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Screen Protector Shootout: BoxWave Anti-Glare Screen Protector

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In part 4 of our Screen Protector Shootout series, Truc Bui takes a look at BoxWave.

Video review below, text review below that

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– Truc Bui

BoxWave Anti-Glare Screen Protector

Summary:

Pros:

The best writing feel so far. The fluidity imparted is something that needs to be experienced. Scratch resistance is great, even with heavy inking.

Excellent coverage. Corner to corner coverage is on par with NuShield. The entirety of the protector adheres to the screen.

Anti-Glare properties very effective in reducing reflections.

Cons:

Speckling is very noticeable compared to the competition. Almost too intrusive.

Price point is on the more expensive side at $40 for one and $70 for two.

Application process is prone to picking up debris since the entire protector is adhesive. Be sure to work in a very clean environment. Lint-free gloves are recommended.

 

For the fourth round of the Screen Protector Shootout, I take a look at BoxWave’s Anti-Glare screen protector. BoxWave has one of the most extensive product lines of screen protectors for a variety of LCD devices boasting almost 3000 products for all your digital gear. Abe was kind enough to send me both the Anti-Glare as well as the Crystal Clear protectors for this portion of the review. I will break down the two screen protectors and review them separately.

Initial Impressions:

The BoxWave AG film came in a nicely packaged envelope with clear instructions on the back cover. There aren’t any unnecessary frills. In the package are a cleaning cloth, an applicator card, and the screen protector itself. The screen protector had a great feel to it right out of the envelope. The protective backing that covers the adhesive comes with a tab that allows for easy peeling and installation. BoxWave’s application process should be more involved than those with the adhesive on just the perimeter.

Installation:

Installation was the trickiest yet. I tried using the included applicator but avoiding bubbling was almost impossible. I gave up and ended up using a 3M squeegee that spanned almost the width of the screen protector. With an adequately wide applicator (you can cut one out of heavy poster board), the application was pretty straight forward. Another tricky aspect is that this screen protector has corner-to-corner coverage, which means initial alignment is key. Since I didn’t line it up exactly right and was getting bubbles, I had to peel the protector back up to try and eliminate the bubbles. As a result, I ended up picking up two random bits of gunk that ended up getting trapped between the screen protector and the screen. This led to slight bubbling at the very edge of the screen. It’s no big deal as it does not impede on the viewability or functionality of the protector, but it is definitely an eyesore.

Preservation of Luminosity:

AG films give off some amount of speckling as a trade-off for eliminating the glare. As a result, every AG film (the matte looking variety) that I have reviewed so far has some speckling issue. The BoxWave definitely has more speckling than some of the competition. I would say it ranks right up there with the speckling you would get if you added the Fujitsu provided protectors. On dark web pages, the speckling is hardly noticeable. On lighter background pages, especially white pages, the AG screen protector introduces alternating red, green, and blue dots if viewed from straight ahead. The end result is a Christmas-lights effect on white pages that tests the boundaries of being too invasive and distracting to the overall tablet experience. The speckling factor is a glaring (pun intended) detriment to an otherwise excellent screen protector.

Writing Feel:

This is perhaps the BoxWave’s strongest selling point. The writing feel is phenomenal. I actually prefer it to writing on a naked screen. It is silky smooth yet gives just enough feedback to make inking a truly enjoyable experience. I am very impressed with BoxWave for their perfecting of the inking experience. The screen protector proved to be very resilient to scratches. Not one scratch is visible in the three days I have been using this screen protector with heavy inking use.

Outdoor Viewability:

I haven’t seen the sun in a few days, so I had to replicate the reflections by using my office lights. It’s not the most ideal testing simulation as halogen lights are of one particular wavelength whereas being outdoors actually gives you a broader spectrum of light, allowing for a true sense of viewability. With that said, the BoxWave AG screen did a wonderful job of diffusing the light just enough to eliminate a majority of the glare while preserving viewability, but of course, with the aforementioned speckling intrusion.

Screen Protector Removal:

Since the BoxWave has a completely adhesive backing, removing it was quite a bit trickier. Combined with the added benefits of being a full coverage screen protector, getting a corner to release itself was quite a bit tricky. I didn’t try the tape trick, but will use that method for the Crystal Clear review. Thankfully for me, I had the benefit of being able to pry up an edge due to the debris that was stuck between the screen and the protector. Once a corner is pried up, removal was quite simple.

Conclusion:

At $40, the BoxWave is the second most expensive protector of this roundup. With that said, the complete corner to corner coverage and scratch resistance is possibly worth the cost of admission. I can see this screen protector lasting quite a long time. The writing feel on the BoxWave is perhaps its most compelling attribute for me. I can deal with the speckling a lot more because of the absolute magnificence of the inking experience. Did I already say I really liked the inking experience?

Stay tuned for the second half of Round 4!

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Brandon

    08/16/2012 at 2:05 pm

    I personally cannot stand screen protectors of any kind. Whenever an iPhone or iPad case comes with a screen protector I immediatly throw it in the trash! Some of them have built in screen protectors, so that takes a little bit of work. I can never put the protector on just right, they are always just a tad bit askew (which drives me crazy), and there are always little miniscule air pockets that push my OCD into the stratosphere. Thanks for the interesting blog, but my vote is to have no screen protector and just be extra careful with your hardware.

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