What is the 9H hardness rating for screen protectors?

Firstly, the 9H hardness index is the grade on the Mohs scale that measures resistance to rubbing and scratching. However, this index should not be confused with fragility. It is based on ten readily available minerals, ranked from softest to hardest. The score of 10 being assigned to the diamond, which can only be scratched with another diamond.

What do you know about your screen protector?

Originally used in the late 1960s for television screens, screen protectors were introduced to the mobile phone market only after the rise of personal digital assistants.

First of all screen protectors are no longer new to people. A screen protector, as the name suggests, is an additional sheet of material that we install on the screen of our electronic devices, such as a smartphone, to protect it from physical damage.

Indeed it is the first line of defense for the screen of a device. The screen protectors are made of laminated Tempered Glass or Hydrogel, they are similar to the original screens of the device they are intended to protect.

Additionally, screen protectors vary in hardness. You may have seen the hardness rating on different packaging. However, if you don't know what this label means, then you're probably wondering, "What is 9h hardness?" In this article, we take a look at screen protector hardness and what you need to know to buy a reliable protector.

Breaking down the 9H hardness rating of a tempered glass screen protector

It must be said that many use tempered glass today without knowing the meaning of 9H hardness.

• 9H refers to the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

Friedrich Mohs invented this scale in 1812, it ranges from 1 to 10 with glass around 5 and diamond at the top of the scale. The scale is represented by numbers only without the "H" suffix. The suffix signifies the hardness of a pencil.

So when a manufacturer says their screen is 9H, that means the screen can withstand scratches from the hardest pencil. Of course, it makes no sense to compare a glass material with a pencil.

Therefore, the hardness analysis is based on the hardest pencil scratch on the screen, pressed against the surface at a 45 degree angle. From soft pencil to hard pencil, the hardness varies from 6B to 9H. Clues are given based on the hardest pencil that fails to scratch the surface.

The 9H hardness index according to the Mohs scale.

On the other hand, smartphones usually come with screens around 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale so that things like knives, coins, and keys can't scratch them. Example : If the Ceramic Shield screen of the iPhone from Series 12 is indeed more resistant to shocks than previous models, its propensity to scratches is less since a tip with a hardness of 6 begins to scratch the screen, a nib of 7 causes a deeper scratch.

What is the best hardness rating for screen protectors?

Among all the screen protectors, getting a tempered glass has become a solid choice as they are super protective for the screen. The tempered glass is similar to the screen of an original device. For tempered glass, the hardness and width are factors that determine the energy of the glass to avoid a crack.

The width varies from about 0.2mm to 0.5mm. When you mistakenly drop your device with tempered glass, if it is severe enough, it may break the tempered glass. You can still remove it in one piece with your screen completely intact. However, hardness does not affect visibility. You can still see your screen as if it has no coverage. The hardness of different types of screen protectors can prevent or leave a scratch mark. The 9h hardness screen protector will protect your phone screen from damage and allow minimum to zero scratches on the screen protector.