Office · Head-to-head
Gateron Oil King Linear Switch Set vs Akko Creamy Yellow U1 Switch (Lubed)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Keyboard Switches: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Oil King wins on published evidence as much as feel: a lubed POM stem, an ink-blend base, and a data sheet that gives pre-travel, total travel, end force and a force-travel curve. The Akko Creamy Yellow U1 gets you most of the way there for far less, and it is one of the few budget switches that publishes an end force alongside its operating force.
Gateron Oil King Linear Switch Set
Buy itA factory-lubed 55 gf linear with a POM stem and an ink-blend base, and the most complete published spec of anything here.
- Gateron publishes a full data sheet with pre-travel, total travel, an end force limit and a force-travel diagram.
- Ships lubed from the factory with a POM stem, PA66 nylon top and Gateron's ink-blend base.
- 5-pin construction seats firmly in a 5-pin PCB with no wobble from the plate alone.
- Rated up to 60M cycles, below the 100M Gateron claims for its G Pro 3.0 line.
- The opaque housing means Gateron itself warns the backlight effect will not be very visible.
- Only unraised SMD LEDs are supported, so some lit boards are out.
Akko Creamy Yellow U1 Switch (Lubed)
Buy itA lubed 45 gf linear sold in 100-piece packs that publishes both its operating force and its end force, which almost nothing at this price does.
- Akko lists operating force 45 plus or minus 8 gf and end force 55 plus or minus 8 gf, so you can see the whole stroke.
- A force-travel diagram is printed right on the product page.
- POM stem with POM top and PA66 bottom housing, lubed at the factory, with a transparent housing and integrated light diffuser.
- Akko does not publish a rated lifetime in keystrokes for this switch.
- Total travel is 3.6 plus or minus 0.4 mm, shorter than the 4.0 mm most people are used to.
- The wide force tolerance, plus or minus 8 gf, is a bigger spread than Cherry's published figures.
Side by side
| Gateron Oil King Linear Switch Set | Akko Creamy Yellow U1 Switch (Lubed) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Someone who wants a deep, smooth, quiet-ish linear and does not care about RGB. | A first switch swap, or anyone filling a whole board without spending much. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Gateron Oil King Linear Switch Set - A factory-lubed 55 gf linear with a POM stem and an ink-blend base, and the most complete published spec of anything here. Choose the Akko Creamy Yellow U1 Switch (Lubed) instead if a first switch swap, or anyone filling a whole board without spending much.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Keyboard Switches: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).