There are times when mechanical keyboards can be confusing for many people due to the large number of brands, models and switch colors that there are; for this reason, that a type of switch is called Banana Split, like the dessert consisting of banana and ice cream, is at least striking… and easy to remember. Some marketing geniuses, its creators.
What are Banana Split Switches?
They are really nothing new, since they were launched at the end of the year 2020, but it has not been until now that they have started to cause great enthusiasm in the community of hardware fans, and more specifically among fans of customizable mechanical keyboards. Of course, the first thing that stands out is the color combination chosen for its design, which you can see in the images that accompany this article.
Initially, switches bearing this name are part of the “Snack Time Switch Line” series from C³Equalz and TheKey.Company (TKC), two of the biggest names in the configurable mechanical keyboard space. It is a mechanical switch with linear behavior (same as Cherry MX Red, for example) that requires 62 grams of pressure for its activation; for comparison, a Cherry MX Red needs 45 grams, while an MX Black requires 60 grams.
Some manufacturers also sold this type of switch under the nickname “Macho” (yes, in Spanish), but Banana Splits are not simply a color change of these switches, as they have some peculiarities.
To begin with, its outer casing is lavender and purple and the stem (the part that goes down when we press) is light yellow. The shells are made from a mix of nylon and polycarbonate, while the stem, which should be stronger, is made from polyoxymethylene (POM). In addition, they come pre-lubricated from the factory, and are designed so that any fan of mechanical keyboards with a little experience can easily re-lubricate them.
How do they behave and sound? Why are they so popular?
The switches themselves are very robust, both due to the manufacturing materials and the fact that they require 62 grams of force to activate, which means that you have to press them… “hard”. They do have a little wobble on the stem, although this is not at all noticeable in use, and since they are linear switches with no tactile feedback, you get a smooth click action right up to your trigger point.
The 62-gram actuation force makes these Banana Split switches snappy and good for both heavy keyboard users and gamers, although they are certainly preferred by gamers as prolonged use of a keyboard that requires so much pulsation force ends up producing fatigue.
Sound-wise, as linear switches we should expect them to be fairly quiet… but no, they actually have a fairly loud click sound instead of the “thump” we usually hear on linear switches.
Since switches like these Banana Splits are usually only released in limited editions, they tend to become quite popular with enthusiasts looking to get their hands on something unique, or at least rare, which is one of the reasons why they have become the favorites of many people… the second factor, although this is already an assumption of ours, is essentially due to their aesthetics, because they contribute a lot to the “posture”.
Price and availability
Below we have linked you to the TKC website as authors of the images that we have used in this article (since they are the original manufacturers), and in fact you can buy them on their website; the price is $7.49 for a pack of 10 switches, although they can also be purchased in packs of up to 110 units for $69.99.