Last year I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea. Because of this condition I have to wear a mask at night that is connected by a hose to a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine. Basically, my airways collapse when I am asleep and I stop breathing. The CPAP pushes air in and keeps me breathing. My CPAP machine is incredibly ugly, so I went on the hunt for something to cover it with, to make it fit in with my bedroom a bit more. Enter Wrappz.
I was advised by the lovely owner of Hope 2 Sleep that Wrappz, an online company specialising in skins for games consoles, phone cases etc, made a skin for my model of CPAP machine that I could add any image to that I wanted. After looking for months I was over the moon to hear there was a company in the UK that offered this service and for my machine, which seemed no-one else did.
After playing around with a few different images and eventually being happy with the size and placement, I put in an order. The skin cost £14.99, but with your order you get 3 vouchers for £5 each to use on any further orders.
It took 3 days for my order to arrive and it was really well packed in a large cardboard backed envelope. When I opened the envelope though I noticed that my image had come out slightly blurred. On screen everything looked great and there was no warning that a certain size image had to be used, so I was a bit disappointed. However, it was still better than having an ugly black box sitting on my bedside table.
A few days later I applied the skin, and this is where the trouble really came. I gave my machine a good wash so it was free of any dust and made sure it was completely dry. The skin peeled away from the backing easily enough, but once applied to the machine it didn't stick well at all. Some of the corners won't stick, I've had to tape them down!
The worst part though is that it didn't fit correctly. Some of the areas fit really well, but there are 3 sections that I've had to cut to fit, and 1 section that I honestly can't see where it was meant to go. There is no hole for the hose to be inserted, so I had to cut one out, and it just looks sloppy, as you can see from the pictures. I have fitted it to the best of my ability, and stuck some areas down, but it still doesn't look good. For £14.99 I expect much better than this, and will not be buying from them again, my vouchers will sit here unused, unless I can find someone who wants them.
Have you ever designed a skin or phone case online? What was your experience like? Please let me know in the comments.
