Over my time blogging, I have only spotted a few wood or faux wood skins for iDevices, but have never had the opportunity to review one. Thanks to my new friends at Toast, I have been using their real bamboo iPhone skin for a little over a week and my completely custom skin is getting even better everyday I use it. With the iDownloadBlog logo darkly emblazoned on the pale wooden backdrop, my iPhone skin is the talk of the town…
Unique + Custom
Let me start with “wood.” This skin is real wood. Not faux wood. Not fake wood. Not a wood-colored sticker. These Toast skins are real wood, designed and refined by an industrial designer and furniture maker who wanted to find a way to combine mass manufacturing with nature materials. Well, consider that goal accomplished with bamboo, walnut, and ash.
Back to wood. Each piece of wood is unique, like a snowflake, which makes each individual Toast skin a completely personalized and natural addition to your iPhone. Then, to take it a step further, Toast offers a selection of laser etched images. If you really want to kick it up a notch, they will laser etch your custom logo, graphic, or picture into the skin. It is important to note, if you choose bamboo, the laser etching process affects the grain color differently in some places, causing the burned logo to appear lighter and darker, while ash and walnut offer a more consistent burn. In some designs, the wood is cut out, like this Jolly Roger.
My custom iDownloadBlog skin is sharp, not to the touch, sharp to the eye. The bamboo grain is both a tactile and visual stimulant, that has warmed over the past week with the oil of my hands. Different woods will patina with different hues, but continue a life of their own based on usage. Additionally, the grain is wearing ever so slightly, smoothing the wood to the touch.
+1 For the Planet
Although Toast uses real wood for their product, the company is a member of One Percent For The Planet. This pledge means Toast gives 1% of their revenue to environmental organizations each year. Their commitment helps perpetuate a healthier, cleaner environment for all of us. From rivers, lakes, and seas, to the mountains, forests, and plains, One Percent For The Planet members constantly give back.
Conclusion
If you have not figured it out by now, I am a big fan of Toast’s customizable wood iPhone skins. I really appreciate founder Matias Brecher for sending over a review unit, which will be on my iPhone for a good long while. After speaking with Matias, he assured me the 3M backing will allow for reapplication, as long as it remains clean when removed from my phone.
For a wood only option, you can nab one for $25, with a selected design $30, and for a custom logo $70, found on the store page. Bulk pricing starts at 5 pieces, which can be handled by contacting the sales team. For a solid unique iPhone skin, the pricing is seemingly reasonable.
Pros:
- Wears with use to a vintaged look
- Blend nature and technology
- Real wood, not vinyl or painted grain
- Just thin enough to fit in my Otterbox Commuter case
- Made to fit with Apple Bumper
Cons:
- May be too thick for all cases
- It can be reapplied, but is not easy to get off – which may be a good thing, after all
Giveaway
What do you have to do to win?
In order to win an iPhone skin of your choice from the Toast Store:
- Friend iDownloadBlog on Facebook
- Click the LIKE button at the top or bottom of this post
- Follow @iDownloadBlog on Twitter
- Click here to retweet this post
- Let us know in the comments below your favorite part of a real wood skin! Don’t forget to leave your Twitter handle
Winner announced!
Thank you again to our friends at Toast for making this giveaway possible and congratulations to @AntZoo for winning! Make sure to check back frequently for new giveaways.