ScreenGuardz Pure for iPhone 5/5s by BodyGuardz review

Posted March 9, 201410 yr

ScreenGuardz Pure is a line of tempered glass screen protectors by BodyGuardz. They are available for a variety of devices including several iPhone and iPad models. Tempered glass is not only a hundred times more resilient than regular screen protectors, they also feel just like the screen since they're made from glass. I've been using a ScreenGuardz Pure on my iPhone 5s for about a week now. Let's take a closer look at how it's holding up...

Tempered glass is much different than your run of the mill screen protector for many reasons. It's made out of the same material that many car windshields are made out of. That means it's strong and durable. BodyGuardz even has videos on their website showing off it surviving a hammer with no damage. While we don't recommend that, we are confident it'll hold up to real world use just fine. Any extra barrier between your actual iPhone screen and pavement is a definitely bonus in my book.

I've always taken issue with screen protectors simply because they feel funny to me. They're either too slick, not slick enough, funny looking, or feel like an orange peel. I've been an iPhone user since the original debuted in 2007 and since then I've never found a screen protector that's managed to stay on for longer than a week. The Pure may indeed be changing my mind though.

Let's talk about installation for a minute. I was actually surprised at how easy the installation went. The Pure comes with one ScreenGuardz Pure protector, two Home button stickers (for iPhone 5 users), dust removal stickers, a cleaning cloth, a suction cup, and an alcohol swab. You begin by cleaning your hands with the alcohol swab. After that you're instructed to use the cleaning cloth to remove any dirt and debris from the screen of your iPhone. After that you can are ready to install. Simply peel off the backing labeled number one and apply the suction cup towards the top. This is to help you grip the screen protector during installation without accidentally touching the back. After you've done this, remove the back protector and lay it down.

The cool thing about tempered glass adhesive is that is doesn't actually begin to adhere until you press down relatively firmly. This gives you time to center it perfectly on top of the screen. In my experience with the Pure, it was dead easy to center it perfectly. I did however find a few specs of dust after pushing down and locking it into place. Luckily it's easy enough to lift up a corner and use the dust removal stickers to remove the offending particles. After that just slap the protector back down and the adhesive re-adheres again.

I only have two main complaints about the ScreenGuardz Pure...

My first is that the Home button is recessed. Unfortunately this will be the case with any tempered glass screen protector. They have to be thicker to provide better protection. For iPhone 5 users, just use one of the Home button stickers and you're good to go. For iPhone 5s users it isn't that easy. You either have to use one and forego Touch ID or leave it off and deal with the recessed opening. I've chosen the latter. The good news is that Touch ID still works flawlessly.

My second is that sometimes the adhesive appears to pull up slightly in areas. It's not a huge issue and pushing it back down seems to do the trick but every few days I'm noticing a little rainbow effect in bright light where the adhesive seems to not be pushed down all the way. Perhaps it's a dust particle I'm not seeing, I'm not sure.

Overall I'm happier with the ScreenGuardz Pure than I've ever been with another screen protector. It's also made me realize I could never use another screen protector again that isn't made from glass. It feels that good to the touch. Will it stay on my iPhone though? For now, I'd say yes. And if you're in the market for a great screen protector that actually provides protection, I'd highly recommend the ScreenGuardz Pure.