All > Gazzew Boba U4T
Gazzew Boba U4T
Retail Price
$0.65
Lowest Price
$13.49
Release Date
N/A
The Gazzew Boba U4T is a silent tactile switch, one of the more compelling switches released for quite some time, and one of the most exciting tactile switches since the Holy Panda. It has a large and robust tactile bump, impressive sound qualities, and competitive pricing, making it one of the best value switches for your money.
Purchase Links
Overview
- Conclusion
- User Experience
- Sound Preference
- Lubing
- Reputation
- Recommendation
- Positive
- Negative
Conclusion - It’s a silent tactile switch, one of the more compelling switches released for quite some time, and one of the most exciting tactile switches since the Holy Panda. It has a large and robust tactile bump, impressive sound qualities, and competitive pricing, making it one of the best value switches for your money.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
User Experience - They sound good in person, and their thockier nature drives their sales more than the tactile bump, which other switches can provide. Its silicone and foam pieces in the kit add positively to the experience, as does the PBT keycap set, but the unlubed inferior stabilizers reduce the enjoyable experience.
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Sound Preference - For those looking for a tactile switch without clacking, the Boba U4 is one to consider, as it’s also perfect for office and home use.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Lubing - They sound and feel fantastic, with a slight sound difference after lubing. They feel as smooth stock as they do lubed, which doesn’t apply to any other tactile switch on the market, making it easy to recommend in stock form, and if lubing it brings them out to 100% of their potential, then they’re already at 90% in stock form.
Austin V
02/16/2021
Reputation - It’s designed by Gazzew in collaboration with Outemu, who have been making waves in the mechanical keyboard communities over the past months, and is worth the hype. Specifically, the Boba U4 is a silent tactile switch that lives up to both of those descriptors, it’s also available in 62g and 68g springs with lightly lubed spring and leaf out of the box, and its slide rail and rail slot are completely dry, giving it room for improvement.
Recommendation - There are many tactile switches in the custom mechanical keyboard scene now, so it may be difficult to find the right one. Still, if you want a highly tactile switch with a deep, thocky sound profile, then the U4T Thocky is one of the best options as it has a deep sound profile, good housing tolerance, and a prominent tactile bump.
Sources
Tags
- Conclusion
- User Experience
- Sound Preference
- Lubing
- Reputation
- Recommendation
Sources
- Switch & Click
- TECHPOWERUP
- YouTube
- NEXTRIFT
See All Sources
Cons/Pros
- Cons
- Pros
- Positive
- Negative
Cons - Its cons are that it’s scratchy when stock, the dampened stem may feel mushy, and the soft plastic and tight housing may be difficult to open.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Pros - Its pros are that it has a strong D-shaped bump, is silent relative to tactility, has excellent value, and is available in 2wo spring weight options.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
See All Sources
Build & Design
- 5-Pin
- Build
- Disassembly
- Keycap Height
- Material
- Options
- Spring
- Stem & Bump
- Tactile Bump
- Positive
- Negative
5-Pin - It’s a 5-pin switch, so consumers need a 5-pin switch socket for hot-swapping if they don’t want to clip off the two extra plastic pins on the bottom.
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Build - The housing is a bit difficult to open, and the switch itself feels a bit scratchy and mushy compared to regular tactile switches, though it’s expected from a silent switch, and the Boba U4 is quite smooth for a silent tactile switch. Also, the smoother linear travel segments on either side of the actuation itself at ~1.9 mm, with a total travel path of closer to 3.2 mm due to the longer stem pole, make it a medium-force tactile switch with early pre-travel and minimal post-bump travel.
Disassembly - Disassembling reveals the inner workings of the Outemu components that make up the switch, and the composition is typical of switches, with rails on the top and side where the stem travels.
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Keycap Height - The keycaps sit a bit lower on them than on other switches; though it’s not drastic with no noticeable difference in normal use, it’s noticeable when placed next to another switch, and when pressed down, it’s still the same height as other switches.
Austin V
02/16/2021
Material - The top and bottom housings are made from a unique plastic softer than standard nylon, with the benefits of polycarbonate. The leafs and springs are made of special Korean steel that increases the tactility while reducing leaf ping, and they’ve been donut dipped on one end in some grease to get rid of spring ping. The stems are made of POM plastic and are longer than standard MX stems.
Options - It’s offered in 62g, and 68g spring weights for bottoming-out and peak force, and the housing is provided in milky-top and RGB-friendly clear-top options, with the latter using a clear top to make the most of the backlighting from SMD LEDs underneath, which works best with these switches.
