| Switch Type: | Tactile |
| Mount Type: | Plate Mount |
| Travel Distance: | 1.8mm Actuation | 3.6mm Total |
| Force: | 45g Operating |
| Price: | ~£6 (10 pieces) |
The Kailh BOX Brown is a light tactile switch by Kailhua and is a revised version of the original Kailh Brown switch.
Smoothness: 6/10
On-centre keypresses are relatively smooth with only minor levels scratchiness present in a few switches when keys are slowly pressed.
Off-centre keypresses are significantly scratchier with most switches exhibiting consistent levels scratchiness across the board. Additionally, some scratchiness can also be felt when typing at normal speeds, although this is uncommon.
Overall, not a substantial improvement from the original switch, but I can at least say that is slightly better than average. Though, I still wouldn’t pick these as my first choice.
Kailh BOX Brown switch disassembled.
Weighting: 5/10
According to Kaihua , these switches have an actuation force of 45g at 1.8mm, a 60g tactile force and a total travel of 3.6mm.
Now, if you’ve been following me for some time, you would come to the conclusion that I would find these too light. And you would be 100% correct.
Additionally, it has Cherry MX Brown-like tactility which essentially means they’re non-existent unless you type very, very slowly; I’m talking <15 WPM or less. bleh
On the bright side, the weighting consistency is at least…well, consistent! A nice little bonus at this point.
Overall, light weighting + light tactility isn’t my preference, so it’s safe to say I’m not a big fan of these. Although, they aren’t the worst the market has to offer.
Sound: 6/10
These switches were not built with sound in mind as they sound quite thin and hollow with almost all keypresses. They’re also more on the clacky side side of things.
Overall, there isn’t a lot to say here. They’re just above average for what they are, but that’s about it. Nothing special.
Typing Performance: 5/10
As I mentioned in the weighting section, they are light and barely tactile. A subtle reminder that switches like these still exist (thanks Cherry).
So, what does it actually feel like typing on them? Well, it feels like a light linear switch with a very light tactile event near the top of the keypress that you barely feel when typing at normal speeds. Now, if that describes the god-awful switch known as the Cherry MX Brown, that’s because the BOX Brown is more or less the same. In other words: Disappointment.
On the upside, they’re quite consistent in the weighting department which meant I didn’t make as many mistakes as I normally would have.
Overall, these were very unimpressive switches to type on with its lack of tactility…as a tactile switch. It’s a BIG “no” from me.
Gaming Performance: 7/10
Surprisingly, gaming wasn’t too bad with these essentially “become” linear switches in most gaming scenarios. And coupled with their light weighting, they pretty much compete in the linear space…whether that’s good or bad, is up to you to decide.
Additionally, they’re quite smooth and consistent which makes for a decent enough gaming experience. However, they certainly could be smoother during slower off-centre keypresses, but I wouldn’t label them as “bad” in this department.
Overall, it’s a weird one. On one hand, it’s an “ideal” light tactile switch as they can be treated like linear switches, but on the other hand they suck as a tactile switch as you cannot rely on any tactility whatsoever. For me, it still fails as a tactile switch as a whole, but is more than usable for gaming if needed.
Final Score = 29/50 (58%)
Places to purchase this switch:
AliExpress | NovelKeys | MechBoards
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