The Best Mechanical Keyboard Stabilizers - 2025

Last page update - 12\28\2025

Stabilizers can arguably make or break a keyboard and you want to know what the best ones are. I mean, who wouldn’t want the best for their keyboard, right? The problem is that there are so many different stabilizers to choose from. How do you choose the best ones? Well, let me give you my personal tier list of what I think the best stabilizers are for your custom mechanical keyboards.

Remember, this is my personal list. You may disagree, and that’s fine! I have been building keyboards for clients for nearly four years now and after trying so many different stabilizers I have preferences and reasons why I pick and choose certain ones for clients. From them being reliable, to even just cost. So again, this isn’t an attack on your favourite brand of stabilizers. I will also not be covering plate mounted stabs, this list is just for PCB mounted. Let’s start this thing.

Now, since I don’t usually rank things in a tier list, let me give you some criteria of what I am looking for.

    1. Price
    2. Installation
    3. Use cases
    4. Modding
    5. Problems/Notes

I am highlighting “Use Cases” because this will be situational and I want to make it clear that some stabs will just not work on certain boards that require things like o-ring mounts. Also the problems / notes are to mention issues outside of the realm of the previous points and just other thoughts.

Important notes:
I also am well aware there a lot of different brands of stabs and I intend to try as many as I can, but for stabs that are not present on the list, I will add them as I go! 

As of October 2024, I am adding some tips on how to lube these. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

There are also some affiliate links in this list, they help me make pages like this and upkeep this website. Again, these do not affect rankings at all.

Table of Contents

Cherry Clip-In Stabilizers

Cherry clip-in stabs are iconic in my mind. They are cheap, they are relatively easy to mod and they work on a variety of different builds where screw in stabs may not. I have used over 100 units of these stabilizers. They are manufactured by Cherry who also make some of my favourite switches currently!

Price — 5/5

You can buy these for about $10 USD or $13 CAD at some places and even less if you buy these in bulk. Which is almost half the price of fancier stabilizers. For people on a budget, these are still one of my favourite options. Update: These now vary in pricing depending on who you buy from and what after market wires they include.

Installation — 4.5/5

Cherry stabilizers are installed by popping them into the PCB. They anchor themselves into the PCB after they are pushed in and then sit snug. They are very easy to install. While I have never had one pop out of a PCB in the dozens upon dozens I’ve used, some people also toothpick mod these to hold them more securely.

Use Cases — 4.5/5

These can be used for almost all projects. They are a bit finicky for thinner PCBs but still usable. I would still personally opt for a screw in stabilizers for 1.0mm or 1.2mm PCBs since not all included shims are made the same.

Modding — 4/5

You do need to clip the extra legs off the stem. It isn’t the biggest deal in the world. I don’t know why Cherry doesn’t just offer this stock. I follow my normal rule of 205g0 lubricant on where plastic meets plastic and Loctite dielectric grease (or XHT BDZ) where plastic meets metal. Depending on how you personally mod stabilizers, this will require some extra love and tuning. Overall, they are a bit more involved than other stabilizers.

Problems / Notes

One single issue that I have encountered for these stabs is for tighter keycaps, these can sometimes be annoying. Specifically PBT keycaps that have tighter stem tolerances. They can pull the clipped in portion off the PCB and you can risk damaging the stabilizer. Though this is true for all clip ins. I have only had this happen to me two times ever, and only one time did it cause permanent damage. I wanted to chalk this up to more of a keycap issue, but in this cause both parties are to blame. 

Stabilizer housings are consistent in quality and stock wires are great too. Some people do prefer aftermarket wires from their clip ins. I don’t mind the stock ones however.

Another note is the sound profile. Cherry clip-in stabs tend to be a tad scratchy sounding, so keep that in mind!

Total: 18/20

Modding Suggestions

For Cherry Clip-Ins I suggest the following:

  1. Clip the legs under the stabilizer stem.
  2. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  3. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend)
  4. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB
  5. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Knight Stabilizers (v4)

So, Knight V4s are basically Swagkeys taking what already worked in V3 and just tightening everything up. You’re getting much better tolerances, cleaner molding, and a shorter stem, which helps avoid weird PCB contact or bottom-out quirks. They also switched to polycarbonate housings, so the sound is a touch brighter and crisper compared to the slightly warmer V3s. I’ve used these a bunch now and I can tell you they feel more locked-in out of the box and usually need less fussing,  but truthfully they were already super solid and didn’t need much tweaking out of the box so these are just nicer overall variants.

