Quick Answer: The best all-round Cherry switch is the Cherry MX2A Red (about $0.35-0.40 each) — the light, 45g linear that’s been the reference gaming switch for over a decade, now with Cherry’s retooled MX2A internals for a smoother feel. Typists who want feedback without noise should get the MX2A Brown (tactile, about $0.35-0.40), open-office typists who love an audible click can go MX2A Blue (clicky, roughly the same), speed-focused gamers should look at the shorter-travel MX2A Speed Silver (around $0.28-0.35), and anyone sharing a room needs the MX2A Silent Red (about $0.40-0.53, per current mechanicalkeyboards.com/keybumps.com pricing).
Cherry MX is the switch family every other brand gets compared against — Gateron, Durock, Kailh and the rest all describe their switches as “Cherry-style” or “Cherry-compatible” because Cherry invented the 4-pin/5-pin MX form factor decades ago. In 2026 nearly every switch Cherry sells is the newer MX2A generation, but the naming overlap with the older MX1A lineup is a real source of confusion. Here’s what to buy and how to avoid the mix-up.
Cherry MX switches, by the numbers
- MX2A switches use a redesigned spring and stem for improved consistency over the older MX1A generation, with Cherry’s own engineering notes citing reduced stem wobble and tighter tolerances — the same retooling that Tom’s Hardware covered when Cherry introduced the line, rating the new switches for 100 million actuations.
- Cherry MX2A Red actuates at 45g with a full 4.0mm total travel, while the Speed Silver variant cuts total travel to just 3.4mm at the same 45g force — a 15% shorter keystroke aimed specifically at faster in-game actuation, per Cherry’s own published specs.
- MX2A Silent Red pricing has genuinely moved this year — current listings run about $0.40-0.53 per switch across mechanicalkeyboards.com and aggregator pricing at keybumps.com, up from the $0.30-0.40 range seen in earlier 2026 listings.
Best Cherry MX switches at a glance
| Switch | Best for | Type | Force / Travel | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry MX2A Red | Best overall / gaming | Linear | 45g / 4.0mm | ~$0.35-0.40 each |
| Cherry MX2A Brown | Best tactile / office | Tactile | 55g / 4.0mm | ~$0.35-0.40 each |
| Cherry MX2A Blue | Best clicky / typing | Clicky | 60g / 4.0mm | ~$0.35-0.40 each |
| Cherry MX2A Speed Silver | Best for speed | Linear | 45g / 3.4mm | ~$0.28-0.35 each |
| Cherry MX2A Silent Red | Best silent | Silent linear | 45g / 3.7mm | ~$0.40-0.53 each |
1. Cherry MX2A Red — Best Overall
Cherry MX2A Red Linear
- The reference gaming linear that most competing "Red" switches from Gateron, Kailh and others are built to feel similar to — light, consistent, and full-travel.
- MX2A's retooled stem and spring reduce the scratchiness some enthusiasts reported on older MX1A Red stock, without changing the 45g force rating buyers already expect.
- The safest starting switch for anyone building or buying their first mechanical board, since nearly every hot-swap PCB and switch tester is designed around the MX form factor Cherry created.
Building a whole fleet of boards for an office or team? Try Prime free for 30 days for free two-day shipping while you round up switches, keycaps and a tester in one order.
If you already own a Gateron Red or Durock POM (see our best Gateron switches and best Durock switches guides) and are curious how the “original” compares, MX2A Red is the fair baseline — it’s a touch firmer out of the box than Gateron’s factory lube and less deep-sounding than Durock’s POM housing, but it’s the switch every spec sheet in the hobby still references.
2. Cherry MX2A Brown — Best Tactile
Cherry MX2A Brown Tactile
- A light, subtle tactile bump around a third of the way down the keystroke — quieter than a clicky switch but with more feedback than a pure linear.
- The default "office switch" recommendation for buyers who type all day and want confirmation of a keypress without the noise of MX Blue.
- MX2A's tighter housing tolerances make the bump feel more consistent switch-to-switch than older MX1A Brown stock, per community comparison reviews.
If MX Brown’s bump feels too subtle once you’ve tried it, our linear vs tactile switches guide walks through heavier tactile options like Durock T1 that deliver a much sharper, more deliberate bump for the same general use case.
3. Cherry MX2A Blue — Best Clicky
Cherry MX2A Blue Clicky
- An audible click paired with tactile feedback at the same actuation point — the loudest switch type in Cherry's mainstream lineup.
