Transform Your Typing Experience: The Ultimate Guide to Keyboard Switch Modifications
By Ethan Brooks•Published on May 12, 2025
Customization
Guides
Switch Types
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The world of mechanical keyboards offers endless possibilities for customization, but nothing impacts your typing experience more directly than modifying your switches. Whether you're looking to eliminate scratch, reduce noise, or change the feel of your keystrokes, switch modifications can transform a mediocre keyboard into your dream typing machine.
This guide walks you through the most effective keyboard switch modifications, from beginner-friendly to advanced techniques.
Stock switches from manufacturers work fine for most users, but modifying them can provide several benefits:
Before diving into modifications, it's helpful to understand the main types of mechanical switches and their characteristics.
To get started with switch modding, you'll need:
Many of these items can be found in must-have accessories for enhanced typing experience.
Lubing is the most common and effective switch modification. It reduces friction between moving parts, resulting in smoother keystrokes and improved sound.
- Bottom housing rails and center pole
- Stem legs and sides (avoid the tactile bump for tactile switches)
- Spring (can be bag lubed or individually lubed)
- Top housing contact points
For a more detailed approach, check out our step-by-step guide to switch cleaning and lubing.
Different components and switch types benefit from different lubricants:
Pro tip: For your first lubing project, start with just a few switches to perfect your technique before committing to an entire keyboard.
Switch films are thin pieces of material (usually plastic or foam) that sit between the top and bottom housing of a switch. They provide two key benefits:
Not all switches benefit equally from films. Switches with tighter housing tolerances may see minimal improvement, while looser switches often transform dramatically.
Spring swapping allows you to change the resistance of your switches without changing their overall character. This is perfect if you like a switch's feel but find it too heavy or too light.
Springs are typically measured in grams, representing the force needed for full compression. Common weights range from 35g (very light) to 100g+ (very heavy).
To find your preference, try a switch tester with various weights or check our comprehensive review of mechanical switches for insights on different options.
For those looking to go beyond the basics, these advanced modifications can further customize your switches.
Stem swapping involves replacing the stem of one switch with another to create hybrid switches with unique characteristics.
Popular stem swaps include:
Frankenswitching takes stem swapping further by mixing and matching various switch components to create entirely new switches. This requires extensive experimentation and knowledge of how different switch parts interact.
Similar to stem swapping, housing swaps involve keeping the stem but changing the top or bottom housing (or both). This can dramatically alter sound and feel.
Common housing swaps include:
Different switch types require different approaches to modification.
Linear switches benefit most from:
For more on linear switches, see our guide on understanding tactile vs linear switches.
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