I’m always looking for interesting new switches to try, but primarily tactile switches. The Penguin switch is the first switch I have tried from Kinetic Labs. As far as I can tell, it is their flagship tactile offering. Mysteriously to me, it claims “ergo tactility”. To understand what that meant, my first idea was that they are trying to make a switch similar to the frankenswitch ergo-clears, as seems to be a distinct trend among switch makers, trying to basically make a one switch solution either trying to emulate or take inspiration from a more expensive frankenswitch. I have yet to try Cherry MX Ergo Clear, but from what I have heard they are a more tactile switch made from a slightly too heavy Cherry MX clear, and that basically if someone wanted to use only Cherry switches and have a strong tactile bump, this would be the switch.

The Penguins come in the adorable Little Penguin (this is actually the name of a specific species of penguin) inspired bag. Altogether, this switch came with some really nice touches I haven’t seen unfortunately with other switches. On a little card, Kinetic Labs has given us a mini-guide to using the switch. They say to use no less than a 63 gram spring, and it describes how to lube the switch (saying to lube the legs). I followed their direction and lubed the legs, and I was very happy with the result, which was still plenty tactile. The tactile bump comes mid-stroke. The card also advised using no less than a 67 gram spring for the modifiers. I had the 63.5 gram variant, and used that spring for the modifiers in my Frog TKL. I have had no problems, but I may try using a stronger spring for mods one of these days.

As for my opinion on these switches from using them on my Frog TKL, they are very comfortable at the 63.5 gram spring typing for long spurts and even when gaming, though I would use something lighter for extended gaming. The bump is surprisingly tactile and it feels pretty smooth but also slightly sharp to my feeling.

Compared to T1

I got to try the Penguins on the Frog TKL, and aluminum plate. It sounded very familiar, similar to other JWK tactiles like the T1, the Mode Signal, and other similar ergo-clear emulators. The penguins have a slightly different sound and feel, and the Penguins seem to have their bump a little closer to the middle of t the stroke whereas the T1 feels like it is toward the top. Quality-wise, they are both solid switches with no clear flaws like ping, key-chatter etc.

Compared to Boba U4T

Compared to Boba U4Ts (at the same spring weight) this switch is less tiringly tactile. This may or may not be due to a bigger tactile bump. They both have large ones. The Penguins just feel more easy to use, where the Boba U4T (a great switch by the way) is a little too tactile for me to get into a consistent typing rythymn.

Conclusion

These Penguin switches are pretty smooth and have a big rounded bump on the way down. They are a good option and are somewhat comparable to Durock T1s. Both aim to emulate and improve on the Ergo clear. Even though I have since moved to less tactile options such as light tactiles and linears, these are a great choice if you’re looking for a mid-tier priced and similar-but-different JWK tactile. Kinetic Labs does a great job packaging these and giving advice on best practices for modding, which is rare in the world of switches.

They have a good amount of customizability, due to coming dry stock and accepting various types of films and springs, depending on how you want to mod them. They aren’t immensely different from what is already out there and probably won’t change anyone who dislikes tactiles’ mind but they may be just the perfect switch, customizable enough to get it just right, for lots of tactile enjoyers.