The Tangerine is one of the few switches that earned its reputation on materials science rather than marketing. Almost every other linear on the market uses nylon or polycarbonate housings. The Tangerine uses UHMWPE, a plastic borrowed from industrial bearings, and that single decision is why people still buy it years after release.
⚡ Quick answer: A heavier linear with a genuinely different feel, thanks to a self-lubricating UHMWPE housing. It arrives factory lubed and needs nothing. Buy the 62g if you are coming from a light switch, the 67g if you type firmly. Its weakness is not smoothness, it is weight: this is not a fast-gaming switch.
⚠️ Correction: an earlier version of this review stated the Tangerine V2 was not factory lubed, and credited V2 with tightening tolerances to fix stem wobble. Both were wrong. V2s ship factory lubed, and the actual V2 change was a move in manufacturing from Gateron to JWK along with a translucent housing. The verdict below has been rewritten accordingly.
Specifications
| Type | Linear |
| Housing | UHMWPE, top and bottom |
| Stem | POM (light green 62g, dark green 67g) |
| Operating force | 55gf ± 10 |
| Bottom-out force | 62gf or 67gf ± 10, depending on variant |
| Pre-travel | 1.8mm ± 0.4 |
| Total travel | 4.0mm ± 0.4 |
| Pins | 5-pin (PCB mount) |
| Spring | 14mm gold-plated |
| Rated lifespan | 60 million keystrokes |
| Factory lubed | Yes, light application |
| Manufacturer | JWK (V2) |
The 62g and 67g names are misleading
This trips people up constantly, so it is worth being precise. The 62 and 67 in the name refer to bottom-out force, not actuation force. Actuation sits around 55gf on both variants.
Most switches are marketed by their actuation weight. A Cherry MX Red is “45g” because it actuates at 45g, and it bottoms out closer to 60g. So when you compare a “67g” Tangerine against a “45g” Red, you are not comparing like with like. The honest comparison is 55gf against 45gf at actuation, which is a real difference but a far smaller one than the names suggest.
Practically: Tangerines feel heavier than a Red, but not the 50% heavier that the numbers imply. If you have avoided them purely because 67g sounded punishing, that reasoning was based on a mislabel.
Why UHMWPE actually matters
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene is the same family of plastic used for artificial hip joints, conveyor guides, and the base of racing skis. It is chosen in those applications for one property: an extremely low coefficient of friction. The polymer chains are so long that the surface behaves as though it is permanently, very slightly lubricated.
In a switch, that changes the baseline. A nylon or polycarbonate housing relies almost entirely on applied lube to feel smooth, which is why stock Cherry switches feel scratchy and transform after an hour with a brush. A UHMWPE housing starts smooth because the material itself is slippery.
What you gain
Smoothness that does not depend on lube staying put, and a softer, more absorbed sound because the material damps high frequencies rather than ringing.
What you trade
UHMWPE is soft, so it marks more easily than polycarbonate, and it is harder to mould precisely. It also mutes the crisp top-end some people specifically want.
What V2 actually changed
The important change was who makes them. V1 Tangerines came from Gateron. V2 production moved to JWK, a manufacturer with a strong reputation for tight tolerances on linear switches. The housing also went from opaque orange to translucent orange, which matters if you run RGB.
The stems stayed green, split by weight: light green for 62g, dark green for 67g. That colour split is the quickest way to identify which variant you are holding.
Feel, wobble and sound
Push feel. Genuinely linear with no perceptible scratch through the stroke. There is no bump, no catch, and no gritty section partway down, which is the failure mode of cheaper linears.
Wobble. Minimal north-to-south and virtually none east-to-west, per ThereminGoat’s measured review, which is the most rigorous switch testing resource available. Low east-west wobble matters most on taller keycap profiles, where play at the top of the cap is amplified.
Sound. Muted and low, closer to silent than clacky. The UHMWPE absorbs the high frequencies that make polycarbonate housings bright. If you are chasing a deep, soft sound signature, this is a strong choice. If you want the sharp clack of a Gateron Ink, it is the wrong one.
Should you lube them?
Probably not, and this is where the earlier version of this review was misleading. Tangerine V2s arrive with a light factory lube that is well applied. Combined with a self-lubricating housing, they are one of the few switches genuinely finished out of the box.
Hand-lubing still yields a marginal gain, mostly in spring ping. But the effort-to-improvement ratio is poor compared with lubing a stock Cherry or Outemu switch, where the difference is dramatic. Spend that evening on your stabilizers instead, where it will be far more audible.
62g or 67g?
62g (light green stem)
The sensible default. Coming from a Cherry MX Red or Gateron Yellow, this is the smaller jump. Better for long typing sessions and mixed work and play.
67g (dark green stem)
For heavy typists who bottom out hard and dislike accidental presses. The extra resistance makes the board feel more deliberate, at the cost of fatigue if you type all day.
How it compares
| Switch | Housing | Bottom-out | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangerine V2 | UHMWPE | 62 / 67g | Muted, soft, smooth from the material itself |
| Gateron Ink Black V2 | Proprietary blend | ~60g | Deeper and louder, more of a thock than a hush |
| Gateron Milky Yellow Pro | Nylon (milky) | ~55g | Fuller sound, far cheaper, less refined |
| Cherry MX Red | Nylon / PC | ~60g | Lighter at actuation, scratchier, everywhere |
The comparison people expect is against the Ink Black, and the two are genuinely different rather than better and worse. Inks are louder and deeper; Tangerines are quieter and softer. Pick by the sound you want. See the wider field in our best linear switches roundup.
Verdict
The Tangerine V2 remains a genuinely distinctive switch, and the reason is the housing material rather than nostalgia. Nothing mainstream replicates the UHMWPE feel and sound, and JWK manufacturing plus a light factory lube means it needs no work to be good.
The real reason to pass on it is weight. At 55gf actuation and 62 to 67gf bottom-out it is a deliberate, typing-first switch. Competitive gamers wanting fast repeated presses should look lighter, and our best linear switches for gaming guide covers those.
If you want a soft, muted, effortless linear and you type more than you frag, it is still one of the best things you can put in a board.
Frequently asked questions
Are Tangerine V2s factory lubed?
Yes. They ship with a light factory application, and the quality of it is well regarded. Combined with the self-lubricating UHMWPE housing, they are usable straight from the bag with no modding.
What is the difference between Tangerine V1 and V2?
Manufacturing moved from Gateron to JWK, and the housing changed from opaque orange to translucent orange, which suits RGB builds better. The UHMWPE material and the overall character carried over.
Are Tangerines too heavy?
Heavier than mainstream linears, but less than the name suggests. The 62 and 67 figures are bottom-out force; actuation is around 55gf on both. If you currently use a 45g switch, expect a noticeable but manageable step up.
Will they fit my keyboard?
They are 5-pin, so they need a PCB with the two extra holes. On a 3-pin board you can clip the plastic legs off with flush cutters and they will seat normally. Our 3-pin vs 5-pin guide covers how to check and how to clip safely.
Do they work for gaming?
They are usable and perfectly smooth, but the weight works against rapid double-taps. A lighter linear is the better competitive choice. For casual play alongside heavy typing, they are fine.
Measured wobble and push-feel observations referenced from ThereminGoat’s Tangerine V2 review, the most thorough independent switch testing resource available.