As far as car accessories go, license plate frames are one of the most helpful automotive accessories as they’re not only visually appealing but also can protect your vehicle. The best license plate frames aren’t made from specially designed carbon fiber and they’re not rhinestone license plate frames. Good license plate frames, like the best keychains, are the products that look the best to you and satisfy your needs.
There are a lot of questions when it comes to license plate frames such as their legality or their ability to deter theft. While some manufacturers claim that license plate frames are useful as anti-theft devices, that claim doesn’t stand to reason. Removing a license plate is the same, whether your license plate has a frame or not. However, our product testing team does feel that rattle-proof and scratch-proof license plate frames offer valuable vehicle protection.
Best License Plate Frames
For this review, our team thoroughly tested and evaluated each license plate frame based on each item’s material, fit, and durability. The scores in each category are compiled into a single overall rating that ranges from 1.0 to 5.0 stars.
Each license plate frame’s ratings, including their scores in each review category, are highlighted below:
How We Tested
The license plate frames in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching retailers like Amazon, RealTruck, and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors such as ease of installation, customer ratings, prices, and the ability for the frame to not obscure parts of the license plate that need to be displayed.
Our product testing team then ordered the license plate frames that best met these standards. A team member tested each product on a 2003 Ford Focus ZX3, taking note of how well the license plate frame was made, how well the frame fit around a license plate, and its durability. Each license plate frame was given a rating out of 5.0 stars based on this criteria.
License Plate Frames Testing Process
Our extensive testing process compared each of our five license plate frames against the criteria listed below:
- Material: A license plate frame’s material is arguably the most important factor of this type of product. Material plays a role in not only a frame’s fit but also its durability. We observed and recorded how each different material withstood our stress and durability testing.
- Fit: Fit determines whether your license plate and frame rattle in the mount. We tested each license plate for how well it fit around a license plate as well as how it fit on the testing vehicle itself.
- Durability: Material greatly impacts this category of testing, but it is so important that it warrants a testing category of its own. We went about testing each license plate’s durability by subjecting it to a stress test where it was bent, shaken, stepped on, and generally beaten up.
Why You Can Trust Us
Each year, we test over 350 auto products