Laser protection materials are of great significance in protecting human eyes and optical components from strong laser pulses. Among them, solid optical limiting materials based on the principle of nonlinear optics will be the main carriers for laser protection. This article introduces the research background, working mechanism, parameters and testing techniques of optical limiting materials, and reviews the research progress of various optical limiting materials with practical prospects, including inorganic semiconductor materials, conjugated organic polymers, inorganic metal clusters, carbon nanomaterials, and two-dimensional materials. And the development prospects of optical limiting materials are discussed.