Keyboard Switch Pre-Travel vs Total Travel: What’s the Difference?

Pre-travel is how far a switch moves before a keypress registers; total travel is how far it can move from the top to the bottom of the press. Compare pre-travel to understand where actuation happens, and total travel to understand the switch’s full movement. Neither figure alone tells you how fast or comfortable a switch will feel.

Think of pressing a key as a journey: the switch actuates part-way down, then can continue moving until it bottoms out. That remaining movement after actuation is why the two measurements are different.

What is pre-travel?

Pre-travel—sometimes called actuation distance—is the distance the stem moves before the switch sends an input to the keyboard. If a switch has 2 mm of pre-travel, the keypress registers after the stem has moved about 2 mm from its resting position. You do not need to press the key all the way down for it to register.

A shorter pre-travel means actuation occurs earlier in the downward press. That may be a useful point of comparison if you prefer a keypress to register nearer the top of its movement. It does not, by itself, guarantee faster typing or better gaming performance: your finger movement, the switch’s feel and the keyboard’s electronics all matter too.

What is total travel?

Total travel is the full distance the stem can move from rest to the bottom of the press. That endpoint is commonly called bottom-out. It is a measure of the switch’s complete movement, not the point where the keypress first registers.

Total travel can help you compare how much movement is available under your fingers. For example, a switch with 2 mm of pre-travel and 4 mm of total travel has about 2 mm of movement remaining after actuation. Some people press further after a key registers; others learn to stop earlier. The specification cannot tell you which habit you will prefer.

A real switch example: Cherry MX Red

The Creamy Keyboard profile for Cherry MX Red lists 2 mm pre-travel and 4 mm total travel. CHERRY’s published MX Red specifications give the same travel figures. In practical terms, the keypress registers after about 2 mm of downward movement, with another 2 mm available before bottom-out. The profile lists actuation force as 45 g and bottom-out force as 60 g; those are force measurements, separate from travel distance. Its pin count is marked unknown rather than estimated.

See the Cherry MX Red switch profile for the database fields, and check CHERRY’s published MX Red specifications for the manufacturer’s travel figures. The profile page is the relevant reference for this example; this article does not include a screenshot of the database fields.

Which travel figure should you compare?

• Compare pre-travel when you want to know how far a key moves before it registers. A shorter figure means earlier actuation within the press, but does not predict your actual typing speed.

• Compare total travel when you want to understand the switch’s full movement to bottom-out. It can help describe the available depth of the press, but does not establish that a switch will feel more comfortable.

• Compare both when assessing a switch as a whole. They tell you where actuation happens and how much movement there is overall.

For a fuller sense of feel, consider force as well. Actuation force is the force needed to register a press; bottom-out force describes the force at the end of the press. Neither is another way of measuring travel. Switch type also matters: a linear switch moves without a tactile bump, while tactile and clicky switches provide additional feedback.

Finally, switch figures are only part of the typing experience. Keycaps, case, plate, mounting, stabilisers, modifications and typing technique can all affect how a keyboard feels and sounds. Terms such as “creamy”, “thocky” and “clacky” are subjective descriptions, not outcomes guaranteed by a particular travel measurement.

Use both measurements to narrow your options

Start with the movement that matters most to you: pre-travel for the actuation point, total travel for the full press. Then consider force, switch type and compatibility with your keyboard. In Creamy Keyboard’s mechanical keyboard switch database, you can search switches, review available specifications and filter options such as pre-travel and actuation force. Some entries have incomplete data, so treat an unknown field as unknown—not as a value to fill in by assumption.