- Best suited to a private office or home setup; the click is genuinely disruptive in a shared workspace, unlike Brown or Red.
- Heavier 60g actuation force than Red or Brown, which combined with the click makes typing feel more deliberate and less prone to accidental keypresses.
Sharing a room or an open office? Our best silent switches guide covers the opposite end of the spectrum, including Cherry’s own MX2A Silent Red below.
4. Cherry MX2A Speed Silver — Best for Speed
Cherry MX2A Speed Silver Linear
- Same 45g actuation force as MX2A Red, but Cherry shortens the total travel to 3.4mm — about 15% less keystroke distance to bottom out.
- Popular in competitive FPS builds where a shorter keystroke means marginally faster repeat-actuation, though it isn't a hall-effect or rapid-trigger switch — see our [what is rapid trigger](/guides/what-is-rapid-trigger/) guide for how true magnetic switches differ.
- Often sold as a 3-pin, PC-stem-only switch rather than the full 5-pin mount Cherry uses on Red/Brown/Blue — check your board's plate-mount compatibility before buying in bulk.
For genuinely adjustable actuation points rather than just a shorter fixed travel, our best hall effect keyboard guide covers magnetic switches that let you set the actuation distance in software.
5. Cherry MX2A Silent Red — Best Silent
Cherry MX2A Silent Red
- Integrated dampening pads on both the downstroke and return stroke cut noise substantially versus a standard MX2A Red, without changing the 45g actuation weight.
- Priced noticeably above Cherry's other MX2A switches — current mechanicalkeyboards.com and keybumps.com listings run $0.40-0.53 per switch, a real increase over the $0.30-0.40 range seen earlier in 2026.
- Already covered as one pick among several brands in our [best silent switches](/best/best-silent-switches/) roundup, worth calling out here since it's the only silent option in Cherry's own mainstream lineup.
If Cherry’s own silent linear feels too pricey at current rates, Gateron Silent Red Pro (our best silent switches guide’s budget pick) and Durock’s silent Dolphin/Daybreak lineup both undercut it while using the same dampened-stem approach.
The MX1A vs MX2A naming trap
Cherry’s biggest source of buyer confusion isn’t between colors — it’s between generations. Red, Brown, Blue and Black are still the names used for both the older MX1A switches and the current MX2A switches, and a listing that just says “Cherry MX Red” without a generation code could technically be either. The reliable way to tell them apart: check the part number or listing spec sheet for an MX2A- prefix (current generation, retooled stem and spring) versus MX1A- (older stock, still functional but without the newer tolerances). By 2026, nearly all new retail switch packs and hot-swap PCBs use MX2A, but pre-built keyboards assembled earlier in their production run — and some old bulk listings still in circulation — can still ship MX1A under the identical color name.
How to choose a Cherry MX switch
- Want the safest, most universally compatible switch? MX2A Red is still the reference gaming linear every other brand’s “Red” gets compared to.
- Typing all day and want quiet feedback? MX2A Brown’s light bump is the default office recommendation.
- Love an audible click? MX2A Blue delivers it, but keep it out of shared spaces.
- Chasing faster in-game actuation? Speed Silver’s shorter 3.4mm travel is Cherry’s answer, though it’s still a fixed-actuation switch, not a hall-effect one.
- Sharing a room or apartment? Silent Red is Cherry’s only dampened option — budget for its recent price increase.
- Buying from a listing that just says “Cherry MX Red” with no generation noted? Check the part number for an MX2A- prefix before assuming you’re getting current-gen stock.
The bottom line
The Cherry MX2A Red (about $0.35-0.40 each) is the best all-round Cherry switch — the reference gaming linear the rest of the hobby still measures itself against, now smoothed out with Cherry’s retooled MX2A internals. Typists should get MX2A Brown (roughly the same price) for quiet tactile feedback, or MX2A Blue (also about $0.35-0.40) if an audible click is worth the noise. Competitive gamers chasing a shorter keystroke should look at Speed Silver (around $0.28-0.35), and anyone typing where noise matters needs MX2A Silent Red (about $0.40-0.53, reflecting a real recent price increase). Whichever you pick, confirm the listing’s part number carries the MX2A- prefix rather than older MX1A stock. See our best Gateron switches and best Durock switches guides for how Cherry’s closest rivals compare, or our best hot swappable keyboard guide for boards built around standard switch swaps.