I’ve been wondering about keyboard covers for a while. Are they really that good for your laptop? Or are they actually bad for your laptop? doing a lot of research I can’t really find a definitive answer. It seems like half the people absolutely love using keyboard covers. While the other half of people absolutely hate keyboard covers.
By the end of this article, you should know all about the pros and cons of keyboard covers. It will then be up to you to weigh these positives and negatives and answer this question for yourself “Are Keyboard Covers Worth it“?
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Table of Contents
What is the art of keyboarding?
The art of keyboarding is the idea of creating the perfect typing experience. This includes the setup, the type of keyboard, and even extra features on the board such as 0-rings and covers.
What is the Point of a Keyboard Cover for Laptops and Desktops?
The keyboard cover, as obvious as it sounds, is used to protect your keyboard. Laptops can get very expensive. Some are over three to four thousand dollars! So, it’s well worth the small investment, at least some agree it’s worth it, to put a keyboard cover on your laptop.
There are a few things that could damage your laptop and/or the keyboard reducing the overall performance of the device. This includes things such as:
- Oil
- Dust
- Small Spills
- Other
- Oil: This substance likes to sit on the tips of your fingers. Over time, oil and grease could cause your keyboard keys to fade and turn shiny, even cause more wear and tear. This would mean you need to replace your keyboard sooner than you’d like to.
- Dust: Possibly the worst enemy for your laptop. It’s hard to really see dust especially if there are just small particles floating in the air. But over time it will accumulate underneath the keys and make them stop working. usually, this could be solved with compressed air keyboard maintenance. However, sometimes it gets so bad you have to remove the keyboard and clean it. This is a delicate process and I personally would rather just avoid being in this situation.
- Small spills: Keyboard covers aren’t invincible. If you drop a whole cup of coffee on your keyboard it will not save the day. However, they will protect small spills from seeping through the cracks of the keyboard. If you normally have a drink while using your laptop, having a keyboard could potentially save your expensive piece of equipment from a very wet catastrophe.
- Other Unique Benefit: another benefit that I stumbled upon, though not everyone will agree that it’s a positive thing, is that the keyboard cover will reduce the sound created from keystrokes. This is a bit debatable because some people love the sound of a keyboard while others would rather the sound be muted. It just depends on the person and where they are using the laptop. Obviously, in a workplace with other co-workers, you may prefer a silent keyboard.
Do Keyboard Covers Cause Overheating?
The common question with keyboard covers is will they cause overheating on my laptop? That is a very good question. I actually wasn’t too sure about the answer at first so I did some digging.
It seems like the older plastic MacBooks, about the 2006 to 2007 models, use a ventilation system through the keyboard. This actually could cause overheating if you used a keyboard cover on a laptop with this type of ventilation. However, the designers decided to switch that up (maybe they realized that was a bad idea) and they no longer build them that way.
The vents for a laptop are now on the sides and back of the laptop. so, having a keyboard cover on top of the keyboard in most cases should not cause any amount of overheating. However, if you’re still worried about overheating then maybe a keyboard cover isn’t for you. Or maybe you should use a keyboard cover sometimes but not all the time. For example, if you are in an area that may be Dusty or if you have a drink next to you.
How Does a Keyboard Cover Effect Typing?
The drawbacks of a keyboard cover are of course the typing experience. some people claim this is a deal-breaker. Others claim it’s not really that big of a deal and you get used to it after a few days of use. Also, the experience is a little different based on the type of keyboard cover your using.
- Silicone Keyboard Cover: from what I’ve seen people do not like the silicone keyboards. They are thick and really hard to type with. If you’re going to get a keyboard cover then I would recommend (and many others do too) the Moshi keyboard cover.
- Moshi Keyboard Cover: These keyboard covers are much thinner and barely noticeable. some people say they still don’t even like these keyboard covers, while others say they love them and they are easy to get used to.
The most noticeable difference to typing when you first put the keyboard cover on is that it may require a little more force on the keys than you’re used to. However, after some time of use, you will become quite accustomed to the new typing style. It’s not a huge difference or anything, it’s only a slight difference so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.
Side Note:
Most keyboards generally have a nice snug fit, so you shouldn’t really have to worry about them sliding around. Though, These covers usually come with some sort of adhesive that you can apply to the keyboard cover. I’ve noticed many people say they don’t even use the adhesive but depending on your situation you may decide to use it.
Are Keyboard Covers Worth it? Or are they a Bad Idea?
I wouldn’t say keyboard covers are bad for laptops. Other than the unique case that it’s a badly designed laptop that vents through the keyboard. However, the real question is “are the slight annoyances worth the protection that brings?”
I personally would say “yeah it’s worth it”. If I’m going to spend thousands of dollars on something then I’ll do whatever it takes to keep it safe. Also, from what I can see, the keyboard cover isn’t that annoying. It definitely does more good than bad.
Small Warning: You should be wary of the fact that depending on the keyboard cover you have, it may cause a mark on the screen of your laptop. Most people say it’s not really a big deal you can just wipe it off, others say it has scratched their screen. It would be a good idea to keep an eye on that. Maybe even remove the keyboard cover when you’re not using the laptop.
How Much is a Keyboard Cover?
Keyboard covers are fairly inexpensive. Especially if you compare the cover to the price of the laptop. If you’re going to spend that much on a laptop then this small investment could really be worth it. The cheapest types of covers I found on eBay were about $4. Though, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing one of these because they seem pretty cheap to me. some people claim they work pretty good but you get what you pay for.
If you want to spend a little more, a highly recommended keyboard cover I’ve seen is the ghost cover. It is made of the high-quality Moshi material. It’s super-thin and you will barely notice it. If you’re going to spend money on a keyboard cover you might as well get this one. To check the price on Amazon click HERE.
Easy Tip to Make Your Own Keyboard Cover
If you would like to save some money and create your own keyboard cover I found a nice little video that shows just how to do that. Though I don’t think this type of cover will really help with the dust or spills as much. It does look cute and will protect your keys from oils and dirt. Here’s the video I found all you need is washi tape and a sharpie. There may be other tutorials online but this is the one I found.
Conclusion
As you can see there’s quite a lot to think about when it comes to keyboard covers. There are definitely a lot of positive things that come from keyboard covers. It could protect your keys from extra wear and tear. It could prevent dust from getting underneath the keys and rendering them useless. It could also prevent the fatal mistake of a small spill shortening the PCP board.
With all those great things in mind, how could you not use a keyboard cover? Well, all good things must come with a negative side too, right? Well, yes. For some people, a keyboard cover may be quite annoying. The typing experience is tarnished. If you’ve never used a keyboard cover before the first time you do it will definitely be a make-or-break type of situation. This is how most people feel about keyboard wrist rests too. Some love them, and others hate them.
Now that you know all there is to know about keyboard covers. Both the positives and the negatives. It’s time for you to decide whether or not the slight hindrances are worth the potential of saving you thousands of dollars, as well as a severe headache down the road.