Best Paint Sealants For Cars in 2024
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Car paint sealants, or synthetic waxes, as many people prefer to call them, have been in the game for more than a decade already. The main advantage of paint sealants over typical natural waxes is that they’re more durable and generally easier to apply type of paint protection.
But since it’s not always like that, and not all paint sealants are great, I decided to share my top picks with you today. I’ve tried more than twenty different paint sealants, and I’ve decided only to add seven of them to this list.
My Top Picks:
1. Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0
I tried this wax three months ago, and I thought: “Oh my God, this is amazing; how come I didn’t try this one sooner.”
I was amazed at how this synthetic wax provides my car with so much gloss and deep color. (as you may know, nothing can provide gloss and deep shine same as a natural wax)
In terms of durability, there will be more durable paint sealants later on this list, but Meguiar’s NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 still lasts longer than 99% natural waxes. The main reason why I’ve chosen this one as my 1st recommendation is its shine, gloss, and hydrophobic properties.
Just one quick thing: if you’re used to applying traditional waxes, do note that this one applies in a much thinner layer, so make sure not to oversaturate your car panels with it. You don’t need much of this product to protect your vehicle.
2. Chemical Guys Extreme Top Coat Wax & Sealant
Another extremely shiny product is from Chemical Guys, and unless you’ve been living under a rock for years, I’m sure you know about this company.
This sealant is made out of natural waxes and sealant, so it has the best of both worlds: shine from waxes and longevity from the sealant.
What I especially appreciate is that you can use this sealant on literally any surface of your car’s exterior (Except the tires and trim). I’ve been using it on chrome parts and painted parts, but also on my windshield while trying it out.
The shine is amazing, and the hydrophobic properties are as well, but the only thing that I’d love to be different is the drying (curing) time.
It takes 20 minutes for this product to cure in ideal conditions. I think that’s slightly too long; since I’m used to curing times of up to ten minutes, this one seemed slightly too long.
3. Turtle Wax Ceramic & Graphene Paste Wax
If you’re looking for something budget-friendly yet extremely durable, the ceramic paste wax with graphene from Turtle Wax is probably the best choice.
Since it comes in a paste, it takes a bit more time to apply, but the end result is amazing. It took me about one hour to apply and buff the whole car, but I was amazed at the hydrophobic properties, and even though I didn’t expect some shine, the car was extremely shiny after application.
When I was applying this wax, it was 30 degrees Celsius outside, and the application was still smooth and simple. So, the good thing is that you can apply it even in warmer weather. Turtle Wax even says that you can apply this wax in direct sunlight, which I still don’t recommend (it may cure too quickly).
4. Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax
If you’re looking for something extremely easy and quick to apply, this might be the right pick. This product from Meguiar’s contains synthetic waxes and SiO2 (ceramic compound) to offer your car’s paint a long-lasting shine and protection.
The thing I was amazed by was the ease of application. After washing my car, while it was still wet, I just sprayed this product on the paint, rinsed it, and dried it with a microfiber towel. And that’s it. The car’s shine was improved a lot, and hydrophobic properties were also great.
However, I realized that applying this paint sealant on a wet car doesn’t offer the same durability as applying it to a dry car. It seems like it bonds much better when the car’s paint is dry. So, I recommend applying it on dry paint only if you want to get maximum durability and longevity.
5. Griot’s Garage Ceramic 3-in-1 Wax
I’ve heard all the best about this ceramic wax and thought that I’d apply it to my car when going to the winter holidays in December. All the road salt, snow, rain, and other contaminants were a fantastic test.
Two months in the winter, and yet my car still shines like a new one. I believe it’s going to last three to four months more, which is fantastic considering the easy application and how little product goes on the paint.
You can use it on painted parts, wheels, plastic, rubber trim, and chrome. Honestly, I didn’t expect that they’d make something that can be used on a rubber trim as well. And I can tell you that it really works, even though I’m generally always for the use of specific products when it comes to rubber trim.
6. The Last Coat Spray Ceramic Coating & Wax
I decided to try out The Last Coat Spray Ceramic Coating & Wax when I saw tons of positive reviews. To be honest, I didn’t expect too much.
However, after an extremely quick application (one of the quickest on the list) and buffing the car, I realized this is actually a very good product, and the shine was amazing. When it comes to longevity, they promote 6 months of protection, while in my case, it’s more ca. 4 months.
The gloss wasn’t as deep as with Meguiar’s NXT 2.0, but it was pretty good, and its hydrophobic properties were incredible. What’s very interesting about The Last Coat is that you can protect ca. 8 cars with one bottle, meaning that the cost per application is below $5. IMO, that’s a fantastic value.
The last coat also offers you a money-back guarantee, meaning that they’re 100% sure that their product is amazing. And honestly, I agree with that.
7. Lucas Oil Slick Mist Speed Wax
Lucas Oil isn’t extremely popular in car detailing communities, but I’ve tried this product and decided to put it on the list of the best paint sealants. The reason is that the price is extremely low compared to the competition, and the results are still pretty satisfying.
They promote that you can use it on a wet surface, yet I again recommend applying it on a dry car because that way, it’ll bond much better, and you’ll get better longevity.
Even though it’s a budget-friendly product, it offers a shine similar to natural waxes, which was very strange to me (in a positive way). The downside of this synthetic wax is that you can use it on glass surfaces (according to Lucas Oil), but don’t expect fantastic results. I’ve tried it, and unfortunately, the glass had a bit of haze.
So, I don’t recommend using it on glass surfaces, especially on the windshield. For the windshield, I still recommend using dedicated rain repellents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Waxes are made from natural compounds such as carnauba wax and similar, while paint sealants (synthetic waxes) are made from polymers and other synthetic compounds such as SiO2, graphene, and other materials to mimic the real “traditional” wax.
Car paint sealants last longer than traditional waxes, and they’re priced somewhat similarly. Meaning that for the same price, you get longer protection for your car’s paint, glass, chrome, and other parts.
No, car paint sealants offer lower amount of protection than real ceramic coatings. However, some “quick” ceramic coatings that you see out there are actually also paint sealants with SiO2 infused.
Generally, paint sealants can last up to 1 year. However, from my experience, expect better ones to last around 6 months, and then do a re-application. I like to do it in Autumn and in Spring.
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