The Bodyguardz Protective Skin for iPhone ($24.95) is a thin translucent film that offers full body protection and keeps your iPhone clean from the elements. Are the Bodyguardz the metaphorical clean-freak, plastic on sofa or do they actually enhance the iPhone experience?
Read on for the rest of the review!
What Comes In The Box
- -2 Front Film Covers
- -2 Back Film Covers
- -Squeege Card
- -Application Solution
In the box, you get 2 sets of the Bodyguardz (front+back) and a bottle of their custom made application solution (water and baby shampoo). They also package in a ‘squeegee card’ (a piece of plastic) which allows you to work out the air bubbles that are bound to appear when applying the film protector.
Application Process
For reference, The Bodyguardz website has an excellent video tutorial on how to apply the Bodyguardz onto your iPhone. What I’ll focus on are the trickier parts of the process.
With all its ports, buttons, dock connector, and the like, applying the back portion of the film protector proved to be a nuisance. I found the best and most effective strategy in applying the back portion was to stick the entire back film on first, align the camera hole with the camera, work on the top and bottom edges, and then the sides.
Also, there will be certain air bubbles that you just can’t work out but as long as they are relatively small in size, the drying process should eliminate them and leave a clean finish. To be sure, immediately after the application process, the iPhone looked to be in terrible shape but the amazing thing is that given time, the film will clear up and you will never notice the Bodyguardz again.
Overall, my experience in applying the Bodyguardz was definitely a longer process than I imagined. Because of the film protector’s clear nature, I wanted to align everything perfectly, which made the process even more time-consuming. Though it takes a while, the overall quality gain is worth the time.
Usage
If the Bodyguardz are applied correctly, they are essentially transparent. From a direct viewing angle, it is impossible to notice any difference in screen clarity. Only when viewed from an extreme angle against harsh light would you see some slight texturing on the film. The Bodyguardz screen clarity is truly superb and impressive and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything substantially better.
The corner protection is remarkable as well. Though it doesn’t fully cover the corners, this is the best corner protection I have seen on full body film protectors.
Also, I actually prefer the feeling of the iPhone’s touchscreen with the Bodyguardz on then without. With the Bodyguardz on, the touchscreen’s performance is more consistent, with the added bonus that the iPhone smudges and fingerprints much less.
However, I won’t recommend the back film to the same degree as the front. I admit that the back film is excellent in protecting the back of the iPhone from scratches, but I personally think that the back film takes away from the great feel of the back of the iPhone. This shouldn’t be taken as a slight towards the Bodyguardz but rather as a personal preference.
It is also important to note that the millimeter added in thickness might not fit some very exact form-fitting cases.
Final Thoughts
What’s great about the Bodyguardz Protective Skin is that it doesn’t detract from the iPhone’s beauty. What better way to protect and show off your iPhone than with a clear film protector? You get the same access to all the controls of the iPhone with the added protection of being entirely scratch proof.
I can fully recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a film protector for the iPhone. The Bodyguardz is essentially invisible, adds a better feel to the glass screen, and takes nothing away in terms of productivity or style. With the added bonus of 2 sets in the package, the Bodyguardz is also a relatively good deal in terms of cost and performance. This should definitely be considered a BUY for iPhone users.
Pros
- Virtually Invisible Protection
- Feel of Touchscreen is Remarkably Improved
- Very Close to Full Body Protection
- Doesn't Inhibit iPhone's functions
Cons
- May Not Fit in Form Fitting Cases
- Semi-long Application Process
