Product Review: Razoria Proves That Beauty Is More Than Skin Deep
March 11, 2012
It is no secret that iDevice owners love to accessorize, as evident by the $2.3 billion iAccessories market. A standout among customizing accessories is the unique, bright and colorful artist skins created by Razoria. Designed to be protection with style, the vinyl skin covers both the back and front of the iDevice, leaving the edges free for a bumper if desired. To make the design complete, Razoria includes the download of custom wallpaper with each purchase, effectively wrapping your iDevice in a swath of vibrant color and form.
Razoria skins are not stickers and the color is fantastic. They are made using 3M Controltac, a patented material with invisible air release channels for bubble-free application. We found applying the Razoria skin to be very easy and completely stress-free. It handled gentle repositioning well and bubbles were not an issue.
At this point we set out to test the Razoria skin for durability. To check for fading we protected a small sample portion of the skin then placed it out in direct sunlight for several days. The results were very impressive. The exposed area was indistinguishable from the protected portion.
To test for general wear we put the Razoria covered iPhone in our pocket along with spare change and credit cards. A few times it had to ride in cramped quarters with a set of keys and random river stones my children had collected. After two weeks of continual use I checked the condition of the Razoria. It still had a nice shine and there were no noticeable digs or scrapes.
At this point the Razoria had passed our standard wear tests with, literally, flying colors. It was now time to go "Mythbusters" to see just how much abuse these cheerful and bright skins would take. For those who might feel nauseous at this point, I should clarify that we gently removed the skin from the working iPhone 4 and placed it on a dead iPhone. There was no sticky residue on the iPhone 4 and the new application took well despite the fact that Razoria skins are designed for only one use.
Then we drop-kicked the skin-clad phone across stamped concrete four times, covering a distance of about 8-10 feet each time. At this point the shine began to dull a bit and, if turned to the light, fine surface scratches were visible in the outermost clear layer. The bright art was still unaffected and the skin did not lift off or tear, despite not having the protection of a bumper.
In the end the skin met an unexpected end through accidental stupidly. A scraping card forced roughly into the pocket lifted off the skin. Understandably, the brutally treated Razoria could not be reapplied for a third time.
Given the reasonable price of the Razoria Skins at £7 ($11.00 USD) we think they are fun and a good buy. There are currently seven designs available and, in an email interview with artist and founder Arron, we learned that seven new designs, ORBICHU, ORIKIS, LINEAR, FRAGMENT, IIAWAH, BRRR and HALLOW are in the works.
Have you ever considered a skin for your iDevice?
