8 best screen protectors to prevent scratches and keep your phone looking brand new

The InvisibleShield range of screen protectors is the best we’ve tested, and has options covering the top-selling iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. The super-thin D3O tempered glass material offers a degree of extra protection against impact damage, as well as providing the usual protection against nicks and scratches, while the hydrophilic coating feels smooth underneath your fingertip.

Application is easy with the included kit, and the iPhone version is shaped to neatly cover the notched display while leaving the front-facing speaker clear.

Certain screen protectors can interfere with the normal function of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6a’s under-display fingerprint sensor, but Otterbox protectors are certified by Google for use with its phones.

Available for every Pixel model from the Pixel 3a through to the Pixel 6 pro (including XL sizes, but not the newest Pixel 6a), the superthin, anti-scratch and anti-smudge layer is straightforward to install and comes with everything you need.

Belkin is a well-respected name in peripherals and tech accessories, and its range of screen protectors lives up to the brand’s reputation. This twin-pack of Japanese tempered glass covers is professionally packaged, virtually scratch-proof and designed to offer a degree of extra protection against drops and impacts.

Belkin screen protectors come with their own reusable alignment tool, which is custom-made to fit your phone and ensures a neat and bubble-free application.

Although we didn’t have to use it, the lifetime warranty covers cracks and damage to the screen protector, offering peace of mind in this perilous world of sharp table edges, jangling coins and pointy car keys.

Worried about your fellow commuters peeking at your screen? Zagg’s privacy 360 screen protector can keep your WhatsApp messages, your bank balance, your Instagram DMs and Bejeweled high scores away from prying eyes.

A privacy filter prevents light from leaving the screen beyond a certain angle, so that when your phone is viewed from anywhere other than straight-on, the display appears to be blacked out. Privacy screen protectors reduce the quality of the display, so they’re really only worth considering if you regularly view things in public that you wouldn’t want anyone else to see.

We like that all Zagg screen protectors (including the basic D3O version above) come with everything you need to achieve a neat and dust-free installation – including a microfibre cloth, a disinfecting wipe and plastic alignment tray.

Apple’s smartwatch is made of tough stuff but it’s not invincible. This Apple watch screen protector from industry-leader PanzerGlass is fiddly to apply correctly, owing to the tiny screen size. That said, it’s still the best we’ve tested, encasing your smartwatch behind an extra layer of toughened and scratch-resistant glass.

The screen protector comes with a wetwipe and microfibre cloth to help ensure no dust or fibres get trapped between the screen and the protective layer. It’s also anti-microbial, which is great news if you hate microbes.

PanzerGlass is the leading name in screen protection, offering tempered glass to fit a wide range of devices, including smartwatches, laptops, e-bike displays and some of the more obscure phones on the market. The company often collaborates with designers and artists to produce limited-edition phone cases, and recently teamed up with Swarovski to make the fashion edition of its popular camslider screen protector.

A single crystal adorns the top of this otherwise ordinary screen protector, which can be slid left and right to obscure the front-facing camera, adding a bit of unexpected sparkle to your dull little device. It’s perfect for those of us who are paranoid about phone hackers but also enjoy shiny things.

If you’re particularly accident prone, this pack of three tempered glass screen protectors from Amazon’s own-brand, Eono, presents unbeatable value at £9.99. Inside the box you’ll find a reusable mounting tool for aligning the screen protector with your chosen model of iPhone, ensuring you don’t end up with any wonky lines or tiny overhangs that can get snagged on clothing. Unfortunately for non-Apple users, Eono doesn’t make screen protectors for Android phones.

The stated scratch resistance is an impressive 9H — the scale only goes up to 10, the hardness of diamond. In the absence of a pocketful of loose diamonds, we found the screen protector tough enough to deal with coins and keys.

Eono screen protectors even come with extras you wouldn’t expect at this price: dust removal stickers, an aligner, a microfibre cloth and a tiny squeegee for working out those air bubbles.

Paperlike is a screen protector designed to make using the Apple Pencil feel more like writing on a physical notebook. Made with artists in mind, Paperlike has a matte finish and a slightly rough, papery feel to it, offering more friction to the tip of the stylus as you drag it along the display. Pen strokes feel less slippery and more precise than on glass, and even sound like they’re being made on paper.

Because it’s engineered primarily to make drawing on the iPad more enjoyable, Paperlike doesn’t perform as well as other iPad screen protectors when it comes to general scratch prevention, and the papery matte effect also slightly alters how colours appear on the screen. But for professional illustrators who prefer the feel of pulped tree under their pens, Paperlike is an essential iPad enhancement.

Defend your console against toddler tantrums and rogue house keys with this ultra-thin screen protector. The Nintendo Switch OLED collects scratches as a hobby, so a screen protector is an essential purchase if you plan on ever taking it out of the house, or even looking at it too hard.

Large screen protectors like these are especially prone to catching air bubbles, but we found that, with some patience and a steady hand, the PanzerGlass went on more easily than most. There’s no alignment tool, but the screen protector fits neatly into the frame of the Switch, and is thin enough that it doesn’t interfere with touch controls or change the look or glossiness of the display.