If you're protecting the front of your car, the choice almost always comes down to two tiers: partial front or full front. They're separated by about £600 — but the real difference isn't just how much paint is covered. It's where the film edge ends up, and whether your headlights are in or out.
Here's exactly what each covers, who each one suits, and the honest trade-offs we walk every customer through at our Watford bay.
What each tier covers
| Partial front | Full front | |
|---|---|---|
| From | £1,200 | £1,800 |
| Front bumper | Yes | Yes |
| Bonnet | Leading section | Full bonnet |
| Front wings | Leading section | Full wings |
| Wing mirrors | Yes | Yes |
| Side skirt edge | Partial | Partial / on request |
| Headlights | Usually not | Yes (vehicle dependent) |
| Visible film edge | Cut line across bonnet/wings | Tucked into panel gaps — no line on bonnet face |
Indicative "from" prices for a typical premium saloon or coupe — final quote depends on make, model, colour, paint condition and panel complexity. See the full range on the PPF coverage tiers page.
Partial front: the budget chip-guard
Partial front protects the areas that take the most low-speed, around-town stone damage: the front bumper in full, plus the leading edge of the bonnet and the front section of the wings — the zone where the majority of chips actually land. Wing mirrors go on too.
It's a genuine, sensible option — not a watered-down con. For a lower-mileage car that mostly does town miles, partial front catches most of the damage for the lowest outlay.
The trade-off is two-fold: the mid and upper bonnet stay exposed (motorway air-flow throws debris there at speed), and there's a visible cut line where the film ends across the bonnet and wings. We fit it along natural feature lines where we can, but on close inspection — especially on darker colours — you can see where the film stops.
Full front: the smart-money tier
Full front wraps the entire bonnet and entire front wings, with the film edges tucked into the panel gaps so there's no cut line on the bonnet face. Mirrors are included, and on most cars so are the headlights — clear film over modern LED units that can cost £2,000+ a pair to replace if they pit.
This is the tier most premium-car owners land on, for three reasons:
- No visible edge. The film is invisible across the whole front — nothing to spot, nothing to explain to a buyer later.
- Full motorway coverage. The whole bonnet and wings are protected, not just the leading section, so high-speed debris has nowhere to land on bare paint.
- Headlights protected. Pitted, sandblasted headlights are a common — and expensive — motorway casualty. Full front shields them.
The £600 question
The gap between the two is roughly £600. For that you move from "most chips caught, with a visible line and exposed upper bonnet" to "whole front-end covered, headlights protected, completely invisible." The fitting labour and prep are similar for both, so most of that £600 buys materially more coverage rather than just more time.
Choose partial front if you're budget-led, the car is lower-mileage and mostly used around town, and a faint cut line on the bonnet doesn't bother you.
Choose full front if you do motorway miles, the car is a darker colour where an edge line shows, you care about resale, or you simply want the protection to be invisible. It's the tier we fit most.
What about going further?
If the car's a long-term keeper or sees track use, it's worth knowing the tiers above full front before you decide: full coverage (every painted panel, from £3,000) and the Track Pack (heavy-duty film on all impact zones including rear arches, from £3,500). Plenty of owners start with full front and add panels later — but film bonds best to fresh paint, so doing more in one go usually finishes cleaner. The full breakdown is on the PPF page, and there's a worked cost example in our PPF cost on a Porsche 911 guide.
Don't choose on price alone if the car's dark. The partial-front cut line is far more visible on black, dark blue and grey paint than on white or silver. If presentation matters to you, factor that in before saving the £600.
The honest summary
Partial front (from £1,200) is the value choice for town-driven cars — it catches most chips, but leaves a visible edge and the upper bonnet exposed.
Full front (from £1,800) covers the whole front-end invisibly, includes the headlights, and presents best for resale. For most premium cars it's the one worth stretching to.
Not sure which your car and mileage justify? Send the year, make, model and colour via the contact form. We'll tell you honestly which tier we'd fit on our own car — and quote both in writing within 24 hours.
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Tell us the car, the use case and what you're after. We'll come back with a written quote within 24 hours — no pressure, no upselling.
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