Safety IV catheters (IVCs) are disclosed herein comprising a needle hub with a needle and a needle diameter, a catheter hub (104) with a catheter tube (112), and a tip protector (44, 204) made from a first material comprising a proximal wall comprising an opening defining a bore and two arms (206, 208) extending distally of the proximal wall, wherein both arms comprise an angled end section configured for covering a distal end of the other arm in a protective positon, and wherein the angled distal end section comprises a length and a width configured to retain a needle having a needle diameter within a tip holding space, and wherein the length and width of the angled distal end section are larger than the needle diameter.