| Switch Type: Tactile | Mount: PCB Mount (5-pin) | Spring: Single Stage | Price: £2.28 (10pcs) on AliExpress |
| Top Housing: PA66 | Bottom Housing: PA66 | Stem: POM | Factory Lubed: Yes |
| Actuation Point (mm): | 1.8 ± 0.6 | Actuation Point (mm): | 1.87 |
| Actuation Force (gf): | 35 ± 10 | Actuation Force (gf): | 34.8 |
| Total Travel (mm): | 3.3 | Total Travel (mm): | 3.11 |
| Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.8 | Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.83 |
| Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 55 | Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 46.0 |
| Reset Point (mm): | 1.8 | Reset Point (mm): | 1.86 |
| Bottom-out Force (gf): | 45 | Bottom-out Force (gf): | 43.9 |
| Stem Length (mm): | 12.49 | ||
TL;DR
The most renowned silenced tactile switches are of the heavier variant – the Boba U4, the Durock Silent Shrimp and the Akko Penguin Silent, to name a few. There aren’t a lot of silenced, light, tactile switches around; and the ones that exist, such as the TTC Silent Brown, are of an ageing design in desperate need of a new variant (seriously, that switch needs a re-design).
The Outemu Silent Lemon IS a very good silenced, light, tactile switch with an affordable price tag. And since it doesn’t compete with a lot out there, this should be a popular choice, but it isn’t, and you can fully blame Outemu for their lack of marketing on it.
Smoothness: 9/10
On-centre keypresses are ultra smooth with barely any scratchiness or inconsistencies even at very slow keypresses.
Off-center keypresses are very smooth with only very minor levels of inconsistency at very slow keypresses.
Overall, outside of hall-effect switches, these are one of the smoothest tactile switches money can buy. And yes, I was very surprised by this.
Outemu Silent Lemon V3 switch disassembled.
Weighting: 4/10
Now, according to Outemu specs on AliExpress these switches have a peak tactile force of 55g at 0.8mm, an actuation force of 35g at 1.8mm, and a bottom-out force of 45g at 3.3mm.
Outemu Silent Lemon V3 force curve.
As you can see from the force curve above, the Outemu Silent Lemon is on spec apart from its total travel and peak tactile force. The spec sheets in many AliExpress stores list the total travel as 3.3mm, while the force curve suggests it is closer to 3.1mm. The peak tactile force suggests a figure around 55g.
However, when tested, the total travel is closer to 3.1mm, and the peak tactile force is closer to 46g.
Outemu Silent Lemon V3 consistency force curve.
As you can see above, the switches are very consistent. I would consider any variance between the three switches to be within acceptable tolerances.
Outemu Silent Lemon V3 vs. Cherry MX Brown force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Outemu Silent Lemon and the Cherry MX Brown. The Outemu switch is much lighter and shorter, but I figured I’d compare the two since they’re both lightly weighted switches.
Outemu Silent Lemon V3 vs. TTC Silent Brown force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Outemu Silent Lemon and the TTC Silent Brown. I haven’t reviewed a lot of lightly weighted, silent, tactile switches, but this is its closest competitor that I have reviewed. You can see that again, the Outemu switch is the lighter and shorter of the two. It really goes to show you that these Outemu switches are very lightly weighted.
Overall, I’m not a huge fan of them given their light weighting. However, there A LOT of folks who do enjoy a lightly weighted switch. So, if you’re looking for a silent, light, tactile switch with exceptional consistency; you might want to consider these.
Sound: 6/10
These aren’t the quietest tactile switches out there – the Akko Penguin Silent still takes that crown – but they’re quiet enough to be used in an office environment, distracting none of your colleagues.
They, of course, have a dampened, muted sound to them, which you may or may not like. Because of this, they have a deeper, more thocky sound signature on the downstroke, but have a slightly higher-pitched upstroke – it’s hardly noticeable, but it is there if you listen out for it, especially in larger keys.
Overall, I’m not a big fan of muffled sounding switches, but these are one of the “better” ones. I’d even call them somewhat decent.
The Outemu Silent Lemon V3 stem length is 12.49mm.
Typing Performance: 6/10
I made a number of typos while testing these given their light weighting. Plus, their tactility is very weak. However, these are extremely consistent. So, if you enjoy typing on lightly weighted tactile switches, there’s a good chance you’d like these.
Additionally, as you may have guessed, these switches have a mushy key feel overall. But, they aren’t as mushy as other silenced switches, which might surprise you. Then again, these aren’t as quiet as those switches, so that’s the trade-off.
Overall, even though they have three aspects I’m not a huge fan of – a mushy key feel, light tactility and a very light weighting – their consistency makes up for it in a lot of areas.
Gaming Performance: 7/10
They’re decently solid for both fast and slow-paced games. I felt confident in every movement I made thanks to its top-tier smoothness and consistency. However, the lack of tactile feedback was its biggest downside.
I’m also aware most gamers aren’t fans of switches with a mushy key feel, but this is an aspect of the Silent Lemon that you’ll just have to accept if you’re thinking of buying it.
Overall, these are solid switches for those who want a silent, light, tactile switch for gaming. Just don’t expect much tactile feedback from them.
Final Score = 32/50 (64%)
Places to purchase this switch:
AliExpress | KPrepublic | SwitchOddities