Tech Bytes Review: Toast. The wrap, not the food.

So, anyone who knows me or follows me on twitter knows that I hate phone wraps with every fiber of my being.

They look like crap, and barely fit correctly. They collect dust, and start peeling. Sharp edges that scratch your hands and ears.

Well, I heard of this vendor called "Toast" and they made "wraps". I was still holding out hope that one day I could find a wood pattern wrap that looked like real wood and didn't make my phone look like crap. This company is based in the U.S.. They have a strong presence in social media, and a phone number that you can actually call and actually get someone on the phone!

I had heard of Dbrand and was considering trying them after a TERRIBLE review of Slickwraps (who has been all the rage lately).

I had some interaction with Toast on Twitter, and they kept making claims about butterfingers policies (which is some type of "I screwed this up because im a tard" replacement thing) and I thought it was pretty cool. I saw a couple of reviews and noticed that the very troublesome rear top corners of the 6P (above the visor) was a trouble area for almost everyone.

At first glance, I liked the way the Wraps looked. They looked like real wood, although I was not convinced. I was sure there was some fine print in there somewhere.

I mulled it over for a couple days. I will admit. I was hesitant to drop the $50 on a wrap. After all, I have had NO luck getting a wrap before now. And the thought of wasting $50 on something as dumb as a wrap was bothering me.

I decided I owed it to you (my readers), myself, and Toast (as a still fairly new company) to give it a shot. I figured worst case scenario, I hate it, its crap, they will probably sort me out with a return or something.

I bought the Walnut Back with an Ebony inlay for the visor. I opted to spend the extra $10 for the front panel, and another extra $5 for a custom engraving.

I ordered last Thursday and received my wrap this morning. The packaging was very nice, and I was greeted by a packing slip with a big stamp on it.

"TOAST QUALITY CONTROL"

Very nice touch I thought. When I opened the wrap, I was pleasantly surprised by the aroma. It WAS ACTUALLY real wood. I stopped for a moment to look carefully at the template. I still don't know how they get real wood that thin, but I genuinely thought I would get something...else. Not sure what.

Installation was a BREEZE. Took me 5 minutes to install.

BE CAREFUL THOUGH! This stuff is backed with 3M adhesive. Be very careful before you set it down on the phone, because it is STICKY. As long as you use your noise cancelling mic and fingerprint reader as a guide, you will be ok.

Once installed, I could not believe how nice it looked. Every laser cut around the edges serve a purpose. They make it perfectly hug the phone. So my phone has the wood finish, and the curves. Not to mention a fantastic smell. (this may be personal preference) It reminds me of my Dads old Wood Shop.

Here are some pics of the wrap once it is installed.

Beautiful right?

Well, here is the thing.

Yes...They are expensive, but no more so than a god awful ugly Otterbox. I still don't know how its going to hold up with time, moisture, grease, oil from my skin, etc.

Do I personally think it's worth $50? I think if you want wood, and you have the $50 to spend, buy this wrap. DO NOT WASTE A PENNY on a $20 vinyl wrap. Instead, save your money, and get this.

So this is probably not a surprise to you...