Let’s talk about the Glorious Panda switches!
I’m a keyboard nerd who’s built dozens of boards and swapped switches more times than I can count.
I’ve put these things through the wringer for you.
This Glorious Panda review breaks down their specs, performance, and whether they’re worth your hard-earned cash.
Stick around to see if these switches deserve a spot in your next build!
Note: This is for the UNLUBED version of these switches. I’ll go into details why below.
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Switch Snapshot
Glorious is a well-known brand that caters specifically to gamers. They have a whole ecosystem of gaming gear that are engineered to integrate and improve your gaming experience.
The Glorious Panda is their tactile switches which they claim have become the gold standard among gamers.
For those that are interested in gossip, there was a whole controversy in the keyboard community a few years ago regarding the naming of these switches. This prompted a response on Reddit from the company itself.
Specs
- Type: Tactile
- Top Housing: Polycarbonate
- Bottom Housing: Nylon PA66
- Stem: POM
- Spring Weight: 60g (Bottom Out Force)
- Total Travel: 3.3mm
- Lubrication: Unlubed
- Pins: 3-pin
Specs were sourced directly from the manufacturer’s website.
Wanna get into details about mechanical switches? Learn more about them here.
Tempted already? Snag a pack and join the tactile party!
Hands On Breakdown
I tried these switches as they came from the factory using the following setup:
Keyboard: Neo Studio Neo65
- Case: Aluminum
- Plate: FR4
- Mount: Gasket
Check out our keyboard case article, plate article, and gasket mount article for more info.
Keycaps: Wuque Studio BOW
- Material: PBT
- Printing: Double Shot
- Profile: Cherry
Learn all about keycaps here.
Note: Neo Studio Neo65 doesn’t have RGB. RGB was tested on a Keychron Q1.here.
I tested these switches in both gaming and typing scenarios.
Performance
Performance Score: 5
Preferences:
The switches I’ve used the longest are the Gateron Oil Kings. So, you can consider them the baseline for what my preferences are.
I like to rest my fingers on the keys when I’m typing. This often leads to keys being inadvertently pressed.
I also type like I’m hammering nails. I bottom out pretty hard when I press the keys.
General:
Used to be all about linears, but tactiles have been my go-to lately.
Even unlubed, these switches felt smooth to me without any scratchiness. I can’t wait to lube them to see how they feel.
These things have a very noticeable tactile bump. I would describe it as very sharp and I actually love switches like this.
Unfortunately, Glorious doesn’t provide a force curve, so you’ll just have to go by feel.
Gaming:
I battled for hours in Marvel Rivals and these switches performed with zero hiccups.
While playing, I didn’t notice any delay in my movements and my main’s (Emma Frost) movements felt snappy.
Sadly, these switches didn’t give me any luck at all. I decided to jump straight into competitive games without any warm up. This genius move resulted in me going 0-3 and de-ranking back to Gold II.
For those that aren’t familiar, Marvel Rivals involves moving your character using the WASD keys and pressing a bunch of other keys to use your character’s abilities. Everything felt really responsive to me, even though I got utterly destroyed.
I decided to stop playing ranked games after the third loss. Really, I should have just logged off to train the EOMM (Engagement Optimized Matchmaking) that I would stop playing if given too many losses, but I wanted to play more so I went to play about a handful more quick play matches before logging off.
Throughout the following days, I helped a friend level up by playing dozens more quick play matches.
These switches reminded me of a couple tactile switches I previously reviewed where I liked the feeling of the bump so much that I found myself pressing random buttons during downtime just for fun. Needless to say, I had a great experience playing on these switches.
Typing:
I’m actually writing this review using these switches right now.
These switches show a lower actuation force than I would prefer, but they actually felt heavier than listed. I can rest my fingers comfortably without any accidental presses. No typos here, unlike lighter switches that betray me.
I tested them side-by-side with the JWICK Black T1 switches, which have a higher actuation and bottom out force. I rested my fingers on both sets of switches. Even though the T1’s were listed as heavier, I had a slight bit of movement while resting my fingers on the keys. The Pandas, on the other hand, didn’t budge. It was amazing.
I love that the bump took a deliberate press to get over.
Check out the score I got on TypeRacer:
Sound Profile
Sound Score: 3
Sound Signature:
These switches sounded a bit clacky to me. It’s not my preferred sound profile, but I didn’t really mind it while using these switches.
Pinging:
There was a significant amount of pinging, as expected with bone-dry switches. You can easily hear it when you bring individual switches up to your ear.
The pinging is also apparent when you’re using the switches in the keyboard, but only when you bring your ear down to the keyboard.
Microphone Usage:
In the past, I regularly had complaints on Discord about my mic picking up keyboard sounds when I was using the Gateron Oil Kings, but I didn’t get any complaints at all when using these switches.
