Aflion Carrot vs. Everglide Tourmaline Blue

Overview

The Aflion Carrot and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue are two mechanical keyboard switches that offer distinct typing experiences. On one hand, the Carrot is a tactile switch renowned for its bouncy tactile feedback. Its long, two-stage spring provides a uniquely satisfying and springy sensation with each keystroke. Additionally, the Carrot switch produces a mid-pitched and firm sound profile, adding to the overall typing experience. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue is a linear switch that offers a deep and thocky sound profile, creating an immersive and enjoyable typing experience. With its lengthened single-stage spring, it provides a bouncy feel while striking a balance with its standard spring weight. This makes it accessible and enjoyable for a wide range of users. Both switches have their strengths and appeal to different preferences, so let's delve deeper into their characteristics to help you make an informed decision.

By the numbers

Aflion Carrot Tactile

Everglide Tourmaline Blue Linear

$4.60

$3.57 per 10

$6.86

$3.89 per 10

Learn moreLearn more

Housing materials

The Aflion Carrot and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue both feature polycarbonate as their top housing material. This choice results in a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile for both switches. The stiffness of polycarbonate contributes to a clear and resonant sound, making it a preferred material for switches that prioritize audio output. Additionally, the translucency of polycarbonate is advantageous for those who plan to use RGB lighting, as it allows the light to shine through and create visually stunning effects.

However, when it comes to the bottom housing, the Carrot and the Tourmaline Blue differ. The Carrot utilizes nylon as its bottom housing material, while the Tourmaline Blue continues with polycarbonate. The Carrot's nylon bottom housing creates a deeper and fuller sound profile, as nylon is a softer plastic that absorbs more sound. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue's polycarbonate bottom housing maintains the sharper and crisper sound profile associated with polycarbonate. The impact of the bottom housing is primarily felt in the bottom-out sound and feel of the switch, while the top housing has a more significant influence on the sound when a key is released.

In summary, both the Aflion Carrot and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue share polycarbonate as their top housing material, resulting in similar sound profiles. For those who prioritize a sharper and crisper sound and intend to use RGB lighting, these switches will deliver comparable results. However, the Carrot differentiates itself with its nylon bottom housing, which produces a deeper and fuller sound profile. Conversely, the Tourmaline Blue retains the qualities of polycarbonate for its bottom housing, ensuring consistency with the sharper and crisper sound.

Weight

When comparing the actuation force and bottom out force of the Aflion Carrot tactile switch and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch, there are some noticeable differences. The Carrot has a lighter actuation force of 37 grams, while the Tourmaline Blue requires a stronger push with an actuation force of 59 grams. On the other hand, the Carrot has a bottom out force of 45 grams, whereas the Tourmaline Blue has a heavier bottom out force of 67 grams.

For those who prefer a lighter typing experience, the Carrot would be the preferable choice as it requires less force to trigger a keystroke and has a lighter bottom out force. This can be beneficial for individuals who type for extended periods or engage in long gaming sessions, as it reduces the strain on their fingers and provides a more comfortable experience.

However, for those who enjoy a more substantial typing feel and prefer a stronger push, the Tourmaline Blue would be the ideal option. With its higher actuation force and heavier bottom out force, it offers a more robust and tactile typing experience.

It is worth noting that while the forces required for actuation and bottoming out differ between the two switches, the concept of lighter versus heavier remains consistent. The Carrot is lighter in both actuation force and bottom out force compared to the Tourmaline Blue. Therefore, individuals who prefer a lighter switch can expect to achieve similar results regardless of whether they choose the Carrot or the Tourmaline Blue.

Travel distance

Both the Aflion Carrot tactile switch and the Everglide Tourmaline Blue linear switch have a travel distance of 4 mm. This means that when you press down on a key equipped with either of these switches, you will feel the same distance traveled from the top to the bottom. Both switches provide a consistent and comfortable keystroke experience, ensuring that your typing or gaming sessions are smooth and effortless. Whether you choose the Carrot or the Tourmaline Blue, rest assured that you will enjoy a satisfying tactile or linear switch experience, respectively, with the same travel distance of 4 mm.

