BuiltByNim (BBN) Linear Switch

Introduction

When Nim reached out to us to vendor the BBN Tactile and Linear switches back in Late 2021, we were presented with a quick fact pact about them. As soon as we saw the force curve graph - and the extremely short travel distance, we immediately said “***** I’M IN”. Both switches reminded us fondly of our very own Harimau and Penyu, whereby for one, the BBNs came in a series that had both a tactile and linear and two, the BBNs had very short travel distances (<3mm for the Tactile, 3.5mm for the Linear). Switches that have <3mm of travel distance are extremely few and far apart, so we knew we just had to get our hands on them. 

Unlike its more intense sibling, the BBN Linear offers a slightly milder and more palatable experience. For one, it has a longer travel distance that is more in line with other long pole switches and two, it is a linear without a massive tactile bump. This way, you can enjoy the switch for what it is rather than just for the pure tactility, which some may enjoy with the Tactile. The bottom housing of the Linear is polycarbonate and the top is nylon - something rather interesting considering that most switches have the opposite combination. This gives the BBN Linear a slightly higher pitched bottom out, which is somewhat neutralized by the long pole stem that gives off a deeper thump. As such, the sound is deep and full yet bright and loud, if that makes any sense. 

If you love a good long pole linear switch with a neutral yet unique sound, this switch is for you. 

Specifications

- Linear
- 3.5mm travel
- 5 pins
- 63.5g bottom out force
- 22mm spring length
- Two-stage spring design
- Custom nylon top housing
- Polycarbonate (PC) bottom housing
- Polyoxymethylene (POM) stem
- No factory lube

RB's Based Rating scale

Sound: 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱 ●●●○○ 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘺
Smoothness: 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 ●●○○○ 𝘚𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩
Weight: 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 ●●●○○ 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺
Travel Distance: 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 ●●●○○ 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥
Price-to-Performance: 𝘈𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 ●●●○○ 𝘈𝘭𝘭-𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳

Footnotes

If you'd like to explore the rest of our curated switch catalog and how they stack up to one another, do visit our Switches section. For any questions or for just a quick chat, shoot us a message and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.