Kailh Hotswap Sockets
Please note: For kits sold at splitkb.com, if these sockets can be used, they'll be included in the kit itself. These sockets can only be used with keyboards that were designed for it. Buy this item if you're ordering a kit from a place that doesn't include sockets, or when you need replacement parts.
Some PCBs support Kailh hotswap sockets. They're an easy to install and affordable way to hot swap your switches.
Need some extra sockets with your kit, or did you get a kit that doesn't include sockets by default? Then you can get extra sockets here!
Package contents
- 50 hotswap sockets. You'll need one socket per switch.
- Packaged in cut reel strips in a ziploc bag.
Technical specifications
- Supports either MX or Choc switches.
- Rated for an operating life of 100 cycles, meaning you can expect reliable operation until you've swapped out your switches one hundred times.
- Rated for a voltage of 12V and a current of 10mA, making them suitable for use in keyboards.
Remarks
- These sockets can only be used when the PCB itself was designed for it. For example, these sockets are compatible with the Aurora kits specifically designed for the MX or Choc version of this socket, the Kyria rev3, along with many other keyboard kits.
- To add hotswap capabilities to a PCB that wasn't designed for these Kailh sockets, consider using Mill Max hotswap sockets.
- The sockets face the PCB with the protrusions: the sockets sit partly within the PCB.
Read more
To learn why you'd want (or maybe wouldn't want) to use hot swap sockets, read Why would I want to use hot swap sockets for my switches?
You should use new switches with any hot swap socket. Read Can I use desoldered switches with hot swap sockets?