Kailh Box Sun
The Kailh Box Sun 50g is a clicky switch with a central light pipe for bright backlighting. Notes on its click feel, sound and ideal boards.
How it feels
Feel ratings not yet recorded for this switch.
How it sounds
clackyFull review
Quick Summary
The Kailh Box Sun is a clicky switch with a twist: a central light pipe engineered to channel light from a center-mounted LED straight up through the switch. The clicky feel is standard Box fare (a defined click bar and a short, snappy travel), but the lighting design is the reason to choose it. If you are building an RGB or backlit board with center LEDs and want a clicky switch that shows the light off, the Sun is purpose-built for it.
Specs and Feel
The Sun actuates at roughly 50g with a click force around 60g, over 1.8mm pre-travel and 3.5mm total travel. The Box-style POM stem reduces wobble and protects the contacts, as on the rest of the Box clicky family. Feel-wise it is firmly clicky, with the click bar driving a crisp, tactile bump and a clean reset. The defining trait is the transparent central light pipe, which directs LED light up through the core of the switch, a meaningful upgrade for backlighting evenness compared with switches that scatter light around the housing edges.
Tuning
As a click-bar switch, the Sun is best left stock: lube would deaden the click. The light pipe means you should pair it with SMD or center LEDs to get the intended effect; mount it on a board without center LEDs and you simply have a normal Box clicky with no lighting payoff. If anything, the tuning here is about the board, not the switch: get your LED placement right and the Sun rewards you with a bright, focused glow.
Verdict
Buy the Box Sun if you want a clicky switch that is built for backlighting. For an RGB-forward board with center LEDs, it is a clever, inexpensive choice. If lighting is not part of your build, a plain Box Summer or Box White gives you the same clicky character without paying for a light pipe you will not use. The Sun’s niche is specific, but within it there are few switches that do the job as neatly.
Frequently asked
What makes the Box Sun different from other clicky switches?
It has a central light pipe designed to sit over a center-mounted LED, so it routes backlighting straight up through the middle of the switch for a bright, even glow under the keycap.
How heavy is the tactile click?
Actuation is around 50g with a click force near 60g, so there is a clear, defined click bump on the way down before the short reset.
Will it work on any keyboard?
The light pipe is built for PCBs with the LED placed under the center of the switch. It works fine without that, but you only get the lighting benefit on a board designed for center LEDs.
Compare Kailh Box Sun against another switch
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