How to Protect Your Mobile Tech Products
From knocking your laptop off a table to dropping your phone in the toilet -- which happens more than you might expect -- you can harm or even destroy your mobile gadgets at any moment. And when you’re traveling for business with lots of electronics onboard, the chance of disaster only increases. However, you can mitigate the threat. First, start with common sense, like keeping gadgets out of hazardous situations, only carrying what you absolutely need, and bringing a backup in case of emergency. Then take a look at the bevy of products available to help protect your mobile devices and keep your gadgets looking and acting like new.
It’s in the Bag
If you’re carrying around lots of gear, the first thing you want to look at is what you’re carrying it in. Whether you have a laptop, a camera, or a media player, make sure your gear is stored somewhere safe. You can find carrying cases, totes, and media-friendly backpacks and messenger bags in every style, from high-end designer brands to high-tech solar-charging models. Just about anything that keeps your gadgets from rattling about and provides some degree of padding should do.
If you need some extra protection, if you’re traveling to construction sites or working on the water, for example, look for waterproof, crush-proof and heatproof carryalls, like the ones from Pelican. If you fly a lot, look for a laptop bag you won’t have to unpack to take through security, like Skooba Design’s Checkthrough Backpack.
Making the Case
For when your gear is out of the bag, you may want to get a protective case or skin. You can find one for your laptop, tablet, phone, e-book reader, media player, and other devices. Depending on the type of coverage your case offers, it can protect your screen, absorb shocks from falling, guard against scratches and other physical damage, and enhance your grip on your device.
As with bags, you’ll want to take any special environmental issues into consideration and get a product suited to the environment you work in. Wrapsol makes thin protective skins for a range of devices, and Incipio and Speck Products both make a wide array of cases.
Saving Your Screen
Most of your mobile gadgets would be useless without a screen -- you couldn’t select the right phone number or see your directions -- so you need to take extra care to protect them. Even if you don’t want a case for your full device, you can get a screen protector to add a layer of scratch-resistance to your gadget, though a shock-absorbent case will do more to prevent shattering if you do drop your tech toy.
You can get a special microfiber pad, like ShaggyMac’s Laptop Screen Protector/Keyboard Cover, that you lay on your laptop’s keyboard before closing to absorb the dirt and oils your fingers leave behind and protect your screen from scuffs and imprints from your keyboard. This microfiber pad also acts as a cleaning cloth for your screen so you don’t scratch it when wiping it down.
Don’t Forget to Accessorize
Your cords and chargers are an integral part of your on-the-go kit, and they deserve better treatment than being tangled in your bag. Some carrying cases come with elasticized panels that let you wrap up your cord and store it securely, or you could buy a Grid-It organizer to add to your bag.
Don’t forget to keep your other accessories secure too, from hard drives and memory cards to DVDs and camera lenses, you can get sturdy, lightweight cases for them all. A great place to look is Case Logic.
So what happens if you do accidentally drop a gadget in the toilet? Take out the battery, think about using Bheestie moisture-wicking bags, which are designed to dry electronics quickly, and don’t try turning it on until you’re sure it’s dry.
