Rubber Dome Key Switch

By Xah Lee. Date: 2022-05-15. Last updated: 2022-05-16.

Most keyboard's key switch mechanism is rubber dome switch. Basically all Laptop Keyboards, and Microsoft Keyboards ⌨ , Logitech Non-Gaming Keyboards .

Rubber dome switch is cheap to make, but is not as good as other mechanisms that use spring. Rubber dome's tactile feedback is not precise, is wobbly, and wears out. Usually what made it worse is the cheap key housing that goes with it. (ever had squeaky keys that make ugly noises and sometimes stuck midway due to friction?)

Laptop keyboard construction. ❮http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_Construction.JPG❯

keyboard rubber dome — Rubber dome switch. ❮http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Keyboard_Construction_Button_Press.JPG❯

Rubber dome switches in general are are considered the worse of key switches, with very rare exceptions.

Rubber dome switches are bad because:

Rubber dome switches usually have mushy tactile feelings
Rubber dome switches usually have hit bottom problem. That is, the dome collapse and makes electric contact to turn it on.
Rubber dome switches do not age well. New ones feels great. After a few years, the harden and feels terrible.

AppleDesign Keyboard NMB B membrane assembly QkC59 — AppleDesign Keyboard (NMB,B) membrane assembly [photo by Daniel beardsmore, 2016-05-29, from https://deskthority.net/wiki/File:AppleDesign_Keyboard_(NMB,B)_--_membrane_assembly_4.jpg]

Good Rubber Dome Switches

These key switches use rubber dome mechanism for key press, but use non-contact electro-capacitive mechanism as the electronic switch. They don't have the hit-bottom problem.