Protect your screen: tempered glass or hydrogel film?

Protecting your smartphone screen has become a reflex for many of us. But faced with the two main options available — tempered glass and hydrogel film — it's not always easy to make the right choice. Each of these protections has its strengths and weaknesses. Let's break it down.

Tempered glass: the classic protection

Tempered glass is the most widespread screen protector. It's a thin plate of thermally or chemically reinforced glass, generally 0.3 to 0.5 mm thick, that sticks directly onto your smartphone screen.

Advantages of tempered glass

• Excellent scratch resistance thanks to its hardness (9H on the Mohs scale)

• Good shock absorption: in case of a drop, it's the tempered glass that breaks, not your screen

• Touch feel very close to the original screen

• Easy application and repositionable if misaligned

• Very affordable price, often between 5 and 15 euros

Disadvantages of tempered glass

• Does not adapt well to curved screens: bubbles or peeling appear at the edges

• Adds visible thickness, especially on slim models

• Can crack fairly easily from corner impacts

Hydrogel film: the new generation

Hydrogel film is a flexible TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) protector. Much thinner than tempered glass, it perfectly follows the curves of the screen, making it the preferred choice for smartphones with curved edges.

Advantages of hydrogel film

• Perfectly adapts to curved screens and rounded edges

• Virtually invisible once applied, preserving the phone's aesthetics

• Self-healing capability: micro-scratches disappear on their own within hours

• Compatible with under-screen fingerprint sensors

Disadvantages of hydrogel film