Yes there is a slit. all the skins have to do something like that for it fit properly on the tapered back of the iPad. I actually like the way BSE did the corner over what I have seen from Ghost Armor. I think Phantomskinz corner design also looks good, but that's based on the pic they have on the site and not any real pics.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Best Skins Ever-iPad 2
- Thread starter gigemzach
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yes there is a slit. all the skins have to do something like that for it fit properly on the tapered back of the iPad. I actually like the way BSE did the corner over what I have seen from Ghost Armor. I think Phantomskinz corner design also looks good, but that's based on the pic they have on the site and not any real pics.
Thanks, how do you apply the front cover?
Also, I have on order the WiFi only 64G - which total body cover do I order? The one that says WiFi only/Verizon?
Last edited:
Also, for everyone worried about installation, here is exactly what I did (back installation only):
1. Read the instructions online. Read them again.
2. Turn the iPad 2 off. Set it face-down on top of a large towel.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly with a soft soap. Remove ring/jewelry from hands.
4. Clean the back of your iPad. I used a cleaning cloth (the black Apple one) and wiped the back clean. I also used a little (very little) water to get a couple of slightly dirty spots clean. Make sure you make the Apple logo extra shiny, as it can attract fingerprints.
5. Make the solution. I used baby shampoo and luke-warm water from the sink. I had a 5-oz. squeeze-bottle, so I mixed 5-oz. warm water with 1/4 teaspoon of the baby shampoo. I also got a bowl out and made another mixture, exactly the same, in the bowl, for my hands. Make sure to "mix" these soultions up a little bit, but don't shake the bottle too crazily or you will get too many bubbles at the top.
6. Wash hands one more time.
7. Go to the iPad. Rinse hands in the solution in the bowl, make sure your fingertips all get wet. Don't need to be dripping wet so I lightly patted them on the towel.
8. Peel the skin from the page, being careful not to stretch it out. The corners are all "cut" in a certain way that if you just peel it off quickly, you could stretch them out. Be sure to peel them away from the page before pulling down. Once I had peeled about 1/2 of the skin off, I sprayed near the top quite a bit with the solution in the bottle, letting it drip down and all over the skin as I pulled the rest away. Once the skin was completely off, I sprayed all over the skin until I could see no dry spots at all. Then, I continued to hold it over the towel until it stopped dripping rapidly.
9. Using the bottom as the guide (the middle above the 30-pin port), I lined the skin up and set it on. Don't worry if it isn't perfect, as you can slide it around a bit or even just take it back off and try it again. Once I got it to the right general area, I went around each port and made sure the cut was perfect. At this point, the corners will just be sticking out a bit; you can lightly press on them but don't worry that they don't stick down perfectly. I looked at the headphone jack, the camera, the grill on the back, the 30-pin on the bottom, the volume/lock area--- made sure the skin was PERFECTLY lined up in all of these areas. Also make sure nothing is trapped underneath the skin--- I had a small bit of fuzz under the bottom. I just lifted it up, made sure my hands were still wet with the solution in the bowl, and pulled the hair off. Set it back down and it was fine.
10. Once the skin was just where I wanted it, I used a credit card (with a clean, perfect edge) to squeege the soap and water out of the sides. I tried not to push water out over any particular port, however I was surprised by how little water/soap was actually trapped under there. Spend a good while on this to make sure you get it looking good. There might be slight blemishes or water that doesn't seem to come out--- this will go away later, so don't worry.
11. Once I was done squeege-ing everything out, I gave it the "final check". Make sure your ports are perfectly lined up. There is nothing trapped under the skin (like hair, dust, etc).
12. After that, I pushed the corners down a little bit. They still wouldn't stay down all the way, so I waited about 45 minutes, and did it again. Press them down and hold them in place for a minute or two. I came back a couple hours later and did the same thing, even though by this point they looked perfect. Just make sure they are right in place and lined up.
That's about it!
