Tesla Model S Screen Protectors

The Tesla Model S has a 17-inch display. That figure is the diagonal measurement, so it doesn't on its own tell you a protector will fit, two devices with the same diagonal can have different corner radii and cutouts. Always buy one listed for the Tesla Model S by name.

Matte / anti-glare is the default choice for the Tesla Model S. An etched surface scatters reflections and hides fingerprints.

Worth knowing before you buy: slight sparkle or graininess over fine text; marginally lower perceived sharpness.

For most owners, yes, but for glare and fingerprints instead of damage. A matte protector on the Tesla Model S centre display cuts the windscreen reflection that otherwise sits across the map at low sun, and it hides the permanent smear that builds up on a glossy panel.

Replacing a factory centre display is an expensive job, so a few pounds of sacrificial film is cheap insurance against the ring-scratch and dashboard-grit damage that does happen.

A correctly-fitted protector under about 0.4mm won't affect touch response. What does cause problems is a badly fitted one — trapped air pockets create dead zones, and dust under the film shows up as a permanent bright speck against a dark map.

Fit it in a clean, still environment, not on a windy driveway. Most kits include a dust-lifting sticker for exactly this reason.

Somewhere between £8 and £25 covers almost everyone. Under about £8 you're usually buying glass with no oleophobic coating, which looks fine for a week and then smears permanently.

Above £25 you're paying for a warranty, a better applicator, or a speciality finish like privacy or paper-feel. Those are real benefits, but they're refinements. The jump in protection from nothing to a £10 protector is far larger than the jump from £10 to £30.