January 16, 2011

We all know that I am the world’s worst when it comes to installing screen protectors. I admit it. So when Ryan from Shield Skins emailed me and asked if I’d like to try theirs, I thought – why not?!

It’s been a while since I tried a screen cover that had a liquid application, and I must admit they do make me nervous. I’m always afraid that if I use enough solution to actually apply the shield properly that I will also trigger the water sensor. But I figured that the worst that could realistically happen would be that I’d have yet another poorly installed screen protector that I’d either remove right away, or live with until the next one came along.

The full body skin comes with a squeegee, instructions, bottle of spray solution, and skin for the front, back, and sides.  I currently have an iColorWrap on my iPhone 4, so I only applied the front and back.

I took the chicken way out, and opted not to video my installation this time. I did, however, follow my friend Darren‘s suggestion, and set up the installation in the bathroom with a hot shower running to keep down dust (and cat hair). I’m not convinced that made a difference, but it was worth trying.

I used plenty of the solution on my hands and on the skins so that they moved easily once I placed them on my iPhone so that I could slide them until they aligned perfectly. I’ve got to admit, it’s much easier to align a wet application than a dry application.

I squeegied out as much of the solution as possible, and was left with a few little bubbles in the front, and some major streaks in the back. I ran the hairdryer over both front and back for a short while on low, more to make sure it was dry than to try to speed the curing process.

Twenty-four hours later, the streaks were all gone. There is one teeny tiny bubble left on the front. It looks good. But a lot of skins look good if you’re lucky enough to get them on right. The surprising and wonderful thing about the Shield Skins is the feel. There is absolutely no tacky feeling whatsoever. Even if you press a fingernail into it, there’s no rubbery give. You slide across this skin as though there’s nothing there.

I know the question you’re all now asking has nothing to do with the installation or the feel. You want to know – does it collect fingerprints. I’m not sure how you can keep fingerprints off anything, but they certainly wipe away quite well. Below are some photos with fingerprint smudges and after quickly wiping them away.

You can see the tiny bubble in the shot without fingerprints (d’oh!), but as I stated earlier, it’s very small and almost unnoticeable.

This is what the screen looks like (front and back) when it’s been really cleaned. Looks good, feels better.

If you are willing to do a wet install, the Shield Skins are much thinner than some others I could mention, and go on fairly easily. You can find them at the Shield Skins website for $16.99 and free shipping. Shield Skins do come with a lifetime guarantee, so it’s not a bad deal at all.

Shield Skins also offers screen protectors for a variety of devices from iPhones to cameras, iPads, Evos, andPres. If you decide to try Shield Skins, please tell us what you think.

Share This

---

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•