1. Read the instructions online. Read them again.
2. Turn the iPad 2 off. Set it face-down on top of a large towel.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly with a soft soap. Remove ring/jewelry from hands.
4. Clean the back of your iPad. I used a cleaning cloth (the black Apple one) and wiped the back clean. I also used a little (very little) water to get a couple of slightly dirty spots clean. Make sure you make the Apple logo extra shiny, as it can attract fingerprints.
5. Make the solution. I used baby shampoo and luke-warm water from the sink. I had a 5-oz. squeeze-bottle, so I mixed 5-oz. warm water with 1/4 teaspoon of the baby shampoo. I also got a bowl out and made another mixture, exactly the same, in the bowl, for my hands. Make sure to "mix" these soultions up a little bit, but don't shake the bottle too crazily or you will get too many bubbles at the top.
6. Wash hands one more time.
7. Go to the iPad. Rinse hands in the solution in the bowl, make sure your fingertips all get wet. Don't need to be dripping wet so I lightly patted them on the towel.
8. Peel the skin from the page, being careful not to stretch it out. The corners are all "cut" in a certain way that if you just peel it off quickly, you could stretch them out. Be sure to peel them away from the page before pulling down. Once I had peeled about 1/2 of the skin off, I sprayed near the top quite a bit with the solution in the bottle, letting it drip down and all over the skin as I pulled the rest away. Once the skin was completely off, I sprayed all over the skin until I could see no dry spots at all. Then, I continued to hold it over the towel until it stopped dripping rapidly.
9. Using the bottom as the guide (the middle above the 30-pin port), I lined the skin up and set it on. Don't worry if it isn't perfect, as you can slide it around a bit or even just take it back off and try it again. Once I got it to the right general area, I went around each port and made sure the cut was perfect. At this point, the corners will just be sticking out a bit; you can lightly press on them but don't worry that they don't stick down perfectly. I looked at the headphone jack, the camera, the grill on the back, the 30-pin on the bottom, the volume/lock area--- made sure the skin was PERFECTLY lined up in all of these areas. Also make sure nothing is trapped underneath the skin--- I had a small bit of fuzz under the bottom. I just lifted it up, made sure my hands were still wet with the solution in the bowl, and pulled the hair off. Set it back down and it was fine.
10. Once the skin was just where I wanted it, I used a credit card (with a clean, perfect edge) to squeege the soap and water out of the sides. I tried not to push water out over any particular port, however I was surprised by how little water/soap was actually trapped under there. Spend a good while on this to make sure you get it looking good. There might be slight blemishes or water that doesn't seem to come out--- this will go away later, so don't worry.
11. Once I was done squeege-ing everything out, I gave it the "final check". Make sure your ports are perfectly lined up. There is nothing trapped under the skin (like hair, dust, etc).
12. After that, I pushed the corners down a little bit. They still wouldn't stay down all the way, so I waited about 45 minutes, and did it again. Press them down and hold them in place for a minute or two. I came back a couple hours later and did the same thing, even though by this point they looked perfect. Just make sure they are right in place and lined up.
That's about it!
Can anyone comment on how the BSE skin interacts with the Smart Cover? Does the skin cover the ipad2 under where the Smart Cover attaches, or are there cutouts to allow for the Smart Cover?
If the BSE sits between the SC and the ipad2, and comments on the degree to which the "adhesion" of the Smart Cover is reduced by being kept a tiny bit off the surface of the ipad2?
I apologize if this has been covered, but I didn't see any mention of it.
If the BSE sits between the SC and the ipad2, and comments on the degree to which the "adhesion" of the Smart Cover is reduced by being kept a tiny bit off the surface of the ipad2?
I apologize if this has been covered, but I didn't see any mention of it.
Last edited:
No problem. I'll post some more tonight, once I get home from work and get to test the smart cover with the skin. There is no cut-out on the skin for the smart cover (that I was aware of 
) but BSE claims it is perfectly compatible with the smart cover, so we'll see exactly how it goes.
