Akko Jelly Black, no more purple Haze for me?

I have been using the Jelly Purple switches for a while now on a daily basis. The Jelly Purples rekindled my love for tactile switches. I like my switches to have a little weight or feedback to them. Well fortunately for me the great people at Akko reached out. They gave me the opportunity to review the Jelly Black switches. According to Akko these are their most populair switch at the moment. So lets see if I can stand behind this product, shall we?

Unboxing the Jelly Black

Well, if you’ve read my review about the Jelly Purple switches you know where this is going. Akko’s Jelly Black switches come in a nice little box. The theme is consistent with their keycaps and keyboards. Inside this box are the switches in a nice plastic case. They are not just thrown in a bag like many brands do. Instead they are individually hiding in their own little foxholes. This helps reducing the risk of getting bend pins. Once again all switches came in perfect shape. Kudos to Akko!

Up close and personal

The Jelly Black switches are nice to look at. In the hand they feel solid and there is no obvious ping when pressing them. First impression is that of a smooth transition while being pressed, but definitely with a bit of weight behind them. They have a black stem with a dust cover which also helps against wobble. The translucent housing is made of poly-carbonate material. It has a bit of a smokey color to it, which makes it really classy to look at. The official name of the switches is CS Jelly Black; CS stands for Custom Switches. These are switches made after getting feedback from Akko’s customers.

RGB makes things go brrr

For you RGB lovers out there, here is how they look compared to the Silvers and Purples.

Specs of the Jelly Black switches

NameAkko CS Jelly BlackAkko CS Silver
TypeLinearLinear
Operation force50 +/- 5gf45 +/- 5gf
Total travel4.0 +/- 03.mm3.0 +/- 0.3mm
Pre-travel1.9 +/- 03.mm1.0 +/- 0.5mm
Tactile positionN/AN/A
Tactile forceN/AN/A
Akko Jelly Black compared to Akko Silver

As can be seen in the column above, the Jelly Black’s are a heavy switch; in fact these are Akko’s heaviest switches at the moment. For me this was an interesting test as previously I have had experience with a linear switch on the other side of the spectrum; the CS Silver switches. The Silver switches are extremely easy to activate. The biggest difference here is the pre-travel which is 1.0 compared to the 1.9 of the Black. Be sure to check out all the Akko switches here!

Jelly Black and CS silver side to side

Opening both switches with my tool and comparing them side to side, there are some obvious differences. The bottom is made of a grey nylon on the Silvers while the Jelly Black has a pc bottom. Another difference you can see is the pole on the stem which is longer on the Silver switches. Both springs seem to be the same.

My Dutch readers can buy a set with a switch opener along with all the other basic tools here. If you are an international reader check out a great switch opener from Epomaker here.

Lubing the Jelly Black switches

The Jelly Black switches didn’t seem to have much crunch or ping to me. I must admit I am not the most sensitive person out there when it comes to hearing spring ping though. The blacks are a nice feeling switch and I would argue that it is not a must to lube these. Having said that, a little bit of lube never hurts. So I lubed the switches with the well known Krytox G205g0. Lubing made the switches even more smooth, so if you have the time, sure lube them!

Stem of the Akko Jelly Black lubed with Kyrtox G205g0
The stem of the Jelly Black switch lubed up

Check out my guide if you want know how to lube switches here. Or if you are looking for a nice complete lube kit, check this one out.

Conclusion

So, do I like them? The short answer would be; Yes, I like them, a lot. For me they are not my full keyboard switch though. Let me explain myself a bit here.

I have been using the Black switches for about a week now. Compared to the silver switches I think these are nicer to type on. I tend to make less mistakes because I can actually feel the key that I am pressing. They also sound more “Thocky” then the Silvers do if that is what you are after.

So far I have used four pairs of linear switches; Cherry Red, Gateron Yellow, Akko Silver and Akko Black. Of these switches I find the Blacks the most interesting. If I had to choose a switch between these four for a full layout, I would go with the Gateron Yellow though. The reason behind this, is that I experience some fatigue whilst typing on the blacks after a while but your mileage may vary.

For people who don’t really like tactile switches but do want to feel a bit of force while using their board these can the perfect solution.

Keep in mind though that the extra force needed can be a bit of a downside for those having to type for long sessions or playing fast FPS games.

My current daily is an Akko 3098B (review here) with the Akko Jelly Purple and for the numpad and F-row I use the Akko Jelly Blacks. These are perfect for me when crunching numbers for example.

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Disclaimer

This product was send to me by the Akko. Opinions are my own. This review may contain referral links. By using these links you support this website and allow us to get products in for review and testing.