Review

Review - BodyGuardz for iPhone

A few weeks after my review of invisibleSHIELD for the iPod ran I was contacted by a company called BodyGuardz, which also offers a scratch-proof transparent film coating for iPods and iPhones and received a BodyGuardz for iPhone kit for testing a few days later.

BodyGuardz is a lot like invisibleSHIELD (see review here). Both products include the protective film, special spray solution, and a plastic squeegee. Both include extensive printed application instructions and comprehensive installation videos. Neither one works very well with most traditional cases (they are less slippery than a naked iPhone making it harder to slide it in and out of most cases). Finally, both products have a 30 day money-back guarantees and cost $24.95.

There are also several important differences. First, the BodyGuardz kit includes two complete sets of film. InvisibleSHIELD only provides one but guarantees its product for life while BodyGuardz does not.

And while both products are tough and durable, the BodyGuardz material is slightly thicker. While that may seem like an advantage, it actually made it somewhat more difficult to install BodyGuardz. In fact, I was unable to make the corners (shown below) stay affixed and only managed to get the sides to lay flat after I snipped the little corner flaps off with a scissors.

The Bottom Line

There's nothing inherently wrong with BodyGuardz. It's a little bit more difficult to apply than invisibleSHIELD and doesn't come witha lifetime warranty. But it does come with two complete sets of film while invisibleSHIELD comes with only one. I'm sticking with invisibleSHIELD for the lifetime replacement warranty and slightly easier application, but if you'd rather have two sets of film than a lifetime guarantee, choose the BodyGuardz.

Just The Facts

Pros: Protects almost all iPhone surfaces, nearly invisible, durable, get two complete sets in each package.

Cons: Can't use most cases with it, more difficult to apply than invisibleSHIELD.

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Dave said:

member since 11 Jun 2001 with 196 posts, TMO Staff, send him a message or view his profile

We, too, received a set of the BodyGuardz for iPhone here at TMO Towers East, and I applied it to the iPhone we have. I was actually quite impressed with how easily both the front and the back went on, and getting the corners to fit wasn't an issue with our set at all. The feel of the iPhone is actually more secure with the BodyGuardz than it is "naked," as the product adds some grip to the otherwise slippery metal back. I feel much more comfortable handing the iPhone to the kids now.

--

Dave Hamilton

President & CEO

macobserver.com & ipodobserver.com

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A guest said: (hide)

I also had a little difficulty (but only a little) installing BodyGuardz's iPhone back-side protector. Mainly, the corner flaps wouldn't stick down. But as they say in their video, when the piece don't stick to the phone, just wait 5-10 minutes and try again - as the water/shampoo formula dries a little it becomes more sticky. So after about 10 minutes of unsuccessfully trying to hold the corner flaps down, they finally did stick just fine.

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gslusher said:

member since 13 Nov 2002 with 2001 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

I have to ask, again, why would one need this? I've seen several videos where people have deliberately tried to scratch the iPhone's screen with keys and even a VERY sharp knife--with NO scratches. One guy dropped the iPhone on a tile floor--no damage, then on concrete, where the only damage was a tiny scuff mark on the aluminum case. The iPhone's screen is very different from a PDA or older iPods. I do have Brando screen protectors on my Palm TX (as I did on my Tungsten C, Treo 90, and Visor Deluxe) and my cameras (Canon S3 and G2) and camcorders (Canon Optura 50 & Sony Digital 8) and keep my iPods (5.5G and Nano 2G) in clear plastic cases, but the iPhone is a LOT tougher than any of these.

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