[Nexus 5 Accessories] waris choy:
My Experience with Dbrand skins

Never have i encountered a company online that is so engaged with their customers. The proof is evident as they are really on the level with the traffic on XDA and Reddit. There is no wonder why people rave about Dbrand and not as much Slickwraps or Cruzerlite skins.

Anyway with the skins. I own a white nexus 5 and therefore ordered a white leather back and black leather sides.

First impression

The order shipped really quickly actually. This is unexpected as I live in the UK. The order was placed on the weekend and I already received it on the following thursday.

Packaging was very good. It was placed in a though plastic container that is very difficult to bend during shipping to keep things intact. The only way the order can come damaged is that it left the warehouse damaged. Nice Postage Stamps Btw.

The Skins

you are directed to watch a youtube video on how to apply the skins. As much as it is fun to go rambo I would advice actually watching it. This is because of the numerous people who screwed up the application resulting in edges that don't stick down correctly.

The skins are made to be quite thick actually. This is meant to result in no Air bubbles and that can be testified to be true. When applying the skins, the adhesive is heat activated. Meaning that you will have a need for a heat source to apply the skins correctly. I did not have a hair dryer, so I used the pipes under a radiator which is piping hot. You can probably use a heat gun or something. But then the likelihood of one having a heat gun is less than having a hair dryer.

The skins are fitted rather precisely. The Nexus logo is meant to fit 100% and this may be the case with the black model but I cannot say this is the case with the white model. I am a natural born nit-picker/ perfectionist and therefore I require my own work to be the best of my ability. I applied it perfectly but the fit is around 95% which is above the competition. On slickwraps even just a glance can tell the nexus logo is far too small. On mine you really have to look directly with good lighting to actually see the slight imperfections. This is to do with the different dimensions of the white and black model. No other skin manufacturer has spotted this so well done!

The Universal piece applies to all devices. But there is a slight <1mm difference between the white and black model for the volume rocker piece. if you use the wrong one, the speaker grill/ volume rockers WILL NOT align perfectly. I used the other one as a spare and actually had to file down the skin to make it fit. The little gaps on the sides are classy and are not a problem as they do not peel. The sides skins with regard to aligning with the individual holes of speaker grill is 100% perfect if you use the device specific skin.

Once the bonds are set they are made to last. I tried to remove a side piece and it actually took surprising amount of force to peel it. IF YOU WANT TO REMOVE IT. USE A STANLY KNIFE/SCALPEL!! Otherwise you will regret it.

Grip

The grip is very good actually. The white leather offers more grip than the black leather. The black leather looks deceivingly like actual leather and actually feels soft because of brain trickery. The white leather is much stiffer and looks less like leather but more like shards. White leather does offer more grip but looks and feels worse (unless you have a white back). I got these skins for scratch protection and grip so mission accomplished.

Customer Service

Nothing short of stellar. I gave many emails all of which are replied and answered the question. I got a free back replacement after I suspected that the white leather decolourised. Which turned out to actually be suit pocket dye. Not my finest hour. But this is the type of customer service that keeps people coming back.

Downsides.

The skins actually when newly applied catch ALOT and I mean ALOT of lint and dust on the edges. They also feel sharp to the palm. After 1 week of constant scraping of the sides to de-lint them. The feeling disappeared. At least you will get used to it. If you scrape the skins too hard, the pattern comes off and it exposes the black vinyl underneath. So Don't do that. There is a gap with the back piece which exposes the sides of the nexus 5 and show white and this means that you cannot practically apply any coloured skins. This is now confirmed to be for usability purpose. So that the adhesive would stick properly when applying.

OVERALL

Dbrand is worth the markup over the rest. If anything goes wrong with Dbrand, they WILL help you. They may even send you a replacement if stuff goes wrong. I would definitely recommend. I am excited to try their new skins. I actually used their coupon on a mahogany back. I wonder if i can cancel that now.

Yeah Dbrand if you wouldn't mind sending some over for review that would be great. Just jk here are some pics.

http://imgur.com/a/5ENxG