Why do people hate MX browns?

[Roibhilin]

They feel much less "cheap" than blues IMO and I don't know what stock tactile switch other than Clears would be better(as far as Cherry switches go)

[hwood34]

While there's only one other really popular tactile switch (tactile greys aren't very common), people like clears substantially more than browns on a pretty consistent basis. The two main problems people seem to have with browns is that the feel pretty scratchy, not very smooth, and that the tactile bump is barely noticeable, hence the nickname "dirty reds", while the bump in clears is much more prominent

[Puddsy]

they feel like reds

and if i wanted to use reds, i'd use reds

[a_ak57]

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  Are you implying people as in most people hate browns?  Because that's really not the case.  And if you're asking why individuals don't like browns, well, that's like asking why anyone doesn't like any given switch i.e. pure personal opinion.

[Puddsy]

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  Are you implying people as in most people hate browns?  Because that's really not the case.  And if you're asking why individuals don't like browns, well, that's like asking why anyone doesn't like any given switch i.e. pure personal opinion.

If you've spent any time on a keyboard forum other than reddit, you'll see that a pretty solid portion of longtime users dislike browns. I'd say up near 70%.

[Roibhilin]

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  Are you implying people as in most people hate browns?  Because that's really not the case.  And if you're asking why individuals don't like browns, well, that's like asking why anyone doesn't like any given switch i.e. pure personal opinion.

i noticed that it's one of the most criticized MX switches here which surprises me considering MX whites exist
i've literally seen more boards here with milk switches in them than boards with browns

[Puddsy]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

[Hypersphere]

As many have observed, browns seem like "dirty reds".

I have now tried all the major Cherry mx switch types (blue, green, brown, clear, red, black). To me, blues felt like typing on rice crispies, greens were just heavier blues, browns and clears felts like someone had put sand in the works, and reds and blacks were devoid of any tactile or aural feedback. Of all these, I liked reds the best; I could use bottoming out as feedback. Blacks were also okay, but a bit too heavy.

The thing is, all Cherry switches are inherently linear. Those with feedback simply have a bump grafted onto the stem. If I were to use Cherry mx, I would prefer them without an artificial bump. I'd go for either reds or maybe vintage blacks.

Nevertheless, browns are rather popular, perhaps because they provide some degree of tactile feedback without an annoying high-pitched click. Thus, they are a happy medium between reds and blues; an okay all-purpose switch.

[hwood34]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

[Roibhilin]

As many have observed, browns seem like "dirty reds".

I have now tried all the major Cherry mx switch types (blue, green, brown, clear, red, black). To me, blues felt like typing on rice crispies, greens were just heavier blues, browns and clears felts like someone had put sand in the works, and reds and blacks were devoid of any tactile or aural feedback. Of all these, I liked reds the best; I could use bottoming out as feedback. Blacks were also okay, but a bit too heavy.

The thing is, all Cherry switches are inherently linear. Those with feedback simply have a bump grafted onto the stem. If I were to use Cherry mx, I would prefer them without an artificial bump. I'd go for either reds or maybe vintage blacks.

Nevertheless, browns are rather popular, perhaps because they provide some degree of tactile feedback without an annoying high-pitched click. Thus, they are a happy medium between reds and blues; an okay all-purpose switch.

yeah that's mostly why browns are my favorite switch so far, blues felt really "plasticky" after a while because of their click and it might have been a bad batch of switches but they clicked at different points in the actuation, they were also really annoying sounding in general compared to clicky switches like BS

[Roibhilin]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

Show Image

but that's MY not MX series

[hwood34]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

Show Image

but that's MY not MX series

[Puddsy]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

Show Image

but that's MY not MX series

thatsthejoke.jpg

[Roibhilin]

people who've used browns > people who've used whites

i think they're the two worst MX switches

Show Image

but that's MY not MX series

thatsthejoke.jpg

OH

[Fragil1ty]

They feel much less "cheap" than blues IMO and I don't know what stock tactile switch other than Clears would be better(as far as Cherry switches go)

I don't think they're quite as bad or feel as cheap as blues, but I think they're an actual downgrade from reds, hence why I never use them, but heh, I thought the general consensus was that pretty much anyone who likes light switches uses Browns, hm, maybe I'm wrong.

