Akko CS Sponge Switches

I'll preemptively mention that if I were indeed going for a pink color scheme throughout, I would have gone with the Akko CS Jelly Pink switches instead. But Akko wanted to showcase its CS Sponge switch, so here we are. This is my first time using retail Akko switches, and I am left very impressed on the packaging front. It comes off similar to one of the Akko keyboards itself, including with the color-coordinated plastic wrap over the cardboard sleeve, and provides more information about the switch. This sleeve goes over a thick cardboard box, which is in black with a purple Akko logo in the middle. The box too employs a two-piece packaging, with the lid lifting up to reveal the switches inside.


We are not done yet, as the switches come inside individual cells inside a plastic blister layer that has a top cover molded to fit over the individual units. What fantastic packaging this is! Akko sells its switches in sets of 45, so we get a 9x5 matrix with a QC card underneath. The switches are easy enough to pull out and re-insert for storage.


Now, I could easily dismiss the Akko CS Sponge as a re-colored version of the CS Jelly Blue switch, which it is, but I have no experience with the latter, either. However, this works out well since I have been interested in taking a look at Akko's double bump tactile switch for a while. The CS Sponge goes with an opaque white bottom casing, a translucent yellow on top, and a darker orange stem. This color scheme goes well with the sponge animal itself, but one could argue most colors would since sponge organisms adopt different colors in nature. Regardless, walls around the stem reduce keycap wobble while adding some dust and spill resistance. We see "Akko" printed on the bottom, and this will show the right way up on the ACR 75 kit with its north-facing LED switch socket. As seen above, the CS Sponge is also a 3-pin switch, but should work fine with the TTC 5-pin sockets of the ACR 75 kit.


Taking apart one of these switches reveals a similar take on the MX stem-style mechanical switch, but look at that ridiculously long spring! It measured in at over 20 mm, so be careful taking the switches apart since they can literally spring out and about. The reason to generally take these switches apart is to lube the stem and springs yourself, which otherwise rely on the self-lubricating material composition. The top housing has a couple of support glides the stem travels between without wobbling around inside, and the stem is where we see what makes the CS Sponge a dual-tactile switch. Notice that block on the extending piece? The extension is what results in the actuation itself, wherein it pushes the copper contacts in the bottom housing together to complete the circuit and be read by the USB microcontroller on the PCB. The block makes for a tactile bump with the metal contact going down, but also up on the other side, with the upstroke itself, which makes for a relatively unique tactile mechanical switch.