Rearth Keyboard Skin Review

[Tomple]

First off, I want to thank Rearth for sending me this awesome product! I also want to say that my review is solely based on the product, and not the fact that they sent it to me for review.

Okay, now that thats out of the way, let me start off by saying that this product is exactly what I was looking for. I often found myself having to clean butter off my keyboard, and wipe salt away. I love to eat at my computer, especially popcorn and chips so this product was something I really needed.

Quality

The build quality on this skin is quite good. It is made of a quite durable plastic, and it will definitely last.


Design

Ill start with the packaging. It was awesome. Easy to open and minimal, as well as reusable for storing the skin.
The skin is slightly thinner at the base of the key (where your finger presses) making it really easy to hit. I have another keyboard skin lying around which I used to test the difference in "pressability" and the Rearth won by a longshot.


Overall

The Rearth skin is a clear winner for me in the keyboard cover area. It is durable, innovative, and only $13 with free shipping. There really is no reason NOT to get this keyboard cover


Availible Here Rearth USA


Thanks for reading my first review, any tips?

 

[Windows]

Tip. 1
RESIZE the GINORMOUS pictures, I can't even read the review

 

[razamataz]

Tip. 1
RESIZE the GINORMOUS pictures, I can't even read the review

+1 lol!

 

[Tomple]

Tip. 1
RESIZE the GINORMOUS pictures, I can't even read the review

I KNOW! So big, sorry about that! Resizing now

Edit: Resized, thats better

 

[SHS74]

Does the heat build up at all with keyboard skins?

If I understand correctly, the exhaust for heat is under the keys?

If so, wouldn't a skin block the heat from escaping?

I have been considering a keyboard skin, but was concerned about this.

 

[Over Achiever]

So, you got a PM asking you to review their product too?

 

[Tomple]

If I understand correctly, the exhaust for heat is under the keys?

If so, wouldn't a skin block the heat from escaping?

I have been considering a keyboard skin, but was concerned about this.

So far so good for me!
I will update if I notice any issues though

If you are going to get a keyboard skin, I would go with this one. Good price point and it is well made

So, you got a PM asking you to review their product too?

Yep
What was your response? Yes or No?

 

[MikhailT]

If I understand correctly, the exhaust for heat is under the keys?

If so, wouldn't a skin block the heat from escaping?

I have been considering a keyboard skin, but was concerned about this.

According to Reath:

Introducing our 2011 Verco keyboard cover for the new MacBook Air by Apple. Along with the release of this new MacBook we have developed a new way to improve the release of heat by our Verco keyboard cover. The reason for this new patented development is due to the fact that Apple has taken away the various bulky ventilation feature of the Mac to create a slimmer laptop. The isolated keys are design so that heat can escape through the gaps and with many keyboard covers these gaps are close and the heat are left trap inside your Mac. This eventually led to many disastrous consequences such as system malfunction or hardware damage to your laptop.

Our new Verco is designed to create an air pumping action while you’re typing. Your typing action will increase the air circulation inside your system. This action pushes cold air inside your keyboard and releases the hot air away from your Mac. If your Verco is sitting idle you don’t have worry. We have design it to have various miniature passage way on the cover so that hot air can easily escape.

 

[2IS]

I can see this being a good idea for people like the OP who eat/drink over their laptop. Short of that there seems to be little point for such a contraption. It's a bit on the ugly side and it certainly can't make typing any easier.

 

[3goldens]

No keyboard illumination!

I too was offered one of these to test and review.

I think it is an exceptionally well made product, the packaging is well thought out and the price is certainly right, who can beat 13 bucks and free shippng?

It does not seem to impede the cooling process at all and form fits to the MBA perfectly. HOWEVER-on the keyboard illumination side...BAD NEWS!

It visually cuts down the keys natural illumination from the display because of the frosted coating on the skin.

While it protects is beautifully it does make it a little more difficult to see the board in low light situations.

Ordinarily, one can use the display's light to provide the right amount of light on the keyboard to allow one to see pretty well without the need of an illuminated board but the frosted background eliminates this altogether. It virtually cuts that down to almost nothing, no reflective qualities what so ever after its put on.

Rearth might want to consider using a clear translucent skin rather than this frosted version to help with this problem.

At first I was a little put off by the left and right sides not fitting into the well of the keyboard but this appears to be one of the ways it allows some air to circulate under the keyboard. It does not interfere at all with typing and allows it to be removed easily.

All in all at this point I would say its a perfectly good part time product to use in well lit circumstances. It is functionally fine, though its not a product I think I would ever use, primarily because I can no longer see the keyboard.

I would only recommend it for the slobs out there concerned about sloshing something on their keyboard, but would caution them to keep on an eye on the heat build up.