Zealio

This article requires additional photographic illustration — clear, plus a family photo of clear and purple together

Zealio

Manufacturer	Gateron
Family	Gateron KS-3 series
Product name	Zealio
Introduced	August 2015
Switch type	Tactile; linear
Sense method	Metal leaf
Rated lifetime	50 M
Keycap mount	Cherry MX mount
Switch mount	PCB mount, PCB mount
Website	zealpc.net/collections/switches/products/zealio

The Zealio switch series are boutique key switches produced for Zeal PC. They are clones of Cherry MX switches produced by Gateron. They initially included tactile variants akin to Cherry MX Ergo Clear (Zealio V1) but those have been discontinued in favour of a more tactile switch (Zealios V2). There are also linear switches and dampened variants of tactile and linear.

Description

The switches are manufactured exclusively for Zeal PC by Gateron. The top housing carry the Gateron logo. The tactile purple sliders (Zealio V1 and V2) were custom made for Zeal PC. Unlike Gateron's regular switches, they have gold-plated springs which makes the springs resistant to corrosion and therefore friction when the keys are pressed.

Most variants have fully transparent housings, which are supposed to help with backlighting.

Purple Zealio

The Zealio V1 tactile variant's purple stem is shaped like the Cherry MX Clear but is less tight on keycaps.. The feel is reported to be smoother - even smoother than lubricated Ergo Clears. <ref>Keychatter.com: REVIEW: Project Zealio switches Posted on 2015-08-19. Retrieved 2015-08-20.</ref>

According to reviews, the Version 2 Zealio has no noticeable pre-travel before the tactile bump and more travel between the bump and the actuation point. Critics have said that it is easier to overshoot the actuation point, making it harder not to bottom out. It is also easier to overcome the tactile bump without activating the switch as well as to deactivate the switch without going back over the tactile bump.<ref name="ghzealios2opinions">Geekhack.org—Zealios V2 - opinions. Dated 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2018-12-23</ref>

Issues

There have been reports of the early examples with clear bottom melting more easily from the heat of a soldering iron than other switches. Zeal PC offered the purple switch in a 65g variant with a milky bottom like regular Gateron KS-3.

The damping rubber inside Zilents V2 has been reported of deforming (or moving) with use, increasing the pre-travel.<ref name="ghzilentsv2deform">Geekhack.org—Dampening rubber in Zilent V2 switches deforms with use. Posted 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2020-07-28.</ref>

Variants

	Stem colour	Depicted	Type	Bottom-out weight	Bottom	Mount
	Lavender	Round 6	Tactile	62 g	Transparent	PCB
	Violet	Round 6	Tactile	65 g	Transparent	PCB
					Translucent	PCB
						Plate
	Deep violet	Round 6	Tactile	67 g	Transparent	PCB
	Deeper violet	Round 6	Tactile	78 g	Transparent	PCB
File:No photograph.svg	Translucent		Linear	62 g	Transparent	PCB
File:No photograph.svg				65 g
File:No photograph.svg				67 g

Name		Stem colour	Type	Bottom-out weight	Bottom	Mount
Zilents	File:No photograph.svg	Light blue	Tactile dampened	62g	Transparent	PCB
	File:No photograph.svg	Medium/light blue		65g
	File:No photograph.svg	Medium/Dark blue		67g
	File:No photograph.svg	Dark blue		78g
Tealios	File:No photograph.svg	Teal	Linear	67g	Transparent	PCB
Healios	File:No photograph.svg	Orange	Linear dampened	67g	Transparent	PCB

Purple Zealios modified with heavier springs for use in the space bar or enter positions are called Deep Purples.

Revision History

Version 1

• Round 1: Introduced 62g, 65g, and 67g Linear (translucent stem) and Tactile (purple stem) switches
• Round 2: Introduced 78g variants, began using different shades of purple for different weights (lighter to darker as they get heavier), introduced 65g switches with milky-white bottoms (plate mount only) that are more heat resistant
• Round 3: No additions, but Linear Zealios no longer offered from this round on
• Round 4: 78g changed to make the force curve more uniform, stem mould tweaked to reduce wobble significantly
• Round 7: Tealio linears introduced in 67g, no changes to Zealio switches
• Round 8: 67g Zealio spring tweaked for "crisper" bump with more cushion at bottom-out, 78g Zealio spring tweaked to be more similar to 67g variant, with snappier bump compared to previous 78g Zealios

At some point during or prior to Round 8, 65g milky-bottom Zealios began being offered in PCB mount as well as plate mount.

Version 2

• On Sep 21, 2018, Version 2 were introduced for preorder. The tactile switches' stems had been modified with a bigger tactile bump than previous Zealios and Zilents. Healios (linear dampened) was introduced. Tealios also started to get the same housing as other V2 switches. All with transparent housings for PCB-mount.<ref name="gb1809">Geekhack.org—Healios, Zealios V2, Zilents V2, Rev4 Zeal60 (Black & Gold), etc.. Dated 2018-10-26. Retrieved 2018-11-02</ref>

Availability

Switches have become available in batches for pre-order. The first group-order run was started in August 2015<ref>Geekhack – GB: PURPLE/CLEAR ZEALIO SWITCHES (Complete). Dated 2015-08-25. Retrieved 2016-11-08</ref>. It is now (as of Dec 2017) on its eighth run. There have been eight rounds of Zealios, with the switches currently being in Round 8.

• Zeal PC's web site.
• Group orders on Geekhack.
• Group orders on Massdrop. For instance, they have been available as an option for the WhiteFox keyboard

References

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