Phone Screen Protector Types, Explained
Phone screen protectors come in plastic film (PET or TPU) and tempered glass; 9H is a pencil-scratch grade, and a privacy layer narrows the viewing angle.
By Andrian ChengContributing writer.
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The short answer
A screen protector is a thin sheet you stick over your phone's display so that scratches and small impacts land on it instead of the screen. There are two main families:
- Plastic film: PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).
- Tempered glass: a laminated glass sheet that looks and feels close to the phone's own screen.
On top of either, you can add extras: a matte (anti-glare) finish, a privacy layer, or an oil-repelling coating.
Tempered glass vs plastic screen protector
| Plastic film (PET, TPU) | Tempered glass | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical thickness | About 0.1 mm | About 0.3 to 0.5 mm |
| Feel | Thinner, flexible | Close to the phone's screen |
| Scratches | Scratches more easily | Resists scratches better at the same price |
| Impact | Bends and spreads the load | Can crack or shatter under a hard hit, sparing the screen |
| Price | Usually lower | Usually higher |
Thickness figures are typical values cited in the Wikipedia article on screen protectors. The same article notes that a well-made plastic protector can beat the cheapest glass ones, so price and maker matter more than the material name alone.
What does 9H mean on a screen protector?
9H is a grade from the pencil hardness test. In this method, standardized by ASTM as D3363 for coatings, the hardness of a surface is expressed as the grade of pencil lead it can withstand. Pencil grades run from soft (B grades) to hard (H grades), and the usual grading chart runs from 9B to 9H.
So "9H" on a package means the surface held up against the hardest lead on that scale. Keep in mind:
- It describes resistance to a pencil lead, not to keys, sand or a drop on concrete.
- ASTM itself notes that leads from different makers or batches can vary, and that the test is best for ranking coatings that differ a lot, not for comparing close ones.
- When several protectors all print 9H, the grade does not tell them apart.
Is a privacy screen protector worth it?
A privacy protector adds a layer that limits the viewing angle. Most use a micro-louver film: very thin strips, like tiny window blinds, that let light out only toward the person straight in front of the screen. Cheaper versions simply darken the glass, which blocks less from the side.
Points to weigh, as Android Authority sets them out:
- Viewing angle: usually 60 or 90 degrees. The narrower the angle, the more the screen dims for you too.
- Two-way or four-way: two-way hides the screen from the sides in portrait only, so you can turn the phone to share. Four-way works in both orientations.
- Fingerprint sensors: on some phones, the in-display fingerprint reader may not work through a privacy layer.
It is worth it if you often read sensitive things in public, such as on a train or in an open office. If you mostly share your screen with people next to you, or use the phone outside in bright sun, a clear protector is easier to live with.
Screen protectors on Wiki Shopping
Of the 47 phone screen protectors listed on Wiki Shopping on October 26, 2026, 37 state a pack size: 25 three-packs and 12 two-packs. Browse them under cell phones and accessories.
How we count
Pack sizes are read from each store listing; listings without one are left out. The counts change as listings are added or removed.