Purple keyboard switches are a niche corner of the mechanical switch world. There isn’t one standard “purple switch” – it’s a color family covering Cherry MX Purple, Kailh Pro Purple, Gateron Oil King Purple, Gateron Purple Crystal, and more. For Canadian buyers, true Cherry MX Purple is still relatively rare and usually comes from specialist keyboard shops or overseas vendors, while Kailh and Gateron purple variants show up more often through enthusiast retailers and some big-box sites like BestBuy Canada.
If you’re in Canada and want Cherry MX Purple specifically, you’re looking at ordering switch packs or PCBs with MX Purple from retailers such as MechanicalKeyboards.com, Cherry-focused shops, or creators reselling batches like Glarses. Amazon.ca does list various Cherry MX switches, but at the time of writing MX Purple itself appears mostly through retailers outside Canada rather than mainstream listings on Amazon.ca’s Cherry MX search page. In contrast, Kailh and Gateron purple switches are much easier to source, with multiple tactile and linear options that drop into any Cherry-style hot-swap keyboard.
What “Purple” Keyboard Switches Actually Are
Purple switches aren’t a spec; they’re a marketing and aesthetic label across several manufacturers.
- Cherry MX Purple – Cherry now lists MX Purple as an official member of its MX lineup, a modern tactile variant distinct from Brown, Blue, or Red.Cherry MX Purple product page confirms it as a legitimate Cherry-made switch. Enthusiast reviews like ThereminGoat’s 2024 MX Purple review describe a tactile Cherry experience aimed at people who want a more modern-feeling bump than classic MX Brown.
- Kailh Pro Purple – Kailh’s Pro series is built for custom keyboards. Pro Purple is a tactile Cherry-style switch with an MX-compatible stem, sold directly by Kailh and shops such as KeebsForAll. It targets enthusiasts who want a crisp bump in a compact switch body.
- Gateron Oil King Purple – Marketed as a silent tactile purple switch and carried by EU vendors like QwertyKey, it’s pitched as an alternative to louder tactiles, trading sharp sound for a damped feel.
- Gateron Purple Crystal – A linear, pre-lubed, 5‑pin, SMD-compatible switch with a translucent housing. Gateron’s own listing and BestBuy Canada’s product page both highlight that it’s pre-lubed, uses 5 pins, and is designed for RGB/SMD boards.
People chase these purple variants for three reasons:
- Feel: Tactile vs linear vs silent; Cherry MX Purple and Kailh Pro Purple are about bump quality, Purple Crystal is about smoothness, Oil King Purple is about quiet tactility.
- Aesthetics: Housing and stem color matter in transparent cases or with RGB.
- MX ecosystem compatibility: Most purple switches use MX-style stems and pins, so they can be mixed on the same hot-swap board if you match tactile/linear preferences.
Types of Purple Switches and How They Differ
You can’t pick purple switches on color alone. For a Canadian buyer mixing switches, the meaningful differences are feel type and mounting style.
Here’s a compact comparison of four common purple options:
| Switch | Manufacturer | Feel type | Pins / Mount | MX-style stem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry MX Purple | Cherry | Tactile | PCB mount (Cherry MX) | Yes |
| Kailh Pro Purple | Kailh | Tactile | MX-style (3- or 5-pin sets) | Yes |
| Gateron Oil King Purple | Gateron | Silent tactile | MX-style | Yes |
| Gateron Purple Crystal | Gateron | Linear, pre-lubed | 5-pin, SMD compatible | Yes |
A few practical points when you mix or substitute:
- Tactile vs linear: Cherry MX Purple and Kailh Pro Purple belong in the same tactile family. They’re reasonable substitutes for one another if you’re chasing a bump rather than speed. Gateron Purple Crystal is a different animal; swapping it in will make those keys feel smooth and bump-free.
- Silent vs standard: Oil King Purple targets users who need quieter tactility. If you drop it into a board otherwise full of standard tactiles like MX Brown or Pro Purple, those keys will sound and feel more damped.
- Pins (3 vs 5): Gateron Purple Crystal is explicitly 5‑pin and SMD LED compatible. Many hot-swap PCBs in enthusiast boards support 5‑pin switches natively; some cheap prebuilt boards only accept 3‑pin plate-mount. If your board is 3‑pin only, you’ll either need to trim the extra plastic legs on 5‑pin switches (common mod) or pick 3‑pin variants such as some Kailh Pro Purple packs.
- Plate vs PCB: Cherry MX-style switches sit either in a plate plus PCB or PCB only. Most custom hot-swap boards sold to hobbyists in Canada use plate+PCB with MX-style cutouts, so any MX-stem purple switch should fit. It’s still worth checking whether your PCB has north-facing or south-facing LEDs if you care about RGB alignment with Gateron Purple Crystal.
