Durock Sea Glass vs. Everglide Sunset Yellow
An in-depth look at the Durock Sea Glass and the Everglide Sunset Yellow switches—which one is the best fit for you?
Overview
If you're in the market for a new mechanical keyboard switch, two options worth considering are the Durock Sea Glass and the Everglide Sunset Yellow. The Sea Glass switch series by Durock stands out with its captivating pastel colors and unique typing experience. These linear switches offer a distinct dryness, wispiness, and airiness, while remaining smooth to the touch. Despite their 62g bottom-out force, they feel weightless and provide a frictionless typing experience, accompanied by a uniquely hollow sound signature. On the other hand, the Sunset Yellow switches from Everglide offer a different indulgent experience. With their Creamsicle-colored design and rich, bassy sound profile, typing becomes a decadent pleasure. These medium-weight linear switches feature a POM stem and proprietary factory lube method, resulting in a smooth gliding feel and highly responsive typing experience. While the Sea Glass switches are categorized as 'Frictionless,' 'Mild,' and 'Feathery,' the Sunset Yellow switches are characterized as 'Bassy,' 'Creamy,' 'Frictionless,' 'Polished,' and 'Thocky.' However, let's dive in a bit deeper beyond these generalities so you can make the best decision for your needs.
By the numbers
Technical specifications
Actuation force
45g
Actuation force
43g
Bottom-out force
62g
Bottom-out force
51g
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Total travel
3.80 mm
Total travel
3.20 mm
Factory lubed
Yes
Factory lubed
Yes
Stem construction
Standard
Stem construction
Standard
Stem material
P3+
Stem material
Ly
Top housing material
Polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend
Top housing material
POM
Bottom housing material
Polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend
Bottom housing material
POM
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Spring
Gold-plated
Spring
Single-staged lengthened 20mm spring
Housing materials
The Durock Sea Glass and the Everglide Sunset Yellow both boast unique housing materials that contribute to their distinct sound profiles. While the Sea Glass features a Polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend for both its top and bottom housing, the Sunset Yellow utilizes a POM material for both components. As a result, both switches offer pleasant sound profiles, yet they differ in terms of tone and intensity.
In terms of sound profiles, the Sea Glass's polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend top housing produces a slightly brighter and more cheerful sound, described as pleasant and not particularly sharp. In contrast, the Sunset Yellow's POM top housing leans towards the deeper side, with a relatively more muted sound. Thus, if a user seeks a switch with a brighter and more vibrant sound when releasing a key, the Sea Glass would be the ideal choice.
Similarly, the Sea Glass's bottom housing, made from the same polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend as the top housing, contributes to a sound profile that is pleasant and bright. Conversely, the Sunset Yellow's POM bottom housing delivers a deeper and more muted sound. When pressing down on a key, users will experience the qualities of the bottom housing, with the Sea Glass offering a livelier bottom-out sound and feel compared to the Sunset Yellow.
In summary, both the Durock Sea Glass and the Everglide Sunset Yellow offer unique housing materials that influence their respective sound profiles. While the Sea Glass's polymer nylon and UHMWPE blend creates a brighter and more pleasant sound for both the top and bottom housing, the Sunset Yellow's POM material yields a deeper and relatively muted sound. Nevertheless, both switches provide satisfying results, with the Sea Glass emphasizing a vibrant release sound and the Sunset Yellow offering a deeper bottom-out experience.
Weight
When comparing the Durock Sea Glass linear switch and the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch, it is evident that they have different actuation and bottom out forces. The Durock Sea Glass has a slightly heavier actuation force of 45 grams, while the Everglide Sunset Yellow has a lighter actuation force of 43 grams. This means that the Sunset Yellow switch requires a slightly lighter touch to trigger a keystroke.
Moving on to the bottom out force, the Durock Sea Glass has a heavier bottom out force of 62 grams, indicating a more substantial typing experience when pressing the keys all the way down. On the other hand, the Everglide Sunset Yellow has a lighter bottom out force of 51 grams, offering a slightly softer and more forgiving bottoming out sensation.
In terms of weight, those who prefer a lighter typing experience may lean towards the Everglide Sunset Yellow switch due to its lighter actuation and bottom out forces. This allows for extended periods of comfortable typing, making it ideal for situations like work or long gaming sessions. However, if one prefers a stronger push feel and desires a more substantial typing experience, the Durock Sea Glass switch with its slightly heavier actuation and bottom out forces would be a better choice.
In conclusion, although both switches fall under the medium force category, the Durock Sea Glass can be considered the heavier option, while the Everglide Sunset Yellow is the lighter option. The choice ultimately depends on personal preference and the desired typing or gaming experience. Both switches, however, can provide similar results if one prefers the medium actuation and bottom out forces, and the slight differences in force may not be noticeable to some users.