Price — 5/5

The Swagkeys Knight Stabs v4 are still around $15 USD before shipping and tax. For this price, they exceed all my expectations and I am glad they are refining these stabilizers in the right direction! These do get a bit of a bump of value though since they come with stabilizers shims (which are meant for thinner PCBs) included with them and other accessories. I’m upping this to a perfect score since the refinements haven’t changed the price of this product at all. Awesome!

Installation — 4/5

Just like all other screw in stabilizers, these work great. Still not as easy as clip ins, but it’s subjective. Here is hoping for a clip in version of these soon!

Use Cases — 4/5

These can be used for almost all projects. But, just like other screw in stabilizers, these will usually not work with things like o-ring mounting boards. The added bonus of getting those shims is that you don’t have to really worry for 1.2mm PCBs if they don’t come with them. Please keep in mind, depending on the PCB these shims may or may not work. For example on certain 1.2mm hotswap boards they may have sockets blocking the area for shims underneath.

Modding — 5/5

These are seriously easy to mod. You really only need 205g0 and a small amount of it. They rank perfectly here.

Problems / Notes

I have no issues with these stabs at all. I love them and will use them when I can. Again, I will mention that these are the easiest to mod, but if you are already use to modding stabs like Durock or Mode variants, then you may not notice a huge difference other than some sound for different materials. 

These are super solid and the only other stab I’d recommend higher than this are Cherry Clips due to pricing on those and use cases.

Total: 18/20

Modding Suggestions

For Knight Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Avoid using thick greases here, I suggest a light coat of 205g0 for the wires. Lubricate with 205g0 up the bend.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

US Vendor
Korean Vendor

TypePlus x YIKB Stabilizers

The TypePlus stabilizers are interesting. I was sent a lot of these to take a look at, including some prototype samples that they wanted some input on. These stabs try to stand out by having a unique wire hook that aim to minimize to contact of the wire and the stems. 

Price — 4.5/5

The price of these are $15 dollars and include stabilizer shims in the box. They are also adhesive and probably one of the nicest stab shims I have ever used, so kudos to them. Price wise, they are not the cheapest, but meet a perfect middle ground of pricing with some decent little add-ons in the box.

Installation — 4/5

These are more involved and can be confusing if you take them out of the box and mix up parts. They have a left and right housing / stem. Once you get the hand of these, it’s really easy. I have updated this ranking, I felt I was being a bit to harsh to the assembly score here.

Use Cases — 4/5

These work with everything with the exception of most o-rings builds. Even on 1.2mm PCBs these are easy to install making great use of those stab shims.

Modding — 5/5

These we’re very easy and really only required 205g0. I did test these with some thicker greases and they worked, but they are really not needed just because how wire sits in the housing. I have revised this ranking now using over 15+ sets of these and it has gone from a 4 to a 5.  I have had these particular stabilizers on a board that I use daily and haven’t needed to re-lube or tune them. The minimized area of contact of the wire and stabilizer stem really shines here.

Problems / Notes

These felt great to use, but even after around six sets I still have to really take my time assembling these, which is by no means a bad thing. I will note that the packaging on these are great and on all the retail sets I had used, the wires were exceptional (for now). I appreciate that these aim to be different with a unique wire shape, but this also means you can’t use other wires. Which means TypePlus has to make sure that these parts do not get damaged in shipping and ship out with good QC. So far, so good with them and I applaud TypePlus for this!  

Another note, they did a small incremental update as they noticed some stabilizer wires had a few QC issues and have updated the wires. I never received a bad batch of these yet, but kudos for them for taking this issue seriously.

Total: 17.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For TypePlus x YIKB Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of 205g0 to the wire. There are two bends here, and you can go past both of them.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. These do not need much lubricant at all as the contact is so small where metal meets plastic. Less is more here and avoid very thick greases as it is not needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Stupid or “Maiz” Stabilizers

TL;DR: these are exactly what the name suggests in the best way possible. Simple, no-nonsense, and very hard to mess up.

