GelaSkins for iPod Touch Review
By: Michael Phrakaysone
Everyone has an iPod Touch nowadays. Everywhere you go, you see at least one of these devices and they all look the same. It’s an iPod world, yet at the same time it’s getting boring because they all lack personality.
So what’s an easy way to inject personality into your iPod Touch? Well it’s called GelaSkins and they are art skins (adhesive stickers) that are placed on the exterior of your device to give it personality along with another layer of scratch protection. One of the great things is if your iPod Touch’s backing cover is scratched up as mine, GelaSkins are a great way to cover it up while looking unruffled.
Let’s take a look shall we?
About GelaSkins
The best skins on the planet! GelaSkins are removable covers for protecting and customizing your portable devices. They feature stunning, photo-quality graphics ranging from fine art prints to contemporary urban images designed by our growing family or artists from around the globe. Stand out in the crowd with personalized protection from GelaSkins.
- Portable Art Prints: We work with artists from around the globe to create a huge gallery of skins turning your iPods, laptops, phones & more into portable canvases.
- Easy On... Easy Off: Patented 3M adhesive make GelaSkins easy to apply with no residue left behind. The adhesive allows you to reposition the skin so you can easily get a perfect fit.
- No Scratches: GelaSkins defend your device with a durable anti-scratch. Anti-UV coating.
- Premium Materials: After loads of research, we chose the best materials available. The advanced 3M adhesive contains patented micro-channels that prevent air bubbles from forming and allow for easy application.
First Impressions + Application
The GelaSkin that I had the opportunity to review was of the Canadian flag. It was packaged inside a simple cardboard envelope that didn’t allow the skin to be folded during shipping. GelaSkins also bundled their screen protectors for the iPod Touch called GelaScreens, so I will be taking a look at that later in the review. GelaSkins is a Canadian company that operates in Toronto, Canada so I have to give some rep to my Canadian friends.
Opening up we see the simple package that offers two inserts and are nicely designed by artists. One insert goes over the product, its features and relevant information regarding GelaSkins and the other insert holds the actual skin itself. GelaSkins for iPod Touch offers the backing skin and a free downloadable wallpaper of that particular skin you ordered.
Looking at the print quality, it’s pretty good. The skin is clear, relatively sharp, has nice color rendition and has a nice glossy look.
I pulled away the skin to check the underside and found the 3M adhesive to have great stick but also the ability to be removed or repositioned many times. The underside features a checkered pattern that is said to prevent air bubbles from forming and I can say that it is true.
What I would have liked to be included with GelaSkins is a soft credit card sized squeegee to be used while installing. Nothing like this was included so that is something that can be improved upon.
Application of the GelaSkin is relatively easy but ultimately comes down to trial and error. There are videos you can view on the GelaSkin website that demonstrates how you apply the sticker but it’s pretty straightforward. The hardest thing for me was to apply the GelaSkin straight and not slanted. The adhesive was easy to remove if I needed to pull back. One of the nice things about GelaSkins for iPod Touch is that it wraps around the depth of the device.
Result
After you apply the GelaSkin, feast your eyes because your iPod will look great. I’ve had mine over the months and the adhesive is still strong and there haven’t really been many problems up to this point.
The only small minor problem that I experienced is the small portion of the adhesive that I touched with my fingers isn’t as tough with the stick compared to the rest of the sticker. I think this could be due to that the oils in my finger maybe conflicting with the adhesive itself. So I recommend washing your hands before applying the GelaSkin to ensure no salt or oils are on your fingers.
GelaScreens mini Review
The GelaScreens for iPod Touch are clear screen protectors for the iPod Touch. The package comes with two screen protectors and one small microfiber cloth to clean the screen before application.
I love the fact that the GelaScreens are not the adhesive type. There is no sticky glue with these screen protectors but rather they just bond to the iPod Touch screen like magic with little air bubbles in the process. And they are probably the most clear screen protectors I’ve seen. Fitment is perfect and is 100% spot on.
Just apply on the iPod Touch screen and use the microfiber cloth to guide away air bubbles.
Conclusion
I think the GelaSkins for iPod Touch are an awesome way to bring personality to the device and at the same time offer protection for the backing cover. The best part is the GelaSkins offer tons of variety when it comes to skin styles from artist all around the world. The price is inexpensive at only $14.95.
Pros and Cons
- + Artsy skins give personality
- + Great 3M adhesive stick
- + Adds layer of protection
- + Inexpensive
- - Should include credit card soft squeegee for application process
- - Doesn’t fully cover the side of the iPod Touch. Still have four small corners showing
