Well…more like Zealio MX-mount but close enough right? I didn’t have enough letters
Here’s the saddest
keycap tester ever. I was fortunate enough to populate it with some Zealio switches courtesy of Zeal himself himself. The tester is made from a Pure CNC case and a 60% plate from LeandreN. Here are the switches on the tester:
- Stock 62g Zealio switch
- Stock 65g Zealio switch
- Stock 67g Zealio switch
- Lubed 62g Zealio switch
- Lubed 65g Zealio switch
- Lubed 67g Zealio switch
- Stock Clear stem Gateron with 62g spring
- Modified Zealio switch with MX Black springs, no lube
Just in case you didn’t know Zeal worked with Gateron to create the Zealio switch. He had special molds made with Gateron and specially sourced gold-plated springs. The switches also have unique clear housings. Some more information can be found
in Zeal’s thread here.
Zeal gave out some test samples to a few Geekhackers and I was lucky enough to get a few.
Previously I gave my first impressions on the switches but I thought I’d write a longer review. Thanks for the hookup Zeal
.
This tester is really sad . But the Zealio switches are happiness don’t worry.
First I’ll start off by saying that I actually think that the lubed switches are too smooth. I’m realizing more and more than Gaterons don’t really need lubricants. I feel like all of the wonderfully huge tactile bumps I feel with the stock switches are muted and the rebound isn’t as strong as I’d like it. If I had to pick a switch to lube, I think the 67g benefits the most. The 62g really makes the spring weight apparent and it’s too light. It’s not terrible on the 65g but there isn’t enough benefit for my tastes to warrant going through the whole process.
But I think this is something really special: I don’t have to lube switches anymore. I’m now at the point where I can buy stock switches and just slap them into a build with zero modifications. It’s amazing. I don’t **** with switch stickers. They’re a collosal waste of time and I sure as hell am not going to open switches up
just for stickers. So now I can just slap switches into a build and be really happy with the results!
Next I feel like the worn MX Clears I have on my Leeku 1800 at work feel almost exactly like the stock 67g Zealio switches. They’re heavy and the tactile bump is very apparent but I feel like the rebound is a touch sluggish; almost slightly muted. Not nearly as muted as the lubed switches but still apparent to me. That’s definitely not a bad thing though as I use the Leeku at work exclusively and I love that board. But I really like a crisp rebound that I’m getting with the other switches. Also I found that an MX black spring in a Zealio switch feels exactly like a 67g Zealio.
Both the 62g and 65g Zealio have this wonderful tactile bump going down. It’s almost like when you’re checking the ripeness of a peach and you accidently squish too far and bruise it. But on the upstroke, I feel like the switches almost
pop and rebound snappily. It’s a subtle twist on the MX Clear experience that I really enjoy. I found that newer MX Clears had the same feeling and I wonder if these switches would also wear down the same way. Honestly I hope they don’t change too much.
So then it just comes down to the spring weight. I’ve always liked the 65g spring and I’m going to stick with it here. I think it’s got the perfect balance of pressing down force, tactile-bumpy-ness, and snappy return. The 62g version feels a touch lighter and softer. If you’ve ever had the chance to compare Gateron Blacks to MX Blacks or Nixdorf MX Blacks to MX Blacks or even lubed MX Blacks vs stock MX Blacks, it’s like that.
What didn’t really excite me was the 62g linear. I don’t really get them. They’re linear and smooth like Gateron linears. I’d rather just get the regular Gateron Blacks. Looks nice though.
So with this sample of Zealio, along with my samples of Greetech, I’ve really become excited about MX-mount stuff again. I’ve been kinda counting MX out lately and this switch alone has rekindled my interest. I honestly feel that Zealio, Gaterons, and Greetechs have replaced Cherry MX for me. Especially the Zealio and Gateron switches. My review notes say that, “I moaned in happiness when I typed on the 65g Zealio row” the first time. Competition is definitely not a bad thing.
Oh and before I forget, the Gateron clear tops and the Zealio switches played nicely with no issues. And the Gateron tops feel very secure. When I tap em on the table, they sound a touch hollower than the stock tops but I didn’t notice any other difference.
But I’ll probably still stick to Alps and buckling spring
.
No Be@rbrick, I’m trying to work. We can’t play Clacks right now.
Picture in Picture of Be@rbrick and I cheffing up this review in the (messy) lab
If you want to read more, here’s some reading material:
Zealio threadZealio GB thread with some review links from jdcarpe and Zeal in the OPThe homie livingspeedbump’s review at Keychatter.comThe homie LastPilot’s FIRE picturesZeal’s Macro shots of the switches disassembled