Stupid Stabilizers are all about getting out of the way and just working. The housings feel great, the wires are consistently straight in the units I’ve used, and the overall design doesn’t try to reinvent stabilizers. They take lube well, don’t fight you during tuning, and tend to sound good without needing five different mods stacked on top of each other (the good ol’ days)

Out of the box, they’re already in a solid place with their stock lubricant but youll need to tweak them more. With a basic lube job, you get minimal rattle, good return, and a neutral sound profile that adapts nicely to different plates and cases. They don’t lean aggressively thocky or clacky, which makes them a really safe pick for most builds, especially if you don’t know exactly where the board will land acoustically.

Price — 5/5

Depending on where you shop, these tend to go for $10 USD a pack. Fantastic really.

Installation — 4.5/5

Crazy easy to install since these are clip ins. I have no complaints here except the stab stopper pieces can be annoying to install if you have shaky hands or bad dexterity with your fingers (like me). I did find sometimes you did have to install them or they would pop up in extreme circumstances.

Use Cases — 4/5

These can be used for almost all projects. They are a bit finicky for thinner PCBs but still usable. I would still personally opt for a screw in stabilizers for 1.0mm or 1.2mm PCBs since not all included shims are made the same. However, these are sold in a 1.2mm variant for those use cases.

Modding — 4/5

As per the usual, I follow my normal rule of 205g0 lubricant for these, they can work with dielectric but I haven’t found a need for thicker grease really. I do have to tweak these after install though and aren’t as easy to ‘get right‘ for the first install. For example, they are extremely easy to mod, but not as easy compared to Knight V4 or TypePlus stabilizers, if that makes sense.

Problems / Notes

EDIT: These do come in different colors from various vendors!

Total: 17.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For Stupid Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of 205g0 to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Get them here (US/CAN)
Twitch

Knight Stabilizers (v1, v2, v3)

The Swagkeys Knight Stabs are probably the most requested stabilizer for this page that I have seen to date. Everyone has been recommending them, and for a while, even now, these were almost impossible to find in stock. Well, I got my hands on a few sets and after thorough testing here is my scores for this.

I also tested a few V2 sets and loved them. They felt just as good as the v1 stabs, and I have no reason to update it’s already very high ranking.

Price — 4.5/5

The Swagkeys Knight Stabs v2 come in around $15 USD before shipping and it’s not a bad price considering how awesome these things are. I think they do a great job at balancing cost with how well they actually work! These do get a bit of a bump of value though since they come with stabilizers shims (which are meant for thinner PCBs) included with them.

Installation — 4/5

Just like all other screw in stabilizers, these work great. 

Use Cases — 4/5

These can be used for almost all projects. But, just like other screw in stabilizers, these will usually not work with things like o-ring mounting boards. The added bonus of getting those shims is that you don’t have to really worry for 1.2mm PCBs if they don’t come with them. Please keep in mind, depending on the PCB these shims may or may not work. For example on certain 1.2mm hotswap boards they may have sockets blocking the area for shims underneath.

Modding — 5/5

These absolutely the easiest stabilizers I have modded to date.  They are just as easy to mod as the Staebies, but lack the issues of them. I can’t recommend these enough for people newer in the hobby. I do recommend just using some 205g0, the thicker greases didn’t work all too well for these.

Problems / Notes

I have no issues with these stabs at all. I love them and will use them when I can. To be realistic though, they don’t offer any large benefit over something like Durock stabs or Mode stabs to me and that’s okay. They are just easier to mod for me and may offer less “ticking” noise than it’s competition. The reason there is the new silicone double injection mold. Basically, both the crown and housing are injection-treated at areas where the stem is in contact with the housing and it allows them to absorb the impact of the wire much better, which means less plastic-on-plastic noise.

These are super solid and the only other stab I’d recommend higher than this are Cherry Clips due to pricing on those and use cases.

Total: 17.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For Knight Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Avoid using thick greases here, I suggest a light coat of 205g0 for the wires. Lubricate with 205g0 up the bend.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Mode Stabilizers

These are Mode’s answer to making a well priced screw in stabilizers that just works. And they really do work well. To note, I have tested about 6 sets of these total as they are still relatively new. Also Mode sponsors my Twitch channel but that does not affect rankings or my thoughts on these stabilizers.

