A clean screen is something a lot of people neglect some times, yours truly included. As a Galaxy Note 2 owner, I am still afraid of applying a screen protector, as it may hinder S-Pen functionality. To that end, I always carry a screen cleaner with me. It is gray, and plain-looking. As I stated before, being unique is becoming more important in this technology age, but who thinks of having different screen cleaners? Toddy Gear does, so they sent us one of their Screensters screen cleaners to try out. Does it do as intended or is it just a cute toy to carry around? Let’s find out.
Toddy Gear Screensters are cute, tiny screen cleaners in the shape of small dolls. There are twelve models currently available, in varying styles, from the football player Gunnar, to the hipster looking Texterella. They are a little over 3 inches tall, about 1.5 inches wide, and very easy to carry with you. The screensters are a double-sided solution: the plush side cleans, the silky side polishes them. We were curious as to how the Screenster worked on several different screens. Since we had it for a while, we decided to test it thoroughly. So, here is how it came out:
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Let’s start with my daily driver. I carry my Note 2 in my pants pockets while at work, and a belt clip when I’m not. Needless to say, it gets a lot of action, and it floats around a sometimes lint-lined pocket from time to time. When using the screenster to clean it, I found that using the plush side to clean, then using the silky side to polish got the best results. Once it’s cleaned, it looks as nice as using a regular screen wipe, but once it’s polished, it brings back that shine like it’s a new screen again. I found myself using the two-step cleaning process very often throughout the day just to keep the screen looking so good. This way, I don’t have to bother with a screen protector. The Screenster stayed in my desk every time I was at work. My boss thought it was a good luck charm…little does he know.
Wii U Gamepad
So far, I haven’t really seen many screen protectors for the Wii U Gamepad. This item, like the Nintendo DS before, gets lots of use, sometimes to the point of looking abrasive for the screen. We put this to the test by playing Scribblenauts Unlimited for a few hours. The screen looked a bit smudged, no scratches(yes!), but definitely not as clear as when we started. We put the two-step process to the test again here, and it definitely looked good. We did notice however that polishing the screen didn’t have as noticeable an effect as on the Note 2. Usually just cleaning the screen gives it a good enough look, but wear and age on the Wii U Gamepad screen is a lot more apparent than on the Note 2. We believe it is due to the lower resolution and technologically older screen on the Gamepad. It simply isn’t as good a screen as the Note 2 and most smartphones. Still, cleaning it consistently makes it look good.
Acer Iconia A500 Tablet
The Iconia A500 isn’t exactly new, but it is different use than the Note 2. I use my Iconia around the house and when I travel. I haven’t really travelled since CES though, so I’ve just used it to read or surf the web in bed, so the only thing that gets on the screen is my fingers, nothing else. The two-step process has a really good effect on the screen. I had forgotten how good the screen on this guy looks! It isn’t 1080P, but it’s good enough for Netflix and basic work. On the Iconia, I noticed that most of the time, just polishing the screen is good enough. This is more than likely due to the fact that it gets limited exposure to the elements, and the use on it isn’t anywhere near as extreme as on the Wii U Gamepad’s screen. Thankfully, while I’m at home, the Screenster is close by to clean either the Note 2 or the Iconia A500.
iPhone 4s
Here is where it gets tricky. The iPhone 4s we tested is my little sister’s. It travels with her to school, and countless other places. That being said, I installed a Zagg Screen Shield on her phone, with a glossy finish. I was curious as to how the Screenster would work here. As I predicted, the cleaner worked really well. It seems to take more dirt off this screen than the rest, leading me to believe the Screen Shield attracts more dirt than just having a blank screen. Polishing it had no real effect on it at all after it was cleaned. If I just used one side however, whether the cleaning or polishing side, it had about the same effect. You can’t make something that’s glossy much shinier it seems, but it still gets cleaner, and looks as good as when the screen protector was installed.
Final Thoughts
We tested the screenster for quite a bit, making sure we got real results from our review period. After all this time, and all this testing, the Screenster held up really well. There are no visible tears, and it cleans as well as it did on day one. The Screenster is one of the most unique screen cleaning solutions we’ve ever tested. It now has a permanent place in my home in a central area, where it’s hung using the lanyard on the top of the Screenster. Toddy Gear has similar solutions in smaller form, including the Wedge, which acts like a stand, and has the two sides like the Screenster to clean and polish. Check them out at Toddy Gear’s website. We hope to get the chance to review more of Toddy Gear’s stuff in the future. For now, the Screenster will stay at home, to fulfill the family’s screen care needs, or travel with my sister when she goes far.