In the keyboard switch community, most brands discussed are Cherry MX, Gateron, and Outemu. Even though the said brands are known for manufacturing their switches, they also specialize in producing commissioned keyboard switches for other popular switch brands. One of the most well-known quality switches manufactured by a famous brand, Outemu, is the Gazzew switches.
Gazzew switches are mechanical keyboard switches manufactured by Outemu. Gazzew’s most sought-after keyboard switch is the Boba U4T, a tactile switch renowned for its thockiness. Because of Boba switches, Gazzew received attention and recognition from the community. Currently, they are part of the quality enthusiast-grade brands in the market.
You may have heard of the Boba U4T switches before, but Gazzew may be unknown territory for most keyboard hobbyists, especially newcomers. Aside from their Boba U4Ts, Gazzew offers different switches in their Boba lineup that may suit your preference, may you be a linear lover or a tactile enthusiast.
As of now, even if they only have the Boba lineup in their brand, the keyboard community sees lots of potential from Gazzew. Thus, we’re here to help you become pioneers in discovering the potential-filled brand Gazzew switches through this article, as we will discuss the Gazzew brand and its Boba switches in detail.
Gazzew Mechanical Switches
The Gazzew brand started from an enthusiast who goes by the name u/hbheroinbob on Reddit. The owner is also known as Gazzew on his social media accounts including Twitter and Discord, hence the name of the mechanical switch brand. Due to his interest in mechanical keyboards, he crafted various mechanical switches under the Gazzew brand. The Gazzew switches were then widely accepted by the keyboard community due to their quality and adaptiveness to feedback.
As mentioned earlier, Outemu manufactures Gazzew switches. However, since Gazzew acknowledges the weaknesses of Outemu’s standard switches, Gazzew decided to create switches improving on the said weaknesses in pursuit of a better quality of switches beyond classic mechanical switch standards.
Gazzew switches are known for their well-built bump in the field of tactile mechanical keyboard switches. Gazzew incorporates Korean-made stainless steel springs with a unique housing with structured material softer than the standard Nylon 66 in their mechanical switches. Due to their distinct switch housing, the plastic material causes reduced leaf and spring pings for the switch when pressed.
In contrast with Cherry MX Brown’s hollow switch housing, Gazzew Boba switches have tight tolerances in their switch housings, thus causing decreased stem wobble for a stable typing experience. Additionally, MX Browns have a significant resounding keypress, producing reverb to unnecessary noises and scratches from the housing. However, Gazzew switches do not bear the same struggle as it has a tight switch housing, making their sound profile clear and creamy to the ears of their users.
Up till now, Gazzew switches are extremely popular with the masses, especially for their Boba switch lineup. Most keyboard hobbyists commend the designer and Outemu for manufacturing enthusiast-grade switches that cater to what people find in a tactile, linear, or silent switch. Part of Gazzew switches’ success comes hand in hand with the improvement of Boba switches, according to feedback from the community. Indisputably, being on hand with the needs and wishes of the keyboard enthusiasts led Gazzew to design one of the highly well-received mechanical switches in the market today.
Popular Choices
Gazzew Boba U4T
- Switch Feel: Tactile
- Bottom-Out Force: 62g / 68g
- Mount Type: PCB-Mount
- Sound: Moderate
The Boba U4T switch is, according to the keyboard community, the king of tactile switches. With an absolute tactile switch bump and “thocky” sound profile, Boba U4T is the tactile switch for you. Currently, Boba U4T is the most popular switch of the Gazzew lineup. Moreover, it is also one of the most well-loved tactiles in the keyboard market. Keyboard enthusiasts often recommend U4Ts for those who want to join the tactile gang, as the switch makes it incredibly easy for the user to fall in love with the thocky tactiles.
Boba U4T switches feature the BOBA housing that makes the U4T switches have little to no wobble. Thus, filming these switches is not necessary at all. It also comes with factory lube on the switch’s leaf, making it sound creamy, even if stock. The selling point of the Boba U4Ts is its unique long stem pole that creates a rounded D-bump loved by many. The D-bump of Boba U4Ts allows the user to experience a prolonged bump until you bottom out instead of a short and sharp tactile bump.
Additionally, it is also well-known for its deep thocky sound profile. It has 62g and 68g weight variants, fit for mid to heavy typists, even in extensive daily usage for your mechanical keyboard. Thus, if you like thock and tactiles, Boba U4T switches are your best pick.
Gazzew Boba U4
- Switch Feel: Tactile
- Bottom-Out Force: 62g / 68g
- Mount Type: PCB-Mount
- Sound: Low
If the thocky sound profile of Boba U4T is not for you, may it be due to your environment or your preference, Boba U4 is a great alternative. Boba U4 provides the same satisfying tactility Boba U4T offers, however, with a muted sound profile. Even if your surroundings require you to be quiet, you can still experience the tactility loved by the tactile switch enthusiasts in the keyboard community. Because the U4s reduced the leaf and spring pings, the only present sound is the actual bottoming-out of the switch, which also sounds muted.
The structure of the U4 switch also features the same milky-colored BOBA housing, the pearl-white stem, and the pre-lubed leaf, which ultimately makes the typing experience better and tactile than other standard switches. Most hobbyists even say that the Boba U4 is a silent tactile switch done right, compared to other brands’ attempts at making an enthusiast-grade silent tactile switch. So, if you get the chance to get one of these bad boys, we suggest grabbing it to experience a true silent tactile mechanical switch.
Gazzew Boba LT (Linear Thock)
- Switch Feel: Linear
- Bottom-Out Force: 55g / 65g
- Mount Type: PCB-Mount
- Sound: Moderate
Are you looking for a switch with a Boba U4T sound profile? If you’re not a fan of the round bumps or the feel of tactile switches in general, then maybe, Boba LT is the switch for you. The switch offers a uniquely smooth experience due to its distinct BOBA housing and leaf design. With reduced pings in the leaf and spring, you will surely enjoy the deep and thockiness of the sound profile of Boba LT.
