binding, but any sort of off-center press is more prone. What I’ve found is that east-west off-center presses are somewhat more forgiving than north-south presses. And south-facing presses being prone to the most extreme binding in my testing. Unfortunately, both are frequent and highly irregular in how severe they bind. Some keys are, by their very nature, more severe because you are so unlikely to press them perfectly. Stabilized keys, with spacebar and backspace being by far the worst, are all various shades of irritating to use with these switches in stock form.

The more I use them the more frequently I notice the binding issues and the more frequently they sour my typing experience with them. This is an inherent issue when using multiple moving parts of the same plastic with no lubricating layer between them. The advantage to different plastics, or materials in rubbing against each other in general, is that the materials have different coefficients of friction. That means that one material will always be the first one to “give” and slip allowing the movement to continue. When both are identical, that means that there is no material that is more or less binding, making them far more prone to sticking together as they attempt to move past each other. Lubrication can, and will, improve that situation. It acts as an intermediary layer between the two surfaces and reduces the issue of binding. It reduces that surface-to-surface friction and is something that can be necessary for mechanical devices. I’m not entirely sure why Tecsee decided to not factory lubricate these switches when they clearly have a decent process for doing that and it would be highly beneficial for these switches in particular.

Regardless of their reasoning, they have a switch that on paper has many interesting features to it. Firstly, it has that UHWMPE stem and upper housing, both in a milky, translucent white color. The bottom, which is a pretty, transparent jade color, is polycarbonate. This is paired with a two-stage 22mm spring, with a long-pole stem, giving them that distinct long-pole tap on bottom out. I think they’re a pretty switch design with the combination of jade and white. They also feature an RGB cut-out area in the top and bottom housing to allow for RGB passthrough with minimal coloring of the light from the switch housings. The housing is tight, and well-fitted with no creaking of movement between the two halves. Stem wobble is also average, with north-south being slightly less wobbly than the east-west wobble. I see some sellers list the spring as being a two-stage gold plated spring but those pages have incorrect information. The springs are standard steel with no gold plating. Thankfully, Tecsee’s website does not mention that so I’m not entirely sure where that error comes from but you should note that if you are interested in these switches.

Continuing with design, the spring is 63.5g and results in approximately a 55g weight for actuation. That puts them firmly in the middle weighted linear switch world which is extremely competitive. They are a standard 5-pin housing design as well. The upper housing features Tecsee’s logo which is proud to the surface of the housing. The mid-weighting is paired with a standard 2mm actuation point and 3.8mm bottom out. The most standout features of these switches are their UHMWPE stem and upper housing and that they do come with no factory lubrication. Even without lubrication, when they aren’t binding, they definitely play up to the smooth feel of the materials they chose. They are exceptionally smooth with no scratch even when run stock. Some of the switches do have a curious trait where there is a subtle, but distinct, click when they actuate. Many of the switches do not express that behavior but I estimate that around 40% of them do. It may be improved with lubrication but it is distracting to me when typing in a quiet environment. It’s highly subjective how you would feel about that but is so heavily represented in my batch of switches that it is unavoidable as it is.

Building on the typing experience, they are very smooth. They feel almost buttery to me, like a certain softness is inherent to them. Being delicate with my presses I can attest that part of that is the binding issue that they have. Even when it’s not a strong bind, there is still that soft feeling of resistance as I type and it feels akin to the resistance of butter to a warm knife. It’s soft, very smooth, but there is a regular resistance. I don’t think they have a bad typing experience, but they do have one that clearly aimed higher and fell short. I think for most people they would find these provide a pleasant typing experience. Paired with keycaps that are less prone to exaggerate off-center presses they would probably be much more forgiving. But, because I wanted to test specifically for what I thought might be a fault they would exhibit I went with keycaps that do the opposite and exacerbate the issue to make it easier to diagnose.

Where these get particularly complicated is with their price. I paid $15 for 92 switches as part of a mystery sale. At $15, or $0.16 a switch, they are honestly great. These issues are frankly minor compared to what you would be getting at that price. However, that’s not the price you’d end up paying outside of NovelKeys’ event. Tecsee sells them directly at 3 times that price, $0.45 a switch. And going to keyboard suppliers such as KPRepublic or Dangkeebs pushes them to the $0.55-0.65 per switch price range. And that’s really where these switches fall apart. For the ones that are good, they’re fantastic. They’re smooth, give a fun sound, and feel wonderful. But, they have consistency issues, distinct binding problems, and simply don’t feel or even sound regular enough between switches to really make a cohesive build. They’re a switch I really, really wanted to like. But, the inconsistency paired with the higher price point outside of sales just makes the whole experience taste a bit bitter to me. They are a more premium switch with some not-so-premium faults. On sale, they’re amazing. At retail there are a plethora of competitors who offer a smoother experience at the same, or even lower, price.