Review: iSkin ProTouch Classic for MacBook Air

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Keyboard protectors are usually a mixed bag and people either love them or hate them. On one side, protecting the keyboard from dust, debris, food and liquids (as well as reducing the general wear and tear) is a good thing but sometimes the protector's surface can get in the way of typing. iSkin's ProTouch Classic for the 11-inch MacBook Air offers precision-cut antimicrobial protection  for Apple's thinnest MacBooks.

iSkin has been making silicone protectors for most Apple products  for a long time now but never ones as thin and precise as the iSkin ProTouch Classic, which offers low-profile protection for the new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs.

The iSkin ProTouch Classic ($24.99) case is satiny soft and transparent and once applied on the the MacBook Air allows visibility on the keys. While it might feel weird at first, once you spend a few hours typing with the iSkin ProTouch it starts to feel more natural.

The obvious benefits of having a keyboard protector is that it serve as a shield preventing dust and dirt from slipping through the keyboard's keys and into the enclosure. You also lessen the direct impact on the black MacBook keys that eventually leads to well-typed keyboards developing a shiny sheen in certain areas.

We like keyboard protectors because they muffle the sound of typing and make it less annoying to people around us.

With the MacBook Air, however, the iSkin ProTouch Classic also muffles the sound coming from the speakers which project audio through the keyboard. While this may not seem like a big deal for most users, you do notice the difference.

While the iSkin ProTouch manages to deflect or trap dust and dirt, this does accumulate on the surface after time. It also seems to attract pet fur. The good thing is that, being made from silicone, it is easy enough to wash with water and dry before reapplying.

We appreciated the iSkin ProTouch's thin profile and the fact that it rarely smudged the MacBook Air's screen which was a constant problem that we experienced with older keyboard protectors.

Users who want a low-profile but effective keyboard protector for their MacBook Airs and who don't mind the audio-dampening side-effect or the sometimes spongy typing feel will find the iSkin ProTouch Classic a suitable and useful accessory. 

Rating 4 out of 5