Spring - The spring is colored mustard-yellow, located in the middle, which adopts the Cherry MX crosspoint stem design for added keycap compatibility. Available in 2 options, it comes pre-lubed along with the leaf at the bottom touching the base to reduce pinging.
Stem & Bump - The extra long stem contributes to the thocky sound similar to the halo stem in holy pandas as they’re almost similar in height, while the standard MX length stems from kiwi is about a millimeter shorter. The longer stem hinders its top from sitting flush with the housing or going into the housing when the switch is pushed down, which also prevents interference issues with GMK keycaps and north-facing switches. Also, the stem is smooth to the touch, and the bump design indicates early tactile feedback.
Tactile Bump - The tactile bump is classified as D-bump, wherein the D corresponds to the feeling from top to bottom, which starts at the top and ends close to bottom-out. In practice, the entire keypress is felt as the bump, thus, making bottoming out satisfying and hard to avoid. Also, the bump is rounder and fuller than the sharp Outemu Sky or MX Ergo Clear. Performance-wise, it has a pre-travel at ~0.3 mm, and it can be more silent and dampened than a membrane keyboard without having a pronounced mushiness with lighter spring weights of 62g that may accentuate the tactile bump. Still, a 68g could feel smoother without compromising tactility. However, it’s not for everyone though it can be satisfying to some yet tiring for longer typing sessions.
Sources
Tags
- 5-Pin
- Build
- Disassembly
- Keycap Height
- Material
- Options
- Spring
- Stem & Bump
- Tactile Bump
Sources
- TECHPOWERUP
- Switch & Click
- YouTube
- NEXTRIFT
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Austin V
02/16/2021
Austin V
02/16/2021
Austin V
02/16/2021
Austin V
02/16/2021
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Austin V
02/16/2021
Austin V
02/16/2021
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
See All Sources
Performance
- Actuation
- Compatibility
- Scratch
- Sound
- Typing
- Wobble
- Positive
- Negative
Actuation - The actuation occurs after the bump, which reminds you of a membrane keyboard, as the actuation could be tied with bottom-out depending on the typing style. Also, because of the robust tactility, dampened landing, and silent operation, it feels and sounds like a membrane keyboard wants to when it grows up and becomes a proper keyboard. Function-wise, the stem pushes the two copper contacts together to complete the circuit that is then read by the onboard microcontroller.
Compatibility - As a 5-pin Outemu switch, it’s compatible with MX-style PCBs and Outemu hot swap sockets, which are known to be too thin for switches from other brands, though you might need to downgrade your switches by clipping off the extra legs. Overall, it’s not one of the best value switches and best switches available on the market, which can be said of all Gazzew-designed switches.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Scratch - The features are dry except for the spring and leaf, which are lightly lubed, making scratchiness faint out of the box, but it still performs very well.
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Sound - The sound profile is heavily influenced by everything, including the plastic case matters with cases out of acrylic, wood, or aluminum, and the presence or absence of sound-dampening foam, thus it’s best to compare switches with the same case, plate, and keycap set combination. Specifically, it produces a deep low-pitch torque with every key press, which is pleasant, especially if you like that kind of sound signature, and it’s free of any spring or leaf noise right out of the box, but it has a high pitch clack that can be solved by lubing and filming the switches. Also, it’s quieter than other louder tactile switches, with both top-out and bottom-out clacks dampened and the soft housing muting most of the spring-ping or metallic leaf tick that may be present, leaving a scratchy or thunk. It’s also important to note that the more tactile a switch, the louder it usually is, but the Boba U4 is a surprisingly silent tactile switch. Overall, Gazzew recommends using the switches in their stock form, but lubing and filming it will give a deeper sound profile and solve issues, including the high pitch and minimal scratching.
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Typing - Typing quickly in it magnifies the full-bodied, deep sound signature out of the box along with the noticeable high-pitched clack in the switch’s upstroke, especially when using a low profile ABS keycaps like GMK; thus, it’s recommended to lube and film for a more refined, deeper sound profile. A user shared that the tactile bump is smooth yet firm and very satisfying, with the bottom out less harsh, which makes them look forward to hours’ worth of typing.
Wobble - The assembly tolerance is tight, and the selected components are matched well, so there’s no north/south direction stem wobble. Still, a bit of wobble in the east/west direction though almost indistinguishable with keycaps on, while the housing wobble is minimal, so filming won’t be necessary.
