Switch Lab - Hear and type on keyboard switches before you buy them
by•
Buying mechanical keyboard switches is a guessing game. Specs and YouTube videos don't tell you how a switch will sound and feel on your own desk.
Switch Lab lets you press 100 switches with real recorded sounds, put them on a 3D keyboard, and swap between them instantly to compare. Filter by type, weight and sound, then test your pick with typing practice and mini games (typing marathon, drum stems, metro typing).
No install, works on phone and desktop.
Replies
Hi Product Hunt! I'm the developer who built Switch Lab.
Picking mechanical keyboard switches is hard.
You can watch sound test videos and buy sample packs,
but you still don't really know how a switch feels until it's on your keyboard.
So I built a 3D keyboard that runs in your browser,
where you can swap between 100 switches and type on each one.
What you can do:
• Swap switches in one click and start typing right away. Compare a silent linear and a clicky blue on the same keyboard.
• Check prices from different shops for each switch.
• Play 3 typing games: Typing Marathon, Stem Drum and Switch Metro.
• No sign-up needed. Available in English, Korean and Japanese.
About the sounds: I didn't record them myself.
They're cut from sound test videos by 38 YouTube channels.
I made samples with several ways of processing the clips and listened to each one.
I chose the one that adds a short, light room echo,
so each keystroke doesn't cut off abruptly.
I kept the volume differences between switches on purpose,
since how loud a switch is matters when you're choosing.
It's free at switchlab.app.
Which switch would you try first? And which one should I add next?
Since the sounds come from 38 different channels, don't the different mics and rooms make some switches sound off?
@adamvisu
Fair point, and you're right. The 3D board is the same, but the audio still comes from different recordings, so each clip carries its original board, keycaps, mic and room. I normalize loudness so no switch sounds louder just because of the recording, but I can't remove the mic and room character.
So it's best for rough comparisons and not a replacement for trying the switch in person. Long term I'd like to record them myself on one board. If any switch sounds clearly wrong to you, tell me which one and I'll look for a better source.