Review: ThinkGeek Glowing Keyboard Stickers

In an attempt to make myself hate my 1000HE less (and make my current toys last longer), I ordered the Glowing Keyboard Stickers from ThinkGeek recently. One of the requirements for my next netbook is that it has a backlit keyboard, so I figured a set of stickers would be the next best thing.

I ordered the stickers last week and received them today – normal shipping time for me (I always choose the cheapest shipping option). Total cost: $15.48.

For starters, the name is misleading. As pointed out in the first sentence of the second paragraph of the product description, ‘The Glowing Keyboard Stickers do not glow in the dark.’ Rather, they are highly reflective, supposedly easily taking in any amount of ambient light – such as that from your monitor – and reflecting that brightly. Unfortunately, I was really looking for something that glows in the dark – I should have read the description more carefully.

The stickers arrive on a single sheet, laid out similar to how a keyboard is. They have a matte finish, which is nice, and the blue lettering is easily read, even on the tiny labels on buttons such as the ‘Insert’ button. Each is carefully cut, and I was able to use a pair of tweezers to remove them from the backing and apply them to my keys.

On two buttons, I ended up putting the sticker on a bit crooked and was pleased to find that I could easily lift the sticker off with the tweezers without leaving any residue. The sticker was then easily re-applied to the button – great. Because I was using these on a netbook and not a full-size keyboard, I did have to trim several of the stickers. Using a pair of regular craft scissors, this was quite easily done, and kept everything looking nice.

Unfortunately, $15.48 and about 2 hours later, I still can’t completely see the keys on my 1000HE while laying in bed in the dark at night. Normally, I literally *lay* in bed, so that my eyes are roughly level with the keyboard. If I sit up a bit (which I should probably be doing anyways) and tilt the screen to more of a 90-degree angle, the keys are, indeed, more easily read.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend the ThinkGeek Glowing Keyboard Stickers. They don’t really glow, and they were a pain in the butt to install. If you’re looking to simulate a backlit keyboard on your laptop or netbook, look somewhere else.

That being said, after wasting 2 hours of my Tuesday evening applying these things, I’ll be keeping them for at least a few months. If nothing else, the blue matches my 3ACP skin much better than the original labels did.