Tablets and E-readers will be joining the smart phones and ipods aboard your
boat this summer. Last year, you may have been one of the
Captain Blighs that attempted to corral smart phones before they skipped and bounced across your
deck with one of your guests in no better control right behind it.
I found a product that that saved me from my mutinying crew. It's called a Tree Frog Pad. It's a blue rubber like pad that is supper sticky. Unbelievably so. Yet is leaves absolutely no residue. Nothing quite like it to compare it to. It's similar to the pads used in cars but this really sticks.
I see from there web site that they come in many sizes. The size I have and will review for you is 7" X 9" exactly the size of an
Ipad. The translucent blue pad is a bit less than a 1/4" thick.
The Instructions state that the pad is designed to hold personal
electronics on and smooth surface at any angle less that vertical. My Pedestal's nav pod is at about a 70 degree angle. The Tree Frog Pad holds either my
phone or
Ipad all day at that angle.
As grippy as this thing is your first concern is how much dirt will it collect. Yes, It collects dirt , not on my
boat but left in the back seat of my car for a week. It collected plenty but it's WASHABLE!!!! Rinse it quickly under
water and the surface releases everything. A few minutes to dry and it's back as sticky as ever. Hard to believe but absolutely true.
I was a bit concerned about how well this thing would get along with my boat's
interior and exterior finishes. The pad instructions say that it leaves no residue and it lives up to it. Gloss varnished
Teak,
fiberglass, stainless,
aluminum all fine. It appeared to actually picked up dust and film on my exterior
gelcoat.
Uses:
- Maintenance (Prevents small parts and fasteners from finding there way to your bilge)
- Ipad E-readers Tablets. They don't go on my deck without a Tree Frog Pad.
- Drink holders, Etc
- They have a 4"X4" pad that will hold items in place in a micro wave. (I have not tested)
- Best application is the helm.
They won't
work for:
- Boarding Mats. Very tempting as it would do a great job cleaning shoes but the pad becomes very slippery when wet.
- Holding item on a vertical wall. The pad will slowly let loose. It may take quite a while but eventually it will release. Reclined just a few degrees and the pad will hold tight forever.
- Don't put it on your car's dash this summer. It will loose shape from the extreme heat. Won't hurt the dash. I have used it on my center console with no trouble.
Technical aspects:
The company says the pad is acually a synthetic rubber. A thermoplastic polymer that will melt at 180 Deg. and reform when cooled, back to it's old sticky self.
As you can guess , I think this pad is a hoot.
Kids love it and if that keeps them or there
phone for going
overboard I'm all for it.
The Pad comes in three sizes:
7"X 9" for e-Readers and tablets
4"X 4" for coasters and Microwave
2" X 4" for cell phones
Prices range from $12.95 to $5.95