The best Apple Watch screen protectors can help prevent your prized timepiece from suffering scuffs, grazes and scratches. Given your watch's proximity to your hands, it can take quite a beating if you’re not careful, and that's something you want to avoid when you've paid good money for it.
Thankfully, there are ways to keep it safe. Below, we’ve rounded up the best Apple Watch screen protectors and cases available, all of which have something going for them. Each one is affordable but avoids the pitfalls besetting dirt-cheat protectors – after all, you want something you can trust to keep your expensive Apple Watch secure.
Whether you want the best Apple Watch screen protector for 44mm or 40mm (or older sizes), you’ll find it here. You might also want to pick up one of the best Apple Watch bands. We’ve also got guides to the best Apple Watch Series 6 deals, the best Apple Watch Series 7 prices and Apple Watch SE deals to help you save you money on the watch itself, plus a roundup of the best Apple Watch apps to load onto your device.
The best Apple Watch screen protectors in 2022
If you often accidentally bump your Apple Watch on surfaces, you could scratch its edges. Spigen Rugged Armor is one of your best bets for preventing that. It doesn't cover the screen, but its raised edges help keep your screen away from danger, while its beefy sides are made from a flexible, shock-absorbing material that can take more than a few knocks and still come out on top. And for such a high level of defence, it still manages to look unobtrusive and attractive. It has options for every Watch right back to the Series 1, which makes it great for older sizes like 38mm and 42mm.
The best thing about Apple Watch screen protectors is how easily they blend into your device’s form – unlike a hulking case, you’ll hardly notice them, yet you still get extra protection for your Watch. ZAGG’s Ultra Clear+ screen cover offers tough protection to make scuffs and scratches a thing of the past. It contains “self-healing Nano-Memory Technology” that heals minor scratches on its surface, while looking and feeling just like your Watch’s native screen. That means you won’t get any unpleasant or noticeable sensations when using it compared to a bare Apple Watch screen.
OtterBox is well-known for its solid cases made for Apple products, which keep your tech safe and sound without breaking the bank. The Exo Edge Case for Apple Watch (opens in new tab) is no different, offering a solid Apple Watch case that is sleek and pleasing on the eye. Even if you count yourself as a clumsy person, OtterBox’s case should keep your Watch out of trouble and protected from bangs and bumps along the way. It even comes in 10 different colours, so you can kit it out in a look that suits you.
Apple Watch screen protectors can come in many shapes and sizes, but few offer as much of an all-round package as the ZAGG GlassFusion 360+. It blends a screen cover (made of hybrid glass) with a protective bumper – quite rare for an Apple Watch case – giving you protection against scratches, bumps and dents all over. We particularly like the flexible nature of the hybrid glass screen cover, which helps it absorb shocks and avoid shattering. The anti-microbial treatment is the cherry on top. Just note it doesn’t (yet) work with the Apple Watch Series 7.
When an Apple Watch case offers a lot of protection, it can often end up looking rather bulky and ungainly. That’s not the case with the aptly named Thin Fit case from Spigen (opens in new tab), a slimline Watch cover that is perfect for minimalists. It comes in a range of colours, some of which offer metallic finishes that could pass as unreleased Watches from Apple itself. But the Thin Fit is not just a pretty face – it should help keep out lighter dings and dents too. It’s not as protective as a bulkier case, but it makes up for that with stunning looks.
When it comes to dedicated Apple Watch screen protectors, you want something that stays out of the way without compromising on protection. Belkin’s ScreenForce TrueClear (opens in new tab) ticks all those boxes, and should offer peace of mind that your screen will stay scratch-free once it’s installed. It looks and feels just like glass, without the potential shattering and cracking issues a glass cover might bring. And its curved edge means it fits snugly on your Watch so you won’t even notice it’s there. If you have fairly modest needs and don’t need a large, bulky case, this cover should work wonders.
If customisation is your thing, you’ll love the Rhinoshield CrashGuard NX (opens in new tab). This Apple Watch case combines an inner bumper with an outer shell, both of which can come in a ton of colours – 16 for the former and 12 for the latter – letting you put together a case that looks exactly how you want it to. The raised lip around the edge stops the Watch’s screen coming into contact with surfaces and getting scratched, while the minimalist design will get attention for all the right reasons. There are cases that beat it for ruggedness, but few can top its looks and flexibility.
Protection for the Apple Watch Series 7 is patchy at the moment, but IQ Shield (opens in new tab) offers a range of full body films for it, plus for older Watches back to the Series 4. These buffer against light scratches while being nearly invisible to the casual observer. IQ Shield provides a bottle of installation solution to get the film on your Watch, which helps the film become a “second skin” of sorts for your device. If you’re worried about scuffing the harder-to-reach parts of your Apple Watch, this could be for you.
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