If you’re building mixed boards (for example, MX Purple on letters, Purple Crystal on spacebar/modifiers), the most critical checks are: MX-style stem for your keycaps, pin count compatibility with your PCB, and consistent travel height.
Buying Purple Switches in Canada and Cross-Border
For Canadian buyers and small resellers, the main routes to purple switches are:
1. General marketplaces (Canada-based)
- Amazon.ca: The Cherry MX mechanical switches search shows a variety of Cherry MX switch packs, housings, and keyboards using Cherry switches. The mix changes over time, but it’s currently more reliable for mainstream colors (Red, Brown, Blue) than for MX Purple itself.
- BestBuy Canada: BestBuy lists enthusiast-grade components such as Gateron Purple Crystal linear switches. For many Canadian buyers, this is the easiest way to get a purple linear switch set without importing.
These channels are strong choices if you want
- straightforward shipping within Canada,
- brand-name switches like Gateron Purple Crystal,
- and you don’t mind starting with more common purple options rather than chasing Cherry MX Purple specifically.
2. Keyboard specialty shops (often cross-border)
If you want Cherry MX Purple or more exotic Kailh/Gateron variants, specialty shops are the realistic route.
- Cherry MX Purple: Enthusiast shops such as MechanicalKeyboards.com carry Cherry switch lines, including MX Purple in some configurations. Boutique sellers and creators (for example Glarses’s MX Purple batch) sometimes sell limited runs directly.
- Kailh Pro Purple: You can buy directly from Kailh via the Kailh Pro switch set and through regional retailers like KeebsForAll’s Pro Purple page. KeebsForAll offers an en‑CA storefront, but stock may ship from outside Canada.
- Gateron Oil King Purple and other silent tactiles: EU and global shops such as QwertyKey and silent-tactile collections like TALP Keyboard’s silent tactile lineup make these accessible if you’re comfortable importing.
For Canadian buyers, this typically means:
- Shipping from the US, EU, or Asia, with longer transit times and possible import charges.
- Better access to niche tactiles (MX Purple, Oil King Purple) and consistent batch quality.
- Higher per-switch cost than mass-market linear options, offset by feel and brand consistency.
3. Marketplaces and general parts sellers
DHgate and similar marketplaces tend to surface keyboard parts, kits, and switch testers more than branded Cherry MX Purple packs. Around 2026-10-16, DHgate listings relevant to switches included items like a 36PCS 3‑pin tactile switch accessory pack and several mechanical switch tester keychains and plates (for example, a Mechanical Keyboard Switches Tester Keychain and a switch tester plate labeled for Kaihua/Cherry). These are useful if you want cheap generic tactiles or a tester to compare MX-style switches, but they’re not clearly labeled as Cherry MX Purple or branded Kailh/Gateron purple variants.
If you browse marketplaces like DHgate for purple switches:
- Treat listings as generic MX-style parts unless the brand and model (Cherry MX Purple, Kailh Pro Purple, Gateron Purple Crystal, etc.) are clearly specified.
- Read product titles and photos carefully to confirm pin count (3 vs 5) and mounting style.
- For larger orders or small-batch resale, spend time confirming specs and seller history. DHgateWiki’s guides on what DHgate is and finding trusted sellers can help you vet individual suppliers before you commit.
4. How a Canadian buyer or reseller might choose a route
Scenario: personal build, tactile purple feel. If you’re building one custom keyboard and want tactile purple switches with minimal hassle in Canada, Gateron Purple Crystal from BestBuy (if you’re willing to go linear), or Kailh Pro Purple via KeebsForAll (if you prefer tactile) are practical options. You get MX-style compatibility and clear product specs, with relatively predictable shipping.
Scenario: small ecommerce shop testing demand. If you plan to stock 20-50 sets of purple switches:
- Use specialty shops or direct-from-manufacturer routes (Kailh, Gateron) for your first batch so the feel and branding are consistent.
- Consider adding a few generic MX-style purple tactiles from marketplaces to sell as “unbranded purple tactiles,” clearly labeled as such, but avoid mixing them in the same listing as Cherry/Kailh/Gateron.
- Build one or two demo boards with each switch family so customers can feel the difference between Cherry MX Purple style tactiles, silent tactiles like Oil King Purple, and smooth linears like Purple Crystal.
Choosing purple switches for Canadian builds is ultimately about marrying feel type (tactile, linear, silent) with realistic sourcing. If you can’t justify importing Cherry MX Purple, Kailh and Gateron’s purple families give you most of the tactile or linear experience with simpler availability.