Price — 4.5/5

These are very well priced at $12 USD per set and as of this article, Mode is offering buy 4 get 1 free for those who need many sets. They are pretty no frills, so don’t expect anything innovative here. While the clip-in stabilizers do ring in cheaper, these are probably one of the best deals for screw in stabilizers. 

Installation — 4/5

These are your standard screw in experience. They don’t ‘lock in’ like Durock stabs do, so I do recommend installing them one stabilizer at a time.

Use Cases — 4/5

You can use these on almost all builds with the exception of most o-ring keyboards. For 1.2mm and 1.0mm PCB’s you will usually need a shim still with these.

Modding — 4/5

I follow my normal rule of 205g0 lubricant on where plastic meets plastic and Loctite dielectric grease (or XHT BDZ) where plastic meets metal. Like most stabilizers on this list and depending on how you mod things, you may need to tune these after install.

Problems / Notes

The Mode Stabilizers are rather unproblematic. They come in good packaging, the wires are solid and the housing on the sets I’ve used all seemed consistent. Quality of all the units and housing were great and I was more than happy using these in builds.

Sound profile wise these have no scratch when modded correctly and feel smooth!

Total: 16.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For Mode Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Durock Stabilizers

If you’ve been in the hobby a while, you’ve definitely seen Durock stabilizers. I feel like these get a lot of flack and I never understood why. 

Price — 3.5/5

Depending on where you shop, these tend to go for $17 USD a pack. Which is $5 dollars more than Mode’s. It’s not terribly expensive for a decent set of stabs, but $5 goes a long way!

Installation — 4.5/5

Durock stabilizers are another standard screw in experience. However, I find on almost all PCB’s these tend to long into the PCB before you screw them down due to tolerances of the housings. I love this and it makes the process of installing them simple.

Use Cases — 4/5

You can use these on almost all builds with the exception of most o-ring keyboards. For 1.2mm and 1.0mm PCB’s you will usually need a shim still with these.

Modding — 3.5/5

As per the usual, I follow my normal rule of 205g0 lubricant on where plastic meets plastic and Loctite dielectric grease (or XHT BDZ) where plastic meets metal. Depending on how you mod things, you may need to tune these after install. Some people find tuning Durock stabilizers very finicky.

Problems / Notes

Despite the criticism Durock stabs get, I really haven’t found them to be problematic while using them in the slightest. In fact, I don’t get the hate they receive. The other key note here is I really do feel these work better using a thicker grease where the wire is.

Quality wise, they are good. They do come in bags and depending on how they get shipped, the wires can potentially get damaged in transit, but this is usually a non-typical issue and can easily be correct by straightening the wire, which I recommend doing anyways.

Sound profile wise these sound and feel smooth!

Total: 15.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For Durock Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. Durock stabs I find something need a bit more loving and tuning, so be patient and only add small amounts of extra lube at a time.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

C³ EQUALZ Stabilizers

C³ stabilizers are interesting. I am not even sure if these are still being made honestly. As of right now it does seem like some vendors carry these or they have listings on Amazon for a premium. 

Price — 3/5

Prices vary here, but it seems like these go for $18 USD to $20 USD. These used to come in such a variety of colours, which was so much fun, but it seems like it’s just standard colors now.

Installation — 4/5

Pretty normal install here, screw them in and away you go. 

Use Cases — 4/5

These work with everything with the exception of most o-rings builds.

Modding — 4/5

I actually quite liked C³ stabs! They also come with a lot of extra stuff you can use to mod them. They did take a slight bit more lube than the Durock stabs I found, but they were easy to get good sounding. 

Problems / Notes

I actually quite liked these stabs and it’s sad to see these being phased out in a way with less vendors carrying them. It is hard to recommend these when you can get much cheaper stabs that do the exact same thing. The thing they had going for them was all the fun color choices, but it seems it is no longer a thing.

Total: 15/20

Modding Suggestions

For C3 Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. C3 stabs are very much like Durock stabs. Be patient and don’t over tune these.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

TX AP (Rev 4) Stabilizers

This is where this list starts to get interesting. Next up we have the TX AP Stabilizers, please note I will not be discussing previous revisions of this stabilizer as they don’t make them anymore.

