MBP 15" Retina - screen protector recommendations?

[nudoru]

Are there any good screen protectors in the market that you guys would recommend? I the Moshi AG one looks good - but a little pricey to experiment with at $38.

I just got a new 15" Retina for personal use and I'm paranoid about scratching the screen. Somehow, I managed to put a small "rainbow line" in my work retina any don't want to repeat that with my personal one.

Thanks for any opinions!

 

[MacInTO]

I've always had matte screen MacBooks in the past so when I had to upgrade to the retina I wasn't happy about the reflection and glare. I had no choice but to add a screen film to reduce the reflection and glare.

I looked at Mosh AG also, but it's not affixed to the viewing area so I thought there might be some strange effects when you change viewing angles. This is theoretical because I never tried this item. The cost was also a factor - $40 for a piece of plastic is a bit much.

I eventually went with this product, $15 at Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/Kuzy-Anti-Glare-15-inch-Protector-MacBook/dp/B00C2CRDJU

The challenge with this protector is applying it to the screen. The entire back surface adheres to the screen and it fits perfectly* within the rubber edges of the screen frame. Initial alignment is key to getting a proper fit. Getting dust and air bubble out from under the screen was another challenge. It took me about an hour but it works well and looks great.

It doesn't degrade the image colour or brightness nor does it cause any weird effects when you view the screen from a different angle. I believe they have a glossy one also. Most people that see my screen don't notice it, or look and go, what is different about it?

* when I say perfectly, there is probably less than 0.5mm of clearance on each of the edges. There is no reflection visible from any of the edges. The only exposed screen area is where the iSight camera is.

The poor reviews on Amazon are from people that could not align it or get the dust/air out from underneath. I've installed lots of these on my phones and tablets, but this was the biggest screen by far. It was surprisingly not as difficult as I expected.

 

[nudoru]

Thanks MacInTO! One of the best things about the Moshi is that it only sticks to the edges - We have 3 cats and I've never managed to apply a protector to one my phones without dust/cat hair underneath. I'm not sure that I could get a full screen one on

 

[alphaod]

I have the PowerSupport one. I tried the Kuzy products before, but for some reason they seem to be a knock off of other good brands. Their palm guard protector is rip off of the Moshi one (which is thicker and has better adhesive), and likewise with their screen protectors.

Anyways the PowerSupport one isn't cheap. In my original rMBP I had the regular glossy one and it make the glare worse than it was from the factory, but for my replacement rMBP, I decided on the antiglare one.

I think the price was about ¥4500 which is about $40-$45. I bought mine in Japan.

Application was easy if you've done a lot of screen protector applications (I do just about all applications for family, friends, and colleagues. I think it took about 15 seconds. The hard part was figuring out how to hold, peal the protective film off, and apply. I think by rolling the protector film (from the adhesive side) off quickly and evenly helped prevent the dust from getting underneath.

And I agree with MacInTO that there is this weird rainbow effect I would constantly notice in the beginning, but now I don't see it anymore. I quite like the antiglare surface and it's easier to clean as well.


And this wasn't the biggest one I've done. I've done one for the 27" iMac; that one was b***h to install.

 

[MacInTO]

Thanks MacInTO! One of the best things about the Moshi is that it only sticks to the edges - We have 3 cats and I've never managed to apply a protector to one my phones without dust/cat hair underneath. I'm not sure that I could get a full screen one on

That is also probably one of the worst things also about screen protectors - if they don't stick to the screen. If there is even the slightest gap and the plastic isn't perfectly flat, you will get some strange rainbow effects when viewing your screen. This was a major drawback for me because I edit photos mostly with my Mac so and distortion in image or colour is not good. The Moshi would be the easiest to apply, I think that is why it is a popular choice.

LOL, with three cats, you would need a clean room to apply it properly!

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I have the PowerSupport one. I tried the Kuzy products before, but for some reason they seem to be a knock off of other good brands. Their palm guard protector is rip off of the Moshi one (which is thicker and has better adhesive), and likewise with their screen protectors.

Anyways the PowerSupport one isn't cheap. In my original rMBP I had the regular glossy one and it make the glare worse than it was from the factory, but for my replacement rMBP, I decided on the antiglare one.

I think the price was about ¥4500 which is about $40-$45. I bought mine in Japan.

Application was easy if you've done a lot of screen protector applications (I do just about all applications for family, friends, and colleagues. I think it took about 15 seconds. The hard part was figuring out how to hold, peal the protective film off, and apply. I think by rolling the protector film (from the adhesive side) off quickly and evenly helped prevent the dust from getting underneath.

And I agree with MacInTO that there is this weird rainbow effect I would constantly notice in the beginning, but now I don't see it anymore. I quite like the antiglare surface and it's easier to clean as well.


And this wasn't the biggest one I've done. I've done one for the 27" iMac; that one was b***h to install.

I didn't go with the Power Support model because of the price. After trying different brands over the years, I realized that they were pretty much all the same. I had a power support film on one of my iPhone and it was awesome, but it was also the most expensive screen protector. The next time I tried a cheap one and it was just as good for a third of the price!

I'm glad I went with the Kuzy, which I'm very happy with is similar to the Power Support. I figured I couldn't lose because Amazon has a great return policy. I'm surprised you have the rainbow effect with the PS model. I've not had it with the Kuzy.

I would never get a glossy screen protector as the retina screens are made of glass. It would be more difficult to scratch than the protector.

I couldn't imagine apply it to a 27" screen! Way to go!