[a_ak57]

I'm not really sure what you're asking.  Are you implying people as in most people hate browns?  Because that's really not the case.  And if you're asking why individuals don't like browns, well, that's like asking why anyone doesn't like any given switch i.e. pure personal opinion.

If you've spent any time on a keyboard forum other than reddit, you'll see that a pretty solid portion of longtime users dislike browns. I'd say up near 70%.

Honestly I've pretty much seen no discussion on browns, it's usually TOPRETOPRETOPRE or ERGOCLEARSONACUSTOMKOREANBOARDHNNGGH.  >_>

[phoenix1234]

They feel much less "cheap" than blues IMO and I don't know what stock tactile switch other than Clears would be better(as far as Cherry switches go)

Stock brown is not very good, indeed. But I feel it better than blue. Plus, if we lube brown and change the spring to smaller level like 50g or 55g, we will have better tactile.

[Puddsy]

yeah i don't mind them if you put like a 50g in them

but i'm too lazy for that

[azhdar]

Ergo clear as just what brown should be .

I hate brown , because you find it on every damn board , and people buy it because they think they'll have a tactile feedback . The same reason they buy mx red or R4Z3R to be G4M3RZ .

[saturnotaku]

Brown is my favorite MX switch, but Topre > MX.

[DrHubblePhD]

I think it is silly to completely diss browns or any switch type for that matter. It is all subjective, personally I love browns because as long as you lube them up nice they have just enough tactility without being straining on my fingers (I have pretty short fingers that have a hard time with heavier switches).

[Touch_It]

tried some on my friends WASD at work and they don't feel bad but I feel no tactile bump.  Also (obviously) they don't click.  Both of those are things I'd want.  At any rate, though  If I felt more of a tactile bump, I'd probably like them.  Maybe if tried them in another board I would enjoy them more.

[qihqi]

There are usually 2 groups of people. One that like the click, which will love blues/greens, one will hate the click, which will love the reds/blacks. Both group thinks that browns are meh.
The third group (I'd say considerably smaller in number) like topres, which could like browns better than blue or red, but still think brown is meh because for them all MX are meh.
Then there is clears, I guess there is some rarity associated with it...

[exitfire401]

My reason for hating browns is that every batch I've used has been scratchy as hell well after their break in period. It's not a feeling I enjoy, so I've sworn off the switch at this point.

[dorkvader]

My reason for hating browns is that every batch I've used has been scratchy as hell well after their break in period. It's not a feeling I enjoy, so I've sworn off the switch at this point.

I dig heavily used browns from POS keyboards.

Personally, I don't see what the fuss is about: all the MX are equally interesting, and they all are about the same level of goodness.

Switch popularity comes and goes: some are "in" and some are "hated". Some are scratchy, some respond better to off axis keypresses. MX are decent, cheap, and easy to incorporate into new designs.

[DrHubblePhD]

There are usually 2 groups of people. One that like the click, which will love blues/greens, one will hate the click, which will love the reds/blacks. Both group thinks that browns are meh.
The third group (I'd say considerably smaller in number) like topres, which could like browns better than blue or red, but still think brown is meh because for them all MX are meh.
Then there is clears, I guess there is some rarity associated with it...

I can confirm that I do like Topres and prefer lubed MX browns over blacks or reds.

[Blaise170]

I personally don't like browns. The first board I bought had them and I was expecting the "in between reds and blues" like everyone kept telling me. It had a nice thlopping sound to it, but I didn't feel a tactile bump at all. I like my clears much better in that regard, as I can actually feel the tactile bump. Then again, I prefer my blues over that and my Blue Alps over all of them. It's all personal preference - while I hate Browns for the sandy feel, to each their own.