Price — 3/5

Pricing depends on where you shop but I have picked these up for $18 USD a pack. These do come in either white or black and have variations of different packs like sets made for long pole switches and smaller packs for alice boards. 

Installation — 4.5/5

Near top points for install here. They are just as simple as the Cherry clip in stabilizers. They even come with a plastic wedge in case you have a PCB where the clip in portion is loose.

Use Cases — 3/5

You can use these on almost all builds. They even come in 1.2 mm variants which makes these a pretty good pick up! However, since these switches are tighter in tolerances, they do not play well with things like slightly warped keycaps, plates that impact the sides of the stabilizers and anything else that would touch the alignment of the stabilizers.

This can result in a slower return of the stabilizers and friction on the way down. It can make the stabilizer sluggish. This was more of an issue in previous revisions, but it still persists in the AP version of this stab. I have used a lot of TX AP stabilizers at this point and have first hand experience of this happening on occasion.

Modding — 4.5/5

These are very finicky with certain lubes. In fact, the less you use, the better (which can be seen as a good thing). They also don’t play super well with thicker lubricants. I would strongly recommend using a thin coat of 205g0 for everything here. Just using that, they are surprisingly easy to lube.

Problems / Notes

As mentioned, these stabilizers can get cranky with certain keyboards, it’s very few and far between thanks to the new Rev 4 AP version of these stabilizers, but still worth mentioning. I would still feel very confident in recommending these.

Otherwise, there is little to no scratch and they feel very smooth! 

Total: 15/20

 

Modding Suggestions

For TX AP Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of 205g0 to the wire (don’t go past the bend). Do not use thicker greases here. While you can get them to work, they are very finicky with these and I suggest only 205g0.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB. Don’t bother with the clips they come with as they can fall out and rattle in the bottom of your keyboard.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Gateron V2 Stabilizers

Gateron has had these stabs for quite a while now and I feel like they are an underdog when it comes to stabilizers. They have a few different colour options and even have a long pole version for those odd cases you may need it.

Price — 3.5/5

Price wise they are not bad at all! They come in at about $16 USD + depending on where you shop and what versions you get and come nicely packed in a box. 

Installation — 4/5

Very standard screw in stab experience here. I have had luck with using these on 1.2mm PCBs but I still recommend using the shim here. They don’t clip into the board as nicely as Durock stabs.

Use Cases — 4/5

Here is my typical blurb — like most other screw-ins, you can use these on almost all builds with the exception of most o-ring keyboards. I didn’t notice any oddities about them at all.

Modding — 3.5/5

They are pretty standard to modify, in fact I mod them the exact same way I do Durock stabilizers. They are easy to tweak once installed. One small note: I know they come nicely boxed up, but I have had some weird wires from a few packs. Please keep in mind I have only used about 8 sets of these total.

Problems / Notes

These are a pretty decent set of stabs, but I can’t ignore the few odd packs I’ve had with weird wires. I have been told it was a problem early on with the sets.

Total: 15/20

Modding Suggestions

For Gateron V2 Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease or 205g0 to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. Again, these are much like the Durock and C3 Stabs. Less is more.
 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Neo / QK Clip In Stabilizers

I have finally been able to test enough of these and they work just fine. They are a good alternative to the already available clip in stabilizers on the market at a good price point.

Price — 3.5/5

Pricing is strange here. Only a few stores sells these but they come in at around $12 USD, which is great. Vendors for these are very limited though. If you do happen to get these in your Neo or QK products as a free gift, I’d say they are worth using. I am deducting a rank point here since these are a bit more challenging to source.

Installation — 4/5

Assemble is very simple here. In fact, they are just as simple as the Cherry clip in stabilizers or even the TX AP stabilizers. You just pop these into the PCB and if you would like, you can use the shims to prevent the possibility of them popping out.

Use Cases — 4/5

Almost all builds work with these. They even come in 1.2 mm variants (in a different color) which is great and very handy for clip in stabilizers.

Modding — 3/5

I found these were extremely standard fair for modding. Which is by no means a bad thing, but they did require the same TLC as Durock or Gateron stabilizers. The wires on all my units came in decent shape with minimal straightening needed, usually none. They did need some tuning down the road.

