Even the mighty Box Jade could feel lighter and faster to type on after using 68g Boba U4’s for a while. The Sound of Silence Gazzew also recommends his own personal lubing method, which may seem unorthodox at first but proves to be very effective for the Boba U4. The switches I have listed are all very good and appreciated in the community. That's why I need your help and experience to help me determine the best switch for my needs. I don't mind the bottom out feel being somewhat mushy. Only if it's really too distracting but these shouldn't be too bad :) E.g. my current keyboard has Cherry MX Red switches with QMX clips AND rubber o-rings because OEM keycaps don't really work with QMX clips alone.

Available in two switch tops: Gum, which matches the base housing, and Clear, which is more suited to keyboard builds featuring per-key RGB switches; At the softest-feeling, most quiet end is Outemu (and by extension Gazzew) - especially with lubing, these will make the least noise. They also have the most “mush” to the bottom-out feel, in terms of MX-compatible options. Surprisingly, the Zilent V2 tactile bump is only a hair stronger and more firm than the Boba U4 in a side by side comparison. The Keebwerk Tacit, for example, blows both of the water in terms of sheer tactility and is showing how much the tactile market has drifted over time.

Details RGB (clear top) variant

The Boba U4, designed by Gazzew in collaboration with Outemu, has been making waves in the mechanical keyboard communities over the past several months, but it is worth the hype?

The more tactile a switch, the louder it usually is, until now. Enter Gazzew’s Boba U4, a surprisingly silent tactile switch. I’m pretty into dampened switches myself. Generally, they do all involve some kind of trade-off between silence and retaining a satisfying feel - though not all the manufacturers do it the same way. Creating a good silent tactile switch is always infinitely harder than creating a good silent linear switch, without a doubt. As I’ve mentioned previously in my Keebwerk Tacit review, the reason that this is because there is a significantly greater inability to remove sound from tactile switches while keeping them truly tactile due to the interaction between the stem leg and leaf often causing noise known as ‘leaf ping’. That being said, it is almost as if Gazzew read my exact words regarding this difficulty and made it directly into a change under the listing of a “new leaf design.” First, some sounds. I recorded all of these some time ago on my kitchen table with an old iPhone, a foot or two away from the keebs sitting on a folded hand towel:BOBA PLASTIC IS BEING DISCONTINUED AS A RESULT ALL PURPLE & PINK BOBA PLASTIC THAT IS AVAILABLE CURRENTLY IS THE LAST THAT WIL BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE NEW PLASTIC HAS BEEN PRODUCED. I may make other colors available for LT & Bobagums but that will be determined when all of the bases have been used. There will be a new plastic replacing boba plastic that will be added in the future in place of the boba plastics.

If you wish to “tune” how the Boba U4 sounds, however, you can try a thin or compressible switch film.

Where to buy

If you’re looking for a balance, JWK is probably the way to go right now - so in this vein I’d echo recommendations for the T1 Shrimps. I don’t think JWK has a light silent tactile at the moment, but that’s probably a matter of time. The leaf of this switch comes factory lubed. The slide rails and rail slots are dry. If you're one to lube your switches, we recommend you try them unlubed first as it should feel right, right out of the box. Tech specs The pearl housings, when paired with a low-profile case, makes the diffused RGB lighting look perfect under floating keycaps. Should You Lube Boba Switches? If you wish to film, try a clear top-housing with RGB slot, which has relaxed tolerances compared to the opaue housings. There are a few ways you can lube the Boba U4, including the traditional method of lubing the springs, housings, and stem with GPL105 and Tribosys 3203 or 3204.