Do you really need a screen protector for your laptop?

Surface Laptop on desk
Surface Laptop on desk (Image credit: Windows Central)

Do you really need a screen protector for your laptop?

Best answer: Absolutely. A screen protector is essential for laptop owners, as they protect the display from scratches, smudges, and keyboard markings (from when the computer is closed).Amazon: MEGOO Screen Protector ($23)Amazon: Spigen Screen Protector ($16)

Why use screen protectors?

Screen protectors are incredibly important tools to have because they, as the name suggests, keep your device's display safe from scratches, smudges, and other forms of damage that can occur when your laptop is in a bag with other objects or when you're attempting to wipe something off of the screen. Without them, there's a good chance that you could ruin the display of the laptop you've spent tons of money on, and nobody wants that.

There are two kinds of screen protectors available: plastic and tempered glass. Plastic ones are cheaper, are prone to scratching themselves, and don't cover the entire screen. Tempered glass protectors are extremely scratch resistant and are capable of fully covering your display, but they cost a little more. In general, we recommend using tempered glass over plastic, though both are better than having a naked screen.

The rest of this article suggests our favorite Surface Book and Surface Book 2 screen protectors, so if you don't have that type of laptop, make sure to look up what the top picks are for your device. Because just about every laptop has a slightly different display, you'll need to make sure that you buy the right protector for your notebook PC. A good place to start is by searching Amazon for the name of your PC and "screen protector." MEGOO and Spigen are brands we trust.

What are some great Surface Book screen protectors?

One of the best tempered glass screen protectors available for the Surface Book and Surface Book 2 is the MEGOO screen protector. It uses a special type of adhesive glue that effectively pushes air bubbles out during installation, and the tempered glass is the 9H hardness variety, which is the best in the business for protection. In addition, the protector has cutouts for the camera, speakers, and microphone on your Surface Book device. Lastly, the MEGOO screen protector is fitted with oleophobic coating, which heavily reduces the smudging effect your skin's oil can cause.

If you want to save a few dollars, another fantastic choice is the Spigen screen protector. Like the MEGOO, the Spigen protector uses 9H glass for maximum protection and also has cutouts for the Surface Book's camera, speakers, and microphone. It has a similar oleophobic coating, and there's an option for the 15-inch variety of Surface Book that only costs a dollar more than the standard price of $16. The catch with the Spigen is that it doesn't eliminate air bubbles during installation nearly as well as the MEGOO protector does, so the installation will be much harder.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).