Problems / Notes

As mentioned, these are hard to get and they seem to really come in the brands own keyboard kits, which is awesome! However, I have heard stories that people have had defective wires or missing parts. I haven’t had any of those things happen. To sum it up, these stabs are just okay and if you get them free, just use them. There are easier to mod stabs that seem to hold the modding given to them for longer.

Total: 14.5/20

 

Modding Suggestions

For Neo Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB. Don’t bother with the clips they come with as they can fall out and rattle in the bottom of your keyboard.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed.

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
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Wuque WS Stabs V3 Stabilizers

The WS Stabs are designed by Wuque. I was happy that they didn’t give up on stabilizers, I was worried when I saw their Aurora line up slowly disappear. They are interesting stabilizers as they essentially come pre holee mod without the downsides of doing it yourself (the mod falling out).

Price — 2.5/5

These come in at $20 USD a pack when not on sale, but I typically see these go on sale here and there. I can understand the premium here as you do get something different in the box.

Installation — 3/5

As far as screw in stabilizers go, it’s a pretty standard install here. The only odd thing to install on WS stabilizers are the wires being clipped into the bottom. Some may find it awkward but once you get the hang of it, it’s no biggie. It’s technically beneficial if you tend to pop wires a lot from taking off keycaps, which on most modern stabs shouldn’t be an issue anyways. They are also very messy to resemble and you will get your fingers full of lube.

Use Cases — 4/5

I’ve used a fair number of these now and haven’t had any issues! These are screw stabilizers though, so like every other set, they may not work in most o-ring builds. 

Modding — 4.5/5

These can be in either a TPU or silicone variant where the wire will have additional protection from rattling. They tend to work best with 205g0 for everything as thicker lubes aren’t really needed nor work well with the additional plastic in there.

Problems / Notes

These are good if you are struggling to get a set of stabs lubed. The extra protection against the rattling wire will probably make a bunch of people happy! But if you’re comfortable tweaking stabilizers, then the extra cost here may be wasted and getting a cheaper set would be better in the long run.

Total: 14/20

Modding Suggestions

For WS V3 Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of 205g0 to the wire.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. 
 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
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GSV2 Stabilizers

This is Glorious’ v2 stabilizer. For the record, I will not be reviewing the v1 stab (GOAT Stabs) or letting it affect this score. Their V1 stab was abysmal.  Also note this is a set of stabs I have only used a small handful of.

Price — 5/5

At $10 USD a pack, you really can’t say anything bad about these. They come with washers and the standard items a screw in stab has, all in a decent box!

Installation — 3.5/5

A very standard install here. Again, they don’t quite ‘lock in’ like Durock stabilizers do, so installing them one stab at a time is recommended. I also found myself needing shims here for 1.2mm PCB usage.

Use Cases — 4/5

You can use these in all builds with the exception of some o-ring mounted units. There was nothing that hindered the stabs from working properly.

Modding — 1/5

Modding these is standard fare, however all of the wires I have tried were not ‘balanced’ or straight. I actually ended using other wires I had laying around from other sets of stabs. I sadly have to dock these points because of that reason from my own personal experience. I have heard people had some wonderful stabs from this, but I can’t share that experience.

Problems / Notes

If you luck out with wires, then modding them is straight forward, but out of all sets I have used (around 6 sets) all of them I swapped out wires. Perhaps this is an area of improvement for Glorious. Since all of these sets were for clients, I can’t comment on how they hold up in the long run.

Total: 13.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For GSV2 Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Ensure your wires are straight here, there are a lot of reports of bad wires. If not, you may need to source new wires.
  3. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  4. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB.
  5. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. 
 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
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Staebies V2.1 Stabilizers

Designed by Zambumon in collaboration with AEBoards, these stabilizers are commonly considered “end game” by a lot of people I’ve spoken to. 

Price — 2/5

These come in at a whopping $22 USD a pack (as per the norm, this depends on where you shop). These do come in either black or clear.  

Installation — 4/5

It’s a pretty standard install here for screw-ins. The only real difference here is the screws that come with this stabilizer are hex vs phillips screws. I’ve had good luck using these for 1.2mm PCBs.

