Linear, tactile, clicky — what the three actually mean
SwitchesOne axis, described three ways. The difference is what happens partway down.
The three families
Every mechanical switch is a stem travelling down a housing against a spring. The families differ in what the stem does on the way.
- Linear — smooth all the way down. No feedback except the bottom.
- Tactile — a bump partway through, where the stem's profile widens.
- Clicky — a tactile bump plus a mechanism that makes a sharp noise.
What the numbers describe
| Spec | Means | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Actuation force | Force to register the press | 45–67 gf |
| Bottom-out force | Force at the end of travel | 55–85 gf |
| Pre-travel | Distance before it registers | 1.2–2.0 mm |
| Total travel | Distance to the bottom | 3.4–4.0 mm |
Actuation force gets quoted most and matters least — you spend most of a keypress past that point, so bottom-out force describes the feel better.
Choosing
Typing accuracy is habit, not switch. Pick tactile if you like knowing when a press registers, linear if you'd rather feel nothing, and clicky only if nobody shares the room.