Sources
Tags
- Actuation
- Compatibility
- Scratch
- Sound
- Typing
- Wobble
Sources
- Switch & Click
- TECHPOWERUP
- NEXTRIFT
- YouTube
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
r/MechanicalKeyboards
05/02/2021
Austin V
02/16/2021
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
TECHPOWERUP - VSG
01/26/2022
See All Sources
Comparison
- Comparison vs Brown vs Regular U4
- Comparison vs Cherry MX Brown vs T1 vs Zealios V2
- Comparison vs Glorious Panda
- Comparison vs Novelkeys Blueberry vs Holy Panda vs Glorious Panda vs T1 vs Outemu Sky vs Box Jade
- Positive
- Negative
Comparison vs Brown vs Regular U4 - The U4Ts are great and loud; they can only compare to browns and regular U4T, but no comparison to browns with tactility as they’re a bit stiffer than the U4, so they’re considered a smidge more tactile, but the thock can be overwhelming in day to day for some.
r/MechanicalKeyboards
05/02/2021
Comparison vs Cherry MX Brown vs T1 vs Zealios V2 - The Cherry MX Brown, T1, and Zelios V2 stems feature a short stem pole length compared to the Boba U4T and halo stems, which translates to the traveling distance before bottoming out, and also means that the sound of the bottom out will be quieter. Since the Boba U4Tstems are long like the halo stems, they will feature a noticeably louder but deeper sound with an almost identical travel distance and feel. Regarding tactility, the Halo and Zealios have a sharp feeling, but due to the stem pole length, the Zealios give a more rounded feel with a bit of travel before and after the tactile bump. In contrast, the boba U4T has a lesser tactile bump that’s sharper than the T1s but less than the Halo or Zealios stems; still, it features a long pole similar to the Halos making the overall feel similar with a less pronounced bump. Also, the tactile leaves of the switches play a part in the feeling of tactility. The Zealios’ leaf is the strongest, with Bobas and Panda close second, while the T1s fall shorter than the others, and the Cherry MX Browns are good enough for a light tactile experience. Overall, the Boba U4Tand Halo are all within the sharp category, the Zealios sharp but rounded, and in the middle are the T1s and Cherry MX Browns in the rounded category.
Comparison vs Glorious Panda - Not a major downside, but the design of the U4Tv is not that great, and some might even pass it off as just another Holy Panda clone with the color scheme best described as a dirtier version of the Glorious Panda.
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Comparison vs Novelkeys Blueberry vs Holy Panda vs Glorious Panda vs T1 vs Outemu Sky vs Box Jade - The Boba U4 feels stronger and rounder than Holy Panda, Glorious Panda, T1, and Outemu Sky. In contrast, the Novelkeys Blueberry may feel more tactile at first, but the lack of pre-travel on the Boba U4 makes it feel less mushy despite being a dampened switch, and the mighty Box Jade could feel lighter and faster to type on after using 68g Boba U4’s for a while.
Switch & Click - Randall Jue
Sources
Tags
- Comparison vs Brown vs Regular U4
- Comparison vs Cherry MX Brown vs T1 vs Zealios V2
- Comparison vs Glorious Panda
- Comparison vs Novelkeys Blueberry vs Holy Panda vs Glorious Panda vs T1 vs Outemu Sky vs Box Jade
Sources
- YouTube
- NEXTRIFT
- Switch & Click
See All Sources
Price & Availability
- Price & Availability
- Value
- Positive
- Negative
Price & Availability - The Boba U4T is only available from two vendors: MKZealots on AliExpress and GKESports on Taobao. In Taobao, you can get it from AliExpress for $11 (around RM45) for a pack of 10 switches, which brings up the price to RM4.5 per switch but not including shipping.
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Value - The Gazzew Boba U4T Thocky is what the Glorious Panda strives to be; it feels and sounds good in stock form and is free of leaf ticking and spring noise, while the best switch still comes down to personal preference; still, the U4T has the potential to stand above every other tactile switch in the market now, even against the Holy Panda.
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
See All Sources
Miscellaneous
- Issues
- Positive
- Negative
Issues - The strong tactile bump of the Boba U4T may not be for everyone; though some may find the pronounced tactile bump satisfying, it can also be fatiguing in longer typing sessions. If you’re coming from a linear switch, you might want to jump back, though it may not be much of a problem with the 62g version.
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
Sources
Tags
- Issues
Sources
- NEXTRIFT
NEXTRIFT - Li Jin Soh
01/27/2021
See All Sources
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