Cover the 2020 13" Macbook Pro in Stickers or Not?

[tothemoonsands]

I need some advice

Back in c. 2015, I had a Macbook Pro plastered in stickers. Dev & hobby related stickers. I loved the personalized look it gave, and also the minimalist protection for the aluminum unibody against scuffs and scratches. When I went to sell this beloved machine, it was certainly a giant PAIN to remove each and every one, including the residue, but all were removed with a bit of elbow grease and the machine condition underneath was truly remarkable - looked stunningly brand new.

Fast forward to ~2017, my next MBP. This time, I wanted the minimalist & clean look. Absolutely NO stickers. I always had a bit of trepidation of having the exposed unibody aluminum (I tend to be a bit OCD with scratches & imperfections), but ultimately I never had any issues.


Fast forward again now to present-day. I am super excited to get the 2020 13" MBP w/ i7, 32GB RAM, and 2TB SSD. This is a dream machine for me, and I intend to make it last as long as possible, hopefully a bit longer than my previous upgrades.

This time, I am leaning toward adding a ton of stickers again. Completely covering it on both sides. Again, for the personalized style but also the protection it gives.

Before I do this, I will certainly make sure this device is right for me. But aside from that, I wanted to write this & get everyone's thoughts on this. Who else puts a ton of stickers on their MBP? Any strong case for or against it? I know that ultimately this is a personal decision but I still would love to hear your thoughts & feedback!

Note: This is a personal machine, and I am not worried about any business/professionalism implications. If I were to meet some stuffy client, I could easily snap on a black shell to hide them (sort of like covering a tattoo).

 

[Nbd1790]

Personal preference for sure. I wouldn't be considering putting stickers all over your MacBook just for the sake of some form of "protection". If that's at all a concern to you, pick up a hardshell case on Amazon for 15 bucks. Slap some stickers on it and you can now remove the stickers whenever you please by removing the hardshell case.

 

[tothemoonsands]

Personal preference for sure. I wouldn't be considering putting stickers all over your MacBook just for the sake of some form of "protection". If that's at all a concern to you, pick up a hardshell case on Amazon for 15 bucks. Slap some stickers on it and you can now remove the stickers whenever you please by removing the hardshell case.

It's a great idea to put stickers on a hardshell case, but way back I was burned by one of those. By "burned", I mean that the hardshell case actually CAUSED scratches on my MBP. Well, technically probably some debris wedged itself in the middle between the two at some point, but nevertheless it resulted in scratches! Also, at the time the hardshell cases would pretty quickly start cracking. Needless to say, I avoid all hardshell cases now! Though I suspect the materials have come a long way in the years since - quality & design of hardshell cases is probably much better these days.

Thanks for your input though. I think once I've confirmed this device is working for me, I'll put the stickers on. Always quite fun to figure out how to layer each one.

 

[DeepIn2U]

May actually be cheaper to get dBrand sticker pack as those are created by 3M and leave absolutely NO residue. Then stickers over it

This is mine ... no stickers as of yet, but Apple WWDC is promoting stickers heavily lol.
Your dBrand could be a clear coat if you wanted it to be ... I don't recommend a sticker over the Trackpad tho

PS: I think the Memoji character not the left is the creator of Smule (lol)

 

[naturalstar]

I'm afraid to put stickers directly on the chassis even though I see people do it all the time. I'm worried about being able to get them off later.

On my 2013 rMBP 15" I used a clear hardshell case and then had a nice sticker cutout that allowed for the lit Apple logo to show through. Great effect. Mine never discolored and never cracked, but I didn't carry it around all that much over my time of ownership - the most being while I was still in school.

You've already made your decision, but just wanted to share - The secret to hardshell cases is that periodically you remove them, wipe down the inside and the outside of the MacBook itself. Optionally, let the device breath a bit before carefully putting the case back on.

Since there's no more glowing Apple logo (boooo), I'm thinking I finally have a use for the Apple stickers that come in the packaging.