Pozidriv vs Phillips bits
Updated: 2026-10-23
You are holding a cross-head screw from a UK flat-pack and two long bits that both look like size 2. Pozidriv vs Phillips bits is the difference between a screw that drives home and a screw that cams out after three turns. Size 2 is a size, and it is not a shared shape. UK timber screws are mostly Pozidriv. Plasterboard screws are often Phillips. This page uses UK fastener guides and nine amazon.co.uk extracts saved on 21 October 2026. There is no lab test. Length and ranking stay on the [long bits comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/long-bits).
You are holding a cross-head screw from a UK flat-pack and two long bits that both look like size 2.
You are holding a cross-head screw from a UK flat-pack and two long bits that both look like size 2. Pozidriv vs Phillips bits is the difference between a screw that drives home and a screw that cams out after three turns. Size 2 is a size, and it is not a shared shape. UK timber screws are mostly Pozidriv. Plasterboard screws are often Phillips. This page uses UK fastener guides and nine amazon.co.uk extracts saved on 21 October 2026. There is no lab test. Length and ranking stay on the long bits comparison.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Drive | Length | Pieces | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Saxton Saxton 152 mm PZ2 ten-pack | PZ2 | 152 mm | 10 | 8.1 | about £12.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  GEINXURN GEINXURN 150 mm PH2 ten-pack | PH2 | 150 mm | 10 | 6.3 | about £9.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Pronese Pronese 90 mm and 150 mm mix | PZ2 and PH2 | 90 mm and 150 mm | 10 | 6.5 | about £9.99 | View offer |
On this page
How to tell the screws apart
Look at the head in a decent light, not at arm's length. A Phillips cross is a simple plus. A Pozidriv cross has small ticks between the main arms. Bolts.co.uk and Wonkee Donkee both use those marks. A PH2 tip is a plain cross. A PZ2 tip carries the extra ribs that sit in those ticks.
The packet is the cleaner test when the print is still there. Real Homes notes that UK packets say PZ2 or PH2. PZ1, PZ2 and PZ3 are different, just as PH1, PH2 and PH3 are different. A PZ2 bit in a PZ3 screw is a loose fit, and a PZ2 bit in a PZ1 screw will not seat.
PZ2 for timber, PH2 for board
For most UK wood screws and chipboard screws, the packet says Pozidriv, and PZ2 is the everyday size. BuildWiz maps PZ2 to wood screws of about 3.5–5 mm. That band is the guide's table, not a British Standard, so PZ3 still needs PZ3. For plasterboard, the same guide points to PH2. A Torx star will cam out of either cross.
A long bit does not change the rule. A 152 mm PZ2 bit and a 150 mm PH2 bit can both reach a hinge, and only one matches the recess. If you are fixing board to timber, you may need both in the same hour. On a UK kitchen carcass, hinge screws are typically Pozidriv and the plasterboard screws behind it are often Phillips.
What the wrong bit does
A Phillips bit in a Pozidriv screw rides on the main cross and misses the ticks. Under torque it cams out and leaves a screw you cannot remove cleanly. Bolts.co.uk warns of that cam-out. The other way is also damage: a PZ2 bit in a Phillips screw bears on the extra ribs and can spoil the recess.
At 150 mm, a slight lean adds to the cam-out. A magnet holds the screw and still lets it cam out. Impact blows keep hitting after the tip has started to climb out. If the head is already shiny, stop and replace the screw.
Which long bits match which screw
Saxton SX10PZ2-152 is ten 152 mm PZ2 bits in a pouch at £12.99, with 4.4 from 215 reviews. Rennie P10PZ2150P is ten 150 mm PZ2 bits in a case at £13.99, with 4.5 from 63 reviews. Both claim a magnetic tip, and UK texts also describe snapped tips.
GEINXURN B0DWRX5XJV is ten 150 mm PH2 bits at £9.99. GEINXURN B0F9P47ZXL is PH1 to PH3 at 150 mm and £11.99, and the title and table disagree on D2 versus S2. Pronese at £9.99 includes PZ2 and PH2 at 90 mm and 150 mm. WojBear at £7.99 gives one of each cross at 90 mm. toolant is security Torx and will not drive either cross.
Common questions
How do you see Pozidriv on the screw?
Look for a second set of small ticks between the arms of the cross, on the screw and on the bit. Phillips is a plain cross. Wonkee Donkee and Bolts.co.uk both use those extra marks as the visual test. If the packet still says PZ2 or PH2, trust the packet. Check in good light. At arm's length, size 2 of either family looks the same.
What happens if you use PH2 in a PZ2 screw?
The Phillips tip misses the Pozidriv ticks, cams out, and rounds the head. A long bit makes the climb-out easier if you are even slightly off line. The screw can end up stuck, with a recess no fresh bit will grip. Stop at the first click and change to PZ2. A magnet on the PH2 bit does not fix the shape.
What happens the other way round?
A PZ2 bit in a Phillips screw bears on the extra ribs and can damage the recess. It is not a close enough fit to finish the job. Bolts.co.uk treats that direction as damage as well. If you have already marked a plasterboard screw this way, fit a PH2 bit only if the cross is still clean. If it is chewed, replace the screw.
Which long packs in this comparison are PZ2?
Saxton SX10PZ2-152 and Rennie P10PZ2150P are the PZ2 ten-packs, at 152 mm and 150 mm. Pronese includes PZ2 at 90 mm and 150 mm alongside PH2. WojBear includes PZ1, PZ2 and PZ3 at 90 mm, one of each. The two GEINXURN listings are Phillips. toolant is security Torx. For a day of UK wood screws, the ten-packs give you spares of the one drive.
Which are Phillips only?
GEINXURN B0DWRX5XJV is ten 150 mm PH2 bits and nothing in Pozidriv. GEINXURN B0F9P47ZXL is PH1, PH2 and PH3 at 150 mm, thirteen pieces on the components line. Use them for plasterboard and other screws the packet marks PH. Leave them in the box when the hinge screw shows Pozidriv ticks.
Are plasterboard screws Pozidriv?
Often they are Phillips, and BuildWiz points PH2 at plasterboard while it points PZ2 at wood screws of about 3.5–5 mm. That split is a buying guide's table, so read the box you actually have. Some boards and some collated screws differ. If the head has the extra ticks, treat it as Pozidriv even if you expected Phillips.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures used for this comparison.
- BuildWiz, screwdriver bits (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- UK Planet Tools, Bahco 59/S54BC bit lengths (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bosch Professional GB, extra-hard hex screwdriver bits (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ISO 1173:2001, assembly tools for screws and nuts, drive ends (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE L25, personal protective equipment at work (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Which?, faulty product advice (retrieved 21 October 2026)