) but BSE claims it is perfectly compatible with the smart cover, so we'll see exactly how it goes.
@twentytwo22 - what kind of soap did you use for your solution? Was it regular hand soap, or dish soap?
The instructions say use mild soap or baby shampoo - just debating whether I need to make a trip to Walgreens as my kids are past the "baby" stage
EDIT: ignore that - just read your detailed post above. Thanks!
@twentytwo22 - what kind of soap did you use for your solution? Was it regular hand soap, or dish soap?
The instructions say use mild soap or baby shampoo - just debating whether I need to make a trip to Walgreens as my kids are past the "baby" stage
EDIT: ignore that - just read your detailed post above. Thanks!
Hey Alex be careful not to use too much soap! I used BSE on my wife's phone and put too much (or actually the recommended amount) of soap and there were bubbles underneath that didn't dry out for literally 8 weeks. I would use about half of the recommended amount if I did it again. Also I've heard people say they apply BSE without any soap and its just fine.
No problem. I'll post some more tonight, once I get home from work and get to test the smart cover with the skin. There is no cut-out on the skin for the smart cover (that I was aware of
Thanks for pictures and installation tips! Very helpful. I can't wait to get mine!
For those wonder about smart cover compatability I still have the plastic it shipped in on mine and smart cover works just fine through the plastic. I'm about ready to rip it off though as it is driving me nuts! My BSE can't get here soon enough!
They say on their site that it works with the cover. There is nothing cutout to my knowledge. I am putting mine on after work. I don't think it will reduce the hold. I am sure they waited in line on launch day, bought several and went to making them and testing the cover. I still haven't taken the plastic off the iPad that it came wrapped in. I just folder back the flap at the dock port to sync it. I can still use it through the plastic but haven't much yet. I have been able to use my Smart Cover with the plastic it shipped in, so I can't imagine this skin is any different.
BTW, the 10 step instructions above are pretty much spot on. Take your time and don't worry about it.
Not sure. I haven't received mine yet. You need to order the wifi only if you ordered a wifi only iPad.
When pressing out the water with your credit card (or whatever you use), always work away from any openings. I just installed the back cover on my iPad and had no issues.
Just installed the BSE on the rear of my wifes iPad2.
No issues at all. Waited 45 mins to hold the corners down for 45 seconds each, all is well.
This is the first time I installed a skin except for screen protectors on a few phones.
Just watch the youtube video for iPad BSE install.
For those that have installed the screen protector, does it detract from the quality at all? I got it with the kit, but not sure I want to install it.
iPad2. No issues at all. Waited 45 mins to hold the corners down for 45 seconds each, all is well.
This is the first time I installed a skin except for screen protectors on a few phones.
Just watch the youtube video for iPad BSE install.
For those that have installed the screen protector, does it detract from the quality at all? I got it with the kit, but not sure I want to install it.
Back Great, Front Sucks-Not Recommended!
I received my skins today. I had never tried BSE before but based on the feedback here I did. I had no problem with the back, went on easily, no bubbles, very smooth, I was very encouraged. Works very nicely with Smart Cover, no issues there either.
However I must say the front while I had no specific issues or problems putting it on or lining it up correctly, or anything else really other than it took FOREVER, to squeegee all the water and dampness out. And I applied a minimal amount! I used a clean credit card and went over it again and again, every time I thought I was finished I looked at it more closely and found another whole area of dampness. Very frustrating and time consuming. Perhaps some are better at this than others but this is not a process for the faint of heart that's for sure, so if your worried about this application process, YOU SHOULD BE!
I still see whole areas that have this faint ghostly dampness like appearance under the ipad screen.
It just looks really atrocious! No two ways about its cheap looking and really glossy and shiny, kind of an acrylic glossy mess over a what was once a beautiful clear screen.
There is still some dampness underneath that I have been told will dry during the course of the next several hours, though I am not sure about that. Time will tell and I'll give it the time for this supposed curing process before passing final judgment but I can already see that during the process of squeezing the water out from side to side there are now very fine scratches all accross the screen that will certainly not come out.
