Aflion Blue Sky vs. Everglide Sakura Pink
An in-depth look at the Aflion Blue Sky and the Everglide Sakura Pink switches—which one is the best fit for you?
Overview
When it comes to choosing the perfect mechanical keyboard switch, two popular options stand out: the Aflion Blue Sky and the Everglide Sakura Pink. The Blue Sky is revered for its long pole stem, offering a crystal clear linear typing experience. With a sparkling sound profile and exquisitely smooth push feel, this switch is categorized as high-pitched, neutral, mild, and polished. On the other hand, the Sakura Pink switches from Everglide are renowned for their super light 35g actuation force, making them ideal for delicate typists. With a gliding type feel and frictionless operation, they provide a smooth and effortless typing experience. These switches produce a delightfully poppy sound reminiscent of bubble wrap being popped, adding a playful touch to your keyboarding sessions. Categorized as buttery, creamy, easy-to-press, frictionless, and muted, they are the lighter cousin of the Everglide Aqua Kings. However, let's dive in a bit deeper beyond these generalities so you can make an informed decision about the best switch for you.
By the numbers
Technical specifications
Actuation force
50g
Actuation force
35g
Bottom-out force
60g
Bottom-out force
45g
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Pre-travel
2.00 mm
Total travel
4.00 mm
Total travel
4.00 mm
Factory lubed
Yes
Factory lubed
Yes
Stem construction
Standard
Stem construction
Standard
Stem material
POM
Stem material
POM
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Top housing material
Polycarbonate
Bottom housing material
Nylon
Bottom housing material
Polycarbonate
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Mount type
PCB (5-pin)
Spring
15mm spring
Spring
Stainless steel
Housing materials
The Aflion Blue Sky and the Everglide Sakura Pink both have polycarbonate top housing, which creates a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile. This is because polycarbonate is a relatively stiffer plastic, leading to a more clear and resonant sound. Additionally, the translucency of polycarbonate makes it especially useful for switches with RGB lighting. Therefore, users can expect similar sound profiles and visual effects from both switches due to their shared polycarbonate top housing.
However, the Blue Sky and the Sakura Pink have different bottom housing materials. The Blue Sky features a nylon bottom housing, known for eliciting a deeper and fuller sound profile. This is because nylon is a softer plastic that absorbs more sound, resulting in a duller and rounder sound. On the other hand, the Sakura Pink has a polycarbonate bottom housing, which contributes to a sharper, higher-pitched, and crisper sound profile. The stiffer nature of polycarbonate enhances clarity and resonance. Consequently, there will be noticeable differences in the bottom-out sound and feel between the two switches because of their contrasting bottom housing materials.
It is important to note that the impact of each housing material is distributed differently throughout the switch. When pressing down on either the Blue Sky or the Sakura Pink, the qualities of the bottom housing become prominent, affecting the bottom-out sound and feel. Conversely, the qualities of the top housing are more noticeable when releasing a key. Consequently, while the top housings of both switches have similar characteristics due to their shared polycarbonate material, the differences in the bottom housings will result in distinguishable variations in the overall sound and tactile experience of the switches.
Weight
When comparing the actuation force and bottom out force of the Aflion Blue Sky linear switch and the Everglide Sakura Pink linear switch, there are notable differences. The Blue Sky has a slightly heavier actuation force of 50 grams compared to the Sakura Pink's lighter actuation force of 35 grams. This means that the Blue Sky requires more force to trigger a keystroke, providing a slightly more substantial typing experience. In terms of bottom out force, the Blue Sky also requires more force with a weight of 60 grams, while the Sakura Pink has a lighter bottom out force of 45 grams. Therefore, the Sakura Pink provides a lighter typing experience overall. Considerations for weight come into play here, as some users prefer a lighter switch for extended typing sessions or gaming, while others prefer a heavier switch for a more pronounced push feel. If a lighter typing experience is desired, the Sakura Pink would be the recommended choice, as both its actuation and bottom out forces are lighter compared to the Blue Sky. On the other hand, if a slightly heavier and more substantial typing experience is preferred, the Blue Sky would be the better option.
Travel distance
Both the Aflion Blue Sky linear switch and the Everglide Sakura Pink linear switch have the same travel distance of 4 mm. This means that when you press down on a key using either switch, you will feel the same distance of travel. Therefore, in terms of travel distance, both switches will provide similar results. There is no difference in the distance travelled by the two switches, making them equal in this aspect.
Price comparison
Which switch is more bang for your buck?
The Aflion Blue Sky has an MSRP of $6.00 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Blue Sky for $4.07.
The Everglide Sakura Pink has an MSRP of $6.86 per 10 switches. At Milktooth, we are able to pass on savings to our customers and offer the Sakura Pink for $3.89.
Here at Milktooth, we offer the best prices on switches (on average, 27% lower the competition). In addition, we offer free shipping on orders over $49.00. We also offer free returns and exchanges, so you can shop with guaranteed satisfaction.
That said, while price is an important piece of the puzzle, our opinion is that you should ultimately pick the option that most suits your unique preferences since you’ll be using these switches for years to come. In other words, finding something perfect for you is, in our view, the most important criteria.
Typing experience
The Aflion Blue Sky linear switch is best known for its crystal clear linear typing experience. It produces a high-pitched sound when pressed, which gives it a sharp and crisp sound profile. The Blue Sky switch offers a mild and polished feel, providing a gentle typing experience with reduced friction and smooth key travel. It is considered approachable to most typists, as its qualities lie in a safe middle-ground zone. Overall, the Blue Sky switch delivers a sparkling sound and a sleek typing sensation.
On the other hand, the Everglide Sakura Pink linear switch is best known for its super light actuation force of 35g, making it perfect for delicate typists. It provides a frictionless and easy-to-press feel, offering a smooth and effortless typing experience. The Sakura Pink switch produces a muted sound, which is softer and quieter compared to regular or clacky switches. It adds a playful touch to keyboarding sessions with its delightfully poppy sound resembling bubble wrap being popped. Typing on the Sakura Pink switch feels buttery and creamy, with a seamless and uniform typing sensation. It effortlessly melts into each keystroke, providing a silky sensation.
In conclusion, the Aflion Blue Sky and Everglide Sakura Pink switches offer contrasting subjective qualities in terms of sound and feel. The Blue Sky switch produces a high-pitched sound and has a mild and polished feel, offering a crystal clear linear typing experience. On the other hand, the Sakura Pink switch offers a muted sound and has a buttery, creamy feel, with a super light actuation force and frictionless operation. Both switches provide a smooth and effortless typing experience, but with different sound profiles and tactile sensations. Choosing between the two will depend on personal preferences, whether one prefers a sharper sound and a safe middle-ground feel with the Blue Sky, or a quieter sound and a smooth, light, and effortless feel with the Sakura Pink.
Conclusion
To sum up, if you are looking for a switch with a medium bottom out force and a high-pitched sound, the Aflion Blue Sky linear switch would be a great choice. With its long pole stem, these switches offer a crystal clear linear typing experience and a sparkling sound profile. The Blue Sky switches also have a mild feel, providing a gentle typing experience with a refined finish. On the other hand, if you prefer a lighter switch with a muted sound, the Everglide Sakura Pink linear switch would be perfect for you. These super light switches have a feather-light actuation force and produce a softer and quieter sound. The Sakura Pinks offer a gliding type feel with frictionless operation, resulting in a smooth and effortless typing experience. Ultimately, the decision between the two switches comes down to your personal preferences for force, sound, and feel.
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