Macenstein

Posted by Lab Rat

After successfully restoring my 2-year-old 4th generation iPod using RadTech’s Ice Creme M, I began to rethink my “no-case� rule for my iPods. My iPod was now so shiny and new, I hated the thought of it getting all banged up again, yet I hated the idea of hiding the iPod in some bulky case even more. Despite owning three different iPods in as many years, I have never bought a case of any of my iPods.

A while back I briefly considered trying out ShieldZone’s invisibleSHIELD, but eventually scrapped the idea. My reasoning was, “Hey, the iPod ships with a little sticker that covers the screen, and I always pull that off. Why put it back on?� Well, I am here to tell you that I didn’t know what I was talking about. The invisibleSHIELD is about as different from that little “protective� covering as you can get. If you have never seen one in person, don’t presume you know what the invisibleSHIELD is.

Installation

Installing the InvisibleSHIELD was fairly straightforward, although I did learn a thing or two during the process that might be helpful to you if you are thinking of doing the same.

First, be sure to read the instructions BEFORE starting to follow them. The invisibleSHIELD ships with a fairly simple set of instructions (just 6 steps), and since I am a tech geek I figured I could just do a read-as-I-went installation. Here’s what happened:

Step 1. Peel the invisibleSHIELD off its paper backing
Done
Step 2. Hold the invisibleSHIELD in your hand, sticky side out.
Done
Step 3. Lightly spray both sides of the invisibleSHIELD with the included SHIELDSpray.
Uh oh…

The included bottle of SHIELDSpray ships with a sticker covering the entire top that must first be removed in order to spray, and I did not notice it until this step. I was not able to remove the sticker with one hand, so I had to put down my invisibleSHIELD, and in the process (apparently because I am a spaz) it got stuck to itself in all sorts of ways (picture a piece of extremely sticky packing tape handed to a 1-year-old). Luckily the invisibleSHIELD is quite strong, and you CAN pull it apart from itself without damaging it.

After getting the spray bottle open, the rest of the installation went very smoothly.

Step 4. Apply the invisibleSHIELD to your device, sticky side down, and slide into place.

Step 5. Use the included squeegee to push any excess moisture and bubbles from under the invisibleSHIELD.

Step 6. Dry it with a lint-free towel.

Something else I learned in the process is that in step 3, when they suggest to “lightly� spray the invisibleSHIELD with SHIELDSpray, I found it worked much better when I over-sprayed to the point of ridiculous over saturation. This allowed for me to slide the invisibleSHIELD around on the surface of my iPod and more easily align the hole for the click wheel. The excess moisture came out easily using the squeegee.

Having learned a thing or two, the installation of the invisibleSHIELD on the back of my iPod went much more smoothly.

So how does it work?

It works great!

I found the invisibleSHIELD to be very tough and resilient in my testing. You would REALLY have to want to scratch up your iPod to get through the invisibleSHIELD. The same car key scratches I purposely inflicted on my iPod in my Ice Crème M test were no match for the invisibleSHIELD. In fact, I couldn’t even make a mark. I’m pretty sure if you can scratch your iPod while it’s wearing an invisibleSHIELD, the odds are you will have done something so horrible that you will have broken your iPod in the process, so a scratch will be the least of your worries.

How’s it look?

Perhaps just as important to me as how well a case protects the iPod is how good it looks. I’ve always been a fan of the iPod’s design, and the invisibleSHIELD is the only protective “case� for the iPod I have seen that does not ruin the iPod’s aesthetics. The invisibleSHIELD lives up to its name. In most lighting it really IS invisible. As I said before, I had been so against covering up my iPod’s beauty that I actually ended up allowing it to get a bit banged up. The invisibleSHIELD will not necessarily provide a great deal of shock-absorption if you should drop you iPod, however it will absolutely protect it if you are the kind of person who would like to throw your iPod in your pocket or purse and not worry that a pen or set of car keys will damage it.

Can you tell this iPod is wearing protection?

Issues

The only issues I have yet experienced in using the invisibleSHIELD have to do with the way the shield reacts with certain other iPod peripherals I use. In my car for instance, I use the Belkin TuneDok to hold my iPod for me, and its suction cup holder just does not want to let go of my iPod now that it has the invisibleSHIELD’s plastic coating on the back. I always thought the brushed metal back of the iPod was fairly smooth, but the invisibleSHIELD’s surface is so non-porous, the TuneDok makes a connection I doubt an 80 MPH crash would be able to break. I guess in a way that is a good thing.

Also, I noticed that with Apple’s own iPod dock, the invisibleSHIELD (while very thin) adds just enough thickness to cause my iPod to stick a bit, often requiring me to use two hands to unseat it. Macally’s FMCup is an EXTREMELY tight fit now now as well. However, the invisibleSHIELD does not have this problem with ALL docks. The built-in dock in the iHome iH5, for instance, has a bit more room to it and does not stick to the invisibleSHIELD.

This is more of an annoyance than a real problem. After all, most of the “real� (i.e. BULKY) iPod cases would not fit in these docks at all without being partially or fully removed, so I’ll take a snug fit over having to constantly remove a case any day.

Conclusion

I love the invisibleSHIELD. I love it so much it is now on both my 4G and 5G iPods, and it will definitely be on my 6G (when it comes out). For me, the invisibleSHIELD is the only case worthy of sitting atop Apple’s brilliantly designed iPod.

The invisibleSHIELD (Full Body Shield) by ShieldZone

Price: $19.99 to $24.95 (depending on iPod model)

Pros: Provides great protection, allows the beauty of your iPod to shine through, comes with a life-time warranty

Cons: The slight extra thickness the invisibleSHIELD adds to an iPod may make it a tight fit in some peripherals.