3M Privacy Filter for Widescreen Laptop

I love this product! It is much better than you might think based on some of the reviews I have read here. I first became aware of it because practically everyone at my new job has one. People use it mostly so that the casual observer walking by their cube can't see what's on their screen as easily. Granted, it won't provide perfect privacy on an airplane or in a public place. After all, it only provides privacy from the people that are off to your side - someone sitting directly behind you in an airplane could still see what's on your screen. If you really have info on your screen that you don't want anyone to see under any circumstances, don't access that info in a public place at all! That's just common sense. I wasn't looking for anti-glare capability, so I can't speak to that, but it does a GREAT job at providing an increased level of privacy from the casual observer. One thing I will say - do measure your computer screen diagonally before deciding which size screen to buy online. When I ordered mine, I knew that my laptop was a 15" widescreen, so I ordered a 15" privacy screen without measuring anything, and when I received it, it was the wrong size. My screen was a little under 15.5" diagonally, so I returned the 15" one and ordered a 15.4" one and it fits perfectly! I understand that people might think $50 is expensive for a sheet of plastic, but I really do think it's worth it. There are durable adhesive tabs (not two-sided tape or anything) that hold it in place and I just leave the screen on my laptop all the time - I never need to take it off. At work, the only time I see people removing theirs is when somebody comes to talk to them about some work thing and they need to show the person (standing or sitting off to one side) what's on their screen. It does darken the screen slightly, but that doesn't bother me at all. There is a very small size/model indicator in the upper corner, but that is really small and colorless and unobtrusive, as is the tiny cut-out that facilitates removing the screen (giving you something to grab onto). When I got mine in the mail, it was in a large box filled with packing paper. At first, I thought "why'd they pack it this way??" but then I realized that it was one way you could mail it and be absolutely sure that no automated postal equipment would dent or otherwise mangle the stiff sleeve it comes packaged in. If you just slapped some postage on that sleeve, it probably wouldn't get to the destination in perfect shape, so they erred on the side of caution and I appreciate that. For the sake of being more "green", they could probably figure out a shallower box to put it in (but still thick enough to not run it through automated equipment) and add packing paper to that. A really great product, if your expectations are in line with how I am using mine.

Purpose: I purchased this privacy filter for my work laptop to limit the visibility of my screen both at work and when I'm out of the office using it in public places. Shipping: The screen came in a typical product envelope, enclosed in a padded shipping envelope so it was in perfect condition on opening. Function: The screen was easy to apply with the provided adhesive strips (2 for my screen). It comes with an extra strip if you happen to bungle one. The screen has both a glare and anti-glare side, allowing you to select your preference. Although I opted for the non-glare side, one feature of the glare side is it makes it even harder for others to see your screen in bright light conditions because of reflected objects. The glare side does not seem to impact straight on viewing (at least in fluorescent lighting conditions - I did not test it outdoors). Straight on viewing is just fine with privacy effects coming immediately as you move to the side (30 degrees or so). If your system is at it's default brightness, the screen will appear considerably darker for straight on viewing. Adjusting the brightness on my laptop made the text/graphics stand out as normal with no loss of privacy from the sides as mentioned above. Fit: This product fits exactly as described. I applied the filter with its adhesive strips carefully to my LCD. It covers the entire display with just the slightest edge of the LCD visible. It is almost a perfect fit. I'm glad for that little bit of space however because it allowed me to get the screen in position next to the LCD framing despite my large fingers. There is a small fingertip cutout at the top edge which gives you room to pull the filter off if you need to adjust it. You can slip a fingernail behind the screen and gently pull it away - no hunting for sharp, thin-bladed objects to peel it away. Overall, I am very pleased with this product. It is exactly as described and completely met my expectations.

