| Switch Type: | Clicky |
| Mount Type: | Plate Mount |
| Travel Distance: | 1.8mm Actuation | 3.6mm Total |
| Force: | 75g Operating | 90g Bottom-out |
| Price: | $12.24 (36 pieces) on NovelKeys |
The Kailh BOX Navy is a heavy clicky switch featuring a thicker click bar, plus the heavier spring from the Kailh BOX Pale for increased tactility.
TL;DR
The Kailh BOX Navy. It’s for those looking for a very heavy clicky switch with a sharp and clean tactility.
I consider it a straight upgrade from the Cherry MX Green… or any other click jacket switch out there.
Smoothness: 8/10
On-centre keypresses are ultra-smooth with zero scratchiness or inconsistencies present in any of the switches. Though, this could be due to its heavy weighting hiding its flaws. Either way, my point stands.
Off-centre keypresses aren’t perfect though. They do have minor inconsistencies at very slow keypresses, but surprisingly, no scratchiness. These would be things most people wouldn’t be able to detect anyway.
Overall, this is by far the smoothest click bar switches I’ve ever used. I’m hoping this is how future models are manufactured!
Kailh BOX Navy switch disassembled.
Weighting: 6/10
According to NovelKeys, these switches have an actuation force of 75g at 1.8mm, a peak tactile force of 90g and bottom-out force of 90g at 3.6mm.
In the real world, they feel extremely heavy to actuate. However, given they’re extreme tactility, they’re also very satisfying to use which I’ve come to like. This is definitely a switch I could come back to once in a while just for its ‘satisfaction of use’.
Additionally, they’re also very consistent across the board. I had no issues with scratchiness, binding or switches not returning.
Overall, the weighting is on the extremely heavy end of things. It personally isn’t for me, but for anyone currently using a heavy click jacket switch like the Cherry MX Green; this is the next logical upgrade.
Sound: 7/10
It’s a click bar switch, so yes, its loud and high pitched. Note: Due to the thicker click bar, the BOX Navy is overall louder than the BOX White.
Otherwise, the sound is as I described in my Kailh BOX Pale Blue review.
Overall, it should be obvious by now that I’m on team click bar.
Typing Performance: 7/10
I’m someone who likes to praise heavy tactile switches. So, this one was kind of up my ally. NovelKeys have done a neat job with the BOX Navy. It’s nice to see a quality heavy clicky switch on the market as an option instead of another linear switch with a slightly longer pole than its predecessor.
Now, the BOX Navy *is* a heavy switch. It really is no joke. I tend to tire out after very short typing sessions (we’re talking 1-2 hours of constant use). And due to its weighting, it was also the reason for quite a few of my typos. But, maybe unsurprisingly, I made less typos on the BOX Navy compared to the Akko Haze Pink Silent . Both of which are well outside my weighting preferences; just opposite directions.
Additionally, the sharp tactility is very satisfying. Almost addicting. If only there was a switch that was lighter, but had the same sharpness of tactility… I can only dream.
Overall, they’re what a great heavy clicky switch should be. This is a great design and should be an inspirational template for future clicky switches, be it heavy or light.
Gaming Performance: 6/10
This will be a short one.
This wasn’t built for gaming and it isn’t ideal for gaming. The heavy weighting pretty much tired me out after just a few minutes of fast paced gaming. This was also the case for slower paced games. So, whilst they aren’t outright bad; they’re surprisingly usable even, they certainly aren’t ideal for longer sessions. Masochists will probably disagree with me on that one though.
Other than the heavy weighting, the switch is also very loud and is quite audible in the background. For reference, I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 560S headphones which are open-back, but this issue persists even with a pair of close-backs. And given how loud these switches are, they can get annoying clicking away in the background.
Overall, they’re decent enough for short bursts of gaming. But for anyone else who play longer sessions, I’d stay away from these.
Final Score = 34/50 (68%)
Places to purchase this switch:
KBDfans | NovelKeys | Mechboards
