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Pozidriv vs Phillips: ticks, tips and which listing

Updated: 24 October 2026

The driver climbs out of the screw, the cross looks close enough, and the head is already brighter at the edges than it was a minute ago. Pozidriv vs Phillips is that moment. You need to know which recess you are looking at, which tip belongs in it, and which sets in this comparison actually print Pozidriv. The full table is on the [screwdriver set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/screwdriver-set). Peter F. used UK fastener guidance and these amazon.co.uk listings, dated 22 October 2026, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The driver climbs out of the screw, the cross looks close enough, and the head is already brighter at the edges than it was a minute ago. Pozidriv vs Phillips is that moment.

Our top picks

WAIZHIUA WAIZHIUA magnetic flat and Phillips set

Best overall

WAIZHIUA WAIZHIUA magnetic flat and Phillips set
9.2/10about £11.76
View offer
Stanley Stanley cushion grip 10-piece screwdriver set

Alternative

Stanley Stanley cushion grip 10-piece screwdriver set
8.8/10about £24.14
View offer
Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 73-piece ratchet screwdriver set

Rank 3

Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 73-piece ratchet screwdriver set
9.2/10about £13.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two crosses, not one
  2. 2.What happens if you mix them
  3. 3.Which size to try
  4. 4.Which listing actually says Pozidriv

Two crosses, not one

A Phillips recess is a cross that tapers, and Bolts.co.uk describes the cam-out when you over-torque it. A Pozidriv recess adds a shallower second cross so the tip can stay seated. Look for four tick marks between the main arms. A plain cross is the Phillips candidate. Paint or wear can hide the ticks, so look straight down the screw. A listing that says cross or star has not chosen. YUFANYA says cross and does not say Phillips or Pozidriv.

What happens if you mix them

Bolts.co.uk says a Phillips driver in a Pozidriv screw is a damage risk at any serious torque: the tip cams out and chews the head. Shop4Fasteners says the exchange fails the other way too, because the Pozidriv ribs hold the tip proud of a Phillips recess. Use each driver in its own screw. A PZ1 in a large Pozidriv screw rocks, and a PZ3 in a small one sits on the rim. Seating, and the moment to stop, is on how to use a screwdriver set.
WAIZHIUA WAIZHIUA magnetic flat and Phillips set

Testsieger

WAIZHIUA WAIZHIUA magnetic flat and Phillips set
9.2/10about £11.76
View offer

Which size to try

Start an ordinary UK wood screw with PZ2, then move one size if the tip rocks or perches. BuildWiz calls PZ2 the everyday size, and Be Practical's notes use a size 2 for about 4–5 mm. Both are rules of thumb. Stanley's 45 mm PZ2 can stand square in a hinge. A PZ3 at 150 mm is for a larger screw. Drywall is argued both ways, so the screw's own mark wins. What else to check before you buy is the screwdriver set buying guide.

Which listing actually says Pozidriv

Four rows name Pozidriv. Stanley 2-65-014 at about £24.14 lists PZ0 through PZ3 and five slotted drivers, with no Phillips in the bullet. Draper 81294 at about £22.76 names PZ drivers and PZ bits. Jorest at about £9.99 names PZ1 and PZ2 on bits in the handle. Rolson at about £8.47 names PZ0 to PZ3 on 25 mm bits. Anesty at about £9.68, WAIZHIUA at about £11.76 and Hilka at about £14.44 name Phillips and do not name Pozidriv. YUFANYA says cross only. The Amazon Basics bullets do not name Pozidriv either. For ordinary UK wood screws, buy a set that names PZ2. Stanley is the fixed choice in this sample.

Common questions

How do I see which screw I have?
Look straight down the head. Four small tick marks between the arms of the cross mean Pozidriv. A cross with no ticks is the Phillips candidate. Wear, paint and a shallow stamp can hide the ticks, so use a light and do not decide from a glancing angle. If you still cannot tell, do not add torque to find out.
Can I use a Phillips driver on a Pozidriv screw?
Bolts.co.uk says that mix is a damage risk at any serious torque. The Phillips tip does not fill the Pozidriv recess, so it cams out and chews the ticks and the main cross. A light turn to see if it sits is already the test. If it climbs, stop. Pushing harder is how the head becomes a round hole in chipboard.
Can I use a Pozidriv driver on a Phillips screw?
No. Shop4Fasteners and Bolts.co.uk both say a Pozidriv driver does not seat properly in a Phillips recess. The extra ribs hold the tip proud. It is not a tighter version of the same cross. Use a Phillips driver, matched for size, on a plain Phillips screw.
What size should I try first on a wood screw?
Try PZ2 first on an ordinary woodscrew, as BuildWiz's everyday size and as a rule of thumb. If the tip rocks, go larger. If it will not enter, go smaller. Stanley's list includes PZ2 at 45 mm and at 100 mm, and PZ3 at 150 mm, so length and size are separate choices. A long PZ3 does not fix a screw that wanted PZ2.
Which sets in this comparison name Pozidriv?
Stanley names PZ0 to PZ3 on fixed blades at about £24.14. Draper names PZ drivers and PZ bits at about £22.76. Jorest names PZ1 and PZ2 in the handle at about £9.99. Rolson names PZ0 to PZ3 on 25 mm bits at about £8.47. Those are the rows whose listings print Pozidriv. YUFANYA's cross is not one of them.
Which sets are Phillips and slotted only?
Anesty at about £9.68 and WAIZHIUA at about £11.76 are five Phillips and five slotted, with no Pozidriv named. Hilka names PH0, PH1 and PH2 plus slotted drivers, and does not name Pozidriv. They suit a plain Phillips screw. They are a weak default if the brackets and hinges in the house are ticked Pozidriv heads.
Is cross on a listing enough?
No. Cross can mean Phillips, Pozidriv, or a tip the seller never specified. YUFANYA uses that wording and does not say which. Buy the letters PZ or PH. A photograph of a cross-shaped tip does not replace them, because both families look similar until the ribs and the ticks are the point.

Related pages

Best screwdriver set

Screwdriver set

Screwdriver set buying guide: drives, blades and the box

How to use a screwdriver set without chewing the head

VDE screwdriver set: the mark a listing has to name

Sources

Prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listings dated 22 October 2026. The public sources are the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, HSE GS38, BSI's note of BS EN IEC 60900:2018, UK fastener explainers, a Wera UK page for a single VDE driver (not this Big Pack listing), and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This is not a lab test. A magnetic tip is not insulation.

  1. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE GS38, electrical test equipment for use on low voltage systems (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. BSI, BS EN IEC 60900:2018 live working hand tools (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Bolts.co.uk, Phillips and Pozidriv (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Shop4Fasteners, Pozidriv and Phillips (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. BuildWiz, screwdriver bits and the PZ2 rule of thumb (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Wera UK, 165 i PZ VDE insulated screwdriver (not the Big Pack listing) (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)