Gateron POM Chocolate Smoothie
The Gateron POM Chocolate Smoothie is a full-POM tactile switch with a 55g rounded bump, factory lube and a deep, muted sound. Specs, feel and verdict.
How it feels
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How it sounds
Full review
Quick Summary
The Gateron POM Chocolate Smoothie is a full-POM tactile switch that trades sharpness for smoothness. Its 55g rounded bump is gentle and forgiving rather than crisp, and the POM stem-and-housing pairing gives it the deep, muted, almost dampened sound the Smoothie family is known for. It’s a strong pick for anyone who wants a tactile feel without the snappy aggression of a Boba-style switch, and who prioritises a creamy, low-pitched typing experience.
Specs and Feel
This is a tactile switch with a 55g actuation force, 2.0mm of pre-travel and a slightly short 3.6mm total travel, riding on a dual-stage spring. The tactile event is soft and rounded. You feel a clear nudge near the top of the stroke, but there’s no sharp peak or click, which makes it feel polished and easy on the fingers over long sessions. The full-POM construction is the headline: stem and housing are both self-lubricating polyacetal, so the keystroke glides with minimal scratch and almost no spring ping. Wobble is well controlled in both directions, and the shorter total travel gives the bottom-out a tidy, contained finish. The sound profile is deep, muted and bassy rather than bright. POM tends to soak up the high-frequency clack, leaving a soft thock.
Tuning
There’s little to do here. The switch arrives factory lubed and the POM housing is inherently smooth, so it performs well stock. If you want to chase total silence you can lightly lube the springs to kill any residual ping, and switch films are largely redundant given how tight the POM tolerances already are.
Verdict
Buy this if you want a smooth, creamy tactile that leans muted and refined rather than loud and snappy. The soft 55g bump won’t satisfy anyone hunting for an aggressive, well-defined tactile peak, but for office-friendly typing and a deep, low sound, the Chocolate Smoothie is an easy, low-effort recommendation, especially as a near drop-in switch that needs no modding to feel great.
Frequently asked
Is the Gateron POM Chocolate Smoothie a tactile or linear switch?
It's a tactile switch. Despite the smooth, dessert-themed naming of the Smoothie family, the Chocolate variant uses a rounded 55g tactile bump near the top of the stroke rather than a clean linear glide.
Does the Chocolate Smoothie need lube?
No. It ships factory lubed and the full-POM construction is already buttery, so most builders run it stock. A light hand-lube on the springs can quiet ping if you're chasing absolute silence, but it isn't necessary.
What makes the full-POM housing different?
POM is naturally self-lubricating and acoustically softer than nylon or polycarbonate, so the switch sounds deeper and more muted with very little high-pitched clack, a big part of the "creamy" character.
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