[Tiramisuu]

Browns have a nice light touch and an equally pleasant bump when the switch hits.
I you can type and have a light touch they are very nice.  I don't notice any scratchiness in my browns and the bump is more than adequate for me to not be bottoming out when I am typing.

[t2russo]

Having defaulted to reds for the past several months, I'm so glad I picked up a board with Browns again.  I have always liked them with the thick PBT sets and find the bump useful for both gaming and typing.  I prefer having a board with Browns on the desk by default for jack of all trades use, even over my 65g ergo clear.  I especially like using the arrow keys and the six pack for web navigation, the super subtle bump is just enough.

[Zeal]

All switches are interesting to use. No need to hate on a switch!

[frosty]

I hate MX browns because they feel gritty and I'm generally a linear person (I use Vintage Blacks). However, I recently built  a board with ergo clears and I'm may actually like browns a little more now, but still, no to browns.

[RickyJ]

I've been using my red board for a couple days now, and going back to my brown board I do feel the tactility more than when I was used to it.  Of course, that might just be because my reds are lubed and smooth while my browns are stock, but I do feel the bump more than I feel the scratchiness.  Coming off of my green board (or Alps), the browns might as well be reds with fine sand in them.

Many times I've contemplated removing the browns from my Leopold and putting lubed stock clears in, but then I'd have less clears to put into my GH60 whenever it gets here.

[user 18]

Personally, I don't hate browns, I just feel that there are better options.

Having also used reds, blues, clears, and buckling spring, and having tested but not used full time blacks, greens, and ergo clears, I don't feel as though browns do anything particularly well. If you're looking for a loud switch, you have the option of blues or greens. If you're looking for linear, you have reds and blacks, which I personally can't stand. If you want tactile switches, the browns are much less tactile than clicky switches or clears, which have larger tactile bumps.

I can definitely still feel the tactility in a brown, not on a conscious level perhaps, but I don't get the same linear (and bad, IMO) feel that I get from the reds and blacks. But I definitely prefer more tactile switches, such as the greens and clears.

I think what it really comes down to is that people all look for different features in switches, and browns represent a switch that tries to find a middle ground between linear and tactile. This leads to people who like linear switches disliking it for not being linear enough (not a red), and people who love tactile switches disliking it for being too linear (not an ergo clear). Personally, I find that browns are tolerable in most cases, but give most people an idea of what they would change, and gives them an idea of what to look for in their next board.


That's a lot of words that hopefully have some useful information mixed into them somewhere.

[Smasher816]

^ couldn't have said it better

[jacobolus]

I don’t hate MX brown switches. I don’t hate MX switches in general. I just find them to be uninspiring to type on, with the brown ones being the most uninspiring of all.

Go try orange Alps, SMKs (the inverse cross mount type), Matias quiet switches, or Topre 45g to see some possibilities for medium-weight tactile switches. All are in my opinion more fun and more pleasant to type on than MX brown switches.

I would recommend MX brown switches if you need something for a guest bedroom or computer lab. They’re generally unobjectionable: low enough actuation force that few people will find them too stiff, at least slightly tactile, and reasonably quiet.

[Oobly]

....If you want tactile switches, the browns are much less tactile than clicky switches or clears, which have larger tactile bumps.

...

Clicky switches do not have larger tactile bumps than Brown. You can measure it if you like, they're the same. The greater sense of tactility on clicky switches comes from the audible click and the knock you can sesne through your fingertips, the actual tactility is roughly the same as, or possibly even less than, Browns. On Browns, the leaf helps pull the slider down for a bit after the peak, on Blues the white slider pulls away from the blue part, but doesn't help the blue part against the spring force. It's mostly psychological and the extra senses involved that make them seem more tactile.

I don't get the "Browns are almost indistinguishable from Reds" crowd. There is no way I could ever mistake a Brown for a linear switch, but it could just be a big difference in the way we type and possibly different expectations.

