Should you buy a privacy screen for your laptop?
Should you buy a privacy screen for your laptop?
Why use a privacy screen?
Privacy screens are essentially polarized plastic filters that you put over your computer screen in order to make seeing the information on them impossible from any angle other than a 60-degree viewing angle from the front — in other words, where you are. Outside of that cone, nobody will be able to peep on your web browsing or work projects.
This can be incredibly useful for pretty much anyone, but it's especially useful for traveling business managers or college students spending time on campus. While the 60-degree viewing angle still leaves sneaky spies an opening, you'll surely catch them in the act at that tight of a viewing cone. Additionally, the filter screen can double as protection against scratches as well, albeit a mediocre one. If display safeguarding is what you're after, you'd be better off getting a dedicated screen protector.
The rest of this article will suggest privacy screens for Surface Book 2 owners. If you have a different laptop, then we recommend searching the name of your computer and "privacy screen" on Amazon in order to find one that works for you.
What are some great privacy screens available?
If you own a Surface Book 2, then you're in luck: some truly excellent privacy screens are available on the market. One of them is the 13.5-inch GeckoCare Privacy Screen, which is a special privacy screen designed to be easily taken on and off of your device at will thanks to the special silicone seal that's used to attach the screen to your Surface Book 2 display. This makes the GeckoCare screen ideal for users who want to use a privacy screen sometimes, like when opening confidential documents, but not all the time.
Another great privacy screen is the 3M Privacy Filter. 3M has a well-earned reputation for being one of the best privacy screen developers in the tech world, and if you use its 15-inch Surface Book 2 filter, you'll see why. On top of effectively hiding your screen from others, the 3M filter is also designed with advanced microlouvre technology that keeps the things you see on-screen just as sharp and detailed as they'd be without a polarized filter.
Convenient value
Screen on, screen off
The GeckoCare Privacy Screen is a fantastic accessory that gives users of the 13.5 inch Surface Book 2 the convenience of being able to remove their privacy filter and reapply it when desired.
Sharp images
Visual fidelity coming right up
The 3M Privacy Filter's special design ensures 15-inch Surface Book 2 users won't lose much visual fidelity when using it, and it performs its task as a privacy screen effectively, too.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).