How to Lube Mechanical Keyboard Switches: The Cheap Upgrade
I've been typing on mechanical keyboards for four years, and the single biggest improvement I've ever made to a board cost me $12 and an afternoon. Not a new keyboard. Not new keycaps. Just a brush, a tiny jar of Krytox 205g0, and the patience to open up every switch on my RK61 (B089GN2BT) and make it feel like a board three times the price.
Lubing your switches is the best cheap upgrade in this hobby, because it transforms scratchy, rattly budget boards into smooth, creamy typing machines for less than the cost of a pizza dinner.
Here's the thing nobody tells you when you're starting out: the difference between a $60 keyboard and a $200 keyboard isn't the PCB or the case. It's the switches. And the difference between stock switches and lubed switches is bigger than the difference between a budget board and a premium one.
Pros
- Cheaper than any other upgrade: $10 to $15 for lube and a brush
- Fixes scratchy switches permanently (until you swap them)
- Changes the sound signature from clacky to creamy
- You learn your board inside out
Cons
- Takes 2 to 4 hours for a full 75% board
- You can overlube and make switches feel mushy
- Voids warranty on some boards
- Your cat will absolutely knock a tray of open switches onto the floor (mine did, Waffles sends his regards)
Compared to: Buying a New Board
Let's do the math. A new budget board like the AULA F75 Pro (B0D14N2QZF) runs $50 to $70. A tube of Krytox 205g0 runs $12. A brush is $3. A switch puller is $5 if you don't have one.
For $20, you can make your current board feel like a board you'd happily pay $100 for. Or you can spend $60 and get the AULA, which already comes with pre-lubed Leobog Reaper switches that are "smooth to type on, has no scratchy noises" right out of the box.
The AULA is the better long-term move if your current board is truly bottom-tier. But if you've got a board with decent switches that just need some love, lubing them yourself is the most satisfying $20 you'll spend in this hobby. You'll know your board in a way you never did before.
What You Actually Need
The lube. Krytox 205g0 is the gold standard for linear switches. It's a thick grease that smooths out the scratch and adds a deep, creamy sound. For tactile switches, you want a lighter lube like Tribosys 3203 so you don't kill the bump. For clicky switches, don't lube the click mechanism at all, you'll ruin the click.
The brush. A fine-tipped brush, size 0 or 00. You're painting tiny plastic surfaces, not a fence.
The tools. A switch puller to get the switches out of the board, and a switch opener. You can open switches with a flathead screwdriver, but the $8 dedicated opener is worth it. I've bent more than one screwdriver prying at clips.
The surface. A white towel or a magnetic parts tray. Switches are small and they will bounce. You've been warned.
The Process, Step by Step
Step 1: Pull the keycaps and switches. Pull the keycaps first, then use the switch puller to pop each switch out of the board. If your board isn't hot-swappable, stop here. You'll need to desolder, which is a whole different article. Another reason hot-swap is non-negotiable in 2026.
Step 2: Open the switches. Press the two plastic clips on the top housing and lift. The stem and spring will come out. Set the pieces in a row on your towel, top housing, stem, spring, bottom housing. Keep the rows organized. You will thank me later.
Step 3: Lube the stems. This is the part that matters. With your brush, apply a thin layer of lube to the sides of the stem, the parts that slide against the housing. Not the top, not the bottom. The sides. You want a thin, even coat, you should barely see it. If you can see globs, you've used too much.
Step 4: Lube the springs. Drag each spring through a tiny bit of lube, or apply a thin coat with the brush. This kills the "spring ping" you hear on cheap boards. It's a small thing that makes a big difference.
Step 5: Reassemble. Drop the spring into the bottom housing, put the stem on top, press the top housing down until the clips click. Test each switch by pressing it a few times. It should feel smooth, no scratch, no ping.
Step 6: Repeat 80 times. This is the part nobody mentions. A 75% board has 81 switches. At 45 seconds per switch, that's over an hour of focused work. Put on a podcast. This is the meditation of the keyboard hobby.
What It Actually Sounds Like
I lubed a set of linear switches (B0FC69S878) for my RK61 a few months back, and the change was immediate. The scratchy, high-pitched clack became a deeper, rounder sound. Not quite thocky, the RK61's plastic case and tray mount limit how deep it can go, but the difference was obvious on the very first keystroke.
The smoothness is the bigger change. Stock budget switches feel like dragging a plastic fork across a plate. Lubed switches feel like butter. You stop noticing the friction and start noticing the typing itself. I found myself writing grocery lists and gibberish paragraphs just to hear it sing.
When NOT to Lube
If your switches are already pre-lubed, skip it. The Leobog Reapers in the AULA F75 Pro are factory-lubed and smooth out of the box. Opening them up to relube is a waste of an afternoon.
If you have clicky switches and you like the click, don't lube them. Clicky switches (B0GC33V4HK) have a separate click mechanism that gets muted by lube. You can lube the slider rails on clicky switches to smooth the travel, but leave the click bar alone. I've killed a set of Box Jades this way. It's a sad sound.
If your board isn't hot-swappable and you're not comfortable desoldering, don't attempt this on your daily driver. A $20 mistake on a board you need for work is not worth it.
The Sound Signatures, Revisited
Lubing is the cheapest way to change your board's sound signature. A clacky board becomes creamy. A scratchy board becomes smooth. But it won't turn a clacky board thocky, that takes gasket mounting, foam, and a heavier case.
The AULA F75 Pro gets its creamy sound from the gasket mount and pre-lubed switches working together. The Logitech MX Mechanical (B09LJWWX4Y) is clacky because it's a tray mount with no foam, and the switches are soldered in, so you can't even lube them without a full desolder job. At $150, that's a legitimate complaint.
If you want to know what your board can sound like before you spend money on a new one, lube is the answer. It's the cheapest experiment in the hobby, and it teaches you more about switches than any YouTube video will.
Should You Lube Your Switches?
If you're on a budget board like the RK61 (B089GN2KBT) with scratchy stock switches, yes. Absolutely. It's the single best $20 you can spend. If you're on a board with pre-lubed switches like the AULA F75 Pro, no. You've already got what you'd be paying for.
If you're on a Logitech MX Mechanical, you can't. The switches are soldered. That's a $150 board you can't customize, and it's the reason I recommend the AULA to anyone who wants to actually tinker with their setup.
This is the upgrade that teaches you how keyboards work. You'll understand stems, housings, springs, and why sound signatures differ. You'll never look at a spec sheet the same way again.
I'm currently testing whether lubing the tactile switches (B086BYPH79) in my Keychron Q1 Pro (B0BKGNVK98) makes a meaningful difference over the factory lube, so I'll update this when I've got a verdict. Waffles knocked over a tray of springs mid-session last week, so it might take a while.
