Incredibly smooth finishes on whisper-thin slabs of slick metal and glass. Gravity. Hard landing surfaces. Does this combination sound familiar? Of course it does – it’s our Gadgeteer shared nightmare of dropping a piece of tech and seeing it shatter to the ground in slow motion as we’re diving to the rescue. We could always ensconce everything in heavily padded and shockproof cases, but then we’d miss out on the joy of the elegant and playful design of the object itself. That’s the problem the folks at Gear Gripz set out to solve with their Kickstarter campaign.
Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.
Their solution is a highly textured rubbery stick-on material cut into various shapes. (Chevrons and hexagons to start, added circles since they exceeded their original funding goal, but you can create your own with the included full sheet of uncut material!) Gear Gripz adhere to your tech items and give you a place to grip, while not totally covering the entire device with a sealed tomb of plastic. The minute I got the sample pack, I stuck a few on the iDea 10+ Android tablet that I’ve been testing because – slick plastic and gravity. I find them barely noticeable, and highly effective. Don’t be surprised to see them on other tech I test in the future. These little guys are gonna save your bacon!
They have a Kickstarter campaign going on now through Halloween, so you can get in on the ground floor for as little as $8 for 3 sheets of pre-cut vinyl and a solid sheet. Their funding goal has only been sextupled currently (6 x $2500!!!), and is growing steadily. There are new collections to get, and a new frosted translucent “Ice” color for higher levels of support. Check them out! What do you have to lose – your grip? (Sorry – couldn’t pass that up!)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Gear Gripz. Please visit their Kickstarter page or their website for more info.
Product Information
| Price: | as low as $8 on Kickstarter |
| Manufacturer: | Gear Gripz |
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Does the adhesive on the Gear Gripz come out after a while? I had used clothes hanger grips in the past to try and mimic this and the glue tend to melt and made everything sticky.
I’ve had Gear Gripz on my phone for about 8 months now and have only had to replace 1 piece.
What makes these any different than eGrips? I’ve been using eGrips for years and always have a sheet or two in my drawer for new tech toys of a slippery nature (phones, tablets, etc). They’ve always worked great and make a huge difference in device stability and hold confidence: http://www.egrips.com/
I agree with Joel
I think Julie reviewed eGrips here 10+ years ago. I ordered a pre-cut set for a phone at the time (can’t remember which one) and have been using them ever since.
The original review was from a guest writer, but I revisited eGrips a couple years ago:
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/23/egrips-non-slip-strips-review/
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2003/11/25/egrips_review_updated/
I bought my first set of eGrips over 10 years ago as well. The eGrips site still has a link to the 2013 Gadgeteer review.
3M makes a grey plastic peel-n-stick stair tread that comes in various widths, and you can buy it by the running foot at Ace Hardware. I’ve been using it for years on various slippery hand-helds. It’s inexpensive and easily cut with a scissors.
Joel,
Gear Gripz improve the LOOK and FEEL of items, and come in different patterns. Go to the kickstarter to see how they are different! You will not believe your eyes.
This looks a lot better than the old rubber jar opener and double-sided carpet tape I stuck on my very first gadget (a Palm Pilot Pro.)
I should have patented the idea back then in 2001…