I’d like to start by addressing my major reasons for buying an ipad screen protector.

To me, buying a screen protector for your iPad is a pretty simple decision. If I buy a product with a price tag of $500 (and as high as $829!) I’m going to make sure it’s well protected. Not just to protect my investment but keeping in mind its an eye candy device which I’m going to spend a lot of time looking at – I want it to be pristine.

I’m making the assumption that by reading this article, you’re already in the camp of “Yes I want to protect my iPad” but I’d like to enumerate on a few key usability points for those who may still be on the fence.

1. Fingerprints. Now that the iPad has been on the market for a few months, there’s ample data that suggesting the iPad is a fingerprint magnet. If you don’t believe me, just search google for “ipad fingerprints” here . While it is designed with an oleophobic coating which is similar to the iPhone 3G series the simple size difference between the two of the viewable area makes the iPad much more prone. My calculation has the iPad surface area dimensions at 6.9x larger than the iPhone. Think about all the touching you will be doing to zoom in and out, play with the over thousands of apps, or just navigate around. You DON’T want to be worrying about smudging. You’ll end up paying as much or more for cleaning supplies not to mention the hassle of cleaning, storing the cleaning materials and finding them again when you need to clean it again in a month. And if you’ve tried cleaning fingerprints off with your t-shirt.. well I’ll let you try that but let’s just say I’ve been there and it’s not pretty. Save the hassle and go for at least a front screen protector.

2. Glare. Let’s be honest. We all love the iPad’s glossy screen. Apple has done a phenomenal job of making the screen crisp, clear, and beautiful. But for all those who’ve never used Amazon’s Kindle, the iPad user experience is still ruined by glare. It might as well be an iBrick when the sun’s involved – it’s still an LCD screen after all. An anti-glare filter with its matte finish helps to defuse the light so it’s not reflected straight into your eyes. Check out the reviews we have if you’re looking for the best one. A lot of the screen protectors nowadays also offer anti-glare and superior screen protection.

Those are two of the largest user concerns I’ve gathered from my research on the topic and if you own an iPad you’re well aware of the problem; which coincidentally is probably why you’re here.

I already have a sleeve or a case – why do I need a screen protector?

iPad sleeves and cases are awesome for travel and mobility (I know I bring my iPad everywhere) and I wholeheartedly recommend buying them. They definitely go a long way in protecting the shell of your iPad but they offer no protection for the screen. And what’s an iPad with a busted screen?

I already discussed above the user experience issues above in terms of viewability and use and why I like screen protectors. I’d like to now shift to talking about a less common, but more serious problem: scratch-proofing your iPad.

As I said above, iPads end up everywhere, and go by just about all means to get there. Unlike laptops, they can’t just conveniently close and protect the screen. I’ve personally seen iPads being used as clipboards, lying around a bookstore, in a mechanics shop, at the gym near the weights, you name it. Now obviously no amount of protection is going to guard your iPad against a heavy weight dropping on it or it being dropped, but you can guard the screen from a wide array of mishaps. Just take a minute to think about how you transport your iPad. Is it in a sleeve or case or just casually tossed in a backpack or briefcase like a document? And if it is in a sleeve, is it placed somewhere safe once you take it out? Have you ever forgotten about it and left it lying on a table somewhere? This could be even more dangerous for those of you with kids, pets, or morning coffee

My simple answer to the question is yes, if you want to insure against mayhem. I know I’d rather spend a few bucks protecting my screen than either having to buy a new iPad or having the screen repaired – both of which are prohibitively expensive.

Do screen protectors offer better scratch protection than the base iPad screen?

I have nothing more to say except a resounding “Yes”. Zagg’s invisibleShield is one of the best on the market, among others.