Which switches can I purchase for the Dygma Defy and Dygma Raise? – Dygma Help Center

Choosing the right switch is crucial to your overall experience, as it depends on how and what the keyboard will be used for.

Fortunately, the Dygma keyboards are hot-swappable, so you can easily change your switches whenever you feel like it.

Before diving into the world of switches, let's get to know what makes a switch up:

Keycap: The keycap isn’t part of the mechanical switch but it is partially responsible for the noise

Stem: The shape of the stem varies the actuation and travel distance of the switch. It creates the keystroke feel and determines the switch type.

Coil Spring: Its resistance determines the amount of pressure needed to actuate the key. It also guides the switch to slide back to its position.

Upper housing:This part protects and guides the stem. It is also the part that the keycap hits when you press it.

Base housing: This is where the upper housing is mounted. This is the piece that attaches and clips to the PCB.

There are mainly two things you need to consider when choosing your switches: the type of switch and the force needed to activate it. Depending on those factors, you’ll get a different sound and tactile feedback when you press the key.

Linear: These switches have a smooth keypress with no bump when you press them. These switches are usually quite silent and fast.
Tactile: These switches have a light bump when you press them, giving you a light feedback while you type. They are also silent.
Clicky: These switches emit a very distinctive (and loud) noise when they are pressed. They also give a tactile response.

Besides the keystroke feel, there are 5 technical characteristics of a switch. Depending on your typing technique and the general purpose of your keyboard, you would need certain values for each characteristic.

Operation Force: The force needed to activate the switch is usually measured in grams of pressure or centinewton (cN). You can consider pressure less or equal to 50 cN as light, and the rest as medium or high.
Activation Point: It is the point where a keypress is recognized by the keyboard. This is measured in millimeters. It is also known as Actuation Point or Operating Position.

Total Travel Distance: It’s the distance your keycap travels until it hits the upper housing of the switch. It’s basically the distance until you bottom out. This is also measured in millimeters.
Tactile Position: Tactile position is where you feel the bump on tactile and clicky switches. On linear switches, there’s no tactile position.
Reset Point: Reset position is the distance at which the key is deactivated when released.

Below is a list of the switches we offer with the Dygma Defy and the Dygma Raise, along with their different characteristics. They are grouped in types: linear, tactile, and clicky.

To boost the customization experience with your keyboard, you'll receive an enhancement kit. This kit comes with a selection of 10 switches with diverse models and characteristics, enabling you to determine which best aligns with your preferences.

Remember, you can purchase additional switch sets from Dygma's official store!

If you need more information, check out the following article. Additionally, feel free to contact us for any questions or join our Discord or Reddit community!

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