It's good, but not great. I have a 14" HP Elitebook 840 G3. Decided to go with the known brand name over the Akamai privacy filter, also sold on Amazon for a couple dollars less. I went with the 15.6" black filter because I wanted the filter to extend past the actual display area onto the black bezel area. I did have to trim it about 17mm, but it is now a perfect fit. Fortunately, we have a nice paper cutter/guillotine, so it was very easy to do. What's in the package (see picture) It has the filter, 6 adhesive strips, slide mount tabs, and instructions. The instructions say to clean your display with the enclosed lint-free cloth, but there was no cloth included in my package (the packaging does not mention a cloth, to be fair). The package says the dimensions are 194mm x 345mm. I measured 192mm x 352mm. Slightly off, but not significantly so. Note that my filter has a curved notch offset of center on one of the long sides of the filter, whereas the product image shows a sharper notch in the very center of the long side. Not that it makes a difference in functionality, necessarily, but something to note. What I like: The filter does what it says - it filters the picture for those trying to look at the screen from an angle to the side. I positioned myself at about where I would expect a fellow passenger on a plane to be sitting next to me and I could see hardly anything. Only if I intentionally moved closer to get a better angle could I see, and that would be quite conspicuous. I used the adhesive strips so it would stick to my flat display. I did not use the slide mount tabs. It is a VERY clean look and almost looks as if there is no privacy filter even attached. Big positive. Those slide mount tabs are so unsightly and this looks really nice. Installation was very straightforward. As I mentioned, I used the adhesive strips, not the tabs. Mounting instructions are very clear. It went on easily and sits right on the display with no bubbles. The touchscreen actually works just fine. I don't need to use any additional pressure, so that's a positive. My advice? Get the largest one for your application and trim if necessary. That's a better situation than getting one that ostensibly "fits" but is then too small to use the adhesive strips, for example. My display is already glossy, so I kept that look. The matte was too dim for me. What I don't like: Main thing is that the filter, whichever side it is one, reduces visual clarity and brightness, even from straight ahead. None of the images or text are as sharp as they are without the filter. Even with brightness cranked up all the way, it is probably about 70-80% of full bright with the filter in place. I assume it's due to the "louvers" they have in place to create the filters. This is, in my opinion the primary drawback of this item. I'll have to see how annoying it is over time, but must be noted. A trade-off to having used the adhesive strips vs. the tabs is that this is less removable. What I mean is that the instructions say you can remove and replace, but it's clearly not intended to be removed every time you use your laptop. This means that it will be more annoying if I am watching a video or doing something requiring greater clarity or brightness to remove and replace with the adhesive tabs, so it will likely just stay on and I'll live with the reduced visual clarity. The other thing I'm concerned about is where the pointer stick is. I already know it leaves a little mark on my display when I close my lid, even without the filter. I have confirmed it does the same with filter in place. The one thing I don't know is if it will cause a permanent indentation in the filter, or just a mark that can be wiped away. We'll see. Note that I do not get the vertiical lines that some people say they get. Overall, I like it, but be aware that it won't be as sharp and bright as without. EDIT: I've tried pulling off the filter which was attached with the adhesive strips and it came off pretty easily. I was able to attach it and it seems pretty secure. I wouldn't want to do this too frequently as it might collect dust or lose adhesion if the display is unclean, but it seems to work once in a while. UPDATED 04.16.2018 After living with this for a month and over several business trips (including one overseas), I am pleased with the product. I've had colleagues sitting next to me telling me they couldn't see what was on my screen unless they were pretty much over my shoulder. It hasn't taken on any damage (i.e., creases, dents, scratches) from the frequent opening/closing of the display so far - it is early yet! Any marks from the keyboard and pointer stick are easily wiped away. The reduced clarity and brightness still annoy me at times, but reducing the brightness is actually an unexpected benefit when working on a plane with dimmed cabin lights. But the other 95% of the time, I wish it were a little brighter. A month in, I'm glad I bought this and, on balance, I would still recommend it.

