You can remove these stabilizers by first removing the switch, then pressing on a small plastic tab on the stabilizer, while simultaneously lifting up on the stabilizer. Screw-In Stabilizers Costar stabilizers are quite difficult to use and have to be hooked into the keycap to fit. Getting the stabilizer bar to insert properly into the keycap can be a frustrating and lengthy process.

If you like to remove your keycaps and clean your keyboard regularly, these stabilizers can be quite the headache. Costar stabilizers are a less common stabilizer type, as they are primarily only found on older keyboards, although some newer keyboards may have them. Screw-in stabilizers are typically only found on custom-made keyboards and not on pre-built keyboards, which makes them less common, but highly sought after. We highly recommend getting a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers as they are the most versatile stabilizers out there. Costar StabilizersThe set comes with all the necessary components, including two housing units, a gold-plated steel wire, and two washers. With options in 2U, 6.25U, and 7U, these stabilisers are an ideal match for every keyboard size. The stabilizers attach by clipping/snapping into the metal plate. This style of connection is not the most secure and adds to the overall amount of shaking and rattling. We also recommend taking the time to mod your stabilizers to improve them even more. A little bit of lubricant and band-aids goes a long way. Cherry stabilizers are made up of three main components, the stabilizer bar, insert, and housing. These three components work together to keep the larger keys stable and reduce rattle. Crafted with a singular focus on enhancing your typing experience, these stabilisers boast a unique nylon PA plastic construction. This ensures unparalleled durability and strength, while the included mould safeguards against wire drop-outs, promising a smooth typing journey.

There isn’t a good way to modify these stabilizers to improve them, although you could apply a small amount of lubricant to reduce the sound and rattle noises. As mentioned before, snap-in stabilizers can pop out the PCB when trying to remove the keycaps, where screw-in stabilizers do not have this problem. Different Brands that Make Cherry Style Stabilizers Since snap-in stabilizers mount to the PCB, they tend to vibrate less than plate-mounted, which makes them a better option. The only downside is they are much less common than plate-mounted, and they are typically only found on custom keyboards. The stabilizers are pre-clipped which makes them rest on the PCB in a more stable fashion and improve the typing experience. GMK is mainly known for their high-end keycaps, but they also produce genuine Cherry style stabilizers. This means they actually hold the tooling to make the “proper” Cherry stabilizers. If you have a keyboard with Cherry stabilizers, most likely they were produced by GMK.Costar stabilizers are great if you want to install them and forget about em. No modding required, pretty good performance, and are affordable to replace. However, not the best if you enjoy tinkering with your keyboard and swapping out your keycaps regularly. After these modifications, the stabilizers will feel much better and the difference will be night and day. I recommend everyone with the time and patience to try this mod out. Costar stabilizers: they’re rather old, and only found in vintage mechanical keyboards or newer, very few in between keyboards that no-one wants you to go all DIY on. Costar stabilizers are hard to handle, tune, and install—rumor has it they rattle worse than a snake. All of the other larger keys on your keyboard (that aren’t the spacebar) will require a 2u stabilizer. The ZealPC stabilizers are offered only in the screw-mount style, with a custom nut design to prevent stripping the threads.

There are three different mounting styles for Cherry style stabilizers, they can attach differently and are compatible on certain keyboards. Plate-mounted stabilizers attach to the metal plate, while the other two attaches to the PCB (printed circuit board).The band aid modification includes applying band-aids where the stabilizer insert hits the PCB to dampen the sound and create a much nicer acoustic. Optical stabilizers are typically only found on keyboards with optical switches, and have a funky design (such as the Razer Huntsman Mini). They have small clips that insert into the keycap that you snap into the stabilizer bar under the plate of the keyboard. The PCB also tends to vibrate less than the metal plate, which makes it a better mounting location for the stabilizer. If you are willing to put a little extra work in, your Cherry stabilizers can benefit from some custom modifications, the most common being band aid, clip, and lube.

Now that we’ve gone over the three main stabilizer types, let’s take a closer look at the Cherry style stabilizers as they are the most common and the go-to stabilizer if you’re building a keyboard.

You're in!

In addition, the screw-in stabilizers remain in place when taking off the key caps, unlike the snap-in style which tend to dislodge. These stabilizers are actually quite affordable considering how unique they look, which makes them an excellent option. We find them to be smoother than the standard GMK stabilizers. Plate-mounted stabilizers are the most common mounting style and are typically found on almost all pre-built mechanical keyboards. These stabilizers attach to the metal plate inside the keyboard instead of directly to the printed circuit board (PCB). Snap-in stabilizers are another PCB mounted stabilizer type. They are better than plate-mounted, but not quite as effective as screw-in stabilizers. However, some keyboards will have the right plate cut-outs and PCB stabilizer mounting holes. If yours does, you should be able to go with either screw-in or plate-mount stabilizers, depending on your preferences. Stabilizer Mods