10 Beginner Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Your First Mechanical Keyboard Switch
Buying your first mechanical keyboard is genuinely exciting. After years of typing on mushy membrane keyboards bundled with budget office PCs, the idea of crisp, responsive, satisfying keystrokes feels long overdue. But between the jargon, the conflicting forum opinions, and the sheer number of options available, most beginners make at least a handful of costly mistakes before landing on something they actually enjoy.
This guide is here to save you time, money, and the specific frustration of spending £120 on a keyboard you end up hating. Whether you’re shopping on Amazon UK, browsing Mechkeys, or considering a group buy through a UK vendor like MyKeyboard.eu, these are the errors worth avoiding from the start.
1. Choosing Switches Based on What Someone Else Likes
This is probably the most common mistake, and it is entirely understandable. You watch a YouTube video, read a Reddit thread, or ask a colleague, and someone confidently tells you that Cherry MX Browns are rubbish or that Gateron Yellows are objectively the best switch ever made. You take that advice and run with it.
The problem is that typing feel is deeply personal. It is influenced by how hard you type, the size of your fingers, whether you bottom out your keystrokes, your desk setup, and even the kind of work you do. A software developer writing code all day in a quiet home office has completely different needs from a student hammering out essays in a university library.
Before spending money, try to get your hands on a switch tester. Vendors like Mechkeys.co.uk and Kezboard stock testers for under £20 that include a dozen or more common switches. Spend an evening with one before committing to a full board.
2. Not Understanding the Three Switch Types
Every mechanical switch falls into one of three broad categories: linear, tactile, or clicky. Skipping past this distinction leads to a lot of buyer’s remorse.
Linear Switches
These travel smoothly from top to bottom with no bump or click along the way. They are popular with gamers because of their consistent, fast actuation. Common examples include Cherry MX Red, Gateron Yellow, and the widely praised Akko CS Jelly switches. If you like a quiet, fluid keystroke, linears are worth considering.
Tactile Switches
These give you a small physical bump partway through the keystroke to let you know the key has registered. You do not need to bottom out to actuate the switch, which can reduce fatigue during long typing sessions. Cherry MX Brown, Gateron Brown, and the much-loved Boba U4 are all tactile switches. Tactiles are often recommended for typing work because the bump provides feedback without the noise of a clicky switch.
Clicky Switches
These produce an audible click alongside the tactile bump. Cherry MX Blue is the classic example. They are satisfying to use in isolation, but if you share a workspace, a home, or have any colleagues within earshot, clicky switches will make you unpopular very quickly. Be honest with yourself about your environment before choosing these.
3. Overlooking Noise in Your Environment
Speaking of noise — this deserves its own section because it catches people out constantly. Mechanical keyboards are louder than membrane keyboards by default. The difference between switch types matters, but even a linear switch on a hollow aluminium case with no sound dampening can be surprisingly loud.
If you work from home and share a space, attend video calls regularly, or live in a flat with thin walls, noise should be near the top of your priorities list, not an afterthought. Look for boards that come with foam dampening, consider switches marketed as silent (such as the Gateron Silent Black or Durock Silent Linear), and look into adding a desk mat, which genuinely does reduce the overall sound profile of your setup.
UK office environments can be particularly unforgiving. If you are planning to take your new board into an open-plan office, please test it at home first.
4. Assuming All Cherry MX Switches Are Superior
Cherry MX switches have a strong reputation, and much of it is deserved. They have been the industry standard for decades, they are durable, widely available, and compatible with almost every keycap set on the market. But in 2025, they are far from the only option worth considering, and for many people, they are not even the best option at their price point.
Gateron switches, manufactured in China, are widely regarded as smoother out of the box than Cherry MX equivalents, often at a lower price. Akko, Tecsee, and Durock all produce high-quality switches that attract strong reviews from experienced enthusiasts. A set of Gateron G Pro Yellow switches can be found for around £12–£18 for 35 pieces from UK vendors, which is competitive with or cheaper than Cherry MX equivalents.
Do not pay a premium for the Cherry name alone. Try different options, read recent reviews, and keep an open mind.
5. Buying a Keyboard Without Checking for Hot-Swap Support
Hot-swap support means you can pull switches out of the keyboard and replace them without any soldering. For a beginner, this is an enormously valuable feature that is easy to overlook when you are focused on how a keyboard looks or its price.
Why does it matter? Because your preferences will almost certainly change. You might start with Browns, decide you want something with a heavier tactile bump, and want to swap in some Boba U4s six months later. Without hot-swap, that means either buying a new board or getting out a soldering iron.
Many modern boards now include hot-swap sockets as standard. The Keychron Q and V series, the Epomaker and Akko boards available through Amazon UK, and various Glorious builds all offer hot-swap options at different price points. It is worth paying a small premium for this feature when you are just starting out.
