Boogie Board has become a recognizable name over the last few years as they expanded their line of models and began popping up in various major stores (like Best Buy and Costco) for people to discover.The most commonly advertised use is stuck to the fridge via the built-in magnets, so that users can create reminders on the fly about things they need to accomplish, or leave behind a love note for someone else in the house. I however, found a much better use for it.
I went out and acquired the “Dashboard” model by Boogie Board, which kind of looks like a modern day tablet with a protective case to protect it from bumps and scratches. I did it with one thing in mind: “Would this work in the shower?” You may ask why the shower of all places. Was it because I saw that it claimed to be splash proof, and therefore wanted to put that to the test? No, I actually came at it backwards and pounced on the Dashboard because I have been looking for the opportunity to find such a device for the shower (and this one claimed to be splash proof). A pen and paper quite obviously would have a few failure points in a such a scenario, and pens that can write in or under water are just too expensive (actually, they have come down in price, but the pen and the waterproof paper becomes something that needs constant replacement).
The Dashboard by Boogie Board promises to last up to 6 or so years on a single battery (and the battery can be replaced). With the variable price tag of between $20-$30, that makes this the most efficient in both purpose and price. Especially since it is splash proof on top of that (We have been watching Boogie Board, waiting for this feature to rear its head on one of their products–heck I believe we even reached out to them at some point with the idea/suggestion).
Now for the why! You have to admit that the shower is one of the most common places in your home where you frequently come up with great ideas (or at least ideas that, for the moment, sound great to you). It’s like when you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and want to write it down for when you wake. This happens quite frequently in the shower for a lot of people, since it’s a comfort zone that promotes thought meditation. Sometimes it may be a great idea for a project you are working on, or simply better lyrics to the song you are singing out loud at the sacrifice of others possibly having to listen. Regardless, ideas do commonly occur for many, and you don’t always remember all of these thoughts before you get it. Mostly because your mind will typically race around to different topics throughout the space of time, sometimes causing you to lose focus to some of the ones you were telling yourself to remember once you’ve finished and dried off (and hopefully dressed).
I have come across a number of thoughts while taking showers, and absolutely have lost focus on some of them before I finished. Now, this may no longer be the case, thanks to Boogie Board’s Dashboard.
The Dashboard comes with a stylus for writing with, and a protective rubber cover–like I said, a lot like a tablet. It’s basically a digital version of those re-writeable pads you used to be able scribble on, and then lift the clear top layer away, causing the marks to vanish. You can write all you want, and when you are finished with it, you simply hit a button at the bottom center, and the screen resets.
It can be affixed to a surface either by nail (there are various hanging spots you could figure it out with) or by the previously mentioned built-in magnets (ie, on a fridge). All of which are when not using the protective cover. The cover is mostly to be able to walk around with, while not worrying as much about damage if it is in the hands of a child. In my case though, I was looking to affix it to a wall in the shower. This meant that I had to find solution for this since it won’t work right out of the box for this purpose. I could have figured a method of using a suction cup and one of the hanging spots, but I wanted to be able to use the cover in case it fails (and additional protection from water).
So I got my hands on some picture hanging strips (by Command), which are made for–you guessed it–hanging pictures on the wall. However, in this case, I attached one to the wall of my shower (it’s all smooth granite), and one to the back of the rubber case. I was thankful that I choose to go with the cover, because this method failed slightly and the unit fell from the wall about an hour or so later. The strip on the wall was secure, but the one on the cover didn’t want to stick so well. To get passed this, I applied a little Gorilla Super Glue between the cover and the strip. Now it has been a number of days and it hasn’t gone anywhere. Also, by using the picture strips, I can easily remove it from the wall and place it back whenever I want.
I have been practicing writing on it since. I have even cupped water and splashed it against it a number of times to make sure it doesn’t fail. I obviously choose an area of the shower that isn’t in direct path of the water to minimize any malfunctions as well (nothing wrong with playing it a little safe). It continues to work with zero signs of anything wrong, through long steamy showers (the benefit of a tankless heater), general splash, as well as intentionally exaggerated splashes. I would call this a success!
So the next time that I come up with a really great idea (or at least what I think is a great idea at the time) in the shower, I will have something to quickly jot it down on, so that I can continue on to other thoughts naturally without worry.
I do wish it was a little brighter on the screen, but it is more than usable when you factor in the longevity of the battery, and of course the fact that it works for the job. Also, when using the case’s storage area for the pen at top, you want to insert the stylus via the thinner section of the stylus, else it isn’t always easy to slide back out.
An added bonus, the Dashboard also features free app for iOS devices (no Android or Windows options yet it seems). With the app, you can download whatever you have sketched/drawn on your Dashboard, to your iOS device where it can be edited, saved and/or shared with others.
I cannot say if my method of attachment will work forever. Even Gorilla Super Glue has its limits, so we will see how the constant exposure to that environment affects it on the material the case is made out of. You may find that you come up with a better approach to securing it. Regardless, the Dashboard itself, works.
| Buy from Amazon | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $20-$30 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Additional Images:
Are you a manufacturer or distributor that would like us to test something out for review? Contact us and we can let you know where to send the product and we will try it out.
