There are plenty of screen protectors out there to choose from. You’ll want to make sure that the claims being made about them are backed by testing, and not just some flashy marketing gimmicks.

1. Material

PET: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a clear, durable and versatile plastic. It's a thin and touch sensitive material that provides scratch-resistance and basic protection. You can also choose PET screen protectors that provide edge coverage.

Standard Tempered Glass: Tempered glass is strengthened to be stronger than regular glass. It provides multi-level protection, minimizing damage from daily wear and tear, as well as occasional drops and impacts, without causing deep-level damage.

Chemically Strengthened Glass: There are different types of glass within this group that can go through single and double ion exchange strengthening to provide an extra layer of protection that standard tempered glass does not.

2. Durability and Hardness

Look for screen protectors with the highest hardness rating (9H is ideal) to ensure maximum scratch resistance. And be sure to pay close attention to the data behind a screen protector’s strength claims. We always compare the strength of our screen protectors against tempered glass, using rigorous tests and consumer use cases. Be wary of brands that claim to be 10x stronger than others—this doesn’t mean much unless they are comparing themselves to the industry standard of tempered glass. Make sure they aren’t measuring themselves against a lower-quality glass to market themselves this way. InvisiGlass screen protectors are up to 62% stronger than tempered glass* and UltraGlass 2 is up to 2.7x stronger than tempered glass.^†

3. Clarity and Touch Sensitivity

Make sure your screen protector doesn’t reduce the display clarity or affect the touch sensitivity. You’ll want to check the thickness of the screen protector as well—the thinner the screen, the more natural the touch sensitivity will be. High-quality tempered glass protectors usually maintain the original or “native” feel of the screen.

4. Hydrophobic and Oleophobic Coating

Look for a screen protector that is hydrophobic (fear of water) and/or oleophobic (fear of oil). Both will be resistant to liquids, so you won’t have to worry about damage to the screen from sticky fingers or small spills.

5. Installation

If you hate air bubbles and wonky placement as much as we do, you’ll want to keep the difficulty of screen protector installation in mind. Look for easy installation methods that include kits, alignment tools and cleaning wipes.

6. Edge-to-Edge Coverage

Some screen protectors only cover the flat part and viewing area of the screen, while others are designed to cover the edges. Edge-to-edge coverage minimizes the “rainbow effect,” or the streak of rainbow light you get when the screen protector doesn't cover the edge of the LED screen on your phone. Screen protectors like the UltraGlass use 2.5D technology to cover the entire screen, including the contoured edges of the glass.

7. Brand Reputation

Opt for reputable brands that offer comprehensive warranties with customer-centric missions. Reading reviews can also give insight into the quality and performance of the screen protector.

8. Sustainability

According to the EPA, less than 1/3 of glass is recycled in the U.S., and we're trying to change that. Search for brands that make products sustainably and leave a smaller carbon footprint. Many brands incorporate sustainability through plastic-free or recycled packaging. It's still a huge challenge to incorporate sustainability into a glass screen protector, but we’ve decided to make this a reality with InvisiGlass, our new eco-friendly screen protector made of up to 60% recycled glass* and 100% recycled packaging.**

Learn more here.

As with any of the best iPhones, we recommend equipping the iPhone 16 Pro with a high-quality screen protector to help ensure the expensive device's longevity. 

With the iPhone 16 series, Apple introduced a second generation of its Ceramic Shield glass displays that the company touted as "50% tougher" than its first generation. Despite the first generation's improved durability and scratch resistance relative to previous iPhone screens, the first-gen Ceramic Shield glass was not immune to scratching. As detailed in our iPhone 16 Pro review, we haven't explicitly damage-tested Apple's latest displays; still, it's safe to say that the iPhone 16 Pro's screen is not impervious to scratching and (like any of the best phones) would benefit from a protective film. 

You should also add a dependable case to guard the phone's frame and glass back for the surest possible protection. For top options, see our guide to the best iPhone 16 Pro cases. 

The picks we've included above for the iPhone 16 Pro and in our guide to the best iPhone 16 Pro Max screen protectors are informed by our testing and reflect several key factors worth considering when purchasing a screen protector. 

Each of our selected screen protectors is made of tempered glass, which makes for a more durable and protective film than plastic alternatives. All four models also include an application kit or tool, a crucial aspect to ensure proper installation and prevent misplacement or waste. 

Screen protectors can also provide secondary benefits, such as the Otterbox Premium Pro Glass Privacy Guard model's ability to shield your phone screen from the view of others while maintaining clarity from your perspective.