For many keyboard enthusiasts, the obsession usually lies in the board—its mounting style, the various sound-dampening materials, and aesthetics. But for me, it’s all about the switches and keycaps. They’re the real game-changers for sound and feel.
Switches and Keycaps Matter More Than the Board
I’m not saying that the keyboard you choose for your build doesn’t matter—it absolutely does. A cheap, hollow-sounding case with poor assembly can be the weak point of any build. The PCB’s quality and features also play a role, and if you want to swap switches easily, a hot-swappable PCB is a no-brainer.
However, once you have a decent board that checks all the boxes, there isn’t much you can do to make it sound better beyond a few basic keyboard mods like tuning and lubing stabilizers or the Tempest tape mod.
Moreover, cheap mechanical keyboards have never been better—you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a hot-swappable, gasket-mounted board, leaving you with more money for aftermarket switches and keycaps. A great example is my Ajazz AK820. It’s a solid foundation for a custom build.
Ajazz AK820
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The Ajazz AK820 is an affordable mechanical keyboard with a 75% layout, gasket structure, and hot-swappable switches. It also has a volume knob, a detachable USB-C cable, and OEM PBT keycaps, which make for a comfortable typing experience.
Instead of constantly buying new keyboards, I’ve realized that it’s both more affordable and fun to collect switches and keycaps. Switches and keycaps are mostly universal, meaning they can fit most boards. More importantly, they have the biggest impact on aesthetics, sound, and feel.
I’ve experimented with all kinds of mods on my keyboards, and while they’re dirt cheap and can help you achieve a thocky sound, nothing changes the typing experience as much as a new set of switches and keycaps.
Switches Completely Change How Your Keyboard Sounds and Feels
At the core of every mechanical keyboard are the switches. They’re the most defining factor in how your keyboard sounds and feels. Whether you prefer linear, tactile, or clicky switches, there’s a near-endless range of switches that you can experiment with.
Do you want a smooth, creamy linear switch? Get the Gateron Milky Yellow Pros. Do you prefer something more crisp and clacky? The HMX Xinhais are for you. Looking for a super smooth, relatively light switch but with a strong tactile bump? I swear by my Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pros for that exact reason.
Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro
The Akko V3 Creamy Purple Pro is a pre-lubed tactile switch with a strong 55g tactile bump at the top, followed by a very light operating force of 30g and short total travel of 3.0mm. They’re phenomenal budget-friendly switches for typists.
If you’ve only ever used Cherry switches, you’re seriously missing out. I’m not saying that Cherry is bad (far from it), but there are countless other switch brands that offer high-quality switches, each with their own unique feel and performance, and they are just waiting for you to pick them up.
If you have a hot-swappable PCB, installing switches should take no more than an hour, so it’s well worth the effort.
When buying switches, getting them pre-lubed is a no-brainer. Don’t stop there—pay attention to other factors like the operating force, travel distance, whether they’re silent, spring length and type (e.g., linear vs. progressive, one-stage vs. two-stage), stem and housing materials, and other minor factors. All those little details add up to creating the end product.
Keycaps Are a Cheap and Easy Way to Refresh Your Keyboard
While switches play a huge role in how a keyboard feels and sounds, keycaps also play a big role. After all, they’re the part that your fingers actually touch.
For starters, keycaps dominate the keyboard’s overall look. Aside from a few exposed parts of the case, keycaps take up most of the visual space and can completely transform your desk. Whether you prefer cutesy keycaps with soft pastel colors, hardcore gaming keycaps with translucent sides for maximum RGB, or retro keycaps that evoke the vibes of vintage keyboards and controllers, there’s a wide range of affordable keycaps to choose from.
It’s not just looks, though. Keycaps also affect how your keyboard sounds and feels. Keycap profiles (the shape of the keycap set) matter more than you think, so pay attention when buying or mixing and matching sets.
Contoured profiles like OEM and Cherry make for a very natural and comfortable typing experience. Flat profiles like XDA tend to feel more like a laptop keyboard. Extremely tall profiles like SA offer a unique typing experience that’s unlike anything you’ve ever tried before.
Something else to keep in mind is that thicker keycaps produce a deeper, thockier sound than thinner ones.
However, the materials that the keycaps are made of are the most important aspect. The two most common types are ABS and PBT (types of plastic), but you can also come across PC, POM, rubber, and some niche materials like ceramic, metal, and wood. Even the finish plays a role. I have several PBT sets, with finishes ranging from textured and grainy to smooth and silky.
The best thing about keycaps is that you can easily replace them on any keyboard with a simple keycap puller. Assuming both your switches and keycaps use the same (usually MX-style) stem, they should be compatible. However, you still need to pay attention to the bottom row, as some keyboards don’t use a standard keycap length. Gaming keyboards like my old Corsair K70 are a good example, though they have been fixed in the newer models.
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It’s Still Nice to Have Multiple Keyboards
At this point, I don’t want to buy more keyboards just to collect them; I want to buy more because I need a home for all my switches and keycaps. Including the ones already on my four keyboards, I have eight sets of keycaps and nine sets of switches, and I’ll probably buy even more.
The good news is that barebones kits, like the Keychron V1 and EPOMAKER TH80 Pro, come without keycaps and switches, so I might just get one of those next.
I’m constantly experimenting with new switches and keycaps just because they’re so cheap. Based on what I’ve seen, most switches range from 25 to 50 cents a piece, and keycap sets can be as cheap as $10–$15 while still offering decent quality.
Sure, the cheaper switches and keycaps might not match the quality of the high-end stuff, but they’re still pretty good. I can’t decide if I like creamy, thocky, marbly, or silent the best, so I might as well keep buying more.
Where to Find the Best Switches and Keycaps
There are numerous sites where you can find a range of switches and keycaps for enthusiasts. Mainstream online retailers like Amazon, AliExpress, and Temu are great places to find cheap and mainstream options. Etsy is also an excellent platform, particularly for artisan keycaps.
Enthusiast retailers like KBDfans, KPrepublic, Drop, Kinetic Labs, NovelKeys, and LumeKeebs offer more premium choices and occasionally their own custom switches and keycaps. Some manufacturers, like Akko and Gateron, sell directly to customers.
While a good keyboard can provide a solid foundation, the true magic lies in the switches and keycaps. These two parts give you an affordable way to customize how your keyboard looks, sounds, and feels. Whether you’re looking for a deep thock, a buttery-smooth feel, or a crisp clack, the right combination of switches and keycaps can help you achieve that on any board.
