The toughest glass screen protector we’ve used to date is the FloLab NanoArmor. It performed the best in our impact tests beating out other screen protectors that included ones from Belkin and Zagg and the other dozen screen protectors we used in trying to figure out what the toughest screen protectors for the iPhone 11 are.
The FloLab NanoArmor has a variety of different fits and we’ve tested them with the majority of cases we have. If you need more info and other alternatives, keep reading!
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Our current top 3 toughest screen protector
1. FloLab NanoArmour
2. Belkin InvisiGlass Ultra
3. BodyGuardz Pure 2 Edge
EVery screen protector we've tested
Product Name
FloLab NanoArmour
Belkin InvisiGlass Ultra (Apple Store)
Zagg Invisible Shield 360
BodyGuardz Pure 2 Edge
Spigen Thin Fit 360 Screen Protector
Airo Collective
Zagg Glass Defender
Rhinoshield 9H Tempered Glass
JETech
Spigen EZ Fit
Pitaka Tempered Glass
ESR
Brown Box Special
200g Impact Test (cm)
107
103
93
84
83
82
82
70
62
62
58
33
7
At Mobile Reviews Eh!, we do tests and use the products in our everyday lives for days even weeks before doing an actual review. For screen protectors, we drop a 200g steel ball on them until they break.
Our reviews are not sponsored so if you like how we do our reviews, please consider buying the products on the links scattered on this article.
For this Toughest Glass Screen Protector for the iPhone 11. we’re going to focus specifically on impact. We chose to focus on impact because the scratch-resistant coating on every screen protector will fade over time. The strength of the glass will not.
If you don’t believe us, the image above is a side by side comparison of a screen protector with half of the screen completely buffed. We buffed the screen protector for about 20 mins for this test. The difference between the water drop looks on the buffed vs unbuffed side is the coating. This coating is what provides the 9H hardness for the screen protector.
SEE ALSO: The BEST Glass Screen Protector for the iPhone XR/XS (BUYERS GUIDE) & The ULTIMATE guide to Liquid Screen Protectors
Our Testing Procedure
Here’s how we test each screen protector. We drop a 200g steel ball (nicknamed “Bertha”) from a height-adjustable platform via an electromagnet. We’ve built the apparatus this way to ensure we get a straight drop almost every time. This platform is attached to the back of the testing unit via magnets. At the bottom of the testing unit is a piece of Quartz. Each screen protector gets sandwich between a rock and a hard place!
The testing procedure for every screen protector was:
- Wipe the stone clean with whatever pad and cloth provided
- Stick the screen protector to the stone
- Drop the ball. If it’s an unknown brand like the brown box or whatever budget brand we’re using, we’ll start at the bottom. If it’s a brand that we know, we’ll start around 80 cm’s
- After each drop, we move the screen protector and drop bertha on a fresh spot. Once it breaks, we try to find another unbroken spot and try to repeat the test.
We do this as many times as we can with one screen protector and if we have more than one, we’ll break that as well to see if the results are consistent. That’s how we’ve figured out what the toughest screen protectors for the iPhone 11 are.
Different types of screen protectors
From our observations, there are four distinct groupings. First, you have the “garbage” screen protectors. Then you have the normal tempered screen protectors, followed by the high quality tempered/double tempered or Alumino Silicate glass and then you have, what we’ve dubbed “WTF screen protectors” because of their extreme toughness.
“Garbage” Screen Protectors
Brown Box Specials
At the bottom of the list is the screen protector that we paid one USD dollar. It broke at 6cm’s which means it’s not even tempered glass. It’s just glass. Which makes sense given that the packaging on the box wasn’t even printed. It was just a box.
Now since making this video, we’ve bought an additional four boxes and the quality of the screen protectors are wildly different. One set was just as strong as an average tempered glass screen protectors while others were below average. You’re honestly rolling the dice when it comes to the quality of product that you’re going to get. Will they be the toughest screen protectors for the iPhone 11? Most likely not BUT when one breaks, you’ll be glad to know it only cost a dollar?
Normal Tempered Glass
Next up was the product from ESR breaking at 33 cm followed by JETech at 62cm. Between these two budget brands, JETech was better from an impact protection perspective which means it uses better glass and/or has a better tempering process.
Within this tempered glass grouping, Rhinoshield 9H Tempered Glass had the best glass. Pitaka included only an average tempered glass screen protector with their product which sucks. And Spigen’s latest screen protectors with the Spigen EZ fit applicator tray broke at the same level as the JETech product. That’s the new Spigen product.
High Quality Tempered Glass/Alumino-Silicate Glass
Onto the higher quality products. In general, products in this category are made from Alumino Silicate which means they are double tempered. Most of these products broke between 81-93cm. On average, these products cost around $30 dollars. Included in this group was the Zagg Alumino Silicate, BodgyGuardz Pure 2 Edge, Airo Collective and a bunch of OLD FloLab screen protectors we got from last year. We have to point out that we tested several panes of Spigen Thin Fit 360 Glass and they performed much better than the new Spigen EZ Fit.
“WTF” Screen Protectors/Toughest Glass Screen Protectors
In the group of the WTF screen protectors included the Belkin InvisiGlass Ultra from the Apple Store which is made from Corning 2 glass. Belkin InvisiGlass Ultra broke at 103 cm’s which was crazy to do. As a side test, we decided to do the same drop test to our last Cinder screen protector which is one of the very few screen protectors that claims to have used Corning glass and it broke at 100cm.
The next screen protector we decided to test was another FloLab screen protector. FloLab had sent us a set of new screen protectors to use and said they were a little better. These new screen protectors broke at 107 cm’s.
We shared with them the result and FloLab just casually said “O yea, we tweaked the manufacturing process a bit to make our products better.” And that’s awesome. Not only are Flolab making above average glass, but they’re also actively making it better which, from an entrepreneurial standpoint, is awesome. Most companies will simply rehash a product without improving it.
NOTE: Despite being able to figure out what the toughest glass is, it’s still glass. The ball test against a solid piece of stone was the only way we could consistently test the strength of the glass.
We do have to point out that any screen protector will still chip on a bad drop. Hybrid glass screen protectors will chip. Full plastic screen protectors will deform. The edges of a tempered glass screen protector are especially susceptible to chipping so keep that in mind. Remember, screen protectors are a consumable!
Which size of screen protector should I get?
When it comes to choosing the right FloLab screen protector, FloLab has three. There’s a 2.5 D screen protector which covers the viewable area, a 3D case friendly version and a normal 3D screen protector.
First of all, the 2.5D screen protector is going to fit with any case.
With the other two screen protectors the 3D case friendly is slightly smaller than the 3D by about 0.5mm and but the top of the device is completely exposed. Those are the biggest physical differences. From our perspective, we would go with the full 3D as it will offer the most protection.
But that also depends on the case that you have so we went and tested both screen protectors with our Top 5 cases for the iPhone 11 which are the Mous Limitless 3.0 or Clarity, the updated MOD and SolidSuit NX’s, the Catalyst Impact, Loopy case and Pitaka MagCase Pro.
The 3D CF screen protector worked with every one of the cases. The full 3D screen protector definitely didn’t work with the Pitaka MagCase Pro, the Catalyst Impact Protection was a bit sketchy but it was fine after I reinstalled the screen protector with the case on and we had no issues with the Mous, Rhinoshield or Loopy cases.
So that’s what we think are the The Toughest Screen Protectors for the iPhone 11! Have any questions? Leave them below! Definitely SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel to stay on top of all the new things we review!
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