There are two groups of people out there when it comes to smartphones – those who use a case for protection and those who do not. I fall into the former group. Of course there also a third group that doesn’t get recognized enough and that’s those who don’t want to use a case but still want a means of personalizing their smartphones beyond the norm. That’s where “covers” come in. Take for instance TOAST, real wood covers designed to spruce up the look of your smartphone without adding the bulk usually associated with cases.
To be clear, TOAST is not a case. It’s a decorative cover made from wood in either walnut, snowy ash, or smoky ebony, but happens to provide some additional protection. Mainly, the cover will protect your phone from scratches and light bumps. In my case, it’s an LG V30. Will TOAST protect from drops? I’m not about to try but if it didn’t, you really wouldn’t be able to tell as the TOAST would hide any cracks on the back glass as well as any dents on the bumper.
For the most part, TOAST is made quite well. Everything looks like it’s precision cut to fit all the minute curves of the LG V30. This isn’t a thick block of wood either. TOAST is very thin and if you’re not careful, it’s possible to crack it if you don’t handle it correctly before putting it on. In order to install TOAST, you’ll need to remove the backing from the wood covering. Again, be careful when removing it.
Installation is pretty straightforward. Start off by lining up the rear and when you’re satisfied with the placement, push down. After that, just slowly start shaping the sides to the edges of your phone while gradually pushing down again so that the adhesive sticks. Do this all the way around and pretty soon you’ll be done.
The overall look of the TOAST is very nice. The wood seems like it’s pretty nice quality despite how thin it is and has a very nice wood feel and smell. Once on, the flimsiness of it all disappears and you no longer need to worry about any of the little pieces breaking off. Not only that, when it’s on, it’s on. I got no feeling that it would ever fall off. The 3M adhesive does its job quite well.
Would I recommend TOAST? It really does give your phone a completely different look while providing some minimal protection. It also seems to be more secure that something like those vinyl sticker covers you see some people use. It adds very minimal bulk and feels pretty much almost like a naked phone. This is a good alternative to those who don’t want to use a case, but want to personalize their phones to make them look different. So with that said, yes I do recommend TOAST.
