ZAGG - HD Clear Shield Screen Protector for Apple Watch™ 42mm - Clear

I have loyally purchased a lot of Zagg screen protectors over the years; I always install them myself and they always last the life of the product. This one has the most irritating installation by far. I followed the instruction word for word up until the past step. No amount of pressure or squeegee finesse was enough to get this thing to separate from its plastic backing without lifting. Afterwards it did not want to stick at the corners for a couple of days. It was an hourly habit to hold firm pressure for 30 seconds per session on the lifting edges for the first 2-3 days. Now, it is finally staying put except for the two corners that inevitably got dirty during this process to make it very obvious a screen protector is in place. See attached photo for the white edge at the corners of the button side. As far as function once it sticks: it has a slightly rippled surface like other zagg screen protectors that I have owned which is part of the self healing surface, which works well. It does not appear to affect touch sensitivity. It reveals fingerprints moderately.

The only thing holding me back from rating 5 stars is the install process. Slapping it on the front of the watch is pretty straightforward, but getting it on and aligned correctly and without any dust underneath has proven to be a near impossible task. Not a fan of the adhesive used. A “special” wet wipe to activate the adhesive in order to affix it? I think that in and of itself is the culprit. This is my second install. First one went terrible. Had all kinds of dust underneath. Now that I think back, I realize that the wet wipe itself breaks up a little if wiped on the adhesive surface of the screen protector too many times. It’s just that you can’t have the adhesive side face upwards and not expect any airborne dust particles to stick to it. All the while trying to wipe it and keep it wet (so that you can make minor adjustments) so the adhesive “activates” and then install it. You’d have to get the placement spot on in one try, no adjusting. Next to impossible to be honest. On my second install, the dust got so bad that I had to peel it off my watch and literally go rinse it with a mild soap and water, then reapply and squeegee it until it adhered. The unfortunate side effect of doing that is that now the corners do NOT stay down and I’ll most likely be requesting another replacement under warranty soon. Don’t get me wrong, it protects well and serves its purpose, but the install process could be simplified by providing either a small spray solution like most previous generation Zagg screen protectors or just modify the adhesive so that it can be installed the same way as the dry install protectors. Overall, a good product, but will need replacement soon due to corners peeling up.

This provides great protection from scratching the face of your watch. However, scratches are not “self healing” as it claims. Also, when taking cloths or coats on and off one corner of the protector seems to always want to come up a bit. I installed this perfectly, I own a phone repair business and have worked at a carrier before. It’s just a flaw having a screen protector, but you can always use some application solution to pull it up and make the corner stick back down. Or even a little spit will get the fuzz off and do the trick.

The included installation instructions are not very clear, but thankfully I have a fair amount of experience installing screen protectors. Here is a tip for those who haven't installed plastic screen protectors for smartwatches before: -After applying wipe to adhesive, align the protector the best you can on the screen. -Press down firmly on the protector with the plastic tab still attached. -Take the included microfiber cloth and double it up on top of the plastic tab. -Now use the included squeegee to firmly smooth out the protector. -Remove plastic tab. -Use squeegee to smooth out any bubbles. -When almost all bubbles are gone, use the microfiber cloth one last time and focus pressure where any remaining bubbles are. Be sure to get the edges of the screen so the protector lays flat. -It will take about 24 hours for the tiny bubbles remaining to work themselves out. Take a look at the picture of the finished product. Hope this helps!

I worked in Best Buy Mobile for a holiday season and installed hundreds of screen protectors. This one was by far the hardest... You have a wipe that you have to wet the protector with.... No spray like the original, a wet wipe which didn't work well... After squeezing it on I went to peel it back and it was stuck to the yellow backing didn't even stick to the screen. After a second attempt with a mostly dry wet wipe the picture is the best I was able to manage.... Says there are videos online but none that show this wet wipe install on a watch... Have a best buy geek who's installed these before do it for you because I was one but couldn't do it...

It’s a tad difficult to get wrapped around the edges like it should be for full protection. Having a “primer” and all that was also a little much compared to what I’m used to - peel and stick. I ended up messing my up when I put it on but it’s still serving it’s purpose, I assume anyway. I’ve bumped it in situations where I feel like the watch would be stratched and it appears that the protector is taking the most of it. I have a corner starting to peel off as well, I can tell a little dirt is starting to get under it and it’s only gonna get worse in time. Due to this I imagine I won’t be able to wash my watch off (if needed) without making it progressively worse. The Apple Watch is new to me and I just wanted SOMETHING on it to help protect it because in my line of work it was bound to get stratched easily. I plan to invest in a better one, or maybe even a case. Would I recommended? I’d so no, but don’t let that stop you from purchasing if you just need something now, like I did.

Zagg makes great products with an even better warranty. This screen protector is not for someone who is extremely active however. I have had to replace mine 3 times already. Though, I only had to pay shipping once, nd now have upgraded to the glass luxe. I always protect my screens with Zagg and highly recommend them to everyone.

It's simple and idiot proof to put on, but st the same time the protector needs to be just a bit bigger to cover the entire face. After time it starts to peel on the edges. And don't be fooled ZAGGs warranty still requires you to pay $10 shipping to get a replacement