Gear Review: BestSkinsEver DS Lite Skin

I’ve seen colorful graphic skins made for various gaming consoles and handhelds.  Usually they have some vector art or a famous character in a macho or feminine pose.  When I started researching skins for my netbook, I happened to come across BestSkinsEver which sells clear skins for a variety of electronics.  Intrigued, I decided to investigate what type of protection the product would offer handheld users.

When the Nintendo DS Lite Total Body Skin arrived, I was shocked that they came in a standard envelope.  Usually when I receive a skin or screen protector, it shipped out with some sort of cardboard to keep it from bending.  After opening it up and familiarizing myself with the instructions, it became clear why there was no backing material, it simply didn’t need it.  The material is clear and extremely flexible, but thin as well.

The application I picked to follow was to grab a plate and put water on it, creating a shallow pool.  To this I added a few drops of dish soap to create a slickness that would make it easier to apply the skin.  It’s important to note that when you add the soap to the plate, to stir gently with your finger as to not create soap bubbles.  Not that it was a huge concern, but it saves time later.  Once the solution was created, you dip your finger tips into it, peel away a section to be applied to your DS Lite, dip the sticky side into the solution, gently shake off much of the excess solution, then put it on the appropriate location.  Perfect positioning was quite easy to obtain due to the slickness the solution provided.  

If you cleaned your system beforehand as the instructions suggest, you won’t have many problems pushing out the air bubbles that developed.  I found even after a thorough cleaning with a microfiber cloth, I still had a small piece of lint or two.  This however didn’t seem to interfere with the application too much.  This would be all that needs to be done unless you’re dealing with pieces that wrap around corners.  For that, you’ll need to wait for it to dry a bit more since it doesn’t stick right away due to the solution.  Once it is dry however, I found that the corners stuck immediately after the suggested application of force for a few seconds.

The DS Lite on the right is the "skinned" system

The system once covered looks slick and shiny.  It also doesn’t pick up finger prints or smudges.  I let my husband carry it around in his backpack for a week as a test of durability.  It was carried usually in the bottom with lunch items and other miscellaneous items were kept.  When I examined it afterwords, the only noticeable difference was two marks that looked like a sharp object had nicked it.  This turned out better than expected simply due to the abuse it went through.

Since the skin covers just about everywhere on the DS Lite, including the dust cover, it does have a slightly different feel than without.  At first you’ll notice the rough edges on the bottom due to the fact it is applied in two pieces.  Once that feeling passes though, it gives the user a wonderful grip that makes it feel more secure in hand while playing.  The only negative side of the skin is the screen protector for the touch screen.  When you slide your stylus across it, it feels slower and not as natural.

If you’re looking to keep the color of your DS Lite and not gussy it up with fancy graphics, the Nintendo DS Lite Total Body Skin is a great route.  It retains the look of the system and take away fingerprints.  Just look elsewhere for your touchscreen protection if you use it often.

Here’s a link to the buy page for the Nintendo DS Lite Total Body Skin.