Travel distance
The Durock Sea Glass linear switch has a travel distance of 3.8 mm, while the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch has a slightly shorter travel distance of 3.2 mm. Both switches have a travel distance that falls within the range of traditional distances, with the Sea Glass being slightly longer and the Sunset Yellow being slightly shorter. The choice between the two switches ultimately depends on personal preference. Gamers, for example, may prefer the shorter travel distance of the Sunset Yellow switch as it allows for faster response times. On the other hand, those who prefer a more substantial keypress may find the longer travel distance of the Sea Glass switch to be more satisfying. Regardless of the choice made, both switches will provide a tactile experience with their own nuances to enhance the typing or gaming experience.
Price comparison
Which switch is more bang for your buck?
The Durock Sea Glass has an MSRP of $5.80 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Sea Glass for $4.87.
The Everglide Sunset Yellow comes in at $3.09 per 10 switches.
Here at Milktooth, we offer the best prices on switches (on average, 27% lower the competition). In addition, we offer free shipping on orders over $49.00. We also offer free returns and exchanges, so you can shop with guaranteed satisfaction.
That said, while price is an important piece of the puzzle, our opinion is that you should ultimately pick the option that most suits your unique preferences since you’ll be using these switches for years to come. In other words, finding something perfect for you is, in our view, the most important criteria.
Typing experience
In terms of sound, the Durock Sea Glass linear switch offers a uniquely hollow sound signature. This means that when typing on these switches, you can expect a sound that is distinct and different from traditional keyboard switches. On the other hand, the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch has a sound profile described as bassy and thocky. This means that the sound produced by these switches is deeper, richer, and has a satisfying thud or knock when pressed and released. Overall, both switches provide captivating sound profiles that enhance the typing experience. While the Sea Glass switch offers a hollow sound, the Sunset Yellow switch offers a bassy and thocky sound.
In terms of feel, the Durock Sea Glass linear switch is described as frictionless, mild, feathery, and easy-to-press. This means that typing on these switches will be incredibly smooth and effortless, with minimal resistance or friction. They provide a gentle typing experience that is comfortable for extended typing sessions. On the other hand, the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch is described as creamy, frictionless, and polished. This means that typing on these switches will feel smooth and buttery, with a silky sensation as your fingers effortlessly glide across the keys. They offer reduced friction and smooth key travel for a sleek typing experience. Both switches provide exceptional typing feel, with the Sea Glass switch offering a frictionless and mild experience, while the Sunset Yellow switch offers a creamy and polished feel.
In conclusion, the Durock Sea Glass linear switch and the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch have different subjective qualities in terms of sound and feel. The Sea Glass switch offers a hollow sound and a typing experience that is smooth, mild, and frictionless. On the other hand, the Sunset Yellow switch offers a bassy and thocky sound and a typing experience that is creamy, frictionless, and polished. Both switches provide unique and captivating qualities that enhance the typing experience. While the sound and feel may be different, if you are looking for a switch with similar smoothness and effortless typing experience, both options will deliver satisfactory results.
Conclusion
To sum up, if you are looking for a unique and distinct typing experience, the Durock Sea Glass linear switch would be a great choice. These switches offer a dry, wispiness, and airiness while remaining smooth. Despite their medium bottom-out force of 62 grams, they feel weightless due to their frictionless nature. The Sea Glass switches also produce a uniquely hollow sound, adding to the overall typing experience.
On the other hand, if you prefer a more indulgent and rich typing experience, the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch is the way to go. These switches have a medium-light bottom-out force of 51 grams and offer a rich, bassy sound reminiscent of mahjong tiles colliding. With their POM stem and proprietary factory lube method, the Sunset Yellow switches provide a distinct gliding feel and a highly responsive typing experience.
In terms of sound, the Sea Glass switches deliver a yet-to-be-described sound profile, while the Sunset Yellow switches offer a bassy and thocky sound, adding depth and satisfaction to your keystrokes.
When it comes to feel, the Sea Glass switches are known for their frictionless, mild, feathery, and easy-to-press characteristics. These switches offer a smooth and effortless typing experience, gentle resistance during key presses, and minimal exertion from your fingers. On the other hand, the Sunset Yellow switches are described as creamy, frictionless, and polished. They provide a buttery typing experience, reduced resistance and friction, and a sleek finish.
Ultimately, the choice between the Durock Sea Glass linear switch and the Everglide Sunset Yellow linear switch will depend on your personal preference for typing experience. If you value a distinct dry and airy feel with a hollow sound, go for the Sea Glass switches. However, if you prefer a rich and indulgent typing experience with a bassy sound, the Sunset Yellow switches are the way to go.
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