Let’s talk about the Kailh Box Jade 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 Kailh Box Jade 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!
*Keyboard Forge is a participant of affiliate programs and earns from qualified purchases*
Switch Snapshot
Kailh is a technology manufacturing and brand operating enterprise, specializing in R&D, production, and marketing of precision electronics switches, joystick switches, mouse switches, keyboard switches, LED push button switches, slide switches, and other electronic components.
Some globally known companies have integrated Kailh products into their game products, such as Logitech, Dell, Lenovo, Ducky, Gigabyte, MSI, and more.
Specs
- Type: Clicky
- Top Housing: Polycarbonate
- Bottom Housing: Nylon PA66
- Stem: POM
- Spring Weight: 75g (Tactile Force)
- Total Travel: 3.6mm
- 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 linear 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.
Check out the force curve for the nerdy details:
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:
These switches felt very smooth to me. I couldn’t feel any scratchiness ‘cus, honestly, all I could feel was the click.
The initial force felt fine to me. The amount of force it took to get over the click was amazing. I loved the fact that it took a deliberate amount of force to get through.
Kailh notes that the the switch’s tactile force is about 75g. This sounds about accurate as it does take a very deliberate press to get through the click.
Gaming:
I played a ton of Grounded and Grounded 2 with these switches. It’s kinda hard switching back and forth. Grounded feels like a totally complete game, while Grounded 2 definitely feels like it’s still in early access and has enough differences in hotkeys that it takes a bit to adjust to every time I swap games.
The switches felt amazing during the gameplay. I don’t normally use clicky switches, but the clicky feedback was something I found myself enjoying as I played through the game.
For those that aren’t familiar with the game, Grounded and Grounded 2 involve moving your character using the WASD keys and pressing a bunch of other keys to swap between your character’s items. Everything felt really responsive to me and I stomped the bugs with no issues.
I played the games throughout the weekend and into the work week when I had time. I really don’t have any complaints about how the switches felt while gaming with them.
Typing:
I’m actually writing this review using these switches right now.
I’ve come to really enjoy typing with clicky switches. The clicky feedback was so helpful when it comes to typing. There was no second guessing. You’ll know exactly when the the key press registers.
I was able to comfortably rest my fingers on these switches. The switches really didn’t budge at all until I was ready to press them. If I really wanted to be nit picky, I could say that I would want just a slightly higher initial force to wipe out all movement.
I did well on the typing test too, was able to break 100+ wpm without any warming up. I got the score below on my first try. I’m confident I would have gotten a much higher score if I had taken a second test, but getting 100+ wpm was good enough.
Overall, I really enjoyed typing on these switches.
Check out the score I got on TypeRacer:
Sound Profile
Sound Score: 4
Sound Signature:
These switches click and they click really loud. I thought I was slowly starting to enjoy clicky switches after using the Gateron Melodics for a while, but these things reminded me why I can’t stand them.
With the Melodics, you can kinda ignore the click and still hear a thocky sound at the bottom of the key stroke. That’s not happening with these switches. You will hear nothing but clicks.
Pinging:
I couldn’t hear any pinging from these switches. The clicking covers up everything.
I brought individual switches up to my ear to listen as closely as possible, but these things clicked so loud that I actually felt some discomfort in my ears when I was listening.
Bringing my ear down to the keyboard to listen yielded the same result, couldn’t hear pinging but heard loud clicky sounds.
Microphone Usage:
In the past, I regularly had complaints on Discord about my mic picking up keyboard sounds when I was using these switches, but I didn’t get any complaints at all during the play sessions where I was testing out the 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.
I tried an additional test. I placed my phone next to the keyboard while on speaker phone and the other line was able to hear the clicks. These things were that loud.
Build Quality
Build Quality Score: 3
Socket Fit:
The switches too extra, extra effort to snap into the sockets. My thumb started to hurt after a while.
They sat so securely that there was virtually no wiggle at all.
Pins:
While seating the switches, I noticed that one pin on at least a handful of the switches was a bit slanted.
