A keyboard stabilizer is placed beneath the bigger keys on your keyboard to allow for an even press through and to prevent any rattling or unevenness. They keep your keycaps stable when pressed down with the switch so that you have a consistent typing experience and a pleasing sound. There are different types of stabilizers based off your keyboard PCB and compatibility. Cherry style stabilizers are by far the widely used out there and these include plate-mounted, screw-in and snap-in options.
The ideal stabilizer allows for no wobble and minimal sound when those keys are pressed at any angle or area. On a standard keyboard, the keys that need a stabilizer are the spacebar, shift keys, enter/return, and backspace. Having a stable and consistent keypress is important when typing and gaming. For sound, it is a must-have as a noisy and rattly spacebar can be grating to the ears.
If you're looking for a great starter set, these KBDFand Dyboox Screw-in Stabs are perfect. These are the same ones used with many of KBDFans' pre-built keyboards and come in a couple different colors for those that want to personalize their stabilizers. They offer the ability to use as mount or screw-in for those that want the options. We highly recommend using a keyboard PCB that supports screw-in it's the best at reducing vibration. The great thing about KBDFans is that they sometimes offer some extra services to save you some time on your purchase. They to clip and lube your stabiliers for an extra $2 and those tasks greatly reduce rattle and make your stabilizers way beter.
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Offered by DROP, these Everglide Panda stabilzers are manufactured by Durock and feature gold-plated wires and made from lightweight and durable polymer. These are also plate-mounted stabilizers and MX-compaible. These are a solid choice for those looking for a high-quality and traditional option for their stabs.
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Durock is well-known for making great stabilizers (like the Everglide branded one above) and the Durock V2 Stabs are well-known for good reason. They are super-smooth, come pre-clipped, and are screw-in mounted. Just make sure you can install screw-ins on your PCB and you're good to go.
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Most people who get into mechanical keyboards value both the feel and sound of their keyboard. Getting great stabilizers and putting in the work to reduce key rattle is an easy and cheap way to get your keyboard to sound great right off the bat. Many keyboard enthusiasts often see the mark of super-quiet stabilizers with no rattle with respect.
The latest version of the Planck keyboard supports hot swappable switches, LEDs, a small speaker and even rotary encoders. There are several offerings for baseplates: EOTW (easy on the wallet), hi-pro and low-pro. These keyboards usually come in as a kit with some light assembly required.
Buy on Amazon Buy on DropThe Preonic keyboard is the Planck's big brother with an extra row of keys for those really missing the number row or want more keys to customize. The newest version of the Preonic is almost identical the Planck in terms of features.
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