| Switch Type: | Tactile |
| Mount Type: | PC Mount |
| Travel Distance: | 1.8mm Actuation | 3.3mm Total |
| Force: | 50g Operating | 70g Bottom-out |
| Stem Length (mm): | 13.77 |
| Price: | £5.94 (10 pieces) on AliExpress |
The Outemu Panda is Holy Panda clone or if we’re going with what Outemu states; it’s a “Holly Panda at an affordable price”. Apart from the obvious typo, they are significantly cheaper than the Drop Invyr Holy Panda with the Outemu’s only costing ~£0.60 per switch as opposed to ~£0.90 per switch with the Drop Holy Panda.
TL;DR
Excluding its less exciting sound signature, it’s a very solid Holy Panda clone with its performance closely matching that of the Drop Holy Panda, but with a much more affordable price tag. Plus, you can take advantage of the welcome bonus on AliExpress if you’re new. The last time I checked, you can buy these for as little as £0.12 per switch! That’s even cheaper than the Feker Panda – it’s closest competitor pricing wise.
Smoothness: 7/10
On-centre keypresses are very smooth with minor hints of scratchiness at slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses are on mediocre scale with moderate levels scratchiness at slow keypresses. Though, it becomes less obvious the faster you type.
Overall, I’d say they’re still above average, but they certainly need some tuning if you want the smoothest experience out of them.
Outemu Panda switch disassembled.
Weighting: 9/10
According to Outemu, these switches have a peak tactile force of 65g at 0.5mm, an actuation force of 50g at 1.8mm and a bottom-out force of 65 or 70g at 3.3mm.
In the real world, they pretty much feel as stated on spec. I’d say the only difference is that the Outemu switch is slightly heavier and rounder compared to the Drop Holy Panda. So, Outemu certainly did their homework on this one… apart from the fact that the bottom-out force is listed both as 65g or 70g. It’s not a huge dealbreaker, but it would’ve great if they sorted that out.
Consistency wise, these has been very consistent throughout my testing period. I’ve had no issues regarding any inconsistent behaviours which is an excellent attribute for a clone switch.
Overall, I really liked how consistent these switches performed and how they are weighted very closely to my preference. These are up there as amongst the best weighted tactile switches I’ve tested.
Sound: 8/10
If you were looking for the iconic sound signature of the real Holy Panda, you’d be very disappointed with these. They don’t sound as good as the original Pandas – which could be due to a different housing.
Overall, even with that said, these are still really nice sounding switches. Plus, if you prefer a deeper sound signature, you can add these to your wish list.
The Outemu Panda stem length is 13.77 mm.
Typing Performance: 9/10
I found almost no downside to these switches. Yes, I previously mentioned these are scratchy when typing slowly, but and I didn’t get bothered by it, and I don’t think most people would be either.
Performance wise, I love how these switches are weighted – they’re basically a 1-1 copy of the Drop Holy Panda with the Outemu Pandas being a little heavier and slightly rounder tactility wise. The difference wasn’t immediately noticeable even when compared side by side. A newcomer to the hobby would be extremely satisfied with these assuming they’re looking for a Holy Panda-like tactile switch.
Overall, the better the switch, the less I tend to say, and these are no exception. I highly recommend these to those looking for an affordable Holy Panda clone.
Gaming Performance: 8/10
These are solid switches for gaming too!
These switches performed very well in both fast and slow-paced games. Although, their tactility ‘disappears’ more often due to it being slightly rounder compared to the real Holy Panda which is the case in faster-paced games.
Overall, if I was forced to use these switches for gaming from now on, I’d be happy with them.
Final Score = 41/50 (82%)
Places to purchase this switch:
AliExpress | Amazon | Mechbox