They are very distracting and quite unexpected from what I my understanding was about these skins. I thought for sure they would be more scratch resistant than this!
I have always used a skin on the front of my ipad and I think I've used bothe the SGP and the Power Support. I can not remember which one had the great matte screen, maybe Power Support, but that one lasted me a very long time with so much as a scratch. It did finally succumb to the wear and tear of daily uses and exhibited some distracting scratches right about the time I got the new one, so I decided to try the Best Skins.
I think BSE is probably better at protecting everything but the screen, it just doesn't look like an ipad screen anymore, it looks like a screen with a sheet of cheap plastic over it, not for me.
I received my skins today. I had never tried BSE before but based on the feedback here I did. I had no problem with the back, went on easily, no bubbles, very smooth, I was very encouraged. Works very nicely with Smart Cover, no issues there either.
However I must say the front while I had no specific issues or problems putting it on or lining it up correctly, or anything else really other than it took FOREVER, to squeegee all the water and dampness out. And I applied a minimal amount! I used a clean credit card and went over it again and again, every time I thought I was finished I looked at it more closely and found another whole area of dampness. Very frustrating and time consuming. Perhaps some are better at this than others but this is not a process for the faint of heart that's for sure, so if your worried about this application process, YOU SHOULD BE!
I still see whole areas that have this faint ghostly dampness like appearance under the ipad screen.
It just looks really atrocious! No two ways about its cheap looking and really glossy and shiny, kind of an acrylic glossy mess over a what was once a beautiful clear screen.
There is still some dampness underneath that I have been told will dry during the course of the next several hours, though I am not sure about that. Time will tell and I'll give it the time for this supposed curing process before passing final judgment but I can already see that during the process of squeezing the water out from side to side there are now very fine scratches all accross the screen that will certainly not come out.
They are very distracting and quite unexpected from what I my understanding was about these skins. I thought for sure they would be more scratch resistant than this!
I have always used a skin on the front of my ipad and I think I've used bothe the SGP and the Power Support. I can not remember which one had the great matte screen, maybe Power Support, but that one lasted me a very long time with so much as a scratch. It did finally succumb to the wear and tear of daily uses and exhibited some distracting scratches right about the time I got the new one, so I decided to try the Best Skins.
I think BSE is probably better at protecting everything but the screen, it just doesn't look like an ipad screen anymore, it looks like a screen with a sheet of cheap plastic over it, not for me.
If you haven't removed it yet, give it a day or two to set up. It will get better!
With that style screen protector, you MUST give it at least 24 hrs, better yet 48 to 72 hrs before you evaluate it. Remaining water under the skin and in the adhesive will evaporate through the surface and it WILL look a lot better.
The shiny orange peel part though, that stays around, and that's why I don't do that kind of screen protector anymore.
I go with the removeable/washable dry-apply style that basically uses a silicone/static cling to stick down. Boxwave, SGP, others make this style.
perhaps the dampness under the screen will dissipate in that amount of time, but I'll tell you what won't,
the scratches on the front of the screen, not superficial, two are deep enough to create that out of focus look of a scratch on a screen.
This is not the kind screen protection I thought I was getting. I can't live with these scratches! I'm going to send it back and get a refund, I don't believe these are as good as the others I have used. Never hado scratched fine or otherwise within 10 minutes of installation!
I also don't think this compares in clarity quite frankly, your getting what you paid for, a cheap substitute.
the scratches on the front of the screen, not superficial, two are deep enough to create that out of focus look of a scratch on a screen.
This is not the kind screen protection I thought I was getting. I can't live with these scratches! I'm going to send it back and get a refund, I don't believe these are as good as the others I have used. Never hado scratched fine or otherwise within 10 minutes of installation!
I also don't think this compares in clarity quite frankly, your getting what you paid for, a cheap substitute.