Cruzerlite’s TRUGLASS Nexus 5 Screen Protector [Review]

2013 seemed to be the year of the tempered glass screen protector. Rather than having to apply a terrible feeling plasticy, standard PET screen protector, people were choosing glass since it is both harder and feels better to the touch. But those protectors weren’t exactly the slimmest or easiest to apply, so the screen protector industry has moved towards a middle ground. Cruzerlite now carries a product called the TRUGLASS for the Nexus 5 that is certainly somewhere in the middle. 

The TRUGLASS is made of “lab tested nano-glass” that is just 0.25mm thick. There is an oleophobic coating to help keep fingerprints off, an anti-shatter film surrounding it, is flexible enough for easy application, and carries a 9H hardness rating. As you may recall, some of the glass protectors from last year were thicker, yet only carried an 8H hardness.

After receiving a sample of the TRUGLASS, I easily applied it to my N5 thanks to its flexibility. Having applied countless tempered glass protectors over the last year, I can honestly say that a flexible screen protector is much appreciated. The process was also made simple with the included cleaning wipe, polish cloth, dust removers, and squeegee.

With the TRUGLASS attached to my device, I have yet to notice it for the most part, which is exactly what you want. The TRUGLASS, in terms of size, fits very well on top of the Nexus 5. You can tell that some care went into cutting these to a proper size. There is a lone cutout for the speaker.

It doesn’t feel terrible to the touch, and for the most part, feels quite natural. There is a slight slippery-ness to it that wasn’t there prior to the protector, but I’m not sure how big of a negative that is. Viewing angles on my Nexus 5 do not seem to have been lessened and the colors you’d expect to see from your display still shine through.

If you brush your fingers over the edges of your phone often, you will most certainly notice a sharpness or roughness where the edge of the protector sits on your screen. The Nexus 5 without a protector feels buttery smooth all the way off and around the sides of the phone, but with a screen protector attached, you lose some of that. That’s just part of the trade-off you get when adding extra protection to your phone.

Overall, it seems like a decent product that is priced in line with most other screen protectors of its caliber. I like how thin it is and how easy it is to apply. The rough edges would probably annoy me after a while, though, and I’m already slightly worried about getting used to the subtle slippery-ness. In the end, if you feel like you need a screen protector, dealing with an edge and a potentially different feeling display is part of the story.

You can buy the TRUGLASS Nexus 5 screen protector from Cruzerlite for $28.99.

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