Product Review - 3M Natural View Screen Protectors for iPad
Category Product Review 3M Natural View Screen Protectors for iPad
I received a set of 3M Natural View Screen Protectors for my iPad via the Amazon Vine review program recently, and was looking forward to what they might accomplish. It doesn't take much for my iPad screen to get a major case of the smudgies, and I was hoping that the screen overlays would help reduce that. While they do help with that issue, I was more bugged by the dust specks and such that almost inevitably end up sandwiched between the screen and the protector.
3M does a good job with the packaging and instructions, as good as any I've seen in other similar products. Part of the packaging serves as a cardboard squeegee to get the air bubbles out from under the screen. I used a lint-free cloth they included in my package (probably not part of the retail package) to clean off existing smudges and dust. But no matter how much/often you rub, there's always something minute left on the screen. Once I applied the overlay, I used the cardboard edge to push the bubbles out to the edges and mostly out from under the plastic. It's at that point that you see the dust you missed, and there's nothing much you can do to remove those small screen specks. Furthermore, some bubbles and edges seal fine, while others won't make full contact regardless of what you do.
Finally, I fired up a movie to see whether those small imperfections would bother me. I can usually overlook a few smudges when I'm watching a video, but I found myself focusing on the screen spots. I figured at that point, I'd be better off going without the protector and living with smudges. At least I can clean those off...
If I had small kids using my iPad, I think the 3M Natural View Screen Protector would have remained on the screen. It *does* provide a level of protection that would be appreciated in that situation. But since the iPad is pretty much mine alone, and since I keep it cased 98% of the time, I don't feel that living with the screen imperfections is worth it.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free
I received a set of 3M Natural View Screen Protectors for my iPad via the Amazon Vine review program recently, and was looking forward to what they might accomplish. It doesn't take much for my iPad screen to get a major case of the smudgies, and I was hoping that the screen overlays would help reduce that. While they do help with that issue, I was more bugged by the dust specks and such that almost inevitably end up sandwiched between the screen and the protector.
3M does a good job with the packaging and instructions, as good as any I've seen in other similar products. Part of the packaging serves as a cardboard squeegee to get the air bubbles out from under the screen. I used a lint-free cloth they included in my package (probably not part of the retail package) to clean off existing smudges and dust. But no matter how much/often you rub, there's always something minute left on the screen. Once I applied the overlay, I used the cardboard edge to push the bubbles out to the edges and mostly out from under the plastic. It's at that point that you see the dust you missed, and there's nothing much you can do to remove those small screen specks. Furthermore, some bubbles and edges seal fine, while others won't make full contact regardless of what you do.
Finally, I fired up a movie to see whether those small imperfections would bother me. I can usually overlook a few smudges when I'm watching a video, but I found myself focusing on the screen spots. I figured at that point, I'd be better off going without the protector and living with smudges. At least I can clean those off...
If I had small kids using my iPad, I think the 3M Natural View Screen Protector would have remained on the screen. It *does* provide a level of protection that would be appreciated in that situation. But since the iPad is pretty much mine alone, and since I keep it cased 98% of the time, I don't feel that living with the screen imperfections is worth it.
Disclosure:
Obtained From: Amazon Vine Review Program
Payment: Free


