Snaptiles Photo Tiles Review
I've been on a bit of a photo tiles kick as of late. I wanted a new and unique way to hang photos in my home and a way that would allow my son and wife to get involved in the process.
If you follow my articles here on PhotographyTalk, you might recall that my first foray into photo tiles was with Mixtiles.
I did a full review on that experience, which - spoiler alert - was not the best.
So after a disappointing turn with Mixtiles, I headed back to Google, did a search for "photo tiles," and discovered Snaptiles photo tiles.
What follows is my review of these magnetic photo tiles.
What are Snaptiles Photo Tiles?
We created a design that my son called a "spaceship with blasters."
In short, Snaptiles are magnetic photo tiles that allow you to quickly and easily display your photos.
Each photo tile measures 8 x 8 inches, and they have magnetic strips that snap the tiles together. This allows you to create just about any kind of design you wish.
You can hang up to 12 Snaptiles from a single mounting bracket (up to 30 Snaptiles with the addition of four thumbtacks), so the possibilities for showing off your photos are virtually endless.
This is a window shape we made with our Snaptiles.
You can connect so many tiles together because the photo tiles are extremely lightweight.
They're printed onto a premium SBS Acid-Free paperboard to save weight without sacrificing quality. In fact, they're printed using the same printing technology as high-quality photo books.
Additionally, Snaptiles have a UV protective lamination so your photos remain crisp and bright over time.
How to Use Snaptiles
The process of mounting Snaptiles to the wall really couldn't be any simpler...
The mounting bracket (shown above) has four adhesive strips on the back. Just peel the backing off, press down firmly on each strip for 10 seconds to bond it to the wall, and you're ready to go. Remember, if you have more than 12 tiles, you can insert the included four thumbtacks into the holes on the mounting bracket for additional support for up to 30 tiles.
There's even a built-in bubble level so you're sure your creation is level.
Next, you mount the anchor tile (shown above) to the bracket by snapping it into place. To do so, you simply remove the two perforated areas to expose the mounting holes. Then you can connect more photo tiles using the magnets that solidly connect them together.
Four tiny holes to display up to 30 images is pretty astonishing if you ask me. Now, instead of having tons of nail holes in the wall, we can display these tiles with some adhesive strips and thumbtacks. Nice!
Snaptiles App
To make the process of getting your Snaptiles easier, you can use the Snaptiles app for iPhone.
Within the app, you choose your favorite photos from Instagram, Facebook, or the gallery on your phone and edit them to suit your tastes.
Then, you place your order right within the app, and the Snaptiles team will ship them to you. Shipping is even free!
Snaptiles Cost
Snaptiles are budget-friendly at $59 for the first set of four, and $9 for each tile after that.
As I noted above, shipping is free.
The size of the tiles is set at 8 x 8 inches, but you can select the type of edge on the photo - one of a number of different colors or you can choose a mirrored edge.
Snaptiles Review
Our design of a rocket ship with thrusters.
The first thing that I'll say about Snaptiles is, since when has hanging photos become fun?!
Honestly, hanging Snaptiles on my son's wall was such a fun experience that he, my wife, and I got to enjoy together.
You can see above and below the various designs we were able to come up with.
From a rocket ship to an airplane, a window to a Christmas tree, and even a robot, there were really no bounds on the designs we came up with.
Snaptiles can be formed into a robot too!
What's so interesting about Snaptiles is that they help your memories come to life.
On the one hand, you're handling the photos as you mount them to the wall, so you get to reminisce about the people or place that's in each shot.
On the other hand, Snaptiles enables you to come close together as a family as you share in the experience of remembering special photos as you arrange them on the wall.
My personal favorite design is our airplane.
Plus, with each new event in our lives, we can order more Snaptiles to add to the display!
This also gives us an opportunity to explore new arrangements of photos to keep the display fun and fresh.
The ability to completely change the arrangement of photos is a huge benefit.
Once we get "bored" with how the display looks, or are simply curious about what other arrangements we can come up with, changing things up takes just a few minutes.
You can see the thickness of the tiles from the side. It gives the photo tile display an awesome 3-D look!
This is just not something that's possible with Mixtiles because they are peel-and-stick. You get around 10 peel-and-sticks before the strips need to be replaced.
With Snaptiles, there's no such limit because of the magnets, so we went through seven or eight designs on the very first day without having to worry that the tiles would lose their ability to attach.
I initially ordered just one set of four Snaptiles, but I was so impressed with these photo tiles (and my son loved them so much) that I ordered a whole bunch more, as you can see in the photos above.
But above and beyond the quality of the product and its ease of use, I really loved how hanging our photos became a family event.
As I said before, my wife and son got involved in the process, and we had a great time coming together as a family to create new and interesting displays, arranging photos based on subject or color or who's in the shot, and simply enjoying one another's company.
That time together to construct our photo display and have fun is a gift that keeps on giving!
So, would I recommend Snaptiles? ABSOLUTELY! These photo tiles are awesome. Get started with your Snaptiles experience by visiting their website or downloading the Snaptiles app.
Stay tuned for a head-to-head review in which I compare Snaptiles and Mixtiles in more detail.
