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KeebDepot

Stabilizers

The most complete structured stabilizer database on the web — something no competitor currently tracks at field level. Filter by mount (screw-in, snap-in, plate), size, housing material, and factory-lube status.

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About keyboard stabilizers

Stabilizers (stabs) sit under your longer keys — spacebar, shift, enter, backspace, numpad plus — so they press evenly along their length instead of tilting and binding. A bad stab is the single biggest source of rattle and mushy feel on an otherwise great keyboard, which is why a lubed, well-chosen set is the highest-impact upgrade most builders can make.

There are four mounting types. Screw-in PCB-mount stabs fasten to the PCB with small screws through the housing — no wobble, no popping out mid-mod, and the enthusiast default. Clip-in (snap-in) PCB-mount stabs use plastic tabs instead of screws: quicker to install but they can pop loose during keycap swaps. Plate-mount stabs clip into the switch plate and are mostly seen on budget or vintage boards. Snap-in is a looser sub-type of clip-in with the same trade-offs.

Housing and wire material set the sound and feel. POM housings (Cherry, TX, C³Equalz) are self-lubricating and quiet; nylon housings (Durock, Wuque) are slightly grippier and a touch more affordable; polycarbonate shows up on premium sets like Staebies. Wires are usually plated steel — gold-plated wires resist corrosion and can ring less. We track all of this at the field level, plus PCB-thickness fit (most screw-in sets ship 1.2mm and 1.6mm hardware) — data no other catalogue records this granularly.

For a first build, a screw-in PCB-mount set in POM or nylon, hand-lubed with a thick dielectric grease on the wire ends, gets you 90% of the way to a rattle-free board. Factory-lubed sets are a convenient shortcut but rarely beat a careful hand-lube plus a holee-mod on the stem legs.

Frequently asked

Screw-in vs plate-mount vs clip-in — which should I get?
Screw-in PCB-mount is the enthusiast default: it bolts to the PCB so it can't wobble or pop out, giving the cleanest sound and feel. Clip-in (snap-in) PCB-mount is easier to install but can dislodge when you pull keycaps. Plate-mount clips into the switch plate and is fine on budget boards but generally rattlier. If your PCB has stabilizer screw holes, choose screw-in.
What size stabilizers do I need?
Standard full-size and TKL layouts use 2u stabs on shift, enter and backspace, plus one 6.25u on the spacebar. 7u spacebars appear on many older, tray-mount and vintage layouts. A numpad adds a 2u plus and 2u enter. Most kits ship a full 4×2u + 6.25u set; always cross-check your PCB's silkscreen or spec sheet before ordering.
Does PCB thickness (1.2mm vs 1.6mm) matter for stabilizers?
Yes. Screw-in stabs clamp against the PCB, so the clip or shim has to match its thickness. Standard PCBs are 1.6mm; some hot-swap and flex-cut boards are 1.2mm. Good sets (TX, Wuque WS Aurora) include both 1.2mm and 1.6mm hardware in the box. Using the wrong size leaves the housing loose or over-compressed, reintroducing rattle. We list the supported thickness on each product where the maker publishes it.
POM vs nylon vs polycarbonate housing — what changes?
Housing material affects sound and how much lube it needs. POM (Cherry, TX, C³Equalz) is self-lubricating, smooth and quiet out of the box. Nylon (Durock, Wuque) is marginally grippier and usually cheaper — excellent once lubed. Polycarbonate turns up on premium sets like AEBoards Staebies and can sound slightly more resonant. All three are good; the lube job matters more than the plastic.
Are premium stabilizers (TX, C³Equalz, Staebies) worth it over Durock or Gateron?
For a daily-driver, well-lubed Durock or Gateron screw-ins are hard to beat on value. Premium sets like TX AP, C³Equalz V3 and AEBoards Staebies use tighter tolerances and doubleshot or POM stems that reduce tick and wire rattle with less tuning. If you enjoy the build process, budget sets plus a good lube reach 95% of the result; if you want it right out of the bag, the premium sets are the shortcut.
Do I really need to replace and lube the stock stabs?
Not always. Many modern hot-swap keyboards ship with acceptable pre-lubed screw-in stabs. But if the space bar rattles or feels inconsistent end-to-end, swapping to an aftermarket set and lubing it is the single most impactful mod you can do — bigger than switches or keycaps for typing feel and sound.
Why do stabilizer wires need lubing, and with what?
The metal wire pivots inside plastic housings; without grease it produces a characteristic 'tick' or 'ping' on every press. A tiny dab of thick dielectric grease (e.g. Krytox 205g0 or a plumber's silicone grease) on each wire end and the housing contact points silences it for years. Lube the stem sliders lightly too, but keep grease off the wire's clip-in points.
What's the holee mod and do I still need it?
The holee mod wraps a thin band of tape or shrink-tube around the stem's wire insert to remove the tiny gap that causes wire tick. On modern well-toleranced stabs (TX, Wuque, Staebies) it's often unnecessary — a good lube is enough. On looser budget housings it can still meaningfully cut rattle. Try lube first; add the holee mod only if a tick remains.

Explore other stabilizer types

Common facets and sub-categories within the database.

Mount

Screw-in

Enthusiast standard — screws to the PCB for zero wobble and even pressure.

Mount

Clip-in

Clip into the PCB — easier to install, slightly less rigid than screw-in.

Mount

Plate-mount

Clip into the switch plate. Common on budget boards, easy swaps but more wobble.

Feature

Pre-lubed

Arrive silent out of the box — a decent baseline if you skip hand-lubing.