Use Cases — 2.5/5

You can use these on almost all builds with the exception of most o-ring keyboards. They are going to score lower simply because they suffer from the same thing that TX stabs do, only more common. The tolerances within the stabilizer housing where the stem sits is tight. This means whenever there is pressure put on these, they could cause friction and interfere with the stabilizer. There have been many builds where I’ve had to just take it apart and replace the Staebies with something else. 

Modding — 4.5/5

These may be on the nice stabilizers to mod. They do well with every type of lube I’ve thrown at it, and tend to not take much lubricant to sound and feel good. This is the strongest point about the Staebies and those tighter tolerances come into play here as positive for modding.

Problems / Notes

The weakest point here is the price point. At that cost they are near double what the Mode stabilizers cost and you don’t really get any real added benefit here. I have noticed in the long run Staebies tend to hold up better and don’t need to be returned as often, but the potential to run into issues can be a turn off.

Total: 13/20

Modding Suggestions

For Staebies Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light coat of Loctite dielectric grease or 205g0 to the wire (don’t go past the bend).
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB. Ensure these stab housings are not pressing firmly against the plate.
  4. Add additional 205g0 into the slot where the wire sits as needed. 
 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
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QMX Stabilizers

QMX Stabilizers is GMK’s new offering into the stabilizers market and it’s a bit of an interesting one! The new design touts four key features. 

  • Noise-reducing design
  • Optimized guidance of both slider and wire
  • Minimized rattling on the housing
  • Advanced overall performance


There are some trade offs here though so let’s dive in.

Price — 3.5/5

These come in at a premium of $22 USD a pack however you get a fair number of stabilizers in the pack, which is great. A total of 8 sets of stabilizer housings and a bunch of wires, even a 6u wire! It garners extra points for what’s in the box despite the price.

Installation — 3/5

They are screw-in stabilizers and install to the PCB easily enough. The housing install and the awkward one.  They stem needs to be pulled out from the housing on a bit of an angle due to a small stopper piece on it.  I have also had good luck with 1.2mm PCBs here as well. 

Use Cases — 4/5

Like most other screw ins, you can use these on almost all builds with the exception of most o-ring keyboards.Despite the tolerances of the housings, they actually have very little friction even on tighter plates that push against them and I have not run into the same issue like TX AP or Staebies stabs.

Modding — 1.5/5

These are awkward to mod. I typically recommend lightly lubing a stabilizer and tuning it after install, but you just can’t do that here. Thicker greases or over application of lube tend to make this really sluggish and squishy sounding, so you have to be careful with modding these. If lube settles here and they need to be tuned, you would need to disassemble your board and these stabs to tune them. For that I have to give them low points here. 

Problems / Notes

They are quiet stabs and with a minimal application of lube, they can be rattle free and smooth. I just really wish they didn’t completely enclose the stem that way you can mod these as you need.

Total: 12.5/20

Modding Suggestions

For QMX Stabs I suggest the following:

  1. Lubricate the inside of the stab housing and the 4 walls of the stem using a brush and 205g0.
  2. Add a light to medium coat of 205g0 to the wire.
  3. Assemble the stabilizer and install onto the PCB. Test all of your modding before installing the rest of your board and switches. These CANNOT but modded post install like other stabilizers, so you have to get these right the first time.
 

Tip – There is a break-in period with stabilizers, so use them for a few days and let the lube settle before you go too wild with adding more lube. For my general stabilizer lubing guide, check this video out on YouTube.

Get them here
Twitch

Wrapping up

So what is the best stabilizer on the market right now? Well, in my opinion it’s the Cherry clip in stabilizer for pure value. But, I feel like there are some very good stabilizers that may have something that better suits how you build a board. In fact, even the Mode or Durock stabs are great. And there have been boards where I swear picking something like a Staebie stabilizer was the best choice.

I will have more stabilizers as I use them and feel them out that I will update this page with. I will also mark when I add edits in so you can better see what is new! 


If you want to help support my content, please consider picking up my wallpaper pack. Even if you currently can’t help, it’s free for all to use!


To do list

  • Owlabs v2
  • Cherry Scew Ins

Thanks for reading!

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