6. Ignoring Actuation Force and Spring Weight
The weight of a switch — how hard you need to press it to register a keystroke — is measured in grams (or centinewtons, but grams is the more common shorthand). A light switch like the Gateron Yellow actuates at around 35g. A heavier switch like the Cherry MX Black actuates at around 60g.
Beginners often gravitate toward lighter switches because they assume lighter means faster and easier to type on. That can be true, but very light switches can also lead to accidental keypresses, particularly if you are used to resting your fingers on the keys while thinking. Heavier switches require more deliberate force, which some typists find reduces mistakes and fatigue in the long run.
If you are used to typing firmly and bottoming out every keystroke, a mid-weight switch in the 45–55g range is usually a safe starting point. If you have a light, floating typing style, consider something in the 35–45g range.
7. Forgetting to Factor in Keycap Compatibility
Most mechanical switches use a cross-shaped stem — the plus-sign bit that sticks up and accepts the keycap. Cherry MX-style stems are by far the most common, and the vast majority of aftermarket keycaps are designed to fit them. However, some boards use different switch formats entirely, such as Alps, low-profile Kailh Choc, or proprietary stems from manufacturers like Topre.
If you want to customise your keycaps down the line — and most keyboard enthusiasts inevitably do — buy a board that uses MX-compatible switches. This gives you access to the widest possible range of keycap sets, from budget PBT sets on Amazon for £25 to premium group-buy sets costing upwards of £150.
It sounds like a minor point, but being locked out of 90% of available keycaps because of your switch choice is genuinely frustrating when you are three months into the hobby and want to try something different.
8. Going Straight for the Most Expensive Option
The mechanical keyboard hobby has a well-earned reputation for escalating costs, and there will always be someone online telling you that a £300 aluminium board with lubed and filmed switches is the only thing worth buying. Ignore this when you are starting out.
There is an enormous amount of quality available in the £50–£100 price range. Keyboards like the Keychron K2 or K6 (available directly from Keychron’s UK site or Amazon UK, typically £65–£90), the Royal Kludge RK61, and the Epomaker TH80 offer solid build quality, hot-swap support, and a decent typing experience without requiring you to commit serious money before you know what you actually want.
Buy something mid-range first. Decide what you like and do not like about it. Then, if you want to spend more, you will be spending it on something informed and deliberate rather than on someone else’s idea of the perfect board.
9. Skipping the Lubing and Modding Research
You do not need to lube your switches to enjoy a mechanical keyboard, but knowing that this option exists — and what it involves — is useful before you buy.
Lubing involves applying a small amount of lubricant to the internal components of a switch to reduce friction, eliminate scratchiness, and achieve a smoother, quieter keystroke. It is a moderately time-consuming process (expect to spend two to four hours on a full set of 60–70 switches), but it can transform even budget switches into something that feels significantly more premium.
Why does this matter before buying? Because if you are considering a board or switch set that reviewers describe as scratchy or inconsistent, lubing is a known and practical solution rather than a dealbreaker. Conversely, if you have no interest in modding and simply want something that works well out of the box, you should prioritise switches with strong unlubed reviews, such as Gateron Yellows or Akko CS Jelly switches.
10. Buying a large batch before testing a few first
One of the most expensive beginner mistakes is committing to 70, 90, or even 110 switches before you have actually tried them. Reading reviews and watching sound tests can be helpful, but neither can fully tell you how a switch will feel under your own fingers, on your own keyboard, in your own room. The same linear switch can feel wonderfully smooth to one person and dull or lifeless to another. A tactile switch that sounds satisfying in a video may feel far too sharp or heavy in daily use.
That is why switch testers and small sample packs are so useful. For a relatively small cost, you can compare different switch types, spring weights, and sound profiles side by side. Even testing five or six popular options can quickly teach you more than hours of research. You may discover that you prefer lighter springs than expected, or that you enjoy a subtle tactile bump rather than a strong one.
This is especially important if you are building your first custom keyboard. Switches are one of the biggest factors in how a keyboard feels, and replacing an entire set later can be inconvenient and costly. Spending a little extra upfront on samples can save you from spending much more on the wrong full set.
Buying your first mechanical keyboard switches should be exciting, not confusing. The key is to avoid rushing the process and to focus on the factors that genuinely affect your experience: switch type, weight, sound, compatibility, and whether you want to modify them. Do not get distracted by hype, do not assume expensive always means better, and do not rely solely on someone else’s preferences. If you take the time to understand what you like and test where possible, you will be far more likely to end up with a keyboard that feels right from the start. For most beginners, a thoughtful, informed choice beats a trendy one every time.