Every iPad owner should consider getting one of the best iPad screen protectors to protect their expensive new tablet, but it's especially important for digital artists to ensure an enjoyable drawing experience with screen clarity.
See our picks of the top products below based on price, features, and protection to help you make an informed choice when shopping for the best iPad screen protector. There are some more affordable options on our list, but remember that iPads are pricey, and repairing them doesn't come cheap, either. So a quality screen protector is an investment more than anything else.
Make sure to double-check which iPad generation you own before you buy - we've listed this information for each entry - and while you're here, take a look at the best iPad keyboards and the best iPad stands to compliment your setup.
The best iPad screen protectors
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The best iPad screen protector for artists
Materials: Polyethylene Terephthalate
Finish: Matte
This one is our favourite, providing easy use, solid protection, and a wonderful drawing experience. Made with (and by) design professionals and artists, this protector is designed to give your iPad the feel of paper under your stylus – and that's exactly how it performed when we tested it. Read more in our full review.
The best glass iPad screen protector
Materials: 9H tempered glass
Finish: Gloss
Spigen is one of the best manufacturers on the market, and this screen protector is incredibly easy to fit with its foolproof installation kit. Plus you get extra scratch and drop resistance and an oleophobic coating to see off greasy fingerprints, too. However, it may interfere with your Apple Pencil. Read more in our full review.
A cheaper alternative for a paper-like feel
Materials: Polyethylene Terephthalate
Finish: Matte
If you're looking for a budget alternative to the Paperlike screen protector, the ESR Paper-Feel is significantly cheaper, and you get two protectors in the pack. It's not quite the same paper-like feel, but ESR's specially-treated surface does simulate the feeling of pen on paper pretty well, and it's also nicely fingerprint-resistant.
The best light blocking iPad screen protector
Materials: Tempered glass
Finish: Gloss
The Ocushield Screen Protector is a tempered glass construction that filters out a lot of blue light. This makes it easier and more comfortable to use your iPad at all times of day. It's a solid, multi-functional screen protector in general, and we found it easy to fit with the included applicator.
Superior screen protector for the iPad Pro 12.9
Materials: Tempered glass
Finish: Gloss
If you have a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, amFilm's affordable Glass Screen Protector is great. Its carefully shaped design fits neatly around the selfie camera, so Face ID still works fine. The premium-grade tempered glass is resistant and does a good job of protecting the screen from scratches. Overall, it's crystal clear and robust.
A cheap iPad Pro screen protector for a paper feel
Materials: Polyethylene Terephthalate
Finish: Matte
If you want to give your iPad Pro 12.9 inch more of a paper texture, the JETech Write Like Paper screen protector is another budget Paperlike alternative. It also reduces glare while making your screen more scratch- and fingerprint-resistant. JETech does warns the protector can affect the clarity of the screen.
The best cheap iPad Pro screen protector
Materials: Thermoplastic Polyurethane
Finish: Gloss
The Olixar screen protector should effectively prevent damage while retaining touch sensitivity. It features an oleophobic coating to reduce fingerprints and smudges, and we didn't notice any effect on the clarity of the display. It comes with an installation kit to help you position it and a two-year guarantee.
The best iPad screen protector for privacy
Materials: Plastic
Finish: Matte
The Belkin Screenforce True Privacy provides a privacy screen so that anyone looking over your shoulder sees nothing but darkness, but looking at the screen directly, everything is perfectly visible. It's great if you're worried about entering sensitive data in public, but doesn't offer a great deal of physical protection for your iPad.
The best iPad screen protector for the iPad mini
Materials: 9H tempered glass
Finish: Gloss
Ailun's screen protector is great for the iPad mini. Made from 9H tempered glass, it offers great scratch and drop resistance, has an oleophobic coating to repel oils and it's very well-priced too. The package comes with two guide stickers for fitting, along with a wet wipe, a dry wipe, and a dust absorber.
Which is the best iPad screen protector?
The best iPad screen protector for you will depend on what you want it for. If you're going to carry your iPad in a case or sleeve and simply want a little extra protection against scratches, then you could get away with one of the cheapest iPad screen protectors like the Olixar Screen Protector.
However, if you think you're going to use it a lot without a case or sleeve and want extra confidence – particularly if you have one of the more expensive iPads, then you might want to invest in some more heavy duty protection such as the ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Screen Protector.
Artists and illustrators, or indeed anyone who is going to use a stylus a lot on an iPad might have other requirements than simply protecting the screen, wanting a surface that will enhance their experience with the stylus. For that we recommend Paperlike, at number 1 in our list of the best iPad screen protectors, because it actually improves the feel of writing and drawing on the tablet.
What is the benefit of Paperlike screen protectors?
Paperlike is actually the brand name for this type of screen protector, but the paper-feel category of screen protectors essentially adds extra screen texture to your device screen, and creates a slight resistance between the screen and pencil, just like real paper does. So with one of these screen protectors applied, it's easier to control your strokes and get smooth lines.
Other benefits of using paper-feel [rotcetors include fingerprint resistance, plus some are coated with anti-blue light filters which protects your eyes strain after staring at screens for long hours. The texture enhancement is also super helpful for creatives who work on a glossy iPad screen.
