Compare keycap profiles

A keycap's profile is the shape of its keys: the height and sculpt that decide how a board feels and looks. This guide walks through every profile we stock so you can find the one that fits your board.

Profiles exist to serve different ergonomic and aesthetic purposes, and they aren't all compatible with every keyboard. Function tends to lead: the height and sculpt decide how a board feels under your fingers. Aesthetics might sound secondary, but it really isn't, since we all want to enjoy how our keyboard looks. In the end, picking a profile is as much about form as function.

The table reads left to right: the profile, the switch family it's cut for, how tall it sits, whether the rows are uniform or sculpted, and a quick note on what makes each one worth picking. "Uniform" means every row is the same shape, so any key can go anywhere, which is handy on ergo boards with odd layouts and rotated thumb keys.

Most of our range is low profile and uniform. MBK, PFF, LPF, DSA Way and SLK all keep a flat, even top that suits ergo and travel boards, where any key can sit in any position. KLP Lamé is the real outlier here: a profile designed specifically for ergonomic columnar staggered keyboards.

URSA is a very different beast. It's a sculpted profile for Topre boards, built with spherical tops that guide your fingers on a traditional staggered layout, so it feels quite unlike a flat set. If you're recapping a Topre board, URSA is the one you want.

Profile and switch are tied together, because the cap has to fit the stem. MBK, KLP Lamé and MNT Pocket are cut for Choc; PFF, LPF, DSA Way, SLK and KLP Lamé serve MX; URSA is Topre. KLP Lamé is the one profile that comes in both MX and Choc versions. Keep in mind that Choc keycaps are usually smaller than MX in their outer dimensions, not just a different stem. If you're not sure which switches your board uses, read Choc vs MX vs Topre first. It'll save you ordering the wrong stem.

Two of our MX profiles also clear low profile MX switches, the likes of Cherry MX Low Profile, Gateron Low Profile, Kailh Choc v2 and Huano Low Profile: PFF and LPF. Both keep enough room under the cap for the shorter travel, so a low profile MX build isn't limited to a single set.

Quick version, depending on your type of keyboard. Running an ergo split or ortholinear board on Choc? Reach for MBK or KLP Lamé, depending on whether you prefer a low uniform profile, or a sculpted one. On an ergo or low-profile MX board, PFF, LPF or SLK will sit nice and flat, whereas KLP Lamé will guide your fingers and bring its sculpt to the board. DSA Way is another more classic option with good kitting coverage. Recapping a Topre board? That's URSA.

PFF or LPF? They cover the same ground, so the call comes down to material and legends. PFF is opaque PBT with dye-sub legends: dense, a little textured, and it wears well over time. LPF is ABS and built for shine-through, so it's the one to reach for on a backlit board where you want the legends to glow. PFF is a generalist rather than an ergo-specific profile, though we kit it with ergo layouts in mind.

The MNT Pocket profile is a special case: it uses Choc switches and was designed by MNT to be rocked on their awesome open-source laptop, the Pocket Reform. You'll mostly see it in specific custom projects where a small form factor matters.

Still deciding? Choosing keycaps for ergo walks through it for split and columnar boards.