Since the first time someone spread wax on a car’s surface, before detailing was even called detailing, enthusiasts have loved a freshly waxed car. There’s just something about the look of wax on paint, especially when the product was formulated with carnauba wax. In fact, more than 75 years after Turtle Wax was founded, the appeal of that aesthetic still runs strong, and that’s why wax remains the #1 coating for cars today. Whether it’s a paste, liquid or spray, an all-natural formula or infused with synthetic polymers, car wax is and may always be your best choice for creating that beautiful, wet-look shine. Protection from the elements: Ceramic coatings protect your vehicle from UV rays, debris, rain, stains, oils, dirt, contaminants, and industrial fallout. Depending on where you live, your paint job can take a beating. A ceramic car coating ensures your paint coating is guarded in the long term. Waxes & sealants are protectants - they should always be the last thing you apply to your vehicle's paint. How often really depends on the type of driving you do and the punishment your car’s paint endures. With wax, a good rule of thumb is once every 4-6 weeks for general-use cars that are parked in a garage or covered. You’ll want to step up the frequency if you live in an area with overly-harsh weather conditions, or if the vehicle spends a majority of time parked out in the elements.

Naturally-sourced: The eco-friendly choice for the conscious consumer, carnauba wax offers value over completely synthetic alternatives. Spray products are easiest. Simply spray onto a the clean surface. Some need subsequent wiping, some get rinsed with water; it depends on the product. Shake the bottle and spray a small amount of the ceramic coating product on the surface. We mean it. Less is really more. Use a clean microfiber cloth to spread out the coating and work it into the surface. Ceramic wax is the next big thing in car wax. Proper ceramic waxing is best left to the experts thanks to the long curing time required, but it will leave a hard coating that can last for years. There are also hybrid ceramic options that blend synthetic wax with silicon dioxide ceramic to give you similar results that you can do yourself. Available as a paste, spray or liquid it won’t last as long as proper ceramic coating but it's far easier to apply. We only applied CQuartz to a small portion of the test vehicle, however. Covering the entire paint job of one car with the tiny applicator would probably take an entire day, considering the preparation steps you’ll also need to take.

Turtle Wax Hybrid Polish and Wax

DIY ceramic coating products typically come in spray or a sort of paste form. In this article, we’ll show you how to use our very own US-made Ceramic Spray . If you don’t already have everything you need to apply a ceramic coating to your vehicle, you’ll want to consider Adam’s UV Ceramic Paint Coating Kit. Not only are you getting a great ceramic paint coating, but you’re getting everything you need to apply it perfectly. While most detailing experts will agree that the benefits of ceramic coatings easily outweigh the disadvantages, that doesn’t mean there are no disadvantages. We’ve highlighted a few of the disadvantages you’ll need to keep in mind if you’re thinking about putting a ceramic coating on your vehicle. The Cost

Some waxes may last several weeks or even a few months, but ceramic coatings can continue protecting your car’s finish for a year or longer. When applied by a professional detailer, a ceramic coating may last for as long as you own the car, but the cost and application downtime for a pro ceramic job are both exceptionally high. You may spend thousands of dollars and give up your car for a week to receive a professional ceramic coating. Add in a rental car and that ceramic coating will have become a substantial investment that may not be worth all the time, trouble and money. For those of you who are willing to put in the effort, ceramic products are certainly worth trying out if you have only used wax so far. If you already have an arsenal of car shampoo and polish, consider the Gtechniq ceramic coating to add as a finishing layer. It’s a lot to look into, but it’ll go a long way in ensuring you’re getting a great product that’s giving your vehicle all the protection it needs.

That said, durability and paint protection are not the strong suits of most waxes. Wax is a natural product. It goes onto your car in a very thin layer, and it’s not entirely waterproof. Over time–and especially with each car wash–any wax coating is going to wear away, leaving the surface of your clear coat exposed to the elements. There are some products marketed as ceramic spray coatings, and others that are designed as paste wax. Some are infused with Silicon dioxide and others are simply chemical polymers that bond to clear coats. Regardless of their exact composition, it is safe to say that a ceramic wax is basically a paint sealant on acid that is applied to your clear coat. If you compare the cost of ceramic coatings to other waxes and polishes, you’ll notice that they almost always cost significantly more. While they provide superior looks and protection, these are features you’re paying for with a higher price tag. In the early 2000s, clear coat protectants took a huge leap forward with the introduction of silicon dioxide-based ceramic coatings. A layer of ceramic coating adds an element of shine to your car. More critically, it adds a long-lasting shield of protection far more durable than carnauba-based waxes. Chemically bonded to the clear coat during application, a ceramic coating resists UV rays and chemical contamination and repels water and soils. Our appearance score is based on how the ceramic coating looks once it is applied. To receive high marks in this category, a ceramic coating should have no swirling, leaving only a glossy shine if it is noticeable at all.

Our suggestion for the best car wax? Find a mid-priced, brand-name liquid wax. Our research and experience shows that premium-priced car waxes do not necessarily hold up any better than lower-priced alternatives. And in some cases, the medium-price products outperform the more expensive brands, though the differences are not huge. Like boost sprays, a ceramic spray wax can be used on top of an existing nano coating or as a standalone product. In most cases, these formulations will provide about a year’s worth of hydrophobic properties, but simply do not cure as strong as a concentrated nano ceramic coating like Ceramic Pro 9H.Let’s start by breaking down the cost of the products needed for your ceramic coating and car waxes. Both will create a protective layer for your car’s paint from UV rays, water and other contaminants but do not last as long as synthetic waxes. You’ll typically need to wax your car every six weeks if you use carnauba wax. Next comes the drying process using compressed air to reduce surface contamination. Paint correction comes afterward followed by a ceramic coat application. Cost depends largely on whether you have someone do the work for you or if you’re willing to learn what you can on your own. Factor in the amount of prep work including paint repairs needed to get your car ready for a ceramic coat.

Finally, conventional wax is separated into two categories – natural and synthetic. Ceramic car wax formulations are 100% synthetic and have no natural ingredients. Is Ceramic Wax Better than Carnauba Wax? There are two types of carnauba wax you can get; pure and a blend. Pure carnauba wax is yellow in colour and will give a really nice deep shine to your paintwork as well as protecting it. It’s also the more expensive and can be quite hard to apply. Blended carnauba wax makes use of additives including beeswax to make it easier to apply but it won’t give the same deep shine. It’s white in colour and cheaper to buy. This is the group of car-nuts that grew up with traditional car wax – like Turtle Wax, Meguiar’s and others. As companies started to introduce professional-grade nano ceramic coatings, the in-house chemists and product development experts started to notice a sizable shift in the amount of business being lost. If you’re looking for a ceramic coating spray for a daily driver or for mid to low-tier car shows, Nexgen Ceramic Spray Silicon Dioxide is an outstanding value that does everything you need without draining your bank account.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Ceramic coatings add a new wrinkle to that formula. Sometimes referred to as nano-ceramic coating, ceramic coatings are a chemical compound solution primarily composed of silica and titanium dioxide. The two substances form a bond at the atomic level and the combined result has extremely hydrophobic properties, meaning water cannot penetrate it. Though it does not bond chemically with the paint, it doesn’t wash away like a wax. The protection is similar to that of standard car wax, providing a suit of armour against punishing UV, acidic substances such as bird poo, and excellent hydrophobic properties, making cleaning a ceramic-protected car simple. The best ceramic coatings shortlist