13.3-inch LappyMat Laptop Screen Protector Review

Oct 5 2007, 12:00am CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Anyone that has owned a laptop for a while has noticed that the keys on the keyboard tend to scratch and mar the screen over time. My old Acer notebook had the outline of every key on the keyboard that touched the LCD etched there after about 6 months of use. When I bought my new MacBook I didn’t want that to happen so I decided to get a screen protector. LappyMats offers a line of custom cut screen protectors that also double as cleaning cloths for your LCD and other electronic devices. Read on for all the details.

Gallery

4 images

Benchmarks

Features & Specifications
LappyMats says that their patented polymer ultra-microfibers are spun to be very lightweight and fine to the point that a 50-mile long strand would weigh less than a gram. After ironing, cutting and needle-punching these fibers LappyMats ends up with a felt like cloth that is then custom cut for an exact fit on most of the available laptops out there.

My MacBook had a thin piece of cloth between the keyboard and screen when I bought it. A look at the cloth told me it wouldn’t last long and it was stiff and felt abrasive, defiantly not something I would want to clean my notebook with. The LappyMat is engineered to be thick enough to cushion the laptop screen, while not being so thick as to cause a problem with laptop hinges. LappyMats also offers custom cutting of mats to fit any notebook dimension. LappyMats also covers their products with a lifetime warranty and the mat is machine washable if it gets dirty.

LappyMat in Use
I have several different microfiber cleaning cloths around here from ShaggyMac, which I use frequently to keep dist and smudges off my LCD and electronics. When you hold the LappyMat and ShaggyMac products side-by-side they are virtually identical in thickness and design. The only real difference I could see between the two products was the ShaggyMac microfiber cloth is a bit fuzzier, for lack of a better word.

The dimensions of the LappyMat were perfect for my MacBook and covered the entire keyboard and touchpad of the notebook. I was concerned that the magnetic catch for the notebook lid might not work with the extra bulk of the LappyMat inside, but it closed as easily and firmly as the MacBook does without the LappyMat inside.

In use I found that the LappyMat was great for getting dust of the notebook and LCD screen. IT was able to remove light smudges when dry at times, but I found it worked much better for removing smudges when combines with a liquid cleaner like OptiMist Prime. Like the other microfiber cloths I have used, I noticed when the LappyMat gets wet it tends to leave lint behind. On a white MacBook the lint is very noticeable. However, the more I use the LappyMat the les lint is left behind. You can also wash the LappyMat to remove lint before you use it.

LappyMats also ships the full size LappyMat with a small LappyMat intended to be used to keep your small gadgets like iPods clean. I found the perfect use for the small LappyMat to be cleaning the sensitive lens on my Nikon D80. You can get your LappyMat in black or silver colors and the 13.3” version for my MacBook was costs $12.95.

Verdict

Conclusion

Pros

Well made
Lifetime warranty
Perfect fit

Cons

Leaves behind lint

Verdict
The LappyMat is a great way to protect your expensive notebook and keep it looking nice and clean. The mat is thick enough to protect, but not so thick that is could cause hinge damage. In all the LappyMat is a great product at a good price.

8.5

where to buy

Buy from Amazon

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Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.