Boba LT or Boba Linear Thock is also a fan-favorite linear switch by the keyboard community as it does not require much modding due to its high-quality performance out-of-the-box. As far as it goes, its housing highly reduces stem wobble, so there is no need for filming. Some enthusiasts even state that the lubed experience and the stock experience offer an identical premium typing experience for both the typing feel and the sound profile of the user. Thus, for enthusiasts looking for thock linear switches, we recommend adding Boba LTs to your mechanical switch wishlist.
Gazzew Bobagum Pink
- Switch Feel: Linear
- Bottom-Out Force: 52g / 62g / 68g
- Mount Type: PCB-Mount
- Sound: Low
Bobagum Pink is one of the most recent additions to the Gazzew Boba lineup. Just like the tactile switches of the Boba lineup, Bobagum Pink lives up to the legacy of Boba switches as it is also a premium-grade quality silent linear switch. The Bobagum Pink comes in three weight variants, the 52g, 62g, and the 68g, making it versatile for any use case and any sort of typist – light, mid, and heavy typists. Also, the Bobagum Pink offers its top housing in either clear-top or pink top with LED slots.
The Boba Pink’s housing is also made from the unique plastic mix, softer than Nylon 66 and melts in higher temperatures than polycarbonate plastic. The switch’s leaf also comes with pre-lube and is designed to deliver a smooth and silent typing experience for linear switches, excelling in both typing feel and sound profile. The unique switch rails and housing of the Bobagum Pink also eliminate the unnecessary pingy noises of the leaf and spring, thus creating a silent sound profile for the switch. So if you want to try Boba switches but are looking for silent linears instead of tactiles, Boba Pink is a noteworthy choice for your next build.
Gazzew Boba Silver
- Switch Feel: Linear
- Bottom-Out Force: 52g
- Mount Type: PCB-Mount
- Sound: Low
Boba Silver, also known as Boba Silver RGB, is another silent linear switch in Gazzew’s Boba lineup. As the name suggests, Boba Silver highlights the shine-through of the RGB LEDs of a mechanical keyboard. The switch features the BOBA-unique clear top housing, a milky bottom housing with an RGB cutout in the base, and a linear leaf design reducing its pings when in contact with the plastic housing. Due to its clear top, you don’t need to worry about the RGB and its light diffusion.
The switch’s typing feel also provides a smooth keyboard experience for the typist, especially because of its light bottom-out force, 52g. However, the Boba Silver linear is not suitable for heavy typists because of its light spring weight. On the other hand, the Boba Silver is perfect for those light typists who wish for a smooth and silent switch that they can use for prolonged daily use.
Recommended Switches for Gaming
View this post on Instagram
One of the most important things to consider in gaming is the speed of registering a keypress, especially if it involves fast-paced gameplay. Therefore, for this kind of use case, we recommend checking out Boba’s lightweight switches. First up is the lightest of our three recommendations, the Boba Silver, a silent linear switch with a spring weight of 52g. You cannot go wrong with picking these switches if you wish for a speedy and smooth gaming experience using your mechanical keyboard.
Secondly, we also recommend Bobagum Pink for gaming. The Bobagum Pink delivers the same smooth and speedy experience given by Boba Silver, but it has a slightly heavier spring weight than the Silvers. Furthermore, it offers tons of options to choose from, whether they prefer a lightweight spring, a midweight spring, or a heavyweight spring to accompany them in gaming.
Recommended Switches for Typing
View this post on Instagram
For typists who want to add a satisfying bump in their typing experience, the 62g variant of Boba U4T may be the best pick for their use case. By picking the 62g variant, you can freely use the switch in typing for long hours while experiencing its tactility and thockiness praised by the keyboard community.
Another choice you may want to consider if you have to turn the sound down a notch is the silent tactile switch, the Boba U4. This tactile switch is perfect for environments requiring you to do typing and be quiet simultaneously without reducing the satisfaction given by the tactile experience of the switch.
Recommended Switches for General Use
For general use, one of the most versatile switches in the Gazzew Boba lineup is the Boba U4T switch. Due to its offered various spring weights, the enthusiast-grade tactile switch can be used whenever and for whatever the typists’ use case is. This especially applies to enthusiasts that are part of the tactile gang, sharing a fondness for true tactility in mechanical keyboard switches.
However, if tactile switches are not to your taste, no worries, because Boba LT is also a versatile switch identical to the Boba U4T switch but in the form of a linear switch. The smooth typing feel and thocky sound profile provided by the Boba LT also make the Boba LT an enjoyable switch to have in your mechanical keyboard build.
Modding Gazzew Switches
The unique housing of the current lineup of Gazzew switches reduces the switch’s stem wobble significantly. Thus, there is no need for filming Gazzew switches because it would not make much of a difference. In regards to lubing, however, it mostly depends on the user’s preference, but we recommend it if you want a deeper sound profile for the thocky Gazzew switches, like the Boba U4T and the Boba LT.
Where to Buy Gazzew Switches?
You can find the websites and social media of the verified sellers and suppliers of the Gazzew switches on their official website. If you visit the page, you will automatically view their homepage listing the authorized vendors, the direct contact information of Gazzew himself, and the independent builders or modders recognized by Gazzew.
Additionally, if you can’t find suitable sellers on the official website, there are also more easily accessible marketplaces on the internet selling legitimate Gazzew switches. In fact, even on some popular local E-commerce websites, Gazzew switches are available, especially the well-known Boba U4Ts and Boba U4s.
