Thursday, March 28, 2024

UKarbon skin review

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UKarbon LGG3 (10)

When it comes to protecting our smartphones and tablets from scratches, many of us choose to put them in cases that all too often both hide the design of the device and add a fair amount of heft to them. There are other options though, one of them being from UKarbon, a company based in the United Kingdom that offers a protective skin made of carbon fibre textured vinyl. UKarbon offer skins designed to protect your smartphone, tablet, laptop, gaming console or even your Beats headphones from scratches as well as enhancing the item’s appearance.

I was lucky enough to receive a skin to review on my LG G3 from Harry Hextall, who along with Tom Summerfield, runs UKarbon whilst completing university.

U-Karbon LG G3 (24)

Like many, I’ve shied away from protective skins before because of the difficulties experienced when installing screen protectors on my devices. I’ve always believed that if I found it difficult installing one piece of plastic to a flat screen; how would I manage the task of applying a skin? As you can see from the images though, I managed to install the UKarbon skin on my G3, and if I do say so myself, I think I did a pretty good job.

The skin material is premium grade textured PVC vinyl and is just 0.2mm thick, so you can barely tell anything is on the device at all. The advanced adhesive enables a bubble-free finish, unlike when I install a screen protector. Another feature to be appreciated is that if you choose to remove the UKarbon skin, there will be no residue left behind on your device. The skin also has a weave pattern to it that is quite comforting to the touch.

To begin the process, I made sure the G3 was clean, using a wet wipe first to remove the dirt before using a lint-free cloth to dry it off. With the handset now clear from dust and fingerprints, I sorted out my tools for applying the skin – a pair of flat tweezers and a hairdryer. Yes, a hairdryer. That comes in useful at the end of the process.

UKarbon LGG3 (4)

The UKarbon skin for the G3 came with multiple parts to cover the battery panel, the top and bottom bezels on the front of the device, as well as bits to protect the volume button and the ring around the camera lens on the rear.

I started off with the pieces to protect the top and bottom bezels on the front, which I thought would be easiest to begin with. It turned out it was fairly easy to remove the protective coverings from the wax paper, and the trickiest bit was aligning the top piece with the sensors. It turned out pretty well on the first attempt, and so I progressed to the volume and camera pieces. Again, whilst being attentive to detail, the process went as planned. If I was being picky, I guess I could do with reapplying the protective ring around the camera, it is just ever-so-slightly off-center. But then, with my clumsiness, I could just as easily make it worse so I’m happy with it as is. To be honest, I’ve only just seen it at the time of writing, so it’s been like that for a few weeks without my noticing.

UKarbon LGG3 (9)
UKarbon LGG3 (8)
UKarbon LGG3 (1)

Now for the tricky part – the rear panel. Because the G3 has rounded edges, the skin is perhaps a little trickier to apply than on say a Sony Xperia Z3 with its flat surfaces. After lining things up nicely with the LED flash and the Laser Auto Focus sensor, I laid the skin down and smoothed it over. This is where I needed the hairdryer, because of the before mentioned round edges of the G3; some gentle heat is required to help the skin fit snugly instead of flapping in the wind. Enter the hairdryer, and after a few seconds on its lowest heat setting, I could smooth the edges down with my fingertips. The result speaks for itself.

U-Karbon LG G3 (28)
U-Karbon LG G3 (26)
U-Karbon LG G3 (25)

I should point out that UKarbon have some very handy installation videos to watch for tips on how to achieve a great result. I should also point out that I decided to ignore the video guides until after I installed the skin, just to see how difficult it was. As a result, I would say that while you do need to concentrate while applying the skin, it isn’t unduly difficult. I would actually go so far as to say it was an easier process than applying a screen protector.

Now we come to the business end of the review. I’ve had the UKarbon skin on my G3 for almost a month now, and colour me impressed. The skin is in just as good a condition as it was when it was first applied. Dare I say that my G3 looks somewhat cooler than it did before, and it definitely feels better, more tactile. The skin has added much need grip to the G3, I wish I had bought one for my old G2 that had all the characteristics of a wet bar of soap. Do I recommend it? That’s a tough question, but I would say yes, with one caveat. If your job entails you doing physical work out and about, then while the UKarbon skin will protect your phone from scratches, it won’t protect it from the shock of being dropped on the floor. That being said, I have found that the case I have for the G3 slips comfortably on and off the handset with the UKarbon skin applied with no discernible impact.

 

UKarbon LGG3 (6)

So, how much will a UKarbon skin cost for your device? Well, it varies depending on which device you are ordering for. If you were to choose the full set of skins for your LG G3, it will set you back £14.99. You can choose to order only the front protection for £6.99 or the rear for £10.99. My skin was the standard carbon fibre design, but you can choose between Champagne Carbon, Dark Wood, Dark Leather, Orange Peel, Polar White or Signature Red. You can even send your custom designs for UKarbon to produce so your device can be even more personalised.

Handily enough, UKarbon is currently having a promotion where, if you enter the code UK25 into the relevant box while checking out, you will receive a 25% discount. International orders are more than welcome, with free shipping if your order comes to £14.99 or more, if you are in the States it roughly translates to $23.50.

[UKarbon]

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