TRUTH: not perfect but still great. The filter is mounted by transparent sticker tabs you adhere to your laptop's screen. At first I hated these stickers making my shiny new laptop ugly but after a few public uses (I travel a lot) I got used to them surprisingly fast. It is pretty cool how the filter darkens & blurs the screen from the sides. For this to work best you have to make sure it sticks to the screen as closely as possible (otherwise it blurs it for you!). It doesn't come flat like the product picture, it's bent and has a glossy and matte sides, for me the glossy side let me push the filter close to the screen with the stickers on the frame pushing the sides against it (I bent the stickers inwards to have the filter completely touching the screen). Anyone directly behind you can also see, but for me this is a plus as I share "live" what I'm doing with others. I was already used to sitting with my back facing the wall so this didn't bother me. It works great when the place is well lit well but not so well under low light situations (dark places), in the latter it blurs the image rather than darken it. Quick summary with TIPS: - darkens and blurs the screen for "side" viewers - anyone directly in front of it can see (TIP: have a wall behind you WITHOUT CCTVs, mirrors, or pictures with reflective glass) - doesn't work as well in dark places (TIP: avoid dark places...duh!) - holds in place with transparent stickers (TIP: (a) bend the stickers inward to push the filter as close to the screen; (b) place 2 short high on the sides, 2 long low on the sides, and 2 short at the bottom => see photos) - it will darken the screen a bit, increasing brightness will do the trick but will use more battery

First of all it helps to state what I was looking for when I ordered it. I ordered it for a Dell XPS15 laptop with a 15.6" wide screen. I did not need a privacy filter. But when working outside, or inside in a room with many windows, I needed to reduce the glare from the glossy screen on my laptop, and be able to edit photos with reasonably accurate color. Since I couldn't find specifically an anti-glare filter, I decided to order this to see how using it with the matte side worked. I gave the product a 3 rating because (a) it is an acceptable privacy filter, and after all, that's what it's advertised as even if I was looking for something else from it, (b) it could serve to some extent as an anti-glare filter for non-photo applications, though it only reduced glare, not eliminated it, and (c) it subdued the colors too much to make it very useful for photo editing. I ended up returning it because it was only marginal as an anti-glare filter. Had I required a privacy filter, I probably would have kept it. Here's what I found: First the good: * It fit on top of the screen perfectly. It had a little cut out along one edge to grasp it for removal. * It does reduce the viewing angle to the side if you are concerned about privacy. I agree with the reviewer who said it wouldn't keep someone seated immediately beside you from seeing it, but I do think it would make it more difficult. That also means, of course, that you will want to take it off when you want someone sitting with you to be able to view what's on your screen. Therefore, like any privacy filter, don't expect to put it on and leave it on unless you're never showing someone else anything on your computer. That's just the nature of privacy filters. * It can be removed when you don't want to use it. It mounts by clear plastic tabs that stick onto the computer screen mount and extend over the screen itself, allowing you to slide the filter in and out. * It can be turned over for either glossy or matte. * It does not come with a frame. Actually I thought I wanted one with a frame, so I almost viewed this as a drawback. I realize, though, that when you take it out, it will lie perfectly flat and be less likely to get damaged. Now the drawbacks: * It screens out much of the light coming from the laptop. If you require a privacy filter, that is probably an acceptable trade-off. * The colors were subdued, and it was unsuitable for photo editing, in my opinion. You could still see the screen, and if you require a privacy filter (or require an anti-glare filter and aren't editing photos) then it will at least work. (Note: this was on the matte side. I did not check color subduing on the glossy side because I was specific looking at it for removing glare.) * The clear plastic tabs remain around your computer screen even when you aren't using it. That would have bothered me, so I did not stick them on since I decided to return the product. However, that would not necessarily bother everyone. They are clear plastic, and they don't stick out very far, so you might not mind them. I didn't like the way they looked. I was afraid they would begin to fall off after awhile, though I expect if they did that you could fix that with double-stick tape. * For what you get (a filter and some plastic tabs) it seems overpriced. It it were priced significantly lower it might have been worth it to me to keep it for those instances where I needed to reduce glare and wasn't doing photo editing. SUMMARY: I gave it 3 stars but remember that I was looking for an anti-glare filter, not a privacy filter. For someone who requires a privacy filter, I would probably have given it 3.5 stars if I could, and might have raised it to 4 because it is lightweight and fits on the screen well, does provide some privacy, and is removable. In that respect it's not a bad product. As an anti-glare filter I'd rate it a 2. It does reduce glare some in bright light situations, but is probably not useful enough overall to me to be worth having the tabs on my screen and keeping up with it when I'm not using it. If you require a privacy filter, buy it. If you absolutely require an anti-glare filter, it's better than nothing. If you're looking for a good solution to a glossy screen, it didn't serve the purpose for me.

