diff --git a/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerIntegrationTest.java b/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerIntegrationTest.java
index 3744949a18..c174455a93 100644
--- a/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerIntegrationTest.java
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@ void recordSuccessfulExchanges(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server)
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SUCCESS")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "200")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SUCCESS"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("200"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
             // end::example_classic[]
         }
 
@@ -96,9 +96,9 @@ void recordClientErrorExchanges(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "CLIENT_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "404")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("CLIENT_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("404"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ void recordUnknownUriPatternByDefault(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "UNKNOWN");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("UNKNOWN"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ void recordUriPatternWhenHeader(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "/some/{name}");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("/some/{name}"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ void recordUriPatternWhenContext(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer serve
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "/some/{name}");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("/some/{name}"));
         }
 
         @ParameterizedTest
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ void contextualNameContainsMethod(String methodName, @WiremockResolver.Wiremock
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
                 .hasContextualNameEqualTo("HTTP " + methodName)
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), methodName);
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue(methodName));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -164,10 +164,10 @@ void recordProtocolErrorsAsIoErrors(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer se
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "IO_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "ProtocolException")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("IO_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("ProtocolException"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -179,10 +179,10 @@ void recordSocketTimeoutAsIoErrors(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer ser
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "IO_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "SocketTimeoutException")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("IO_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("SocketTimeoutException"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ void recordRequestRetries(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server) thro
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SERVER_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "503")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SERVER_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("503"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME, 2);
         }
 
@@ -232,9 +232,9 @@ void recordSuccessfulExchanges(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server)
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SUCCESS")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "200")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SUCCESS"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("200"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
             // end::example_async[]
         }
 
@@ -247,9 +247,9 @@ void recordClientErrorExchanges(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "CLIENT_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "404")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("CLIENT_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("404"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ void recordUnknownUriPatternByDefault(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "UNKNOWN");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("UNKNOWN"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ void recordUriPatternWhenHeader(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "/some/{name}");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("/some/{name}"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ void recordUriPatternWhenContext(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer serve
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.asString(), "/some/{name}");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(URI.withValue("/some/{name}"));
         }
 
         @ParameterizedTest
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ void contextualNameContainsMethod(String methodName, @WiremockResolver.Wiremock
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
                 .hasContextualNameEqualTo("HTTP " + methodName)
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), methodName);
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue(methodName));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -318,10 +318,10 @@ void recordProtocolErrorsAsIoErrors(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer se
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "IO_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "ProtocolException")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("IO_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("ProtocolException"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -334,10 +334,10 @@ void recordSocketTimeoutAsIoErrors(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer ser
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "IO_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "SocketTimeoutException")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("IO_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("SocketTimeoutException"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -349,9 +349,9 @@ void recordRequestRetries(@WiremockResolver.Wiremock WireMockServer server) thro
             }
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME)
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SERVER_ERROR")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.asString(), "503")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.asString(), "GET");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SERVER_ERROR"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(STATUS.withValue("503"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(METHOD.withValue("GET"));
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasNumberOfObservationsWithNameEqualTo(DEFAULT_METER_NAME, 2);
         }
 
diff --git a/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerTest.java b/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerTest.java
index b235b387d4..0e633559ae 100644
--- a/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerTest.java
+++ b/micrometer-core/src/test/java/io/micrometer/core/instrument/binder/httpcomponents/hc5/ObservationExecChainHandlerTest.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void shouldInstrumentReceivedResponses() throws Exception {
             handler.execute(request, this.scope, chain);
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SUCCESS");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SUCCESS"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ void shouldInstrumentExceptions() throws Exception {
                 .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class);
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "IllegalArgumentException");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("IllegalArgumentException"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ void shouldInstrumentCancelledRequests() throws Exception {
                 .isInstanceOf(RequestFailedException.class);
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "RequestFailedException");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("RequestFailedException"));
         }
 
     }
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ void shouldInstrumentReceivedResponses() throws Exception {
 
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "SUCCESS");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("SUCCESS"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ void shouldInstrumentExceptions() throws Exception {
 
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), "IllegalArgumentException");
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue("IllegalArgumentException"));
         }
 
         @Test
@@ -164,8 +164,8 @@ void shouldInstrumentCancelledRequests() throws Exception {
 
             assertThat(observationRegistry).hasObservationWithNameEqualTo("httpcomponents.httpclient.request")
                 .that()
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.asString(), "UNKNOWN")
-                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.asString(), KeyValue.NONE_VALUE);
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(OUTCOME.withValue("UNKNOWN"))
+                .hasLowCardinalityKeyValue(EXCEPTION.withValue(KeyValue.NONE_VALUE));
         }
 
     }