I poked around on the pins a bit and discovered that one pin was nice and sturdy, while the other pin was pretty easy to bend. This was the same across the dozens of switches I sampled.
I had to straighten the slanted pins before installing them.
They used a 3-pin design that sat exceptionally secure in the sockets.
Errors:
There were no issues with ghost-typing and all my keys worked on KeyboardTester.com.
Lubrication:
I opened them up to check out the insides. These things had zero lube as stated from Kailh.
Click Mechanism:
These switches use click bars, which mean you’re getting this super loud click on both the downstroke and upstroke.
Aesthetics and Compatibility
Compatibility Score: 4.5
Colorway:
The switches have the following color scheme:
- Mint Green: POM stem
- Transparent: Polycarbonate top housing
- Cream: Nylon PA66 bottom housing
I don’t like transparent and I don’t like pastel colors = I don’t like the way these switches look.
They remind me of the LEOBOG Reaper switches, but their transparent top totally destroys the look for me.
Keycaps:
Keycaps went on with no issues. I got the usual resistance when pressing the keycaps onto the stems.
The keycaps felt secure with the box-walled stems. I didn’t notice any excessive amounts of wobbling on any of the keys.
Removing the keycaps was super easy. Everything came off smoothly and didn’t rip out the corresponding switch.
RGB:
RGB worked phenomenally on these switches. The transparent top really made a difference in how much the LED shined.
If you’re looking for maximum glow, these switches will put a smile on your face.
Quick Comparison
Here’s how the Kailh Box Jade switches stack up against some similar options:
| Switch | Type | Actuation Force | Travel Distance | Materials |
| Kailh Box Jade | Clicky | 50g | 3.6mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gateron Melodic | Clicky | 60g | 4.0mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Gateron G Pro 3.0 Blue | Clicky | 60g | 4.0mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| Glorious Raptor | Clicky | 55g | 3.9mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| EPOMAKER Aqua | Clicky | 46g | 3.9mm | PC Housing, UPE Stem |
| Cherry MX Blue | Clicky | 50cN | 4.0mm | Plastic Housing, Plastic Stem |
| Akko Creamy Cyan | Clicky | 50g | 4.0mm | PC Housing, POM Stem |
| Kailh Box White | Clicky | 45g | 3.6mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
| TTC Golden Blue | Clicky | 37g | 3.5mm | PC/Nylon Housing, Unspecified Stem |
| Kailh Box Navy | Clicky | 75g | 3.6mm | PC/Nylon Housing, POM Stem |
Price and Value
Value Score: 4
At the time of this writing, the Kailh Box Jade switches cost ~$0.43 per switch. This is mid-range pricing territory.
For some reason, I always though Kailh was more expensive than this. Looks like they have some premium offerings, but their most popular switches mostly fall into the mid-range category.
They’ve definitely been on sale before and are totally worth it at their sale price.
Be sure to set a price tracker and jump in when these guys drop to a price point you’re comfortable with.
Who Are These Switches For?
You’ll love these switches if you’re a typist looking for a very satisfying typing feedback. It feels really nice to know when your key presses are registering.
These things are also for those that are into a super loud clicky sound. I didn’t like the way they sounded, but that’s just me. You should still give them a try if clicky is your thing.
These switches are also for the lazy tinkerer, just toss them in your board and forget about them. They already offer a great experience straight out of the box. You’re not supposed to clicky switches anyways.
Wrapping Up
Performance Score: 5
Sound Score: 4
Build Quality Score: 3
Compatibility Score: 4.5
Value Score: 4
Total Score: 4.1 out of 5
The Kailh Box Jade switches, as they came from the factory felt great to me.
I really enjoyed the way they typed and how they felt when I was playing games. I just can’t get into the clicky noise.
With that said, I definitely won’t be keeping them in my keyboard. There’s no way I would be able to stand the click much longer.
Overall, I wouldn’t hesitate to point clicky lovers towards this switch.
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 a variety of Steam games. 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!
Enjoyed this review? Share it with your crew!