It fits my laptop screen perfectly. Just as the description suggests, people who are not directly in front of the screen will see a black screen. Someone tool a picture of my laptop screen from over my shoulder but they were still too far to the side to obtain an image with any details. When they zoomed into the image to attempt to read content of the screen, all they saw was black. I highly recommend this to everyone. Even if you don't think you need privacy on your laptop, if you use it in public you need this filter for your screen. As far as size compatibility, check the size of your screen against the size of the filter in the advertisement. The filters are available in various sizes. If a screen size isn't located for a particular screen, it is possible to order the next size larger filter and then cut it to the desired size with a standard pair of scissors. While I intended to use my filter on a laptop, one customer asked if it could be used on a touch screen. I removed my filter from my laptop and applied it to one of my touch screen tablets and it worked great. It provided the privacy features to the tablet while also allowing me to use touch screen controls. I was able to do multiple touch controls with more than one finger (like when zooming and adjusting the size of an image) and it worked great. So, I would say that this product can be used on a laptop, a desktop, or even a touch screen tablet. I even have a version of it on my cell phone and I'm able to use the touch screen on my cell phone.

I've been a fan of the 3M Privacy Filters for a long time and have been using them primarily on my smartphones. This is the first one I have bought for my Lenovo X230 work laptop and it works really well. I work in an open space architecture with very low separations between team members. My laptop is often out in that environment and when people walk by, it is easy for them to glance at my screen. I am not usually doing anything particularly nefarious on my machine, but I would like to have some privacy from these occasional glances. This privacy screen is very effective for what it is supposed to do - give you privacy. It is not a "Harry Potter Filter of Invisibility", so people should be realistic about what it will and will not reveal. If you are behind me and have the same line of sight that I do, you will be able to see my screen. What I do when I expect people to be behind me is tilt my screen forward a bit. That changes the angle for them and gives me more privacy. I have people sitting directly adjacent to me and sometimes adjacent and behind me who say that this privacy filter is one of the best things they have seen. They cannot see my screen unless they come directly next to me and basically share my line of sight. From other angles, they can see my screen, but they will have difficulty making out specifics. One other thing I like about this screen is that is offers both a matte and glossy finish. I use the glossy finish side because that reflects back at people and gives you even more privacy if you are sitting in a brightly lit place. But you can easily take the screen off and flip it for matte if you prefer that. In general, I am quite happy with this privacy screen filter. It is well worth its price.

I used to buy 3M filters for the company I worked for 10 years back, They worked great and were very expensive. I didn't think of buying one for my own because I knew the price tag was prohibitive. So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this ones at accessible prices. I got one immediately. Long story short, this filter does not work as I remember they did. Right now I am holding my laptop on an angle well over 45 degrees from perpendicular and I can perfectly see the whole screen. At maybe 60 degrees I can start seeing some shadowing on the far side of the screen. Only very close to 90 degrees the screen becomes dark. I said dark, not blank. You can still see graphics on it. So it would work if you are trying to block someone from reading your email, but not if you are trying to block them from seeing your pictures. Back then, I remember that if I was not perfectly aligned to my filter I could not see anything. Even more, with a wide screen the edges of the filter would be darker even sitting perfectly in front of it. If you would walk across a screen with a privacy filter, it would startle you because it would seem like the screen would tun ON and then OFF very quickly as you walked by, the angle was so tight. That is what I wanted. This is not a privacy screen. Its a glare screen if anything. I am still fully exposed. To make things worse, I had to cut this filter to fit my screen, and I did it before I tested it. So I can't even return it. All in all, very disappointed. This is a 14" filter, it only comes in one screen ratio. I was so excited I got a second one for my 23" screen too. That one is still on its way. I will update the review when I get that one. Hopefully it is better, otherwise I am sending it back right away. -- Edit: I received the 23" filter and I am very pleased. Thinking back, I remember now the filters I used to buy were framed and sat about 1" apart on front of the screen. That gave them a much tighter angle. If you want a tighter angle you can still get one of those. This one also comes with transparent double sided tapes that are placed directly on the screen, instead of sticky placers for the frame of the monitor. This is much nicer! I was worried they would be too noticeable, but even when you can still see them, they are not intrusive at all. You also get the frame placers if you want to use those, but I liked the double sided tape better. They don't look as ugly or are are as noticeable. I like the 23" filter much better than the smaller one. It looks more sharp than the 14" one, although now I think I am a little biased because I didn't immediately like the small one. The view angle still feels too wide on both, but for close range action, say in an airplane I guess its OK. On a desktop as I have mine, it feels a bit wide. So I am keeping my filters, no buyers regrets. Good luck.

