Silent Linear Switches

Silent linear switches: quiet typing without a bump

Silent linear switches run smoothly from top to bottom like regular linears, but they dampen the bottom-out and the return stroke. That lowers the volume noticeably – useful in the office, at a home desk or while streaming.

How the dampening works

Most use rubber or silicone pads on the stem rails to catch top-out and bottom-out. Others dampen with mute rings on the stem, a damper in the bottom housing or soft stem elements. Because dampening costs travel, some models have a slightly shorter stroke than their undamped counterparts.

How quiet is quiet?

Our rule of thumb, from quiet to louder: Outemu Silent is among the quietest switches on the market but feels a little less direct. HMX and Wingtree x Lichicx are slightly louder and closer to a normal typing feel. Semi-silent switches with a movable stem section are the loudest of the silents but feel most like a regular switch. Rubber pads can make the bottom-out feel soft – that is a matter of taste.

What the keyboard adds

The switch is only one part of the sound. Case, mounting, plate and keycaps matter too. How mounting shapes the sound is covered in the guide gasket mount and keyboard sound.

Also in low profile

For flat boards there are the Gateron KS-33 Silent Red and Silent Black. They only fit low profile keyboards – more under low profile switches.

Prefer a tactile bump?

If you want quiet typing but still want to feel the actuation, have a look at the silent tactile switches. Not sure? Take the MonacoKeys Switch Tester and try them in your own keyboard.