If you don’t pair your fancy flagship smartphone with a screen protector, you’re basically asking for trouble.
Even if you’re not the kind of person who regularly drops their phone, it’s absolutely worth the small investment it takes to protect the glass display on your device with the appropriate level of protection.
Here are our picks for the best iPhone and Android smartphone screen protectors:
JETech Screen Protector.
If you’re after a fast and easy screen protector through Amazon, it’s hard to go past JETech’s Screen Protector range. They lack the science-based advantages found in some of the other options but, for less than $10, they’re a shortcut to the extra protection you need on short notice.
You can buy the JETech Screen Protector through Amazon here.
EFM D30 Impact Film
Where lesser screen protectors settle for a single layer of additional protection, EFM’s Screen Armor Impact FIlm uses three. According to the company, the sum total of this approach works out to provide six times more shatter resistance than an unprotected screen would. What’s more, it manages this feat without infringing on visibility or functionality.
You can buy the EFM D30 Impact Film through EFM directly here.
Otterbox Amplify
If glare is proving a particularly prominent pain point for you, Otterbox’s Amplify anti-glare screen protector might be your jam. Co-engineered with Corning, the makers of the Gorilla Glass you’ll find on most modern flagship smartphones, Otterbox’s screen protector promises to provide comprehensive scratch protection that wraps around the edges of your screen.
A big part of Otterbox’s sell here comes down to the net positive on battery life that the Amplify screen protector can enable.
They say that, since your phone will better endure glare, you’ll probably set the brightness lower by default and end up with better battery performance over the long run. This argument is a bit convoluted by design but it’s still a somewhat novel way to package and provide a little bit of extra oomph in a category where homogeneity tends to rule the roost.
You can buy the Otterbox Amplify screen protector through Otterbox here.
Glass vs plastic screen protectors
Ultimately, the divide between glass and plastic screen protectors come down to whether or not you want to prioritise form over function.
Plastic screen protectors provide less protection, especially against drops. However, they’re easily replaceable and they don’t add too much depth the screen on your device. On the other hand, glass screen protectors do provide more protection against severe drops but you’re more likely to notice the imposition they make on your device’s ultra-slim form-factor - especially if you’re using something slim like a Galaxy Note 10.