Price comparison

Typing experience

When it comes to sound, the Carrot switch is best described as clacky, marbly, and high-pitched. It produces a sharp and snappy sound when pressed, resembling the crisp and bright sound of tapping on a rock-solid piece of marble or the collision of billiard balls. This sound profile is ideal for those who prefer a more sharp and percussive auditory feedback. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue switch is described as neutral, meaning it has a moderate sound profile that is suitable for most purposes. While the specific sound characteristics of the Tourmaline Blue switch are not mentioned, it is likely to provide a more moderate and balanced sound experience compared to the Carrot switch.

In terms of feel, the Carrot switch offers a bouncy, snappy, stepped, feathery, and subtle typing experience. The two-stage spring in the Carrot switch gives it a bouncy and spring-like feedback, providing users with a lively feel and rebound upon key press. Additionally, the snappy nature of the Carrot switch makes it highly responsive and enhances the sense of liveliness during typing. Furthermore, the stepped feel of the Carrot switch means that there is a slight pre-travel and/or post-travel, giving it a more mild tactile sensation. The feathery characteristic of the Carrot switch signifies that it requires little finger exertion, making it comfortable for long typing sessions without causing finger fatigue. Finally, the subtlety of the Carrot switch refers to its gentle resistance and light typing feel, coupled with a non-resonant sound profile, making it suitable for shared spaces where a quieter typing experience is desired.

The Tourmaline Blue switch, on the other hand, is described as buttery, easy-to-press, and mild. The buttery characteristic implies a smooth and fluid keystroke experience, providing a seamless and effortless sensation while typing. These switches offer a low-impact and responsive typing feel, reducing finger fatigue during extended typing sessions. The easy-to-press attribute of the Tourmaline Blue switch means it requires minimal force to activate the keys, making typing effortless and comfortable. Lastly, the mild nature of the Tourmaline Blue switch suggests a more gentle typing experience compared to switches with more pronounced characteristics, offering a safe and approachable feel for most users.

In conclusion, the Carrot and Tourmaline Blue switches offer different subjective qualities in terms of sound and feel. The Carrot switch provides a clacky and high-pitched sound profile along with a bouncy, snappy, stepped, feathery, and subtle typing experience. On the other hand, the Tourmaline Blue switch has a neutral sound profile, and it offers a buttery, easy-to-press, and mild typing feel. While each switch has its own unique characteristics, there might be some similarities in the bouncy feel and low-impact typing experience between the Carrot and Tourmaline Blue switches. However, it is important to note that the overall sound and feel might also be influenced by factors such as the choice of keyboard board and keycaps.

Conclusion

To sum up, if you are looking for a fun and bouncy tactile switch with a light bottom out force, the Aflion Carrot is the way to go. This switch offers a uniquely bouncy tactile experience with its long, two-stage spring, and it also provides a mid-pitched and firm sound profile. Its clacky and marbly sound, along with its bouncy and snappy feel, will elevate your typing experience.

On the other hand, if you prefer a deep and thocky sound profile with a medium-heavy bottom out force, the Everglide Tourmaline Blue is the ideal choice. These switches have a lengthened single-stage spring that provides a bouncy feel with each keystroke, striking a good balance with their standard spring weight. With their neutral sound and buttery, easy-to-press, and mild feel, these switches are suitable for a wide range of users.

Ultimately, the decision ultimately comes down to your preferences. If you enjoy a more lively and bouncy typing experience with a lighter touch, the Carrot is for you. But if you prefer a deeper and smoother typing experience with a bit more resistance, the Tourmaline Blue is the way to go. Both switches offer unique qualities that can enhance your overall typing satisfaction. In the end, it's all about finding the switch that aligns with your personal preferences and typing style.

Mentioned in this article

Aflion Carrot Tactile

$4.60

$3.57 per 10

Learn more

Everglide Tourmaline Blue Linear

$6.86

$3.89 per 10

Learn more