I even told my teammates to specifically listen for my typing as I mashed on the keyboard for them. They said they couldn’t hear anything.
Build Quality
Build Quality: 4
Socket Fit:
The switches looked and felt premium. They snapped into the keyboard’s sockets with a satisfying click. They were almost too hard to snap in at first.
There was no unusual wobble and all the switches felt secure.
Pins:
Ended up poking around a bit and found the pins surprisingly sturdy.
The switches were 3-pin design and they seated very securely in the socket and plate.
Despite having to use extra force to snap them in, I didn’t bend a single pin.
Errors:
I had no issues with ghost-typing and all my keys were working on KeyboardTester.com.
Lubrication:
I opened them up to check out the insides and they were, as expected, unlubed.
Aesthetics and Compatibility
Compatibility Score: 3.5
Colorway:
The switches have the following color scheme:
- Orange: POM stem
- Cream: Nylon PA66 top housing
- Cream: Nylon PA66 bottom housing
These switches looked really cool to me. They came in a cool looking box with a cool looking logo and immediately caught my attention when I opened the shipping box. But, I would’ve preferred they used a bright white (like the WS Morandi switches) instead of cream.
Keycaps:
The keycaps were a bit tough to get on. It required a lot more force than usual to press the keycap onto the stem.
All the keycaps wobbled the usual/average amount.
Since it was so hard to get the keycaps on, it’s no surprise that it was hard to get the keycaps off. More than a handful of switches popped out of the sockets when removing their corresponding keycaps. This is probably because of the combination of how tight the keycaps sat on the stem and the fact that the swtich was 3-pin.
RGB:
Each switch has RGB slots that do their job and let the lights shine through like champs. You won’t be getting any RGB through the housing, though.
Quick Comparison
Here’s how the Glorious Panda switches stack up against some similar options:
| Switch | Type | Tactile Force | Travel Distance | Materials |
| Glorious Panda | Tactile | 60g (Bottom Out) | 3.3mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| JWICK Black T1 | Tactile | 67g (Bottom Out) | Not Specified | Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| EPOMAKER Budgerigar | Tactile | 55g (Initial Force) | 3.8mm | Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gateron Baby Kangaroo 2.0 | Tactile | 59g | 3.4mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Drop Holy Panda X | Tactile | 60g (Spring Weight) | 3.5mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Cherry MX Brown | Tactile | 55cN | 4.0mm | Plastic Polymer Housing/Stem |
| Gateron G Pro 3.0 Brown | Tactile | 55g | 4.0mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Kailh Box V2 Brown | Tactile | 75g | 3.6mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gazzew Boba Black U4T | Tactile | 62-68g (Spring Weight) | 4.0mm | Proprietary Plastic Housing, POM stem |
| Akko V3 Lavender Purple Pro | Tactile | 55g | 3.8mm | Not Specified |
Price and Value
Value Score: 3
At the time of this writing, the Glorious Panda switches cost ~$0.83 per switch. This is expensive switch territory to me.
Earlier, I noted that I bought the unlubed versions for a reason. This is the reason.
When on sale, the unlubed switches could be up to 50% off. This would drop the cost to ~$0.42 per switch. At this price, these switches are a no-brainer!
Set a price tracker and keep an eye on these switches. Hit that checkout button when they get to the price you’re comfortable with.
Who Are These Switches For?
Are you budget-conscious? Get the unlubed version on sale. If money is no issue, you can save yourself a couple hours and get factory lube.
These switches are for those that like clack.
Their sharp tactile bump is perfect for typists with hulk-smash fingers. You won’t be getting any accidental key presses with these babies.
If you’re truly lazy, you can run them dry like I did for this review. They worked nicely. But let’s be real. We’re enthusiasts. Lube them up and bask in glory!
Wrapping Up
Typing Score: 5
Sound Score: 3
Build Quality Score: 4
Aesthetics and Compatibility Score: 3.5
Value Score: 3
Total Score: 3.8 out of 5
The Glorious Panda switches, as they came from the factory, were almost perfect to me.
I love the sharp tactile feel and how deliberate you have to be to get over the bump. It felt so good that it was all I could think about while gaming.
If only they were thockier! I know the sound profile will change when I lube them. This will be an aspect that I’ll definitely be revisiting. If they do sound thockier, there’s a high likelihood they’ll be my daily driver switches.
So, you ready to give them a spin? Grab a pack and upgrade your typing today!
How We Tested and Our Methodology
Keyboard Forge is a 100% independent publisher.
We purchased these switches with our own funds and were not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
We conducted numerous hours of hands-on testing with these switches in both gaming and typing environments. Majority of the gaming testing was done playing Sea of Thieves or Marvel Rivals. Majority of the typing testing was done writing articles for Keyboard Forge.
We hope this review helps you get a better understanding of these switches. Feel free to reach out to suggest switches to review in the future.
Thanks for the support!
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