The answer to which one is quieter is a bit hard to answer . The short version is that both are quiet relative to a clickly switch namely blue switches and loud compared to membrane keyboards . That said , there are some differences . Brown switches have a bump partially through the travel . This should allow you to know when you have actuated the key and not need to bottom out every key like you have to do on membrane switches . This bump is not audible unlike blues , which proclaim the bump to the world , so unless you bottom out the keys , you should type fairly quietly . However , you can learn the actuation point on reds as well . Because red switches are relatively simple , the resistance to press builds linearly , giving you more resistance the harder you push down keep in mind , we ' re talking grams here , not huge amounts . This makes it easy to get in the habit of not bottoming out key presses . That said , knowing where the actuation point is requires more practice , since it wont become muscle memory automatically . So expect more bottoming out partially because reds offer less resistance than browns and more missed keys when you don ' t fully actuate a key press . In short , I would expect a complete newbie to mechs to type louder on reds more bottoming out than browns , but after time , you should be fairly quiet on both . If it really worries you , get some orings or you could look at MX silent switches they reduce the noise of the key returning to top , and can be set up as browns or reds .