invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield Kit Review

I recently purchased a MacBook and decided like many Mac owners to protect the glossy white finish of the notebook from day one. There are several options on the market for protecting the MacBook and other notebook computers. I decided to use the invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield from ZAGG Inc. Read on to find out how well the invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield performed.

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Features & Specifications
Zagg sent me the invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield for testing along with some remnants of the clear material the shield is made from for testing. Many MacBook owners are concerned about keeping the white touchpad and wrist rest area clean and white colored. Many owners of white MacBook’s know that these places in particular tend to turn yellow with use no matter how careful you are. At the same time the glossy white finish gets dull and ugly over time thanks to scratches.

The invisibleSHIELD address all of these problems by covering most areas of the MacBook with a thin, clear plastic that is very strong and removable. The material used to make the shield was originally used by the military to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from abrasion. To say the material is strong is an understatement. The invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield is also removable if needed without leaving residue behind and carries a lifetime replacement guarantee. If the shield ever scratches or rips Shield Zone will replace it free of charge and if you ever need to remove the shield from your MacBook to send it in for repairs, they will send you another shield for the price of shipping alone.

The invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield kit includes eight custom cut pieces exactly made to fit the MacBook along with a spray liquid used to help install the film and a rubber squeegee for getting air bubbles out from under the film when installing.

Installation & Testing
The installation process is easy, the first part I did was the top cover of my MacBook and in retrospect I should have started on the bottom to get the hang of the installation process. You peel the piece off the paper backing like a sticker, spray both sides of the shield and stick it to your device. The spray makes the shield easier to work with by allowing it to slide easier as you stick it down and remove air trapped under the piece.

If you miss some of the larger air bubble you can peel it off and smooth it out to some extent. However, after a few minutes the film adheres strongly and peeling it off to remove air bubbles becomes difficult. Shield Zone says that most air bubbles and imperfections will work their way out in about three days. My MacBook kit included one piece that was cut to wrap around the sides of the top lid, three pieces for the bottom of the notebook that fit around the battery and other areas of the bottom to protect from scratches. Pieces cut exactly for the touchpad and click button as well as each side of the wrist rest are included as well.

The film is crystal clear and once applies the only way to tell it’s there is if you have more air bubbles underneath or from light shining off the more reflective surface of the shield. The trackpad works as flawlessly with the invisibleSHIELD installed as it did before installation, but it does have a very different feel with the shield installed. Installation took me about 20 minutes for all the pieces. After the first piece installation became much easier. I was left with lots of air bubbles under the top piece, which was my fault for not smoothing it out as I went.

I tested the invisibleSHIELD remnants sent along with my invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield kit to see just how strong they are. I took a quarter and presses as hard as possible as I scraped it back and forth. The material had no visible scratches on the surface. The only way to tell that I had scraped the material was by the small stretched areas left from actually pulling at the material with the quarter. These stretch marks even disappeared after a few minutes thanks to the self-healing ability of the film.

I also tried to puncture the material with a ballpoint pen and found that I could not do it. The only think I found that damaged the film was sharp objects. A box cutter sliced right through the film, which is honestly to be expected. However, the invisibleSHIELD film will laugh anything short of a knife attack on your MacBook off.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

• Very tough
• Lifetime warranty

Cons

• Installation mistakes can make the shield unattractive

Verdict
The invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield kit does a great job of protecting your MacBook from exterior scratches and keeps your trackpad and palm rest areas clean. Installations is easy, but take your time as air bubbles greatly affect the looks of the product. Overall, the invisibleSHIELD Apple MacBook 13-inch Full Body Shield kit is a fantastic product that when well installed takes nothing away from the aesthetics of your MacBook.

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