We don’t usually cover topics as mundane as a cellphone screen cover (ok, sometimes we do). However, whether or not you’d like to admit it, you should probably be covering your phone. Phones are as expensive as ever, and taking simple precautions like getting a screen cover and a case will help to protect your four figure investment from it’s inevitable catastrophe.

The problem with screen covers are that, well, for the most part they suck. Unless you’re house is equipped with an industrial grade clean room, and you are blessed with the hand-steadiness of a surgeon, your once pristine cellphone is screen is more likely than not to become a bubbly, miss-aligned dusty mess.

If you’ve ever tried the arduous task of applying a screen cover by yourself you probably noticed how it’s virtually impossible to get it lined up right, and every microscopic spec of dust left on the screen will be forever memorialized as an annoying little bubble on your display. Sure, you could pay some teenager at the Zagg kiosk in the mall to put on your screen cover for you, but I was looking for a DIY, cheaper option.

There has to be a better way, and there is

While planning a camping trip to the dusty desert of southern Utah, I decided that I should take extra precaution to cover my new(ish) Pixel 4a. Sand is particularly harsh on glass screens, so a screen cover was a must. Having been satisfied with the cost friendly phone cases by Spigen, I decided to take a look at their screen cover offerings. On a whim I ordered what appeared to be their best option, the Glas.tR AlignMaster, despite the awkward name.

When I got the kit, I was a bit overwhelmed by all the bits and pieces that were included in the box, but as I read through the instructions, I started to understand how each piece helped to address the two major causes of screen cover failure: dust and alignment.

The alignment problem is elegantly solved by including a plastic frame that acts as a guide for placing the screen cover on the phone. No more meticulous lining up to match the corners of the screen, with the AlignMaster, it’s as simple as plopping it down in the frame. You literally can’t help but to place it perfectly centered, corner to corner.

Dust is a trickier problem, so the AlignMaster comes with not one but three cleaning solutions to prepare your screen to be covered. The first is a large cloth to wipe away the big bits of crud and polish your screen, second, a wet cleaning wipe removes fingerprints, oil and other sticky things. Lastly a sticker lets you pick of little pieces of dust that will inevitably float around while you’re getting everything ready. This is where I deviated from the instructions a bit. I ended up opting for a ca of compressed air duster to blow away any specks and blast off the final bits of dust right before placing the screen cover. I would suggest this as it’s a more foolproof and hands off way to keep the screen pristine. Oh, and lastly there’s a little squeegee to work out any remaining bubbles after you place the screen down.

The actual screen cover itself is made of smooth, oleophobic tempered glass, and has a subtle bevel around the edges that keep it smooth when dragging your fingers along the edge of the screen.

The Glas.tR AlignMaster includes everything you need to obsessively apply your screen cover.

Results

After holding my breath, placing the cover down and squeezing out all the microscopic bubbles with the included squeegee, I took a look at my handiwork. I was immediately blown away. The screen was perfect and pristine! The alignment was spot on, and there wasn’t a single dust mote, or bubble to be seen. I looked carefully while reflecting the overhead light, and I could not find a single blemish whatsoever. A factory installed screen protector could not look as good as this.

For the current asking price of $11.99 (for the Pixel 4a at least) on Amazon, there is no reason whatsoever to get any other screen protector. Spigen also makes similar products for most flagship Apple and Android devices. I wholeheartedly recommend protecting any phone you have with one of these fine screen covers. Oh, and did I mention that the package includes 2 covers? If you break one, or somehow bork the installation on your first try, there’s a second cover, cleaning wipe, and dust removal sticker to try again.