Conscientious buyers are protective of their electronic gadgets, literally. I recently went on a friendly tirade about how ugly most protective coverings are. The only alternative as of now are from company’s like BodyGuardz who make scratch-proof resistant skins for all your electronic goodies. I asked to review the skin designed for the Nintendo DSlite. I figure the device’s deceivingly simple geometry would provide a better test subject.
Just like other clear plastic skins on the market, you get a kit; carefully die-cut sheets for every side of the Nintendo DSlite. Installation is a bit scary for the uninitiated because you do use spray glue and any floating particles nearby become mortal enemies. Steady hands are a must and messing up even in the slightest will force you to start all over.
Carefully clean the Nintendo DSlite so it’s free of dust and smudges. Take the glue which comes in a fine mist spray bottle and spray it all over your hands. Carefully peel off one of the sheets and spray both sides. Line it up and apply slowly. Use the supplied squeegee to push all the air bubbles out. Let it set for a few minutes before you start on the next section.
A tip I have is to keep your hands soaked in the liquid. Trust me, it evaporates quickly and will help from trapping dust. The softly rounded corners provid a small challenge. Another tip is to wait a few minutes for the sheet to dry out and become tacky, then carefully roll it over the edges.
The geometry of the Nintendo DSlite is pretty simple up top and sides. It is the bottom where things get tricky. The die-cut sheet looks more like a puzzle with openings for screws, the stylus pen and battery cover. You have to be really carefully and go slow. I must have tried 4 times before I realized my sheet didn’t exactly match the bottom of my DSlite. It was about 1 millimeter off, barely noticeable but definitely enough to annoy me to try again and again and again.
The great thing is you can hardly tell there’s a skin on after it dries crystal clear. You would have to get in pretty close with a macro lens to even see where some of the die-cut work went. The bottom is a differently story. That 1 millimeter offset really makes a difference. You can clearly (no pun) see the bottom is not as seamless as the top. For me the two screens are the most important since they get the most abuse and thankfully the supplied sheets fit them to a tee.
After a week’s use, the skin hasn’t peeled or discolored despite being tossed everywhere from the inside of my pocket to my bag. Tho installation was a bit complicated I’m glad I did it and would recommend this product to anyone looking for basic protection. The last thing I wanted was bulk so BodyGuardz are the perfect solution. They make skins for everything from phones to cameras too. Go check it out and let me know if you buy one.
What we loved:
- Not as messy as other clear skins
- Crystal clear
- Can easily peel off and try again
We could be improved:
- The bottom sheet for the Nintendo DSlite is slightly off around the battery cover
- $24.95 is pricey, especially in this economy
Designer: BodyGuardz [ Buy it here ]
