Switch: Kailh BOX Jade

I have saved the best of the lot for last, at least in my humble opinion. This is the Kailh BOX Jade with its opaque jade green stem. It is also a 3-pin mechanical switch in that there are two metal prongs for the actuation mechanism and the central plastic pin for in-socket switch stability. The switch is also compatible with 2-pin, 4-pin, and SMD RGB LEDs, and we see a large cutout in the housing and top for light to pass through, with diffuser action in the top spreading the light more uniformly.


Refer to the previous pages for more details as this switch has quite a lot in common with the BOX White. We once again have an IP56 rating courtesy the sealed contact leafs, and a decoupled feedback mechanism courtesy the click bar on the other end. The stem design is basically the same as on the BOX White, too. The difference comes with the click bar, where Kailh uses a thicker metal wire that is visually distinguishable if you compare the two respective images side by side. This results in much more substantial tactile feedback and a deeper, more resounding clicky feedback.


The switches look amazing assembled too, with really nice contrast against the wood case and white plate. As for keycaps, I retained the default base kit since I have come to appreciate it more.


This is the force-travel curve for the Kailh BOX Jade switches, again courtesy Kailh. These are again medium-force tactile and clicky switches with the same total travel of 3.6 mm as opposed to the usual 4.0 mm and a rated actuation distance of 1.8 +/-0.3 mm instead of the 2.0 mm for your average switch. The rated actuation force is slightly heavier than the BOX White at 50 +/-15 gf, which is about average as far as the error bar goes. Peak force is rated at the same 60 gf, which you will hit when bottoming out. As far as the rated specifications go, this switch is again similar to the Cherry MX Blue with shorter overall travel. This time around, the tactile bump is placed before the actuation point, so it is less accurate than the BOX White for touch typists.


These are the switches that make me regret using a simple phone recorder since it does not do their sound signature justice. I am definitely gushing here because these are among the best-sounding clicky switches I have ever heard. This particular combination also works very well, so much so that I do encourage people to pair these switches with a polycarbonate plate, or perhaps gasket-mounted brass plate, rather than the usual aluminium or steel. They also feel really nice to type on, but have pity on your coworkers and do not use this keyboard in a public setting or a video call/chat. For context, you can find sound clips from other keyboards here, including those with tactile and clicky switches.


At this point, I will also mention that there are several other Kailh BOX switches, as well as many other co-designed switches by other companies using the BOX design. Seen above are nine switches which are different from the five covered here, including more Kailh BOX, Novelias, Halo, Hako switches, and so on. It is not practical to cover them all, and I hope these five give you a good appreciation for the switch design and the various possible options.