Glass vs. Plastic Screen Protector: Pros and Cons

We’ve all scratched our smartphone screen at least once. It’s easy to do! Simply putting the phone in your pocket can scratch it, especially if there’s grit or sand in there. Manufacturers have developed some pretty strong glass – Gorilla glass is in common use these days – yet it’s still possible to scratch your screen.

That’s why a screen protector is a must. You can choose from two different materials when it comes to screen protectors – glass or plastic – but which is best and what’s the difference? That’s what we’re talking about below, so let’s not hang around!

What is the Difference Between Glass vs. Plastic Screen Protectors?

Each of the different types has its benefits and its pitfalls, so we’ve done our best to split the difference between glass vs. plastic screen protector options into five different sections. They are as follows:

Cost: Plastic is Generally Cheaper

The first difference between the two is that of price.

The plastic screen protector will be the cheaper of the two. However, it’s worth noting that there will be price differences, according to the quality of materials used, with both options. For example, the glass screen protector can be bought with an oleophobic coating, which helps reduce fingerprints on the screen protector, and is a popular option. However, we will say that the price difference between glass and plastic screen protectors is not great – we’re talking a few dollars – which goes in the favor of the glass option.

Durability: Glass Lasts Longer

There is a major difference in the length of life you will get from a glass protector as opposed to a plastic one. Bear in mind that the former uses tempered glass, and will be around 0.3 to 0.5mm in thickness. The best plastic screen protector will be around 0.1mm thick. It is also quite easy to scratch the plastic ones with a fingernail or object your pocket, as you may have discovered! If you want a screen protector that lasts the distance, glass is the way to go.

Usability: Glass Feels More Natural

By this, we mean the feel of the screen – with the protector – when you run your finger over it. It will always feel different, both with plastic and glass screen protectors, but it follows that a glass version will naturally feel more similar to the actual screen than a plastic one. Put simply, your finger will run more smoothly over a glass screen protector, which is why they are somewhat more popular. With a plastic screen protector, you will feel the difference more, and this does irritate some users.

Looks: Plastic is Thinner

This is one area in which the plastic screen protector gets a lot of fans. Because it is much thinner than the glass ones, it makes very little difference in how the phone looks. Depending on the model, the best glass screen protectors are actually quite visible. Furthermore, with some phones – and this applies to many iPhone and other models – a 0.5mm thick screen protector will make the buttons on your screen difficult to press lowering the response time. It’s not a big difference, but for some people, it is an irritation.

Application: Glass is Easier

The final main difference between a glass vs. plastic screen protector is this: when you buy your protector, you then have to put it on your screen. The thinner plastic screen protectors are more difficult to apply than a tempered glass screen protector. Some users may have difficulty removing all the air bubbles and this might be enough of a reason to choose a glass protector. The glass versions come with two different types of application. Some have full-screen adhesive and others are applied at the bezel and are always easier to fit. 

Conclusion

There may be other factors that influence your decision, but from the above, it is clear that in general, a glass screen protector is going to be the best choice. They are easier to put on the phone, nicer to use and offer greater protection. 

Our advice is to go the glass screen protector route, and at SaharaCase we have a wide range of glass screen protectors to fit most phones.

For all the information you need to know about screen protectors check out our phone screen protectors for quality examples at affordable prices.