I agree that ErgoClears are what Browns should be like. The large tactile bump is great especially combined with lightish springs, but I find Browns to be acceptable. I prefer them to Reds (easier to mi**** and accidental actuations) and Blues (feel and sound cheap) at least.

[asgeirtj]

Browns are my favorite switch at the moment.  They are light, quiet and efficient.  I'm really light typist, everything stiffer than browns are too stiff for me. I hate the sound of clicky switches. Linear switches are OK but somehow reds feel heavier than browns for me so they are too heavy on bottoming out.  Stock clears are  way too heavy for me.  I haven't tried 62g clears though, but I'm not sure that I like them since I'm such a light typist. I just don't get the clear switch, the actuation is too cumbersome or inefficient in some way.  Might be good for typing but probably not for gaming.  Next on my list to try are 55,50 & 45g korean springs for browns and linear switches.  Also 62g clears.  Also haven't tried lubing. Opinions might change.

[dimamantra]

There is nothing wrong with browns at all. They are light and I find I can get into a 'flow' of typing a lot easier than heavier switches.

[CaptLock]

Why do people hate MX browns?

Plain and simple.  Racism.

[cannonking]

I've used browns for 4 years and love them. I don't understand people saying they feel like reds, there's a huge difference to me, blues feel closer to browns IMO. I'm going to get ergo clears soon and I'm worried I'm going to end up preferring browns.

[xxghostxx]

i love my mx browns there just so squishy  if you will.

[heedpantsnow]

I like my browns. Also like reds and clears.

[dimamantra]

i love my mx browns there just so squishy  if you will.

Oh I get what you mean. So smooth, so squishy.

[Polymer]

If you've spent any time on a keyboard forum other than reddit, you'll see that a pretty solid portion of longtime users dislike browns. I'd say up near 70%.

That is completely false...

There are some people that dislike browns..just like any other switch.  If you type slow or slowly press browns, yeah, they feel a bit gritty....but when you're typing on them they feel fine.  I DO think people have expectations that they'll be a bit more tactile than they are..

And they're definitely different from reds....they're not nearly as light (you have to peak at 55g before even getting to actuation) and obviously, they're not linear either..but there is a significant different between the two...

What I think is funny that some professed brown haters have admitted they actually type FASTER with them vs. something like reds...

It is just like any other switch...some people like it, some hate it...there isn't any one switch that seems to get more/less love/hate.

[henz]

i like browns but  they are somewhat a little light for me. I need harder springs so im gonna try tactoblacks

[phoenix1234]

i like browns but  they are somewhat a little light for me. I need harder springs so im gonna try tactoblacks

I tried to replace 60g on Browns with 80g spring from Black before. For me, the results are pretty bad unfortunately. It is really awkward, the tactile feeling nearly disappeared. It became something like a sanded Cherry MX Black in a negative way.

[keyton]

I hate the pretentious senior member ****heads in the offtopic forum but don't hate little keyboard switches.

Browns are OK.

[user 18]

....If you want tactile switches, the browns are much less tactile than clicky switches or clears, which have larger tactile bumps.

...

Clicky switches do not have larger tactile bumps than Brown. You can measure it if you like, they're the same. The greater sense of tactility on clicky switches comes from the audible click and the knock you can sesne through your fingertips, the actual tactility is roughly the same as, or possibly even less than, Browns.

Sorry, that was poor grammar on my part. The physical bump is the same on clicky switches, the 'larger tactile bump' was meant to refer to clears only.

Clicky switches do have a greater tactile sensation though, due to the moving portion of the slider.

Sorry for being unclear.

[hwood34]

I hate the pretentious senior member ****heads in the offtopic forum but don't hate little keyboard switches.

Browns are OK.

It's OK, they hate you too

[daerid]

Browns used to be my favorite MX switch. However, anything lighter than Clears these days makes my knuckles hurt