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Boogie Board Jot 8.5 Review

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Check out that masterpiece!

As someone who tries to limit waste and excess paper usage, I feel like I fail on a daily basis. Between my job, my home, and my kids, we use a LOT of paper. I never really came up with a solid solution to replace paper, aside from simply using less. Whiteboards are nice, but they aren’t very portable and I would have to be crazy to let my children loose with a dry erase marker. Eventually, I came across the Boogie Board Jot 8.5. The generous people over at Improv Electronics sent me one to review and I can honestly say I am using less paper…when I can get it away from my kids.

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 Specs

  • Size: 246mm x 149mm x 10mm (L x W x H)
  • Weight: 0.15kg
  • Materials: metallic plastic case, soft-touch back, plastic scratch-resistant LCD, plastic stylus with soft-touch finish and chrome cap
  • Power: replaceable 3v watch battery
  • Package Contents: Boogie Board Jot 8.5 LCD eWriter, stylus, user guide

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Features

Contemporary Metallic Design-  The Boogie Board Jot 8.5 features a sleek, modern design. The casing is a gunmetal metallic color with a stripe at the top of the unit that comes in an array of colors. Consumers can choose from a red, blue, or graphite stripe. I reviewed the graphite model and it was very unobtrusive and professional looking.

Soft Touch Backing- The back of the unit features a soft, rubberized coating that allows for increased stability when using the stand feature and extra grip when holding the unit in your hand. I found it especially helpful when propping the unit up on the counter when leaving notes for my family. There was no slippage and the Boogie Board gripped the counter very well.

Tapered Stylus/Kickstand- The Boogie Board Jot 8.5 comes with a comfortable, easy to hold stylus that writes on the LCD display. It also doubles as an insanely convenient kickstand that props the unit upright on any flat surface. The great part about the stylus design is that it fits securely inside the casing of the unit; a great way to keep it from getting lost.

Built-in Magnets- This is probably my favorite feature! Integrated magnets allow the user to hang the Boogie Board on the fridge (or filing cabinet, or CPU tower) for maximum viability. I was able to write the things I needed from the store while the unit was on my fridge, then when it was time to go shopping, I simply took the Boogie Board Jot 8.5 and slipped it into my purse to take with me to the store. Totally awesome and no paper involved!

One-Step Erasing- This isn’t an Etch-a-Sketch! No need to shake, wipe or rub. The Boogie Board Jot 8.5 LCD display erases with the touch of  a button. Powered by a watch battery, it will get you about 50,000 erases before the battery needs to be replaced. The unit only uses energy when erasing, so you can expect the battery to last a long time.

Boogie Board Jot 8.5 – Leave Your Paper Behind!

When I first tried the Boogie Board, I have a few concerns. Obviously trying to go green is an ordeal within itself and it raises questions that sometimes involves the choice between two evils. Of course, I loved the idea of getting rid of paper. Grocery lists, post it notes, scraps, all of it! It had to go! But in getting rid of all that paper, what kind of energy would I be using to replace it? At first, I thought that the boogie board used power constantly to power its LCD screen. Thankfully, this is not the case! I put the Boogie Board on my fridge and compiled a grocery list over the course of one week. During that time, the Boogie Board did not use any power at all! It only requires energy to erase the screen.

The Boogie Board is powered by an inexpensive, replaceable watch battery that is only used to erase the display. With a life of about 50k erases, the minute power usage far outweighs all of the paper it replaces! This, of course, means that the display is not back lit. Some might see this as a flaw, but as an alternative to paper, the makers of Boogie Board have made their product as Eco-friendly as possible!

 

The Bottom Line

I can see the Boogie Board Jot 8.5 being used for so many things! It is portable, durable and low on consumption. I didn’t use paper for an entire week, and I didn’t really miss it. I compiled lists, took phone messages, and my kids doodled in the car. I would recommend it for people of all ages. Whether for practical reasons, or just for fun, the Boogie Board is a great, fun way to save paper!

What I Loved: The stylus that doubles as a stand, low power usage, magnets

What I Didn’t: low power consumption doesn’t allow for back-lighting