Computer Lounge is stocking a new range of Varmilo mechanical gaming keyboards featuring Varmilo's in-house designed EC V2 switches to enhance your gaming and typing experience!

There are 4 variants of Varmilo mechanical switches that we will be exploring today - Daisy, Ivy, Rose, and Sakura. The EC in the name of these switches stands for electrostatic capacitive, something that we will look into a little later on. As a TLDR, Varmilo EC switches are built to improve upon the industry standard Cherry MX mechanical switches with increased lifespan, smoothness and a generally better feeling typing experience overall.

Electrostatic Capacitive (EC) Switch Design

Many of you will be wondering what an electrostatic capacitive switch is, what is different compared to a regular mechanical switch, and of course why you would want to buy a keyboard with EC switches over typical Cherry MX switches.

Most of the components which make up an EC switch are exactly the same as a regular Cherry MX switch. They still have a stem, housing, spring, slider and contact leaves, and are compatible with keycaps and keycap sets that have traditional Cherry MX mounting. The difference between a Cherry MX switch and a Varmilo EC switch is the method of registering a keystroke.

A Cherry MX switch registers a keystroke when the slider is pressed down enough for the metal contacts to physically touch. EC switches use electrostatic capacitance to register keystrokes. As the switch is pressed, the contacts come into close proximity. There is an electric field between the contacts, and as the switch moves this field is disrupted, causing a change in electrostatic capacitance. This change is measured, and a keystroke is registered when a certain value of electrostatic capacitance is reached.

Advantages of an EC V2 Switch

Because there is no physical contact between the leaves in an EC switch, there is no wear and tear on the leaves over time like in a Cherry MX or other traditional mechanical switch. This also means that over time, EC switches should have better resistance to wear and tear from dust, spills and other particles causing issues with registering keystrokes.

Varmilo EC V2 switches are also designed to have a faster response time compared to traditional mechanical switches. This is due to the nature of the scanning process in keyboards with EC switches - there is less scanning required compared to traditional switches to detect accidental keypresses and noise in the keystroke registering process.

Varmilo keyboards with EC V2 switches are designed specifically to have a better typing experience overall compared to conventional switches. Generally speaking, EC V2 switches tend to have a less ‘scratchy’ feeling (more smooth) than a standard mechanical switch, less wobble in the stem and housing, and high quality materials for components like the spring which all contribute to the switches improving your gaming and typing experience.

Varmilo Ivy EC V2

The Ivy V2 switch is the only one in the EC V2 family from Varmilo that falls under the ‘clicky switch’ class. It produces a clean crisp click when pressed, and has a 50g actuation force with a 60g tactile force. This is most comparable to a Cherry MX Blue switch or other equivalent. They can be described as a ‘durable’ switch which requires a moderate amount of force to actuate. If you are a user who likes the mechanical ‘click’ sound when typing on your keyboard, and enjoy the tactile feedback with each keystroke then a keyboard with EC Ivy V2 switches might be the right option for you.

Varmilo Rose EC V2

The Rose EC V2 is the first out of 3 linear switches in the EC V2 family. It features an actuation force of 55g - this is considered to be a heavy switch in the realm of linear switches. It is heavier than a Cherry MX Red switch but lighter than a Cherry MX Black switch which makes it a good middle ground for users who find the 60g actuation force of a Cherry MX Black a little too much but still prefer the heavier force required compared to a Cherry MX Red. Heavier switches are good for users who tend to make more mistakes when typing with lighter switches and accidental keypresses. Because it is a linear switch, it is also good for office use as it makes less noise than a tactile clicky switch.

Varmilo Sakura EC V2

The Sakura EC V2 is a 45g linear switch, the middle in the EC V2 linear switches in terms of actuation force. This puts it up against the Cherry MX Red and Cherry MX Speed Silver. If you play games which require multiple quick keypresses or high APM then this is perfect. Again like the Rose EC V2, because it is a linear switch it is suitable for office use without any audio feedback.

Varmilo Daisy EC V2

The Daisy EC V2 is the lightest of the 3 linear EC V2 switches which Varmilo is offering. It has an actuation force of 35g which is lighter than a Cherry MX Red or Speed Silver, so if you are looking for pure speed when playing games then the Daisy EC V2 is what you want to be looking for. Because the switch is so light, it can also reduce fatigue when typing or gaming for long periods of time.

With all the variants of EC V2 switches available, it's likely that there will be a switch suited to your preference! Check out some of the different Varmilo keyboards we stock below, or if you would like to get a feel for some mechanical switches to get a better idea of how the switches feel when typing then head to our showroom and try out our mechanical switch tester or the Varmilo keyboards we have on display!