Wrapsol Ultra for iPhone 5 [Review]

There are lots of screen protector options for your iPhone 5, and today we’re going to take a closer look at our experience with the Wrapsol Ultra full body kit for the iPhone 5, which the company sent us. We’re very familiar with Wrapsol’s take on the screen protector (check out our iPhone 4S review and install tutorial), as their dry installation is one of the easier ones.

The Wrapsol Ultra full body kit for the iPhone 5 is similar to the iPhone 4S kit. Inside the box there is a protector for the front and back, along with a small micro fibre cloth and a thick cardboard squeegee.

Installing a Wrapsol screen protector requires a few steps. It’s best to perform the install in an environment that is dust free as there’s nothing worse than getting a spec of dust once you’ve installed the shield on the front screen.

First, you remove a thin layer which exposes the sticky side to lay flat on onto your iPhone 5. If your first placement isn’t aligned properly, you can remove it and try again. The added ‘handles’ for the protector does prevent fingerprints from showing on your protector compared to other brands. However, a perfect one shot install reduces the chance of dust getting stuck to the skin.

After you’ve placed the skin down use the cardboard squeegee to push out the excess air bubbles. Once that’s done, all you have to do is remove the final top layer to reveal the finished install. It’s easiest to remove the top layer from the ‘handles’ first before pulling them away as the cut seems to be pretty snug in those areas.

Here’s a video from Wrapsol showing their technique for a perfect install:

The finished install will most likely still show some tiny bubbles here and there, but I’ve noticed they clear away over a few days much better than other brands.

Here’s what the front and back of my iPhone 5 looked like immediately after the install (the bubbles and lines all disappeared in a few days):

The included side protection is pretty straight forward and the cuts work out well. You have an option to place a longer strip over the nano SIM tray or have it exposed if you’re switching SIM cards a lot.

After a few days, your Wrapsol install should look pretty good, with no major signs of the ‘orange peel’ effect. The clarity of these protectors are its strongest point along with its glass-like feel. I’ve read of other experiences on the web where people have mentioned the iPhone 5 cuts aren’t accurate but in my case there was no issue. The only thing I found was my front protector exhibited some ‘lines’ that interfered with my screen on the right side. I will try another install to see if this wasn’t just an isolated issue as the material is the same used for the iPhone 4S.

The finished product:

Standard shipping to Canada costs $22 to Vancouver, which is higher than normal so that’s another downside. The company was recently acquired by OtterBox so shipping options could improve. If you can order these to an ‘Amerifriend’ or find them locally, that is your best bet to test out the Wrapsol Ultra for the iPhone 5, or if you decide to split the shipping costs with friends.

The Wrapsol Ultra full body for the iPhone 5 retails for $29.95–check it out here at Wrapsol.com.

If you’ve tried the Wrapsol Ultra for the iPhone 5, let me know below in the comments what you think of it.

Pros

• clear, high-strength polyurethane sheets exhibit glass-like clarity
• handles make for an easy install without fingerprints
• air bubbles disappear better than other protectors we’ve seen
• dry installation is easy if you line things up properly

Cons

• shipping is expensive to Canada
• dust can get onto protector if you’re not careful
• some ‘lines’ appeared on our final install; we will try again
• dry installation can be tricky if your hands are shaky

PS – We also have a preview coming up for the new Wrapsol Xtreme. Same protection and clarity but it’s even thinner than the Ultra.