| Switch Type: Tactile | Mount: Plate Mount (3-pin) | Spring: Dual Stage | Price: £4.04 (10pcs) on AliExpress |
| Factory Lubed: Yes |
| Actuation Point (mm): | 2.2 ± 0.6 | Actuation Point (mm): | 2.26 |
| Actuation Force (gf): | 50 ± 10 | Actuation Force (gf): | 36.2 |
| Total Travel (mm): | 3.3 | Total Travel (mm): | 3.28 |
| Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.7 | Peak Tactile Point (mm): | 0.67 |
| Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 58 | Peak Tactile Force (gf): | 48.8 |
| Reset Point (mm): | 2.3 | Reset Point (mm): | 2.24 |
| Bottom-out Force (gf): | 65 | Bottom-out Force (gf): | 52.4 |
| Stem Length (mm): | 12.47 | ||
TL;DR
The Outemu Silent TOM is a fair alternative to the Keychron Silent Banana and the Akko Penguin Silent. All 3 switches fall under the same price bracket and perform very similarly. If you’re thinking of buying these, have a look at other alternatives too, as they could be a better deal.
Smoothness: 8/10
On-centre keypresses are very smooth with minimal scratchiness and inconsistencies at very slow keypresses.
Off-centre keypresses exhibit very slight levels of scratchiness at very slow keypresses, but are otherwise also very smooth.
Overall, there isn’t too much I can fault these for. They’re factory lubed and are very smooth out of the box.
Outemu Silent TOM switch disassembled.
Weighting: 7/10
Outemu Silent TOM specs and force curve (from the manufacturer).
Now, according to Outemu’s spec sheet above, these switches have a peak tactile force of 58g at 0.7mm, an actuation force of 50g at 2.2mm and a bottom-out force of 65g at 3.3mm.
Outemu Silent TOM force curve.
As you can see from the force curve above, the Outemu Silent TOM falls outside spec in three areas – actuation force, peak tactile force and bottom-out force.
Outemu Silent TOM consistency force curve.
They also suffer from inconsistencies, with all 3 switches showing variances from one another, especially when looking at the downstroke side of the graph (right).
Outemu Silent TOM vs. Akko Penguin Silent force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Outemu Silent TOM and the Akko Penguin Silent. The Akko switch is the closest in weighting performance to the Silent TOM, with the Penguin having an earlier tactile event and a longer travel. Their peak tactile force is almost identical on the downstroke.
Outemu Silent TOM vs. Keychron Silent Banana force curve.
The force curve above shows the comparison between the Outemu Silent TOM and the Keychron Silent Banana. The Keychron switch is heavier overall. However, despite the Silent TOM being the lighter switch, it has a stronger and sharper tactile bump.
Overall, these are silent, medium weighted tactile switches with inconsistency issues. However, I must stress that these inconsistency issues weren’t noticeable in everyday use. I would personally be happy using these ‘as is’ with no modifications.
Sound: 7/10
These switches are dampened to make them quieter; they aren’t the quietest switch I’ve ever tested, but they would be acceptable in an office environment if that’s what you plan to use them in.
As I built my keyboard to bring out the ‘clack’ in switches, they’re louder than they’re supposed to be, but stick these into a full-size Keychron, and they’ll be as quiet (maybe even quieter) than a rubber dome.
Overall, they’re quiet and have very minimal scratchy sounds, so I like them.
The Outemu Silent TOM stem length is 12.47mm.
Typing Performance: 8/10
Unlike some tactile switches, these have a level of tactility that you can actually feel. Sure, they sometimes felt light, but not light enough to cause me major issues.
These would be the perfect silent tactile switches if their tactility were sharper and more distinct – I’m thinking Boba U4 levels, but if you wanted or needed a U4, you probably aren’t reading this given the obvious difference in price points.
In terms of typing satisfaction, I still prefer the U4 or the Penguin as that has an earlier tactile bump. But as a reminder, these perform very closely to the Penguin, so pick whichever is the cheapest.
Overall, they perform very well and are more than suitable for most office environments. If you require more tactility, you either have to spend Boba U4 money or go with the Durock Silent Shrimp (one of the loudest silent switches I’ve reviewed).
Gaming Performance: 6/10
The first thing I noticed was the amount of mushiness these switches have. A lot of silent switches will feel like this; this one included.
I wouldn’t recommend them purely as a gaming switch. If you plan to use more than 50% of your keyboard for gaming, I would look elsewhere. These are just too mushy. However, if you only game for around 30% or less, and need a quiet switch, these start to become more appealing.
I really like how they performed in slower-paced games. Their tactility was noticeable, and I didn’t make too many accidental keypresses with them. However, as with many tactile switches, their tactility was less noticeable in fast-paced games, and their mushiness just ruins the experience for me.
Overall, they perform well in slow-paced games given their tactility, but I personally wouldn’t use them as a dedicated gaming switch because of their mushiness.
Final Score = 36/50 (72%)
Places to purchase this switch:
AliExpress | Sunchelle Switches | Milktooth