Rubber dome vs mechanical: how they sound
Updated
A rubber dome keyboard sounds soft and muted, because each key presses a rubber dome onto a membrane and nothing hard hits bottom. A mechanical keyboard is usually louder and its sound varies far more, from a deep thock to a sharp click, because a plastic stem lands in every switch.
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Pick a pack, then press any key or tap the keys below. These are the same samples the app plays.
How each makes its sound
RTINGS, which has tested over 250 keyboards, describes a membrane keyboard this way: “When you press a key, it pushes a rubber dome or conductive pad through the membrane layers, completing the electrical circuit.” The dome is soft and so is what it lands on, so the “rubber dome or membrane-based actuation produces a soft, muted sound.”
A mechanical switch has a sprung plastic stem in a housing. The sound starts when the stem hits the bottom, which Epomaker calls “The dominant sonic event in linears”, and the plate, case and foam around it decide the rest. That is why RTINGS says mechanical boards “offer a wide range of sound profiles depending on factors like case material, plate material, and switch type, as well as dampening treatments and switch or stabilizer lubrication.”
| Rubber dome (membrane) | Mechanical | |
|---|---|---|
| What lands at the bottom | A rubber dome on a membrane | A plastic stem in a housing |
| Sound, by RTINGS | “soft, muted” | “typically louder”, from “thocky” to “clacky” |
| Feel | “mushy” to many users | Linear, tactile or clicky |
| Rated life | “around 5 to 10 million keystrokes” | “50 to 100 million keystrokes” |
| Repair | “typically must be replaced when a key fails” | Switches can be replaced, without soldering on “hot-swappable designs” |
Clicky switches are the loudest mechanical kind, “frequently discouraged for open office environments” by RTINGS. Where a mechanical board is quiet, it is because of silent switches and foam; see silent switches.
Hear the two
Cushion imitates rubber domes over springs. In Teclo’s model it has a soft, short-lived body, a faint spring and a little breath of air after each press. Butter, a lubed linear switch, and Cricket, a clicky one, stand for the mechanical side:
| Pack | What it imitates | Press length (ms) | 90% of energy in (ms) | Low/high (dB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cushion | Rubber domes over springs | 72 | 8.4 | -8.3 |
| Butter | Linear, lubed, on gaskets and foam | 80 | 13.1 | -17.3 |
| Cricket | Clicky, with a click jacket | 70 | 7.1 | -12.8 |
Low/high is the energy below 1 kHz against the energy above it: the higher, the deeper. Cushion dies away faster than Butter and carries much more of its energy in the low end, which is the muted, cushioned sound. Cricket is shorter still but bright, its click a separate snap just before the landing. The packs are synthesized and imitate these builds; none is a recording of a particular keyboard.
If you type on a MacBook or another low-profile keyboard and want the mechanical sound without the board, a sound app plays one for every key; see how to make your Mac’s keyboard sound mechanical. For what else changes a mechanical board’s sound, see why mechanical keyboards sound different.
Questions
Are rubber dome keyboards quieter than mechanical ones?
In almost all cases, by RTINGS: "Are membrane keyboards quieter? In almost all cases, yes." Silent mechanical switches with heavy dampening come close, "nearly as quiet as that of a membrane keyboard".
Why do rubber dome keyboards feel mushy?
The dome gives way gradually rather than at one point. RTINGS: rubber domes "can feel vaguely tactile but lack precision and consistency. Many users describe the typing feel of membrane keyboards as 'mushy.'"
Which lasts longer?
Mechanical switches, by RTINGS: they are "often rated for 50 to 100 million keystrokes", while most membrane boards are "rated for around 5 to 10 million". Ratings are estimates, not guarantees.
Sources
Other facts on this page come from these pages, read on or before the date above.