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Zagg InvisibleShield Review
07.12.10 11:02 AM Filed in: Gear Reviews
The AppleNinja has an ancient secret to upgrading her Macs every year, and it’s doesn’t involve scrolls and big piles of cash. What if I told you there’s a $50 investment you can make in your gadgets that will keep them looking pristine and perfect - and more importantly, preserve their high resale value? Welcome to the Zagg InvisibleShield.
This video will speak for itself. Here’s a MacBook Pro with insanely heavy use after a year looking as gorgeous as the day I bought it.
Read on to learn more about this great, but hard-to-install product!
This video will speak for itself. Here’s a MacBook Pro with insanely heavy use after a year looking as gorgeous as the day I bought it.
Read on to learn more about this great, but hard-to-install product!
For those of you that don’t know, the Zagg InvisibleShield are sheets of custom-fit plastic that go over your gadgets. There are InvisibleShield’s for MacBooks, InvisibleShields for iPhones, and even InvisibleShields for the Wacom Intuos Digitizer. They are “wet install” shields, meaning you apply them with a clear liquid. The marketing literature touts them as “military-grade.”
The advantage to the InvisibleShield is it’s almost-weightless protection for your Macbook. As my video shows, it really does perfectly protect your Mac from the day-to-day damage of using it. The disadvantage is they are a difficult install, especially the first time. If you don’t do it correctly, you can end up with air bubbles, streaks, or even peeling around the edges. There are no second chances once it dries.
I failed miserably the first time I tried to install an InvisibleShield. It was for my Rev A Macbook Air. I was eager to install it, and didn’t wait for help - though one friend had suggested it was a two-person job. Peeling the invisibleShield off the backing, parts of it stuck to itself. I stretched the plastic out of its original shape in the process of detangling it. As a result, the edges of the MacBook Air were exposed. Grime eventually gathered there, marring the beauty of the MacBook Air.
The second time I purchased one, I knew enough to wait for help, and the process was much easier. My suggestion is to power down your gadget, then liberally spray your hands before touching it, and liberally spray the InvisibleShield. Working with a partner, you’ll have enough hands to guide it into place. You then use a rubber squeegee to guide liquid out of the InvisibleShield. You then let it dry overnight.
A few air bubbles are inevitable. If you are a complete perfectionist, this is not the gadget for you. But, if you do it carefully you’ll end up with a nearly invisible layer of protection for your gadget. I’ve had InvisibleShields for four MacBooks, an iPad and an iPhone.
In my experience, you don’t want to put the InvisibleShield on any surface where you interface with your gadget. This means touchscreens and touchpads. There’s an ever-so-slight stickiness to the plastic that would inhibit the glassy feel the products are designed to have. For this reason, I can’t recommend the InvisibleShield for the iPhone or the front of the iPad. I also wouldn’t recommend putting it on your Macbook trackpad.
Other than these minor caveat, I think this is an excellent investment for your Macbook. I’ve always gotten top-notch resale for my Mac bling thanks to the InvisibleShield. It gives you so much peace of mind to be able to throw it in a bag without worrying that you will scratch it.
The advantage to the InvisibleShield is it’s almost-weightless protection for your Macbook. As my video shows, it really does perfectly protect your Mac from the day-to-day damage of using it. The disadvantage is they are a difficult install, especially the first time. If you don’t do it correctly, you can end up with air bubbles, streaks, or even peeling around the edges. There are no second chances once it dries.
I failed miserably the first time I tried to install an InvisibleShield. It was for my Rev A Macbook Air. I was eager to install it, and didn’t wait for help - though one friend had suggested it was a two-person job. Peeling the invisibleShield off the backing, parts of it stuck to itself. I stretched the plastic out of its original shape in the process of detangling it. As a result, the edges of the MacBook Air were exposed. Grime eventually gathered there, marring the beauty of the MacBook Air.
The second time I purchased one, I knew enough to wait for help, and the process was much easier. My suggestion is to power down your gadget, then liberally spray your hands before touching it, and liberally spray the InvisibleShield. Working with a partner, you’ll have enough hands to guide it into place. You then use a rubber squeegee to guide liquid out of the InvisibleShield. You then let it dry overnight.
A few air bubbles are inevitable. If you are a complete perfectionist, this is not the gadget for you. But, if you do it carefully you’ll end up with a nearly invisible layer of protection for your gadget. I’ve had InvisibleShields for four MacBooks, an iPad and an iPhone.
In my experience, you don’t want to put the InvisibleShield on any surface where you interface with your gadget. This means touchscreens and touchpads. There’s an ever-so-slight stickiness to the plastic that would inhibit the glassy feel the products are designed to have. For this reason, I can’t recommend the InvisibleShield for the iPhone or the front of the iPad. I also wouldn’t recommend putting it on your Macbook trackpad.
Other than these minor caveat, I think this is an excellent investment for your Macbook. I’ve always gotten top-notch resale for my Mac bling thanks to the InvisibleShield. It gives you so much peace of mind to be able to throw it in a bag without worrying that you will scratch it.