The switch tester is a fairly sturdy piece of acrylic and has been a great way to teach others about the differences in mechanical switches. It, more than my keyboards, was a gateway for my wife to realize that she wanted a keyboard of her own. She had fun picking the switches. My only gripe is that some of the switches are a bit loose and fall out easily, but that shouldn't be a dealbreaker for anyone.
I love it. It has been sitting on my office desk for about two weeks and every time someone visits they always play with it. It has helped me encourage some of my coworkers(developers) to look into getting a mechanical keyboard. Sad part is they all seem to like the quiet ones.
A little pricy, but the aluminum board is solid and incredibly weighty. It's nice to test a wide variety of switches, though the options maybe a little dated now.
The tester was a great way to narrow down which mechanical switches I liked.
During my switch research, I'd been reading about Cherry Red/Blue/Brown switches over and over again; from dozens of sources.
Guess what? I didn't like any of them ( Browns were close but too light leading to high error rate)
Using this tester, I found that I love Gateron Milky Yellows which hadn't been on my radar.
As far as cons, I wish Pandas (Holy Pandas) had been included as that is one I keep hearing about.
Also, the base doesn't hold the switches securely and the sometimes pop out.
The upside: lots of switches, labels allow you to move them around and keep track easily. It's a helpful tool to share the pleasure of doing a bunch of clicky-clacking with those uninitiated in the keyboard world. And, for the few switches I tested, all in perfect working order, no bent pins.
The downside: the acrylic tray doesn't have the proper cutout shape, and the switches are a bit squished. This means that the switches don't clip properly to a plate.
I would absolutely love this product at $50. I bought it at $65, and I'm still happy with the purchase.
This switch grid was very helpful in seeing all the variety out there. I learned about switches I didn’t know about before. It’s also great for reference, if you find comparisons being made between two switches on the grid for something new.
It was worth the price to me to be able to sample a good variety of switches.
I also find it to be a satisfying fidget toy. Clicking various buttons, with different feel and sound.