If cracking your phone screen ranks near the top of your list when it comes to tech disasters, you’re not alone. It is one of the reasons there are so many different types of screen protectors available. I consider myself very kind to my gadgets — I take good care of them and don’t needlessly throw them around or put them somewhere they’ll get banged up. But even I drop my phone a couple of times a week. Every time I do, I worry I’ll pick it up and find my screen cracked or scratched. Thankfully, between my phone case and screen protector, I haven’t had that happen in more than a decade.
According to tech repair experts I spoke with, if you pick the right screen protector and install it correctly it will provide extra protection for pricey gadgets. Below, these experts explain how screen protectors work and how to select the right one for your needs, plus they share their personal recommendations for anyone looking for the best screen protector for a new device.
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The best screen protectors of 2026
The recommendations below come directly from our experts or NBC Selected staff, and are largely products with thousands of positive customer reviews online.
Best overall
Experts I spoke with recommend Spigen as a great brand for most people. Arthur Zilberman, president of laptop repair company Laptop MD, says this model is case-friendly, affordable and durable. It’s also easy to install — it comes with an alignment tray that you place on top of your phone screen and press down on to secure the protector in place. You get two screen protectors with each purchase, in case you ever need to replace the first one. This screen protector is available for iPhone (linked above), Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices.
Runner-up
Mac Frederick, the owner of Phone Repair Philly, says Zagg screen protectors are a great value for the quality you get. The XTR4 version is the brand’s strongest model, made with tempered glass that’s reinforced with graphene, making it much stronger, according to the brand.
It comes with an installation tray that helps align your phone and avoid air bubbles as you apply it. This screen protector is available for iPhone (linked above) and Samsung Galaxy devices, among others.
Best budget
For affordable durability, Frederick recommends Supershieldz tempered glass screen protectors. This set comes with three tempered glass screen protectors, each with rounded edges and a fingerprint-resistant coating, according to the brand. Supershieldz’s tempered glass screen protectors are available for devices from Apple, Samsung, Google and LG.
Best for camera lenses and tablets
Zilberman recommends Ailun as another budget screen protector brand. Similar to Supershieldz, this three-pack of screen protectors has a fingerprint-resistant coating, but it also comes with an installation frame in the box that shoppers say make applying the protectors easier. The pack of screen protectors also comes with several camera lens protectors so you can prevent scratches there too. Ailun screen protectors are available for iPhone (linked above), Samsung devices and iPads.
Best privacy screen protector
This screen protector makes it harder for onlookers to see what is on your iPhone screen — it looks totally dark if you look at it from the sides. As with any privacy protector, it makes your screen’s colors and brightness appear a bit faded compared to using a regular screen protector. Shoppers say they’ve dropped their phones on hardwood, tile and concrete without the screen cracking.
Staff pick
NBC Selected reporters Ashley Morris and Zoe Malin both use this screen protector. Morris has been using Otterbox’s Premium Blue Light protectors for years and finds them very durable and easy to install. As someone who drops their phone a lot (as in multiple times a day), her protectors tend to get a bit banged up over time, so she also loves that Otterbox’s warranty program lets her replace the protector for free (excluding shipping).
Are screen protectors still worth it ?
If you tend to drop your phone or simply want peace of mind when it comes to protecting expensive products, a screen protector may be a smart investment. Plus, scratching or damaging your screen is easier than you may think. If you carry your phone in your purse, backpack or pocket with change, keys or other items, the screen can easily get scratches from rubbing against those hard surfaces. This can weaken the integrity of the original display and cause cracks more easily, says Zilberman.
Screen protectors are a good way to minimize cracks, scratches and shattering of your physical screen, according to the experts I spoke with. While they vary in price, most aren’t terribly expensive: Plastic ones typically cost less than $15, while glass screen protectors range from around $10 to upwards of $50.
There are limitations to what a screen protector can do, though: “It isn’t going to cover every square millimeter of the glass display,” says Frederick. The protector also usually won’t protect the back, edges and corners of your phone — the experts I spoke to suggest pairing a screen protector with a heavy-duty case from brands like Casetify or Otterbox, preferably one with rubber edges that’ll absorb the impact of a drop and prevent damage.
How I picked the best screen protectors
Combining expert advice with my experience covering tech, I kept the following in mind when choosing the picks above:
- Material: Though screen protectors can be made from a variety of materials, I focused mostly on options made from tempered glass, which experts shared has excellent scratch and fall resistance.
- Size availability: A screen protector is only useful if it fits over the entirety of your phone screen. Every screen protector recommended is available in various sizes specific to individual phone models.
- Price: Screen protectors can cost an array of prices. To keep all budgets in mind, I selected products across a range of prices, from less than $10 to $60.
How to shop for a screen protector
When shopping for a screen protector, focus on material, comfort and ease of installation. Here’s a bit more info to keep in mind:
Material: Screen protectors come in a variety of materials. There are plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), as well as tempered glass (with some even made from chemically strengthened, shatterproof glass). The experts I spoke with agree that a quality tempered glass protector will be more effective at protecting your display than plastic ones. This is because tempered glass is a stronger material that can absorb the impact if your phone falls — NBC Selected reporter Mili Godio has had her tempered glass case for more than a year and dropped her phone countless times without a scratch.
Comfort and feel: We touch our phone screens to use them, so the feel and responsiveness of a screen protector is important. Screen protectors can sometimes change a phone’s touchscreen sensitivity — certain smartphone models ask you to input whether or not you’re using a screen protector on the device to better calibrate sensitivity, says Zilberman. Tempered glass is designed to have a smoother feel than other screen protectors and won’t affect touchscreen sensitivity much, according to experts.
Display: Tempered glass mimics the original display of your device and offers good clarity, whereas plastic screen protectors can create an unsightly glare and affect screen quality by adding a “murkier and grayer hue to your screen,” says Zilberman. Both plastic and tempered glass protectors can have privacy and anti-glare filters to fit your preferences. However, tempered glass protectors are more physically noticeable on your screen since they’re thicker — a plastic protector blends in remarkably well with the original display, according to our experts.
Ease of installation: Installing a screen protector can be difficult, especially when there’s a chance of misaligning the protector or having annoying air bubbles and specks of dust lodged underneath the film. Many screen protectors include a plastic installation tray that can go directly over your phone screen to align the protector or one that holds your phone while you guide the screen shield on. Alternatively, some protectors come with “guide stickers” showing where the screen protector will lie on your screen.
Compatibility: According to Frederick, there isn’t much variation in how well a screen protector works from one smartphone brand to another. However, screen protectors come in different shapes and sizes depending on your phone, so it’s always good to check compatibility before purchasing.
Meet our tech repair experts
At NBC Selected, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Arthur Zilberman is the president of tech repair company Laptop MD, and has been in the laptop repair business for more than 20 years.
- Mac Frederick is the owner of Phone Repair Philly, located in Philadelphia, PA.
Why trust NBC Selected?
Harry Rabinowitz is a former reporter at NBC Selected who covered technology and fitness. For this piece, Rabinowitz spoke with electronic repair experts to learn more about screen protectors and what to keep in mind when shopping for one. Bethany Heitman-Samuda is a commerce reporter for NBC Selected; she contributed to and updated this story.
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