5 ms·

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silent keyboard, there are plenty of them with soft touches that feel great.

pierreyoda 6y ago
There are also plenty of silent enough mechanical keyboards!
some-guy 6y ago
As a huge fan of my Model M (I've owned a couple cheap mechanical keyboards in the past as well), I agree that the appeal is _almost_ entirely nostalgia and aesthetics. I'm strange in that I prefer using a cheap rubber dome keyboard for gaming (RTS / FPS) and my Model M for everything else.
- cptskippy 6y ago
  Rubber domes are generally easier to push than the Model M so that makes sense. The Model M is not indicative of all mechanical switches however. A lot of modern mechanical switches will register a keypress without clicking or bottoming out (e.g. Cherry MX Brown). There are switches specifically for gaming, typing, to reduce fatigue, speed, and hybrid switches designed for mixed cases. There is such a variety of switches that there's probably space for a company like Warby Parker for mechanical keyboards that will ship you a sampling to test out.
Bedon292 6y ago
We have a ban on clickies in our office, or did when we were in the office. I use clears most of the time, couple others do as well, and then lots of browns. A good mechanical keyboard, that isn't intentionally clicky, tends to actually quieter than a traditional rubber dome keyboard, since you don't bottom out, or have o rings in it.
elric 6y ago
Are these the same coworkers who are constantly on the phone within earshot, and whose music I hear blaring through headphones? I'd love to work in an office where the most annoying sound is a loud keyboard. I wish more companies gave thought to making a workspace quiet(ish).
cptskippy 6y ago
> But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. There are plenty of silent mechanical switches, the choice to use a clicky-clacky switch is down to the individual.
chrisBob 6y ago
mechanical != blue switches Some mechanical keyboards are loud, but not all of them. My newest keyboard is a Kinesis Freestyle Pro with "Silent Red" switches. It is "mechanical" but quieter than my MBP. I am sharing a home office with my wife right now, and I was worried when I ordered the keyboard because she complains that my chair creaks and makes too much noise, but she was fine with the keyboard. I have a CODE keyboard with brown switches at work, and putting dampers on all of the keys helped that quite a bit. My coworkers expressed some interest in that one, but no one complained.
- bonestamp2 6y ago
  Same, I built a new keyboard when covid hit because my wife and kids were complaining about hearing my cherry blues from upstairs or across the house. I love the feel of cherry blues, but now that everyone else is home, Silent Reds are a life saver.
atoav 6y ago
I am not a mechanical keyboard freak, but I do own one with black Cherry MX switches (they are the linear ones without click, basically Cherry MX red with stronger springs). I can type more silent on that keyboard than on my notebook keyboard. If you don't hammer the key you only hear a faint noise of friction..
pugworthy 6y ago
It's not the click, it's the aesthetic - especially if one gets into customizing, building, by hand, selecting keys and keycaps, etc. It's the equivalent of people who spend time and effort to really work on their car and make it what they want it to be. It's the equivalent of people who really appreciate a high quality tool instead of just picking up something cheap from the local store. It's also art. Some keyboards are just beautiful creations with both utilitarian as well as artistic merit. Yea and it's the click too for some, but "click" is just one option for people building mechanical keyboards. There are far more options than just "it clicks" and "it doesn't click" for switches.

pierreyoda 6y ago

There are also plenty of silent enough mechanical keyboards!

some-guy 6y ago

As a huge fan of my Model M (I've owned a couple cheap mechanical keyboards in the past as well), I agree that the appeal is _almost_ entirely nostalgia and aesthetics. I'm strange in that I prefer using a cheap rubber dome keyboard for gaming (RTS / FPS) and my Model M for everything else.

cptskippy 6y ago
Rubber domes are generally easier to push than the Model M so that makes sense. The Model M is not indicative of all mechanical switches however. A lot of modern mechanical switches will register a keypress without clicking or bottoming out (e.g. Cherry MX Brown). There are switches specifically for gaming, typing, to reduce fatigue, speed, and hybrid switches designed for mixed cases. There is such a variety of switches that there's probably space for a company like Warby Parker for mechanical keyboards that will ship you a sampling to test out.

Bedon292 6y ago

We have a ban on clickies in our office, or did when we were in the office. I use clears most of the time, couple others do as well, and then lots of browns. A good mechanical keyboard, that isn't intentionally clicky, tends to actually quieter than a traditional rubber dome keyboard, since you don't bottom out, or have o rings in it.

elric 6y ago

Are these the same coworkers who are constantly on the phone within earshot, and whose music I hear blaring through headphones? I'd love to work in an office where the most annoying sound is a loud keyboard. I wish more companies gave thought to making a workspace quiet(ish).

cptskippy 6y ago

> But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. There are plenty of silent mechanical switches, the choice to use a clicky-clacky switch is down to the individual.

chrisBob 6y ago

mechanical != blue switches Some mechanical keyboards are loud, but not all of them. My newest keyboard is a Kinesis Freestyle Pro with "Silent Red" switches. It is "mechanical" but quieter than my MBP. I am sharing a home office with my wife right now, and I was worried when I ordered the keyboard because she complains that my chair creaks and makes too much noise, but she was fine with the keyboard. I have a CODE keyboard with brown switches at work, and putting dampers on all of the keys helped that quite a bit. My coworkers expressed some interest in that one, but no one complained.

bonestamp2 6y ago
Same, I built a new keyboard when covid hit because my wife and kids were complaining about hearing my cherry blues from upstairs or across the house. I love the feel of cherry blues, but now that everyone else is home, Silent Reds are a life saver.

atoav 6y ago

I am not a mechanical keyboard freak, but I do own one with black Cherry MX switches (they are the linear ones without click, basically Cherry MX red with stronger springs). I can type more silent on that keyboard than on my notebook keyboard. If you don't hammer the key you only hear a faint noise of friction..

pugworthy 6y ago

It's not the click, it's the aesthetic - especially if one gets into customizing, building, by hand, selecting keys and keycaps, etc. It's the equivalent of people who spend time and effort to really work on their car and make it what they want it to be. It's the equivalent of people who really appreciate a high quality tool instead of just picking up something cheap from the local store. It's also art. Some keyboards are just beautiful creations with both utilitarian as well as artistic merit. Yea and it's the click too for some, but "click" is just one option for people building mechanical keyboards. There are far more options than just "it clicks" and "it doesn't click" for switches.