Gateron Pom Strawberry Smoothie
Gateron Pom Strawberry Smoothie: a fully-POM, factory-lubed 40g linear with a deep, muted sound and creamy keystroke. Specs, feel and verdict.
How it feels
Feel ratings not yet recorded for this switch.
How it sounds
Full review
Quick Summary
The Gateron Pom Strawberry Smoothie is a fully-POM linear that leans into the “smoothie” family’s calling card: a creamy, rounded keystroke and a deep, muted acoustic that flatters almost any board. With a light 40g actuation and factory lubing, it’s an effortless daily driver that asks nothing of you out of the box. It’s an easy recommendation for anyone who wants a polished full-POM linear without committing to a tuning session.
Specs and Feel
This is a clean linear: no bump, no click, just a uniform glide from top to bottom-out. Pre-travel runs the standard 2.0mm to a 4.0mm total travel, and the 40g spring keeps things on the lighter side of medium. The dual-stage spring is the detail worth noting: the early portion stays soft and forgiving while resistance ramps toward the bottom, so fast typing feels light but bottoming-out never turns harsh.
Both stem and housing are POM, and that material choice defines the experience. The stroke is genuinely smooth, with the slightly self-lubricating quality POM is known for keeping scratch well in check. Wobble is controlled and unremarkable in a good way. Sound-wise it’s deep and muted with a creamy edge, rounder and warmer than a nylon linear, and a clear step down in pitch from anything polycarbonate-housed.
Tuning
You can run these stock and be happy: the factory lube is competent and the smoothness is already there. If you’re chasing the last few percent, a light film and a careful hand-lube will tighten the sound and shave any remaining inconsistency, but it’s a refinement rather than a rescue. PE foam or a poured plate suits the deep POM signature nicely.
Verdict
Pick it. The Strawberry Smoothie is one of the easiest “buy and build” linears in its bracket: smooth, deep-sounding, and ready to go without modding. If you want a heavier or higher-pitched switch it isn’t the one, but for a creamy, low-fuss full-POM linear with a warm acoustic, it delivers exactly what it promises.
Frequently asked
Is the Gateron Pom Strawberry Smoothie a heavy switch?
No. At roughly 40g of actuation force it sits firmly in the light-to-medium range, with a dual-stage spring that keeps the early stroke soft and the bottom-out gently progressive rather than abrupt.
Does it need lubing out of the box?
It ships factory lubed and is genuinely smooth as-is, so most builders can skip a tear-down. A hand lube only sharpens an already-good switch and is best reserved for the most demanding builds.
What does a full-POM switch sound like?
POM housings and stems produce a deeper, more muted, slightly creamy signature than nylon or polycarbonate. Expect a clacky-but-rounded sound that pairs especially well with poured or PE-foam-modded boards.
Compare Gateron Pom Strawberry Smoothie against another switch
Stack specs, sound profiles, and feel side by side.