Akko CS Air Switch vs Cherry MX Red
Cherry MX Red has live pricing available right now while Akko CS Air Switch is temporarily out of stock across tracked vendors. Cherry MX Red actuates lighter at 45 gf, while Akko CS Air Switch pushes back at 48 gf. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Detailed comparison
Spec-by-spec breakdown — differences highlighted in cyan.
| Spec | Akko CS Air Switch | Cherry MX Red |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Akko CS Air Switch | Cherry MX Red |
| Brand | Akko | Cherry |
| Price range | — | $12.99 |
| Community score | — | — |
| Switch type | Linear | Linear |
| Stem | MX (Cherry-compatible) | MX (Cherry-compatible) |
| Pins | 3 | 5 |
| Actuation force | 48 gf | 45 gf |
| Bottom-out force | 56 gf | 100 gf |
| Pre-travel | 1.9 mm | 2 mm |
| Total travel | 4 mm | 4 mm |
| Factory lubed | — | Yes |
| LED slot | — | — |
| Housing top | Polycarbonate | — |
| Housing bottom | Polycarbonate | — |
| Stem material | POM | — |
| Manufacturer | — | — |
Name
- Akko CS Air Switch
- Akko CS Air Switch
- Cherry MX Red
- Cherry MX Red
Brand
- Cherry MX Red
- Cherry
Price range
- Cherry MX Red
- $12.99
Community score
Switch type
- Akko CS Air Switch
- Linear
- Cherry MX Red
- Linear
Stem
- Akko CS Air Switch
- MX (Cherry-compatible)
- Cherry MX Red
- MX (Cherry-compatible)
Pins
Actuation force
- Akko CS Air Switch
- 48 gf
- Cherry MX Red
- 45 gf
Bottom-out force
- Akko CS Air Switch
- 56 gf
- Cherry MX Red
- 100 gf
Pre-travel
- Akko CS Air Switch
- 1.9 mm
- Cherry MX Red
- 2 mm
Total travel
- Cherry MX Red
- 4 mm
Factory lubed
LED slot
Housing top
- Akko CS Air Switch
- Polycarbonate
Housing bottom
- Akko CS Air Switch
- Polycarbonate
Stem material
Manufacturer
Which should you buy?
Cherry MX Red has live pricing available right now while Akko CS Air Switch is temporarily out of stock across tracked vendors. Cherry MX Red actuates lighter at 45 gf, while Akko CS Air Switch pushes back at 48 gf. The right pick comes down to which spec trade-offs fit your build — the pick-if grid below breaks that out in detail.
Pick Akko CS Air Switch if
- You want a heavier 48gf actuation for deliberate typing
- You don't mind hand-lubing for a fully dialed-in feel
Pick Cherry MX Red if
From $12.99
- You prefer a lighter 45gf actuation for faster keypresses
- You value factory lube — no modding needed out of the box
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