To begin with, I haven't used a privacy filter before outside of seeing them on screens at medical offices and the like, so I'm not sure what I was supposed to expect. That said, I am satisfied with the filter. I am using it on a 2nd gen (late 2010) MacBook Air 13" and it works fine. I've read this model doesn't work on the latest 2011 MBA models due to a different screen. At maximum brightness on my MBA a person sitting next to you on an airplane certainly could read your screen if they so desired (at least one half of it, text is unreadable on the half that's furthest from their view). However, simply decrease your screen brightness to about 50% and it would be nearly impossible to read text and very difficult to distinguish any graphics. More than an airplane seat away and the screen appears nearly black. Viewing the screen straight on is not too hard on the eyes, but there is a slight interlaced pattern on my MBA. Don't expect to retain the same crisp screen quality that you had without a filter... but I imagine most people use these for writing private documents occasionally and aren't graphic designers. Also, it's not obvious in the picture, but the filter has a small \______/ shaped notch at the top, this allows you to put a fingernail between the screen and filter to slide it off more easily, but about a 1.5x0.5cm notch at the very top of your screen will not be covered by the filter. This isn't an issue for me, as my toolbar is the only thing visible there, but I don't remember anything in the description about this. To attach the filter it comes with two approximately 4 x 3/8" clear adhesive pieces of a plastic, and six approximately 1 x 3/8" pieces. You attach these in whatever configuration you'd like to the edges of your screen, and the filter slides between these pieces and the screen. I used the two long ones on either side and the filter easily slides and stays against my screen. However, at least on my MBA, I could get away without any of these pieces and just sit the filter in the recess of the screen. It would fall out if I close the lid, but for only occasional use, that might be fine. 4/5 stars. Incredibly easy to use, feels like a quality product, perfect fitment for my MBA. Would get 5 stars if I could keep my screen at full brightness and maintain a very narrow viewing angle.. but since I don't have much experience with privacy filters, I'm not sure this is possible.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this privacy filter keeps curious eyes from seeing my display. I work in an open office with a door behind and just to the side of my desk. Most days I'll get at least one person walking in and commenting on something I'm working on. That prompted me to purchase this filter and give it a try. Comparing reviews and prices of similar products, I decided the price of this 3M version, while higher than some, was still reasonable. After the fact I say without reservation that the price is fair for the quality of the product. In the first day I had three people comment about their inability to see my screen when walking in the door. The comments included "did you get a new computer", "did your screen go out" (while I was typing) and the third after two or three passes through the morning asking me "are you going to turn your computer on today". Mission accomplished. The screen has two different sides, one matte and the other glossy. The packaging indicates that one side reduces glare while the other maximizes privacy. I did notice in difference in how visible the screen was from one side to the other and also noticed a difference in the amount of glare on the screen itself between the two sides so there is a choice to make when using the screen. I gave both a try and decided the glossy side did a nice job of cutting glare while still doing a great job of keeping my screen private. When I first installed the screen I did feel like my display was a little dim. It took less than a day to adjust to the difference and I am not bothered by it at all now. The fit for my 15.6 screen is perfect all the way around. My only complaint about the product is a minor one I suppose. There are two mounting options; using clear adhesive strips on the display surface it self or attaching clear plastic tabs around the edge of the display frame to keep the filter on the display. I opted for the second option so I could flip the filter between the two side while I decided which would work better for me. The tabs are slightly distracting when working at the edges of the screen but not overly obtrusive and do not at all interfere with my ability to actually see anything on the screen. If this product were made as a static cling filter, it might be perfect.