Which screen protector should I get for a Tesla?

Tesla centre displays are the most-searched car screen in the UK, and the buying decision has two parts: which finish, and — more importantly, which build year.

Build year matters more than model name

This is where most returns come from. Tesla revises displays and their surrounds mid-cycle without changing the model name, and a protector cut for the earlier car won't sit correctly.

The Model 3 Highland revision and the Model Y Juniper revision both changed the screen and its bezel. A listing that says only Model 3 isn't enough information; it needs to state the year range or the revision name. If it doesn't, assume it's for the older car.

The newer Model Y also carries a second display for rear passengers. Kits advertised as covering both screens mean the front and the rear one, not two spares for the front, worth reading carefully before ordering.

Matte is the usual answer

The Tesla centre screen is large, glossy and mounted close to vertical below a raked windscreen, which is close to the worst case for reflections. Matte anti-glare is what most owners fit and the reason is straightforward: it converts a mirror image of the sky into a diffuse haze and the navigation map stays readable at low sun.

It also hides fingerprints, which matters more in a car than on a phone because the screen controls everything and you can't casually wipe it while driving.

The cost is the same as on any device: a small loss of sharpness and a faint sparkle over fine text. On a map and a set of large controls, that cost is close to irrelevant. On a screen you use to watch video while charging, slightly less so.

When to choose clear glass instead

If you want the interior to look factory-standard, or you use the screen for video regularly, clear tempered glass keeps the display looking as delivered while still taking the scratches.

You'll keep the reflections. If the car lives in a garage and does most of its miles after dark, that may be an acceptable trade.

Fitting: the part that goes wrong

A car screen is a large, flat, unforgiving surface and you get one attempt in practice. Dust trapped underneath shows as a permanent bright speck against a dark map at night, directly in your field of view.

Fit indoors or in a garage, never on a windy driveway. Let the car sit until the screen is cool — a warm screen makes the adhesive grab immediately and removes your ability to reposition. Use the dust stickers thoroughly and check across the surface at a low angle against a light before laying the protector down.

Buy a kit that includes an alignment aid if one exists for your car. On a screen this size, being two millimetres out is visible from the driver's seat every day.

Is it worth it at all

For glare and fingerprints, clearly yes, and that's why most owners fit one. For damage, the probability is low but the cost is high, replacing a Tesla centre display is a four-figure job, so a few pounds of sacrificial film is proportionate insurance rather than an indulgence.